2000 FORD FOCUS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD, SHIFTED OUT OF SECOND GEAR, AND ROLLED BACK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON BOTH FLAT AND INCLINED SURFACES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CONTROL MODULE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,141 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,241.

VEHICLE RECALLED IN FEBRUARY 2001 TO REPAIR PROBLEM:"SOME OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES HAVE A RIGID VINYL SLEEVE AROUND THE WIRING AT THE HINGE POINT OF THE REAR DECKLID. DURING DECKLID OPENING AND CLOSING, MOVEMENT IS CONCENTRATED AT THIS POINT AND MAY CAUSE ONE OR MORE WIRES WITHIN THE HARNESS TO FATIGUE AND BREAK. DEPENDING ON WHICH WIRES BREAK, IT MAY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF LICENSE PLATE LAMPS, CENTER HIGH-MOUNT STOP LAMPS, STOP LAMPS OR TAIL LAMPS. LOSS OF THIS REAR LIGHTING COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF AN ACCIDENT." TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR BUT THE FOLLOWING HAVE FAILED SINCE: RIGHT TAIL LAMP, REVERSE LIGHTS. ON 09/12/2007 A FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS REP STATED THAT MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER HAD ANY RECALLS. I HAVE FOUR OF FIVE OF THE NOTICES THEY SENT ME.

I DROVE MY 2000 FORD FOCUS ABOUT 2 MILES TO THE GAS STATION TO RUN IN FOR MILK. WHEN RETURNING TO THE CAR 3 MINUTES LATER, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO WALK HOME AND GET A RIDE BACK TO THE GAS STATION WITH ANOTHER KEY (HOPING IT WASN'T THE IGNITION PROBLEM I'D READ SO MUCH ABOUT). THAT DIDN'T HELP. THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP, WHICH WAS LITERALLY WITHIN VIEW OF THE GAS STATION. THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THEIR GARAGE ($45!!! FOR LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE) AND THEN PAY FOR A NEW IGNITION $400. *TR

PARKED IN A PUBLIC PARKING SPACE AND CAME BACK TO RETRIEVE MY CAR. COULD GET THE KEY IN THE IGNITION BUT COULD NOT TURN IT. TURNS OUT THE IGNITION WAS FAULTY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BY FORD. EVERYONE I'VE TALKED TO WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM, BUT FORD HAS NOT ADDRESSED IT. THEY CHARGED 400 DOLLARS TO REPLACE IT. *TR

THE FIRST TIME I COULDN'T GET THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. THEN AFTER 30 MINUTES I GOT IT TO GO IN. THEN WHEN I PARKED, I COULDN'T GET THE KEY OUT. SO I DROVE HOME. HAD TO CALL A LOCKSMITH TO COME DRILL OUT THE CYLINDER AND PUT A NEW ONE IN--$220. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS HARMED BY THIS DEFECT ON MY 2000 FORD FOCUS WITH 51,000 MILES ON IT, I WAS VERY INCONVENIENT FOR ME. WHAT IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING ALONE AT NIGHT AWAY FROM THE CITY AND LOCKSMITHS AND MY CAR WOULDN'T START BECAUSE THE KEY WOULDN'T TURN OR GO IN? I WOULD BE STRANDED. THAT TO ME IS A SAFETY ISSUE. A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE SHOWS THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF FOCUS OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM AND FORD HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *JB

I WAS GETTING IN MY 2000 FORD FOCUS THIS MORNING TO GO TO WORK; I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. I FIDDLED WITH IN FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO NO AVAIL. AS A RESULT, I HAD TO CALL OFF OF WORK. THAT ALONE IS A LOSE OF MONEY. I HAVE NOT YET CALLED FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT ACCORDING TO OTHER REPORTS, IT CAN COST ANYWHERE FROM$100- $400 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I JUST THANK GOD THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN TO ME IN A DANGEROUS AREA. I COULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN A VERY DANGEROUS AREA. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE KEY NOT TURNING BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, HOWEVER, I COULD ALWAYS EVENTUALLY TURN THE KEY, AFTER FIDDLING WITH IT FOR A FEW MINUTES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHEN THE KEY WAS PLACED IN THE IGNITION, IT WOULD NOT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 76,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. WHEN THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HE RAISED THE HOOD AND NOTICED FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE WEATHER WAS DRY AND APPROXIMATELY 100 DEGREES AT THE TIME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 140,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR TO WORK ON 8/20/07 I NOTICED THE CAR BEGINNING TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN. THE CAR HAS CRUISE CONTROL BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED EVEN AFTER I TURNED OFF THE SPEED CONTROL FUNCTION. GIVEN THE EXCESSIVE RATE OF SPEED THE CAR HAD ACCELERATED TO I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN BUT ONCE I RELEASED THE BRAKE IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UPWARDS OF 75-80 MPH. *TR

2000 FORD FOCUS IGNITION LOCK PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACE THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER IN MY YEAR 2000 FORD FOUCS, TWICE. EACH TIME I WAS STRANDED BECAUSE THE LOCK JAMMED AND I COULD NOT START THE CAR. MY MAIN COMPLAINT IS THAT APPARENTLY NO BETTER PART IS AVAILABLE AND I AM FORCED TO INSTALL ANOTHER ONE OF THESE DEFECTIVE LOCKS JUST TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD. BEING STRANDED DOUBLE PARKED IN NEW YORK CITY, OR OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE ON THE WEEKEND IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I DON'T WANT MONEY COMPENSATION - I WANT THE PROBLEM FIXED, I WILL GLADLY PAY FOR AN NEW LOCK THAT WILL NOT FAIL IN THIS WAY AGAIN. ON EVERY OTHER CAR I OWNED THE IGNITION LOCK OUT LASTED THE ENGINE. *TR