2005 FORD FOCUS Complaints

THURSDAY MORNING, (10/6/05) I WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON THE DAN RYAN I94. I WAS IN THE LEFT HAND LANE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF MY HOOD. I THOUGHT I MUST BE OVERHEATING, THOUGH THAT SEEMED WEIRD SINCE IT WAS FAIRLY COOL OUTSIDE AND NOTHING ON MY DASH SHOWED DISTRESS. I PULLED QUICKLY TO THE LEFT SHOULDER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND DECIDED TO CALL ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. WHILE ON HOLD A STRANGE SMELL STARTED TO FILL THE CAR AND I NOTICED MORE SMOKE AND THE SMOKE WAS GETTING DARKER. I GRABBED MY BAG, AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. WITHIN A MINUTE, THERE WERE SMALL FLAMES COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I BEGAN TO WALK QUICKLY AWAY FROM THE CAR ALONG THE SHOULDER. ALL THIS TO SAY THAT THE CAR IS TOTALED, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MADE IT BEFORE IT EXPLODED....BUT IT IS DESTROYED. *NM

DT: 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE GRILL AND HEADLIGHTS WERE OUT OF PLACE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY WERE NOT SURE IF THEY WERE GOING TO ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP MADE ADJUSTMENTS, BUT THE CONSUMER DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS PROPERLY CORRECTED. THE CONSUMER STATED ONLY ONE HALF OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS ABLE TO BE PUT IN COMPLIANCE. HE HAS BEEN TOLD THE RADIATOR SUPPORT PANEL WAS BUILT IN AN IMPROPER POSITION. FORD STATED THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT WITHIN TOLERANCE. IT SHOULD NOT AFFECT ANY SAFETY COMPONENTS. WHEN THE CONSUMER ASKED FOR THAT IN WRITING THEY WERE UNSURE OF THEMSELVES. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE HOOD SITS TOO LOW AT THE FENDER NEAR THE RIGHT A- PILLAR, THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. *JB

ONCE ON A 3 LANE EXPRESSWAY (7/29/05) AND ONCE ON A BUSY STREET (8/4/2005), THE STICK SHIFT DISCONNECTED ITSELF FROM THE TRANSMISSION LEAVING ME IN NEUTRAL THE FIRST TIME AND 1ST GEAR THE SECOND TIME. THE 2005 (245 MILES ON IT) FORD FOCUS LEFT ME IN A SITUATION WHERE I WAS A SITTING DUCK AND ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED THE FIRST TIME AND YELLED AT THE SECOND TIME. THE DEALER (FRONTIER FORD, SANTA CLARA, CA) RECONNECTED THE LINKAGE THE FIRST TIME IT WAS TOWED IN. IT FAILED AGAIN ON 8/4 AND WAS TOWED IN AGAIN. NOW THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE 8/4/2005 AWAITING PARTS. THE DEALER SAID MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE TO EXHIBIT THIS FAILURE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY HAZARD AND FORD IS DOING NOTHING TO FIX IT BUT TELL ME THAT THE CABLE ASSEMBLY IS ON ORDER. *NM

ON SUN 8/28/05 I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON I69. JUST SOUTH OF EXIT 25 I WAS GOING TO PASS A RV. I CHECKED MY MIRRORS AND THOUGH IT WAS SAFE TO PASS, BUT I MISSED JUDGED THE CAR BEHIND ME AND HE WAS IN MY PASSING LANE. I JERKED BACK INTO MY LANE. WHEN STRAIGHTENING UP SOMETHING POPPED IN MY STEERING. AS A RESULT I WHEN SLIDING SIDEWAYS DOWN THE HIGHWAY. I FINALLY ENDED UP SLOWLY GLIDING DOWN THE GUARD RAIL. I COULD NOT STEER MY CAR. *NM

