2001 FORD FOCUS Complaints

RADIO/CD/CLOCK UNIT APPEARS TO SHORT OUT AT VARIOUS UNPREDICTABLE TIMES. THE CD OR RADIO WILL ACT AS IF THE UNIT IS TURNED OFF; HOWEVER THE CLOCK DISPLAY ALSO DISAPPEARS FROM THE PANEL. AFTER 10 MINUTES OR LONGER THE CLOCK DISPLAY WILL RETURN TO THE SCREEN - WITH THE CORRECT TIME AND THE RADIO/CD PORTION CAN BE TURNED BACK ON AS IF WAS TURNED OFF. DURING THESE "SHUTDOWNS" I CAN NOT DO ANYTHING TO MAKE THE UNIT WORK. THIS INCLUDES USING THE ON OFF BUTTONS AND ANY AND ALL OF THE OTHER CONTROL OPTION/BUTTONS. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES THAT I AM AWARE OF SINCE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS 01 FOCUS 4 DOOR MODEL. STARTING IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR 2006. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED 4 TIMES, WHICH CAUSED A LOSS OF POWER FOLLOWED BY STALLING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED RECALL NUMBER 03V482000 (FORD RECALL 03N01), FOR THE FUEL FILTER, BUT DID NOT CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO SEE IF THE VIN WAS INCLUDED.

I HAVE A 2001 FORD FOCUS -- CLOGGING OF THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE (FDM) FILTERS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES LEADED TO STALLING AND OTHER RELATED SYMPTOMS. THESE SYMPTOMS BECOME INCREASINGLY OBVIOUS TO THE DRIVER AS THE CLOGGING GRADUALLY INCREASES OVER EXTENDED PERIODS OF DRIVING. STALLING IN THESE VEHICLES IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN ACCELERATING THROUGH A RIGHT HAND TURN SUCH AS MERGING INTO FREEWAY TRAFFIC WHEN THE FUEL LEVEL IN THE FUEL TANK IS LESS THAN 1/4 FULL. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 - 40 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHILE PULLING THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS DARKENED AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL. IT WAS PARKED FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS OBSERVED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT A BARREN CAME OUT OF ONE OF THE PULLEYS HOWEVER THAT WOULD NOT CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT AT THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT. TWO DAYS LATER THE CONTACT RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS BURNED. THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR OBSERVED A SECURITY VIDEO WHICH IDENTIFIED THE VEHICLE SMOKING AND A WINDOW HAD FALLEN.

I OWN A FORD FOCUS ZX3 (2001). I SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS EVERYONE ELSE WITH MY CAR. MY IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN AND I WAS LEFT STRANDED. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THE ISSUE, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT EVERY OTHER FOCUS OWNER HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM IS PURCHASING A NEW IGNITION CYLINDER (~$400). FORD NEED TO ADMIT TO A FAULTY PART AND LOW QUALITY OF MATERIALS. PLEASE HELP THIS BE AN OFFICIAL RECALL. THANK YOU. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE IGNITION CYLINDER LOCKED COMPLETELY, AND WOULD NOT MOVE. THE KEY WAS ALSO NOT ABLE TO BE INSERTED ALL THE WAY IN TO THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE STARTED, AND NO ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DRILLED OUT THE IGNITION CYLINDER, AND REPLACED THE CYLINDER AND IGNITION SWITCH. THE DEALER CITED A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH AS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

MY IGNITION LOCKS UP AND I AM UNABLE TO TURN THE KEY. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES NOW AND EACH TIME I HAVE TO HAVE THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER REPLACED COSTING ME AROUND $400.00 EACH TIME. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED AT ABOUT 16,000 MILES AND NOW I HAVE 85,000 MILES ON MY CAR. THERE IS NO SIGN WHEN AND WHERE IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, IT JUST DOES AND THEN IT LEAVES YOU STRANDED AND IN NEED OF A TOW TRUCK, WHICH IS MORE COST TO THE CONSUMER. *JB

2001 FORD FOCUS-WINDOW REGULATORS FAIL WITHOUT NOTICE. 5 TIMES THE WINDOW REGULATORS FAILED, 3 OF THOSE WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE WINDOW EITHER DROPPED OR WOULD NOT ROLL BACK UP IF WINDOW WAS OPEN. THE FIRST 3 TIMES IT WAS OVER 100 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND THE AIR CONDITIONING WOULD NOT COOL THE BACK SEAT WHERE MY NEWBORN WAS SLEEPING. ALL 4 WINDOWS HAVE DONE THIS AT LEAST ONCE, THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WINDOW HAS DONE IT TWICE. FORD FIXED THE PROBLEM 4 TIMES AND REFUSED ON THE FIFTH TIME. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FROM FORD IN DEARBORN, MI HUNG UP ON ME 3 TIMES REFUSING ANY SERVICE. *JB

IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 2001 FORD FOCUS LOCKED. UNABLE TO PUT KEY ALL THE WAY INTO IGNITION SWITCH. *NM

IGNITION CYLINDER FORD FOCUS LX 2001 93,980 MILES LIKE SO MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET. INSERT KEY - IGNITION LOCKSUP YOU'RE STRANDED AND HAVE TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. COST FOR REPAIR BY FORD DEALERSHIP $489.20. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED NOTICING IGNITION PROBLEM - WE CALLED FORD TO GET A PRICE ON THE PART AS MY HUSBAND WAS GOING TO REPLACE HIMSELF. WAS TOLD BY PARTS GAL THAT HE COULD NOT PERFORM THIS HIMSELF - IT'S NOT LIKE THE OLD DAYS - THERE ARE NOW SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE WIRING AND INSULATION IT HAS TO BE DONE BY FORD. ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE IGNITION WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CALL TOW TRUCK AND TAKE TO FORD. TOW TRUCK DRIVER INFORMS US THIS IS COMMON DEFECT WITH ALL 2001-2006 FORD FOCUS AND TEMPOS. BEFORE WE HAD IT TOWED MY HUSBAND THOUGHT MAYBE THE KEY WAS JUST WORN OUT - FORD SAID THE KEY DID LOOK WORN AND THE KEY DID NEED REPLACING BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE SPECIAL BECAUSE KEY CONTAINS A CHIP AND IT TAKES SPECIAL PROGRAMMING - KEY COST $35.00 P/KEY LABOR WOULD COST $50.00 - WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE IT TOWED IN CASE THIS WASN'T THE PROBLEM. (DON'T WANT TO BE THROWING AWAY MONEY) NEXT DAY I CONFRONTED FORD MECHANIC ABOUT THIS BEING A KNOWN CYLINDER DEFECT AND ASKED WHY IT WASN'T A RECALL - MECHANIC SAYS HE AGREES IT SHOULD BE A RECALL - BUT INSTEAD IT WAS A TSB TELLING TECHS HOW TO FIX AND TO MY HORROR FIX IT WITH ANOTHER IDENTICAL FAULTY PART. I ASKED IF THERE WAS SPECIAL PRICING SINCE IT WAS FORD'S FAULT. ANSWER NO. ASKED IF NEW KEYS WERE INCLUDED IN PRICE - ANSWER NO. I ASKED IF PROBLEM COULD REAPPEAR. ANSWER YES. IMAGINE IF MY DAUGHTER OR I WERE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE OR ON A ROAD TRIP - WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED OR THE EXPENSE FOR TOWING. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT OUT OF TOWN NOW AND I AM HORRIFIED THAT I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET $489.20 FOR A KNOWN DEFECT THAT WILL MORE THAN LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN. WHY IS FORD FIXING THE PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER FAULTY PART -RIP OFF SCAM? *NM