2000 FORD FOCUS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT COULD PHYSICALLY MOVE THE STEERING COLUMN UP AND DOWN THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE AND WAS TIGHTENED AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC'S SHOP. MOST RECENTLY, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FORD DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY FAILURES, BUT AN INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC. FORD INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD FOR THEM TO ASSIST, DESPITE ITS LOW MILEAGE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS NORMAL, INCLUDING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. SHE STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND HAS REMAINED ON EVER SINCE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS FAILURE WITH THE FUEL TANK. WHEN THE GAS TANK CAP IS NOT SECURED PROPERLY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE. THE DEALER REMOVED AND REPLACED THE GAS TANK CAP AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIMMED; HOWEVER, IT ILLUMINATED AGAIN A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER. THE LAST TIME THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START HER VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT START. SHE WAITED A COUPLE OF HOURS AND WHEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY RESTARTED, IT MADE A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE. WHITE SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,757.

MY IGNITION ON MY 2000 FORD FOCUS WONT TURN. I HAD TO FORCE THE KEY IN AND HAVE TO LEAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SO I CAN START MY CAR. CALLED FORD THEY WERE NO HELP AT ALL. FOR FEAR OF MY CAR NOT BEING ABLE TO START I HAVE TO LEAVE THE KEY IN THERE AND KEEP A SPARE KEY ON ME SO I CAN LOCK THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. MINUTES LATER, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED. SHE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED METAL HANGING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE GARAGE AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SPRING STRUTS FAILED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE SWAY BAR LINKS, THE INNER TIE ROD, THE CB BOOT, THE DRIVER SIDE AXLE, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HUB BEARING. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,982 UPDATED 5/19/08 *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. HE EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED TWO WIRES WERE MELTED IN THE WIRING HARNESS. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE FAILURE ORIGINATED FROM THE REAR DECK LID. TWO WIRES WERE FUSED TOGETHER DUE TO FATIGUE, ONE WIRE BEING 7.5 AMPS AND THE OTHER BEING 15 AMPS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V411000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,679 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,670.

1. THERE WERE TWO INSTANCES OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS WHERE MY CAR WOULDN'T START INITIALLY AND IT TOOK 15 MINUTES TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO TURN THE KEY. 2. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION TO FILL UP MY CAR WHICH IS A 2000 FORD FOCUS ZX3. I HAD MAY 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WITH ME AND WHEN WE WENT TO LEAVE MY IGNITION LOCKED UP. AFTER AN HOUR I HAD TO CALL SOMEONE TO COME GET MY DAUGHTER AS IT WAS 9PM AND SHE HAD SCHOOL IN THE MORNING. I HAD SOMEONE ELSE COME BY TO SEE IF THEY COULD FIX IT BUT THAT WAS TO NO AVAIL. FINALLY AFTER ABOUT 3 HOURS TOTAL I HAD TO CALL A FOR A TOW BACK TO MY HOUSE AS THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED UP AND I COULD NOT EVEN ROLL THE CAR OUT OF THE WAY BECAUSE I COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL TO GET AROUND THE GAS PUMPS. I SEARCHED ONLINE TO SEE ABOUT A RECALL DUE TO THIS CARS HISTORY AND TO MY AMAZEMENT I FOUND WEB FORUM AFTER WEB FORUM OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SEARCH THE WEB FOR "FORD FOCUS IGNITION LOCK" AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN. THIS IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE AND CAN BE POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. BEING STUCK AND UNABLE TO PUT YOUR CAR IN NEUTRAL AND MOVE IT TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AND OUT OF THE WAY, BEING STUCK IN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS...POSSIBLY WITH A CHILD OR EVEN JUST BEING STUCK FOR HOURS AT A TIME. I READ ON INSTANCE WERE A WOMEN WASN'T ABLE TO GET TOWED FOR 6 HOURS AND READ ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A MAN WHO HAD RENTED A FOCUS ONLY TO HAVE IT LOCK UP WHILE AT A REST AREA ON THE HIGHWAY. IT APPEARS THAT FORD IS SIMPLY IGNORING THIS FAULT AND IT'S COSTING PEOPLE $400-$500 EVERY OCCURRENCE. SOME PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED 3 TIMES OR MORE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IT HAS BEEN A SERIOUS ISSUE. 3. I HAVE GET THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALER TO PAY THE $400 TO HAVE IT FIXED AND HOPE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN OR I CAN FIND A LOCKSMITH WHO CAN COME TO MY HOUSE, DRILL OUT THE IGNITION AND REPLACE IT WHICH IS CHEAPER THAN THE DEALERSHIP BUT NOT BY MUCH. *TR

