Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Dt: 2000 ford focus. the ignition keeps locking up on the vehicle. the vehicle was taken it to the dealership. they stated they fixed it, but it continually happened. this happens before the vehicle is started, the last time it wouldn't release the key. the dealership states they are replacing the switch, when the vehicle was returned there was metal in the floor. *jb

While driving vehicle at approximately 40mph it would suddenly die out without any warning. would lose all power steering and brakes. taken to dealership each time and had speedometer repaired/ wiring harness replaced, and brain box of computer repaired. after each repair problem would reappear. manufacturer is buying back vehicle. *ak

On aug 31, 2001 at approxametly 1:40pm, while on my way to work my speedometer, and tachometer topped out. and all dash electrical systems began flashing. my car began excelerating and stopping on its own, and i imedeiately noticed smoke pouring from under the hood and from the vents. i pulled into parking lot at work, i poped the hood and called the fire department, becuase there were flames coming from the battery area. the fire depr't came and put out the fire, the car was towed to the nearest ford dealer (purvis ford, fredericksburg va). i have only had the car 28 days and have not paid a payment as yet when this occured. if you can contact me at work perferably, or home, please enter the following code when calling our house ([xxx]). any thing you can do to help is appreciated as no one will look at my vechile (indlucing ford and the dealer where purchased.) thank you.*ak parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

There is a very bad squeaking noise when braking, and when consumer lets off the brake there is a grinding noise. driver states more than twice brake pedal was applied, and pedal went to the floor. ford has been contacted.*ak.also consumer was complaining of the transmission slipping, the cigarette lighter was not working, cup holder bubbling, serpentine belt was replaced due to a squeal coming from under the hood, gas light was coming on when the tank was full of gas, door ajar light was coming on, starter and battery were replaced, driver sider mirror knob fell off, rpm runs high, headlamp molding was replaced, sunvisor was broke, rear child seat latch cover was broke, air conditioner and heater were replaced, passenger door trim, driver seat metal bar, rewind button for am/fm cassette was inoperative, carpet loose, pillar trim was coming off, ticking noise was coming from the front of vehicle, the egr valve ws replaced, rear tail light was out, the bulb was replaced, deck lid wire harness, a new fuel tank was installed due to the engine light illuminating, the front and rear brakes have been replaced due to warpage, also the speedometer stopped working.*jb

Many, many problems and defects with this car...all problems have been replaced more than twice and still faulty. no safety defect listed. *ak

unable to start vehicle , couldn't put keys into the ignition. had to have vehicle towed.dealership replaced igintion cylinder 2 twice.*ak

Car stalled while at a stop signal, then re-started; after 25 yds car stalled again and fire appeared from under the hood. extinguished by towels and water. damage noted to be a melt-down at battery and both pos and neg cables. some melted and burned components adjacent. insurance fire investigator noted damage in starter area. *ak

Car stalled while at a stop signal, then re-started, then stalled again and fire was seen coming from under the hood. extinguished by towels and water. damage noted to be a melt-down at battery and both pos and neg cables. some melted and burned components adjacent. insurance fire investigator noted damage in starter area.*ak

Positive battery cable is burning off insulation.*ak consumer states that the positive battery cable harness has gotten so hot that it has burned the red plastic cable cover black and has caused the battery to bulge out as if it could burst, consumer states the positive wire was cut from the battery past terminal and there has not been any problems as of yet, also transmission fluid was leaking at the case half, also the front struts were replaced. *slc

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Tires wearing out fast, accelerated speed, and engine kill, uneven suspension, indicator gauges and lights haywire. i was told by ford that i had wrecked the car and had to pay $883.00 for repairs + $350.00 for new tires.*ak

The insured noticed that the check light had illuminated, once the hood of the vehicle was opened there was a noise and then smoke began coming from the battery and the fire started with the wiring near or on the battery.*jb (claim#28-3088-224)

Vehicle stalls without warning at various speeds. losing all power and steering wheel locks up. dealer notified 4 times. first 3 times they did nothing, fourth time they said they replaced air intake valve. the morning after we got the car out of the shop it stalled again while driving 55mph. we are tired of getting the run around and are hesitant to contact dealer again concerning this problem. 2nd problem- put key into ignition and key wouldn't turn. car had to be towed to dealer where they kept it for a week. i was told it had to do with the ignition cylinder and key had to be coded. these are only 2 of the many problems we have had with our vehicle, but it is ridiculous for a new car to have so many malfunctions and problems.*ak

