2001 FORD FOCUS Complaints

ON OUR FORD FOCUS, THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE, ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT WORK. YOU CAN REACH IN THE WINDOW (OR LEAN OVER CTR CONSOLE) TO PULL THE HANDLE AND OPEN IT. THE HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE IS STUCK IN THE FULL PULLED OUT POSITION, AND CANNOT BE PUSHED IN. THE BACK DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR STARTED PERIODICALLY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS OPENING. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WITH THE BACK DOOR MAY BE DUE TO THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS BEING ENGAGED. I OPENED THE REAR DOOR, INSERTED, AND ROTATED THE KEY. AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, THERE WAS NO CHANGE. YOU COULD PULL THE HANDLE ON THE INSIDE, AND OUTSIDE, AND THE MECHANISM SEEMED TO BE WORKING, SO I CLOSED THE DOOR ....BEFORE CHANGING THE ROTATION BACK. NOW, THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN ANY, FROM THE INSIDE, OR OUTSIDE. THIS IS A GREAT CONCERN BECAUSE IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT, OR FIRE, THE PERSON IN THE BACK SEAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT THIS VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW: IS THERE A WAY TO RESET THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS, WITHOUT OPENING THE DOOR (SINCE THIS DOOR WILL NOT OPEN)? *TR

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, SHE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT AFTER DRIVING FOR A SEVERAL MINUTES THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V482000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 162,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND CHANGING GEARS FROM SECOND TO THIRD, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

SUNDAY 05 JAN 2014 I HAD RECENTLY PARKED MY CAR, TURNED IT OFF, AND WAS OUTSIDE OF MY VEHICLE (2001 FORD FOCUS) WHEN I BEGAN TO NOTICE SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS CONFUSED AT FIRST, AS THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE ANY PROBLEMS BEGAN. WITHIN A MATTER OF TWO MINUTES THE SMOKE HAD INCREASED, THICKENED, AND BEGAN TO SMELL. MY FRIEND WAS NEARBY AND HAD NOTICED THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. HE CAME OVER AND WE BOTH TOOK A COUPLE STEPS TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE CAR TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. IMMEDIATELY FLAMES BURST UP FROM THE HOOD. AT THIS POINT WE INSTANTLY RAN FROM THE VEHICLE, DIALING 911. THE FLAMES GOT WORSE AS WE WAITED FROM A DISTANCE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ARRIVE. AT THIS POINT I WAS UNSURE AS TO WHETHER THE CAR WOULD COMPLETELY BLOW UP OR NOT, AS THE FLAMES BECAME WORSE WITH EVERY MINUTE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES. THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT HAD TO BREAK THE WINDOW AND THEN PRY THE HOOD OPEN IN ORDER TO DO SO. AFTER THE FIRE WAS COMPLETELY OUT AND THE SCENE WAS SAFE I WAS ABLE TO TALK WITH THE FIREMEN. THEY SHOWED ME UNDER THE HOOD AND SAID THE FIRE SEEMED TO BE SOMETHING ELECTRICAL AND LOOKED AS IF IT HAD STARTED NEAR THE FRONT RIGHT OF THE VEHICLE UNDER THE HOOD (SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT). THEY ALSO EXPLAINED, AS I HAD ALREADY ASSUMED, THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSALVAGEABLE. *TR

IGNITION SWITCH ON THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND WILL NOT TURN. MY WIFE IS A DIABETIC AND HAS NUMEROUS HEALTH COMPLICATIONS DUE TO HER DIABETES. IF WE WERE OUT AND BECAME STRANDED IT COULD HAVE COST US HER LIFE. I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH FORD FOR NOT FIXING THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING FAR MORE FUEL THAN RATED. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,598.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR FAILED DUE TO CORROSION AND IT WAS CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES.. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR HIMSELF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 143,000. ...UPDATED 12-24-13 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, SHE HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AS OIL AND RADIATOR FLUID LEAKED FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE VALVE STEM HAD FRACTURED, CAUSING THE PISTON TO DETACH FROM THE ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN SURGING AND THEN STALLED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE FAILED. THE MECHANIC TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM, BUT WHEN THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER:03V482000 (FUEL SYSTEM) THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 109,000.