MY 2000 FORD FOCUS HAD A KEY STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THIS CAUSED ME TO DRIVE A CAR WITH A KEY THAT WOULD NOT COME OUT CAUSING A THEFT ISSUE AS I LIVE IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. THERE WAS FEAR OF GOING OUT TO START MY CAR AND HAVING IT BREAK OR NOT TURN LEAVING ME STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FORD WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM FOR LESS THEN $500 WHICH IS A TOTAL JOKE AS THIS IS A FAULTY PART THAT THEY PUT IN THE CAR. I HAD TO PAY $385 DOLLARS TO HAVE A GOOD LOCKSMITH REPLACE THE PART FOR ME. FORD SHOULD BACK UP THE PRODUCT THAT MAKE AND SHOULD PAY BACK ANY FOCUS OWNER THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM. I WILL NOT SUPPORT A COMPANY THAT WILL NOT SUPPORT THEIR OWN PRODUCT. *TR

KEY IGNITION SWITCH BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO OPERATE OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS. FIRST THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION ONE DAY. IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE KEY ONE HAD TO PUSH THE CYLINDER IN WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PULLING THE KEY. IT SEEMED STRANGE AT THE TIME THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN OUT OF THE BLUE ONE DAY, BUT THE NEW METHOD OF REMOVING THE KEY WORKED. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN THE IGNITION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR LEAVING MY WIFE STRANDED OUT LATE ONE NIGHT. LUCKILY, HER FRIEND WHO ALSO OWNED A FORD MUSTANG, WAS WITH HER AND HAD EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH HER CAR. THEY WERE ABLE TO START THE CAR BUY SIMULTANEOUSLY PUSHING IN THE CYLINDER WHILE TURNING THE KEY AND IT STARTED. AGAIN STRANGE BUT IT WORKED. WE CONTINUED THIS ROUTINE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS UNTIL YESTERDAY, WHILE JUST SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS CHANGING TIRES THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR STARTED TO REMOVE IT FROM THE GARAGE. NOW FACED WITH MORE COST THE ONLY THING I COULD BE HAPPY ABOUT WAS THAT IT WAS ME STRANDED AND NOT MY WIFE AND MY SON. IT IS EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING TO LEARN NOW THAT THIS IS AND HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF FORD AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT IT. I CAN PAY HUNDREDS TO REPLACE THE IGNITION WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART THAT MANY SAY WILL FAIL AGAIN. THIS TIME ON ONE OF MY WIFE'S MANY TRIPS WITH MY SON IN THE CAR SEAT. NOTHING ABOUT THAT SCENARIO SOUNDS SAFE TO ME. FORD NEEDS TO BE PROMPTED TO FIX THIS RECURRING PROBLEM TO PREVENT FUTURE SAFETY ISSUES. *TR

I RECENTLY WAS STRANDED 30 MILES FROM MY HOME DUE TO MY IGNITION LOCKING UP. MY KEYS WOULD NOT EVEN BUDGE AND I HAD TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED AND PAID FOR THE REPAIR ($400). THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE SPEEDOMETER INTERMITTENTLY DROPS TO 0 WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. THE ODOMETER READS ALL DASH MARKS AND THE VEHICLE SHIFTS ROUGHLY. I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS DUE TO THE SPEED SENSOR BEING BAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS GIVEN A DIFFERENT EXCUSE WHY THE SENSOR FAILED EACH TIME. *TR