Problems with 2000 Ford Focus FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Fuel filler hose has cracked, and cause fuel to leak out while driving. dealer notified.*ak

The car has stalled during regular driving 2 times now. first time was about 1 month ago. that time, it started about 30 minutes later. today, it stalled again during regular driving. the car will not start again this time.*ak

Vehicle will shutdown without notice, it loses all power. took to dealer, they replaced fuel filter, and that did not correct the problem. *ak consumer stated that the vehicle shutdown the same as before, the dealer replaced the full pump. *yh

Car started stalling before it ran out of warranty. dealer replaced fuel pump that was all they could figure out. that lasted as long as the warranty did. i personaly replaced the fuel tank and fuel pump and fuel filters each time. the car has continued to stall sense under warranty. the dealer can't figure out the problem ,they said that they have nothing but problem with the ford focus. i've contacted ford corp. and you get no help from them. the car has stalled on several occasion as long as the car sit for a long period of time it will start and run for awhile then it will do it again. i cannot afford to take it the dealer each time to tell me nothing is wrong with it. this problem could end in an accident and possible injury. i hope this doesn't take a class action suit against ford to get this problem corrected.*ak

While driving 20 mph, vehicle will completely shutdown. after inspection by dealer, it was determined that fuel pump had failed. *ak not only the fuel pump, but fuse to fuel pump and gasket for fuel pump were replaced. *yh

Six weeks previously, engine stalled on freeway. dealer said couldn't find a problem and let them know if it happened again. 5/31/02 could not get car to go; had towed to dealer. after several days they finally thought it was the air intake valve causing the problem. today i hear about the focus stalling problem possibly being caused by debris in gas tank. i am afraid to drive this car for fear it will stall again on the freeway. i was lucky the last time that i was able to coast to the shoulder and did not get into a crash. i was able to re-start the car and get it off the freeway. other continuing problems that i have had the dealer fix over 3 times each: squeaking brakes and molding around the doors falling off.

While driving up hill with less than a quarter tank of gas the engine lost. when the accelerator was pressed the vehicle reacted like it was out of gas. *nlm

The fuel pump went out. i have heard of this happening many times with the focus. i called dealer to see if it was under warranty - "no, and yes it is the fuel pump, we have done 4 in the last 2 weeks."*ak

Problems with transmission / sway control arms have been replaced. electronic fuel pump replaced. mr

Engine stalls when car in extended turns (such as freeway on ramp). problem first notice when fuel indication at just under 1/4 tank. problem occurring at over 1/4 tank now.*ak

Consumer states that the vehicle stalls in warm weather atvarious speeds. the dealer has determined that the fuel pump is restricting the fuel flow and causing the stalling. nlm

In highway traffic vehicle shutsdown unexpectedly. dealer has replaced fuel pump, and computer board. problem keeps reoccurring. please provide any further information.*ak

Consumer states that the vehicle stalls in warm weather at various speeds. the dealer has determined that the fuel pump is restricting the fuel flow and causes the stalling. nlm

My whole is my problem. i lease this car for three years and they could not tell what the problem is. i spend more time at the dealership then i did on my job. i am still having problem with ford focus and they still don't know what the problem is. the customer service at adamson ford is very poor . this where my first time driving a american car. they did not want to get me out of the car and then i call the owner of adamson ford he did not call me back at all the only thing i could try to do is file lemon law but it will take so long for it to take action i drop the case. this should be taking off the market and people should get there money back. because i almost got hit two time by 18 wheeler with my baby girl in the back in a car seat they don't give a [xxx] about that at all. this car is having problems right as i type you this letter. i am very up set on this car i have 12 months left and they still will have problem when i finish with it. i have many more problems but i am at work and it will have to type them later today. please do something about this before it is to late and someone will get kill injured really bad. *ak information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

While in motion vehicle began to lose speed. the problem was intemittent for approx. 2-3 weeks. the speed would drop as soon as the engine would get hot. the dealer replaced the fuel pump under secret warranty and consumer paid for maintenance. *jg

Engine stalled-took to local dealer-they replaced fuel pump. *ak

Car stalling during right hand turns. *nlm

Vehicle stalled on highway amidst heavy traffic. dealership said nothing was wrong and charged $80 for checking. dt

