2000 FORD FOCUS Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON DRY ASPHALT, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AFTER 15 MINUTES, AND WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PUMP ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, HOWEVER THE PROBLEMS PERSISTED. THE FRON STABILIZER BAR AND FUEL FILTER WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 11/16/06. *JB

THE IGNITION SWITCH CYLINDER LOCKED AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE SWITCH OR REMOVE THE KEY. SWITCH CYLINDER HAD TO BE REPLACED. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM AND HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY A FORD RECALL.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE READINGS ON THE GAUGES SPIKED, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED BRIEFLY, THEN THE RPMS SEEMED TO SLOW AND THE VEHICLE STALLED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO A PARKING LOT, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER.

MY DAUGHTER TRIED TO START THE 2000 FORD FOCUS THIS MORNING AND COULDN'T INSERT THE KEY. IT WON'T INSERT ALL THE WAY AND WON'T TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED UP. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP NOW AND THEY'VE QUOTED US MORE THAN $300 TO REPLACE THE FAULTY CYLINDER. THE FORD TECH SAID THIS HAPPENS QUITE FREQUENTLY! *NM

(1) NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE - NO INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS OR ISSUES (2) IGNITION CYLINDER FAILURE CAUSING INABILITY TO START VEHICLE AND INABILITY TO OPERATE STEERING MECHANISMS TO DIRECT VEHICLE TO A LOCATION OUTSIDE OF TRAFFIC FLOW. VEHICLE WAS LEFT STRANDED AND UNABLE TO START IN A RELATIVELY SAFE LOCATION, HOWEVER, IF FAILURE HAD OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN RIGHT OF WAY (IF ENGINE HAD BEEN TURNED OFF TO SAVE FUEL DURING TRAFFIC JAM - FOR INSTANCE ) COULD HAVE PRESENTED SAFETY ISSUE. (3) REPAIRS IN PROGRESS - REQUIRED DRILLING OUT IGNITION CYLINDER AND COMPLETE REPLACEMENT.

IN 2004 VEHICLE'S IGNITION KEY LOCK FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY. VEHICLE IS TOWED TO FORD AUTHORIZED REPAIR AND THEY CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IN 2006 VEHICLE'S IGNITION KEY LOCK FAILS AGAIN. VEHICLE IS TAKEN TO FORD AUTHORIZED REPAIR AND CORRECTED AGAIN. BOTH TIMES I WAS LEFT STRANDED SINCE THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN TO START THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. VEHICLE'S DASH LIGHTS SUDDENLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. LIGHTS COME ON AND OFF. SEVERAL TIMES DURING NIGHTIME DRIVING THE LIGHTS FAIL. VEHICLE'S DOOR POWER DOOR LOCKS AND TRUNK LOCKS FAIL AND CANNOT BE OPENED WITH KEYLESS ENTRY. A FUSE CONTINUES TO FAIL POSSIBLY DUE TO A SHORT IN THE WIRING SYSTEM. *NM

1. NO EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE. FAILED WITH NO WARNING. 2. KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. LEFT STRANDED 30 MINUTES FROM HOME TOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. WAIT UNTIL MORNING TO SEEK HELP. 3. STILL SEEKING THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE. *NM

I'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN THREE TIMES NOW. I GET A FLAT TIRE. PULL OVER, JACK UP THE CAR, TAKE OFF THE LUG NUTS, THEN FIND MYSELF UNABLE TO REMOVE THE WHEEL. IT IS LIKE THE WHEEL RIM HAS FROZEN OR SEIZED ONTO THE HUB. THIS HAPPENED MOST RECENTLY JUST YESTERDAY NIGHT. I WAS DRIVING ON A DARK HIGHWAY WHEN FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WENT FLAT (NAIL IN THE TIRE). I WAS ALONE, AND I'M A FEMALE - WITH GOOD UPPER BODY STRENGTH. IT WAS VERY SCARY WHEN, AFTER 30 MINUTES OF TRYING WITH ALL MY STRENGTH TO PULL THE WHEEL OFF SO I COULD PUT ON THE SPARE, A TRUCK PULLED OVER AND A STRANGE MAN OFFERED TO HELP. THIS GUY WAS BIG, LIKE ARNOLD SCHWARZENNEGER, BUT EVEN HE WAS UNABLE TO PULL THE WHEEL OFF! THANK GOD HE WAS A NICE PERSON AND NOT SOME FREAK RAPIST OR MURDERER. HE CALLED A TOW COMPANY FOR ME, WHO TOWED ME TO A SERVICE STATION WHERE THEY HAD TO USE A SMALL JACK-HAMMER LIKE THING TO REMOVE THE WHEEL. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN! AND THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM IN THE THREE YEARS I'VE OWNED IT. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2000 FORD FOCUS SE NEW IN 2000. SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN MINIMALLY SATISFIED WITH ITS PERFORMANCE DESPITE A STRING OF RECALLS. THIS WEEK, I WENT TO START MY CAR AND THE IGNITION LOCK SEIZED. I TRIED TO TURN IT MULTIPLE TIMES, BUMPING THE STEERING WHEEL TO RELEASE THE LOCK, AND EVENTUALLY THE KEY BROKE OFF IN THE IGNITION. I HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO A DEALER, WHO COULD NOT GET THE LOCK CYLINDER REMOVED WITHOUT DRILLING IT OUT. THE DEALER INSTALLED AN AFTERMARKET IGNITION AS PER FORD'S SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM. THE TOTAL REPAIR, INCLUDING TOW, COST ME $500. I AM VERY UPSET THAT THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TO ME DESPITE NHTSA AND FORD'S KNOWLEDGE OF ITS PREVALENCE (BULLETINS AND COMPLAINTS). I ASK FORD TO INITIATE A RECALL AND REIMBURSE ME FOR MY REPAIR EXPENSE. IN THE LEAST, I ASK NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND FORCE A MANDATORY RECALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. TUDOR HAMPTON CHICAGO, IL. * NM

BOTH DAUGHTER AND MYSELF OWN 2000 AND A 2001 FORD FOCUS BOTH HAVE FRONT END NOISE AND VIBRATION VERY LOUD AND SHAKY WERE TOLD IT IS THE BEARINGS IM CONCERNED AND OUTRAGED FORD DEALER SERVICE SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON OUR VEHICLES HELPPPPPPPPPPPP IM SCARED WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A WRECK. *M