2005 FORD FOCUS Complaints

THE LEFT REAR DOOR ON MY 2005 FORD FOCUS DOES NOT LOCK. EVEN WHEN I LOCK THE CAR WITH THE REMOTE AND THE ALARM IS ARMED, THE RIGHT REAR DOOR WILL OPEN. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE SEARCHED ON THE WEB AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE '05 FOCUS. *TR

THE KEYS WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE CAR IS NOT REGISTERING THAT IT IS IN PARK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. WHENEVER SHE DRIVES HER VEHICLE, SHE HAS TO LOCK IT WITH ANOTHER KEY SINCE THE IGNITION KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED. THE FORD MANUFACTURER INFORMED HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT SHE HAS NOT DONE SO AT THIS TIME. THE MANUFACTURER FURTHER STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. WHEN ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE LATCH AND DOOR HANDLE WERE FAILING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 23,090.

MY KEYS ARE STUCK IN THE IGNITION OF MY 2005 FORD FOCUS. THIS JUST HAPPENED TODAY AND THEY ARE STILL IN THERE. I WILL HAVE TO LOCK MY CAR WITH THE KEYS IN IT AND PRAY NO ONE STEALS IT. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE AND WAS STUCK FOR 2-3 DAYS. THE KEYS OFTEN ACT LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO STICK, THEN, THANKFULLY THEY COME OUT. THIS IS SUCH A NUISANCE AND A RISK. I ASKED MY DEALERSHIP WOULD THE PROBLEM BE FIXED IF I HAD IT REPAIRED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT MIGHT STILL HAPPEN AND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FOCUS. NOT SO GOOD NEWS SINCE, I AM SURE THIS WOULD NOT BE CHEAP. *TR

THE INNER BRAKE PADS ON THE FRONT AXLES ARE PRONE TO BINDING DUE TO RUST. THE CLEARANCES ARE VERY TIGHT. THIS CAUSES PREMATURE, UNEVEN BRAKE AND ROTOR WEAR ONCE THE PAD RUSTS UP AND STOPS FLOATING. MY PADS JUST FAILED AFTER 42K MILES; YET THE OUTER PADS WERE OVER 1/4" THICK. I PROPOSE A SEVERAL-PART REMEDY (FIRST 3 TO BE DONE BY SERVICING TECHNICIAN): 1. EXAMINE THE PADS MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THE USUAL ONCE A YEAR REQUIRED BY TYPICAL SAFETY INSPECTIONS; PULL THE WHEELS AND CHECK FOR MOVEMENT OF THE INBOARD PADS. THE PADS MAY HAVE TO BE RETRACTED WITH A C CLAMP SO THEY HAVE ROOM TO MOVE. 2. IF THE PADS ARE FROZEN, REMOVE BRAKE DISK AND PADS AND REMOVE RUST ON THE SLIDING SURFACE DOWN TO BARE METAL WITH A FLAT FILE, UNTIL PADS SLIDE FREELY. 3. LUBRICATE SURFACES WITH MOLYKOTE OR SIMILAR ANTI-SEIZE COMPOUND. 4. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REVIEW THE DESIGN WITH BRAKE VENDORS TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION WHICH COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO REPLACEMENT PADS. IF SLIGHTLY SHORTER PADS ARE THE ANSWER, THEY SHOULD INCLUDE ANTI-RATTLE MEASURES. ALSO, A SQUEALER SPRING SHOULD BE ADDED TO CONTACT THE BRAKE DISK WHEN THE PAD IS ALMOST GONE TO GIVE AN AUDIBLE WARNING TO THE DRIVER. THESE WORK WELL ON CHRYSLERS (I DON'T KNOW WHO MAKES THEM). *TR

MY CAR FAILS TO START UNTIL I CRANK IT 3 OR 4 TIMES. SOMETIMES IT BEGINS TO START THEN SPUTTERS AND DIES. IT HAS BEEN AN EVERYDAY THING FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS NOW. IT HAPPENS ABOUT EVERY TIME I GO TO START MY CAR WITH A FEW TIMES IT STARTING RIGHT AWAY. *TR

MY KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION INTERMITTENTLY. NOTHING I DO RELEASES IT. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO LEAVE IT IN MY CAR FOR DAYS BEFORE I COME OUT ONE OF THE MORNINGS AND IT JUST DECIDES TO LET ME HAVE MY KEY BACK. ON AND OFF EVER SINCE I HAVE GOTTEN THE CAR. *TR

I PURCHASED A USED 2005 FORD FOCUS WITH EXACTLY 30,000 MILES ON IT, AROUND 40,000 I NOTICED MY TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP, FURTHER RESEARCH REVEALED MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THIS SAME THING BEFORE THEY EVEN REACH 60,000. SEEMS TO ME IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. EVEN AFTER BEING LOOKED AT I AM GOING TO HAVE TO PAY LOTS OF MONEY TO GET IT REPAIRED DUE TO THE WARRANTY ONLY BEING AT THE 40,000 MARK. WHICH THE DEALER NEVER TOLD ME THAT THE WARRANTY THEY OFFERED WAS VOID IF ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY WAS STILL IN EFFECT. IN WHICH I ENDED UP ON THE SHORT END OF THE STICK BECAUSE THEIR WARRANTY THEY GIVE FOR THE USED CARS OUTLASTS WHAT I HAD REMAINING ON THE FACTORY WARRANTY. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. SEVERE SLIPPING WHEN TRANSMISSION GOES TO SHIFT INTO THIRD AND FOURTH GEAR. *TR

I PURCHASED MY USED VEHICLE IN 06/08 AND IMMEDIATELY THERE WERE ISSUES WITH THE TIRES. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE "ONE BAD TIRE". IN ORDER TO KEEP ALL THE TIRES IN GOOD AND EQUAL CONDITION I PURCHASED THREE MORE. OVER THE PAST 10 MONTHS IT HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES FOR "ALIGNMENT ISSUES" AND TO A PRIVATE ALIGNMENT SHOP FOR THE SAME ISSUE. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ONLINE HAS INDICATED THAT THERE IS A "KNOWN ISSUE" WITH THE FORD FOCUS THAT ALLOWS A "GENEROUS" SPREAD FOR ALIGNMENT SPECS. AS LONG AS IT CAN BE ALIGNED WITHIN FORD'S SPECS IT IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE, HOWEVER THE TIRES CONTINUE TO WEAR UNEVENLY CAUSING VIBRATION AND INCORRECT TREAD WEAR. I WAS TOLD BY FORD TODAY THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE "NUMBER IS" BUT THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO DO NOTHING UNTIL THAT "MAGIC NUMBER" IS REACHED. EVIDENTLY THEY HAVE ALSO ISSUED A "SILENT RECALL" THAT ALLOWS ONLY THOSE VEHICLES THAT CANNOT BE ADJUSTED TO THEIR "GENEROUS" SPECS TO BE REPAIRED. THIS IS NOT ONLY A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO TIRE WEAR BUT AFFECTS TRACKING IN SNOW AND WATER WHICH ALSO HEIGHTENS RISK. *TR