Vehicle stalled twice at 45 mph. dealer replaced the fuel pump.*ak

As a final gesture of goodwill, our local dealership's customer service representative offered us a 24 hour period to consider a $2,000 trade-in credit toward the purchase of a new ford vehicle at 0% financing. this would have more than doubled my daughter's monthly car and insurance payments. because her job was not yet a permanent position, she was not in a position to take a $4,000 loss and double her monthly payments. once that offer had expired we were met with stony indifference by our local dealership's customer service representative. after several conversations with him we came away convinced that ford customer service policies are intentionally designed with several goals in mind: 1) to offer one's local dealership as the only path of recourse other than a nation-wide 1 (800) customer service line; 2) to staunchly refuse to provide the names and mailing addresses of ford customer service representatives at the local level and/or regional level; and 3) to discourage mailings to the national customer service representative (michael jordan) or ceo (william clay ford) with comments such as "don't waste your time, they don't even open their mail." the end result is that the car owner feels totally powerless once the goodwill of their dealership's in-house customer service representative has run out. when combined with holding open a 24-hour trade-in offer toward a more expensive ford vehicle, the end result was a psychologically oppressive hard-sell tactic.no safety defect listed. *ak

Car dies while in motion. had car in shop on nov 8, 2001 for 1 and 1/2 weeks. fuel pump and fuel line were replaced. on january 13, 2002 the car died again while turning almost causing a crash. *ak

Vehicle would accelerate on it's own everytime it was driven, when driving 30 mph up to 51 mph. mileage at the time was 49361. dealer replaced the fuel pump, vehicle has not stalled since.*jb

Vehicle would stall around 30 mph on a daily basis, dealer replaced fuel pump. vehicle has not stalled since. *ak

3 occurrences: vehicle receives no fuel and stalls to almost a stop when entering interstate highways from entrance ramps. occurs when fuel is between empty and 1/4 full. tank has at least 3-4 gallons in it. must pull off to shoulder and let car sit until it will reaccelerate. very dangerous in that if car enters lane of traffic cannot accelarate vehilce at all.*ak

Owner noticed a puddle underneath vehicle after parking for several hours. gas tank was leaking. fuel had leaked all over the exhaust pipe, and other areas underneath. *ak the vehicle stalled while driving on the highway three times. consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and replaced fuel injection system ,the entire gas tank and fuel delivery system but the problem still occurred. *yh

Still in manufacturer's warranty, but continues to leak, no fix for it. *ak

Vehicle constantly stalls. sometimes she cannot take key out of ignition. then, sometimes cannot put key in ignition. also, fuel pump has been changed twice. when accelerating vehicle begins to vibrate.*ak

Was driving 50mph when vehicle started to lose power. had managed to pull to side of road. had vehicle towed to mechanic. was informed fuel pump was defective and needed replacing. this problem has happened once before.*ak

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

Consumer experiencing problems with gas mileage, currently getting approximately 15 miles per gallon when previously getting around 29 miles per gallon, the dealer was contacted three times but diagnostic test show no problems.*jb

Car stalls when below half a tank of gas. making sharp right turns causes engine to stall. car also lurches like it isn't getting fuel properly when going uphill. fuel pump system has been replaced once.

This problem started happening around 12,000 miles, and while this form asks for a failure date, it does it so much it is hard to say, i put an approximate date of the worst occurrence because of the problem. i realize there is already an investigation about this, i just wanted to add another testimony. when the fuel tank is less than half full, and the car takes right-turns, especially long, sweeping turns, such as highway entrance/exit ramps, the car will jerk and lurch violently, refusing to accelerate, and will stall if provoked enough. if i back off the gas, it recovers, but twice it has completely stalled out, refusing to turn back on for a few hours, one of these times was in heavy highway traffic, i coasted at about 25mph since it would not accelerate, then it eventually died. this particular incident, my dealer filled the tank with gas (which does not allow for the problem to occur, kind of stupid of them), and then drove it around, but would not allow me to show them how to replicate the problem. i must now keep my gas tank more than half full, because of the dangers in getting on and off the highway. it even does it around town now, at times. the dealer says it is a result of a fuel filter getting clogged and they would just clean it out, but other focus owners i associate with (www.focaljet.com) have reported that this is only a temporary fix. otherwise, i have absolutely no complaints about this car, and i applaud ford for the recalls, they may make our car look bad but it shows ford is accepting responsibilty for defects, and trying to improve on them. *ak