Faulty ignition switch caused the key to not insert or once insert the key could not be removed from the ignition, this problem also caused the vehicle to stall. nlm

First of i went out to start my car one day and the key would not turn the ignition was locked in place it would not move at all and the steering wheel was locked. so i took it into the dealership and they said they have had alot of problems with these and they had to work on alot of ford focus with the same problem . but i was just out of the warrenty period 36000 and i was at 45000 so they charged me for there work which was 500 dollars and its something that i could have never caused to happen and with the steering wheel lock the car was not able to steer at all lucky it didnt happen while i was driving but i dont think that it was something that should have ever happened.

07/11/01 10 month old car would not start. had been parked for 5 1/2 hours. had vehicle towed to dealership. they informed us that the main wiring harness(said consisted of 12 wires) appeared to have been eaten by an animal. that the repair, not replacement, would be $325. not covered under warrenty. (it says nothing in our warrenty about this not being covered), we okayed the repairs. on 07/13/01 i contacted the dealership they informed me that they had fixed the wires and the car still would not start. he told us that he jumped it and hooked it up to the diagnostic center and it gave him a code 13, but he didnt know what that meant or why the car woulnt start. on 07/17/01 we were told that the computer was dead, it would be an additional $950 not covered.on 07/20/01 the mang. of dayton called me and said " get your car off our lot, return our loaner or we will report it stolen". when we got there are car was not put back together, they had written the word "f*cker" on the cars computer, and gave us the. *ak

Vehicle caught on fire due to an electrical wiring harness that may have shorted out, which was located next to the battery.*jb)claim#25-5541-145)

Consumer was unable to turn key in ignition, it had stuck.contacted dealer. ignition switch cylinder had broken. replaced part.but problem reoccurred.*ak

To start vehicle key in ignition switch and ignition computer chip must be in sync with one another. when its not in sync, vehicle can stall out while driving in middle of traffic. had taken vehicle to dealership, and mechanic replaced computer chip and ignition switch/ key. stalling problem has reappeared.*ak

Ignition lock fails to turn when key is inserted. steering remains locked and car will not start. first time this occurred was june 2001 while car was under warranty. lock was drilled out and replaced. ignition has locked up for the second time today with no warning. will have to have the car towed 30 miles to dealer. *jb

Consumer states ongoing problem with engine stalling while driving at any speed, dealer was notified. nlm dealer replaced coil pack and fuel pump 6 times. vehicle is under warranty however warranty is not valid. the wheel bearings failed causing the rear wheel to fall off. the main belt broke. the transmission cooling lines broke. ignition switch had to be replaced. the rear brakes squeak especially when there is moisture in the air. *tt

On 9/5/01 electricial system: battery/ ignition coil assembly had to be remove and install,sparks plugs replace,ignition wires repaired

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Vehicle caught fire while driving. smoke & fire first noticed in rear seat area. total loss with fire moving from back to front. *ak

Ford blue oval certified dealer performed recall 00v41100 . onwer notice rattle in trunk lid when opening or closing , mechanic had left both tag light bulbs out and they where moving around in trunk lid. owner made repair and notify dealer when taking vehicle back for other repairs.

While driving at high speeds all lights on the dash started blinking. vehicle was shaking and engine died. please provide any further information. *ak

Vehicle shutdowns without prior warning. dealership is aware of problem. *ak

3 months after purchase of vehicle, consumer tried to turn key in ignition and steering wheel was permanently locked. mechanic had vehicle towed and replaced steering wheel. however, problem still occurs. *ak *yd

While working on the vehicle, the mechanic discovered a seal leak in the engine, and a leak in transmission cooler lines. later,while on the road, the vehicle started to fishtail in the back due to a bolt which held the rear suspension had loosened. in addition, the vehicle had stalling problems, and severe corrosion buildup on the battery. *ak *jb