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2005 FORD FOCUS ZX4 IN DECEMBER OF 2005. UPON DELIVERY I NOTICED MY CAR HAD A HARD TIME STARTING AND THE WHOLE ENGINE WOULD SHAKE AND KNOCK. AFTER A MONTH I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. THE CONDITION CONTINUED AND I TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM BUT ASKED TO KEEP IT FOR AN OVERNIGHT START. I BROUGHT IT IN A FEW DAYS LATER SO THEY COULD KEEP IT OVER NIGHT AND THEY FOUND A BULLETIN BY FORD SAYING THEY KNOW THERE IS A HARD START PROBLEM BUT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT REPLACED BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T UNLATCH OCCASIONALLY. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CASING REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DISCOLORED. THEN ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 62 MILES AN HOUR AND MY CLUTCH WENT OUT AND MY CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY ANOTHER CAR AND HAD TO WEIGHT IN 90 DEGREE WEATHER FOR 2 HOURS FOR A TOW TRUCK TO COME. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO FORD AND THEY SAID MY FLY WHEEL HAD CRUMBLED AND MY CLUTCH WAS BAD. IT TOOK THEM 9 DAYS TO REPLACE MY CLUTCH. A DAY LATER MY CAR WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT WITHOUT GRINDING AND I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THAT THIS TIME THEY HAD TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION BECAUSE IT WAS RUINED AS WELL. TO THIS DAY MY CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP AND HAS BEEN THERE FOR 32 DAYS JUST FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. MY CAR IS ONLY 8 MONTHS OLD AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR OR DIAGNOSIS FOR A TOTAL OF 45 DAYS SO FAR. NEITHER WENDLE MOTORS OR FORD WILL REPLACE THE CAR SO I AM PERUSING A LEMON LAW CASE. *JB

DT: THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER POPPED OUT AND LANDED ON PAPERS AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. IT BURNED THE PASSENGERS IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN THE TO SEATS. HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER. THIS HAPPENED MONDAY AUGUST 15, 2005. THE CONSUSMER SUSTAINED BURNS ON RIGHT HAND.*AK

'05 FORD FOCUS ZXW. VEHICLE LESS THAN 2 WEEKS OLD. IN SHOP 4TH TIME FOR VIBRATION IN FRONT END AND PULLING TO RIGHT. DEALER REPLACED 1 FRONT TIRE, BALANCED ALL 4, CHANGED CAMBER ANGLE AND RE-ALIGNED STEERING WHEEL. CAR STILL VIBRATES AT 65 AND NOW PULLS TO LEFT. BACK TO DEALER AGAIN FOR 5TH TIME. APPEARS TO ORIGINATE FROM RIGHT FRONT. WILL PRESS FOR STRUT AND SUSPENSION INSPECTION. *JB

I WAS REAR ENDED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 8/13/05, THE LOCKING MECHANISM IN MY SEAT BELT DIDN'T WORK PROPERLY AND MY FACE AND ARM WERE PROPELLED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN I WAS REAR ENDED. I WAS HIT WITH SO MUCH FORCE THAT MY CAR WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR WHO WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR. *JB

DT: 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR OVER A MONTH. THE FIRST INDICATION WAS THAT IT WOULD NOT SHIFT RIGHT AND THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. THE CONSUMER HAD TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN 3RD GEAR. THE PART WAS ON BACK-ORDER, AND THERE WERE SO MANY ON ORDER THAT THERE WAS NO KNOWN DATE WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. *JB

AS VEHICLE WARMS UP, THERE IS A WHINING NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE RPMS BEING HIGHER. IT ALMOST FEELS AS IF IT'S BELT OR POWER STEERING RELATED, BUT THERE IS NO LOSS OF STEERING POWER. ALSO, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO LOSS OF POWER ANYWHERE ELSE. WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE WHERE A TURN IS INVOLVED, AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, THE NOISE IS "FEELING" IN THE WHEEL IS A BIT EXAGGERATED. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO JEROME DUNCAN FORD (IN STERLING HEIGHTS, MI) FOR SERVICE YESTERDAY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE NOISE IS "NORMAL OPERATING" NOISE. I DON'T BUY IT AND TOLD THEM I'D DEFINITELY BE BACK IF SOMETHING WENT WRONG.