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

The first time that this happened i was traveling at 50mph. my car began to lose power and become hard to control, then it stalled leaving my coasting trying to find a safe place to pull over. i took my car into the dealer and they replaced the fuel pump and several other parts. the second time it happened i was again traveling at 50mph, when again i lost power to the car and was left coasting. i believe that this is a serious problem and a very unsafe problem when you have a car with power steering and you loose power it makes it eatremely hard to control the vehicle as well as a car that just coasts. i would like to see something done about this serious defect in these cars. *ak

Vehicle has stalled numerous times at speeds of up to 65 mph. dealer has replaced fuel pump three times, did not remedy the problem.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Intermittently vehicle will stall out without warning at various speeds and various road conditions. dealer has inspected vehicle several times, and had not been able to correct the problem. please provide additional information.*ak

Fuel line separating at the fuel pump connection on the top of gas tank causing a severe gas leak on the ground near the catalytic converter.

Vehicle not accelerating while stepping on gas pedal in hot days. fuel pump fails after being used for 30,000 miles, hestitate to speed up at 3,000 rpm at 4th gear; could be dangerous while traveling uphill on a highway and might cause a crash from vehicles behind. *ak

Vehicle was parked and wouldn't start. gasoline was spraying all over engine, and coming from underneath vehicle. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

Fuel line came loose, a clip retainer broke and output fuel line disconnected, pumping fuel on heat shield/catalytic converter. fire department was called out when daughter went to start vehicle , and she noticed that gasoline was all round and underneath vehicle on the ground. *ak the design of the fuel pump out put line was defective. when the fuel line retaining clip broke, the fuel was sprayed on to the catalytic convertor. *yh

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

Engine stalled four times during normal operation. dealership examined vehicle and replaced fuel pump and lines. then in middle of july, while traveling at approximately 40 mph and entering highway, vehicle stalled again. dealer stated that problem was no longer covered under warranty. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak

7/00- tape was stuck in stereo, had to replace stereo. 3/01- had to replace front brack pads at 11000 miles. 11/01- ignition locked on vehicle. had to replace ignition. 3/02- transmission was neutralizing when driving. had to replace transmission. 5/02- car was stalling. ford unable to detect problem. 9/02- car was not accelerating and stalling suddenly- had to replace fuel pump. 9/02- had to replace front brake pads and back brake shoes at 34000 miles.

While driving fuel tank will show that it is empty when, in reality, tank is full. also, a problem with brake system. brakes will not activate on time to stop vehicle.*ak

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

Consumer stated while driving at any speed and no warning the vehicle shut off. caused consumer to pull off the road. dealer has been notified. ts also noted vehicle shut off when fuel tank at 1/4 or lower and / or when a turn was made. sender and pump assembly replaced. *tt

When applying brake pedal it would go to the floor, also brakes will grind. rotors had to be turned, and brakes were replaced 7 times, but the problem reoccurred. *ak transmission slips and jerks and rpms jump. no problem found. consumer hears loose gravel sound from right front wheel area. dealer found wheel well loose. dealer found serpentine belt failed causing whistle squeal under hood. gas light on with full tank and door ajar light is on. dealer replaced battery. evaporative hose loose. dealer removed and installed fuel tank. cigarette lighter not working. r-cup hold bubbling. driver side mirror knob falls off. rear child seat latch cover in broke. front driver seat metal fell out. both headlamps moulding fall out. sunvisor mirror/bracket moulding on passenger side between door / dash loose. broken. right outer ac vent broken. loose carpet on right front floor. pillar trim coming off. deck lid wire harness had tp be replaced. clicking noise from l/h front of vehicle. egr valve replaced. left rear tail lamp is out. engine light is on. problems with rewind button for am/fm cassette. *tt

While driving on highway 65-75mph consumer had a collision. fuel shut off valve did not go off, and air bag did not deploy. received recall after collision. please provide vin and additional information. *ak

While driving this vehicle will stall unexpectedly at any given speed without warning. dealer has attempted to fix problem for the third time now. first attempt said they could not find a problem - second time replaced mass air flow sensor - now they are replacing the fuel pump. we feel this car is unsafe to drive and have lost confidence in the reliability of this car. we feel like it is an accident waiting to happen. we feel that the dealership is not competent to fix the problem and we would like to persue the lemon law rights for a refund for this car.*ak