While consumer was driving gas tank cover blew off the tank and gas was spilling every where.*ak consumer states vehicle has experienced problems with the sending unit and gas gauge. wheel bearings on the left rear failed. transmission fluid leaks, consumer states this is causing slippage and shifting problems. vehicle experiences a burning oil smell. wiring harness failure. light failure (consumer did not specify). gas leaks. failed suspension parts (consumer did not specify). tires wear prematurely (consumer did not give tire information). splash shields broke. brocking wires in central locking system. *slc

When trying to start engine ignition switch will not turn, and consumer will not be able to start engine. sometimes while driving will make a lot of noise.*ak

Ignition and steering locked up, key would not turn, vehicle was parked. *ak there was noise in the right side of the vehicle due to rear outside mirror failure. the transmission slips on accel. there was vibration in steering at 45 mph and up. the high sqealing on rainy days when turning left or right was caused by drive belt malfunctioning. the ignition locked due to cylinder assembly problem. *yh

Ignition failed, had to be replaced, tires wear incredibly fast (4 sets of tires at 45000 miles), radio cut out, had to be replaced twice, brakes failed at least three times causing two accidents, dealership said they replaced them, but lied and never did, was forced to spend $500 having them replaced, trunk doesn't close, bad suspension, spun out on an exit ramp

Vehicle vibrated real hard when it started up and cut off. it has been to dealer 5 times. dealer has replaced computer, and changed ignition key and more. dealer has never said why, and didn't have a remedy to problem. consumer has tried lemon law, but vehicle was over the mileage at that time. consumer called ford, and was told to work it out with dealer. problem is still not resovled.*ak

00 v 418 000/seat hinge: 00 v 411 000/wire harness: 00 v 303 000/rear wheel hub nuts: 00 v 218 000/fmvss 201: while vehicle was in the dealer shop for is routine check up consumer was informed of four recalls, and ,was unwilling to give a appointment for repairs, consumer called on two other occasions, and still dealer, hertige ford, burington, vt; phone# 802/865-8150 refused to help in these recall repairs. seeking help from nhtsa in these matter.*ak

Consumer states that the ignition keeps locking up. *mr

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

Consumer was traveling on highway and vehicle cut off without prior notice. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

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.

While traveling at 45 a truck pulled in front of consumer's vehicle, and consumer hit the truck. upon impact, none of airbags deployed.*ak the wire harness, motor mount, front and rear wheel bearings had failed and were replaced. *yh

Right rear wheel bearing caused car to swerve violently at 55mph, driver slowed to 20mph to avoid being pulled off road. driver tried to slowly drive to repair station but car kept wobbling on road so stopped and had car towed into garage..ignition /lock system failed in january and left driver stranded. car could not be started. in another problem that occured in october 2000 the fuel assembly recall was not properly repaired and caused car accelerator to not function. the car would only go 1-3mph at full acelleration. this was very dangerous in traffic. i do not have paperwork on this incident but problem was corrected at bergstrom ford, neenah, wi 54956*ak

Brake pads and rotors had to be replaced two time already. i am very concerned with engine stalling and other troubling reports.*ak

Intermittent failure of signal lights/ brake lights/ speed control, and air conditioning. vehicle been in dealer shop on two occasions, and problem still reoccurring. feel free to provide any further information on this matter.*ak

Ignition switch locked up on start up of vehicle. dealer replaced ignition switch.*jb consumer states the key has always been hard to fit and turn. *jg

There were no parts available for recalls oov-218 and 00v-411. nlm

Key failed/could not be inserted into ignition. key in half way , but could not be released. when finally it was released, it could not be reinserted fully. had vehicle towed to dealership. mechanic was ordering new parts for ignition. *ak

Vehicle stalls intermittently at any speed. before vehicle stalls dash lights come up. frequency is increasing. taken vehicle to dealer who cannot remedy situation. *ak

Received recall notice (00v-303) october 2000, part(s) not available to correct campaign, received recall notices (00v-218) & (00v-411) december 2000, appointment made for january 2nd to correct all 3 campaigns, waited four hours at dealership, claimed vehicle, invoice showing "parts necessary to correct" recall campaigns (00v-218) & (00v-411) not there. cj

Engine stalled at 30 to 35 mph. vehicle was towed to a mechanic, and mechanic stated that battery was defective. dealer replaced battery. consumer stated that problem still occuring.

Intermittently vehicle will stall and die without warning. dealer inspected vehicle . *ak