2001 FORD FOCUS Complaints

DT. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE, SURGE AND LOSE POWER AND THEN SHUT OFF. AFTER LETTING THE VEHICLE SIT FOR AWHILE THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO PASS 60- 70 MPH, WHEN THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THIS, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. *JB

YET ANOTHER FORD FOCUS OWNER WHO HAD THE IGNITION COMPLETELY LOCK-UP. THE KEY WOULD NO LONGER TURN, RENDERING THE CAR DEAD, AND IN NEED OF TOWING TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A REPLACEMENT IGNITION.

VEHICLE HESITATED UPON STARTING. CONSUMER REPLACED THE BATTERY. BUT, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. FINALLY, DEALER STATED THAT FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA RECALL 03V482000 DUE TO VIN. *AK *TT

SIMILAR DESCRIPTION WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V482000, BUT NO MATCH ON VIN [XXX]. *JB UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

MY CAR HAS 29,500 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT IT USED ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO. FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: 1 - CAR STUMBLES/HESITATES/LOSES POWER AT AROUND 2-3K RPM...REGARDLESS OF SPEED...BUT STUMBLING/HESITATION IS BEST FELT ON THE FREEWAY. 2 - CAR HAS HAD SOME TYPE OF RECALL WORK AND DPFE SENSOR REPLACED AT: 17500 MILES. NOT SURE IF FUEL PUMP RECALL HAS BEEN PERFORMED...FORD DEALERS HAVE BEEN VERY RELUCTANT TO TELL ME WITHOUT MAKING ME SPEND $150+ ON A STUPID DIAGNOSIS...THAT'S CALLED GOOD BUSINESS. 3 - DPFE SENSOR REPLACED PRIOR TO ME PICKING UP THE CAR AT: 28440 MILES. 4 - 1000 MILES LATER...I HAVE THE STUMBLING. 5 - THINGS I'VE DONE TO THE CAR: A - REPLACED AIR FILTER B - REPLACED FUEL FILTER C - REPLACED PCV VALVE D - REPLACED PLUGS (USING BOSCH PLATINUM 2) SO FAR I'VE DONE ALL CHANGES MYSELF BECAUSE NO FORD DEALERSHIP SEEMS TO CARE TO OFFER ADVICE OR A HELPING HAND. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT I'VE ALMOST BEEN HIT FROM THE REAR DUE TO STUMBLING/HESITATION. *JB

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. TRAFFIC WAS TRYING TO MERGE, AND SHE WAS BLOCKED IN ON THE LEFT. SHE ACCELERATED A LITTLE TO GET AHEAD OF THE MERGING TRAFFIC. AT THAT TIME THE THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. SHE STATED THAT WHEN SHE TRIED TO STOP THE CAR WITH THE BRAKES, IT WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS PUSHING AS HARD AS SHE COULD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. SHE PLACED THE GEAR SHIFT IN NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. SHE CAME TO A STOP AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. THE RPMS WERE AT 7000 BEFORE SHE SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. UPON RESTART, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE TO 7000 RPM. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE THROTTLE UN-STUCK BY PUSHING THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND RELEASING. SHE DROVE THE CAR TO A SEARS AUTO CENTER, WHERE THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THE THROTTLE LINKAGE MALFUNCTIONING. HE COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, AND COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. WE ELECTED TO LEAVE THE CAR THERE, AND HAVE IT TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP IN THE MORNING. IT WAS A VERY SCARY AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS EVENT. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS, CALIPERS AND ROTORS AT 30,000 MILES IN OCTOBER 2003. THEN AT 47,000 MILES ON JULY 29. 2005. THE BRAKE PADS WORE OUT AND THE ROTORS RUSTED AND PITTED. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THIS WAS NORMAL. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. *AK *JB

I BOUGHT MY 2001 FORD FOCUS 4 MONTHS AGO AND I AM HAVING TO REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER BECAUSE THE KEY WILL NOT TURN. AFTER RESEARCH, I AM SEEING THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR MY CAR. MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THIS COMPONENT 3 OR 4 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 YEARS. I DO NOT LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUOUSLY HAVING A PROBLEM WITH A CAR THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEPENDABLE. *NM

I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN DECEMBER OF 2003 FOR THE SO CALLED "RECALL" OF THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE LISTED SYMPTOMS AMONG OTHER ISSUES. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT MY CAR FOR 2 DAYS AND DROVE IT LESS THAN A MILE AND DETERMINED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE FUEL PUMP PROBLEM AND CHARGED ME FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OTHER REPAIRS DUE TO EXHAUST PROBLEMS AND FUEL PROBLEMS. NOW MY VEHICLE WILL NOT START DUE TO A FAULTY FUEL PUMP WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED WHEN I REQUESTED IT TO BE DONE. NOW I HAVE TO GET MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BENEFIT FROM THE 10 YEAR WARRANTY THAT THEY PUT ON THE FUEL SYSTEM. MY VEHICLE WOULD SOMETIMES HAVE SMALL SURGES. ON JULY 15, 2005 IT SURGED WHILE AT A RED LIGHT AND CAUSED ME TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM BEHIND. NOW MY INSURANCE MAY INCREASE. I AM A TEACHER AND WE DON'T MAKE A LOT OF MONEY. I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $1600 IN REPAIRS NOT COVERED IN MY WARRANTY SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2001. *NM

ADDITIONAL STATEMENT FOR CLAIM # 10131720 ALONG WITH FRONT WHEEL BEARING BEING REPLACED, THE FRONT AXEL BEARING IT ALSO BEING REPLACED. *NM