Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Car lost power and stalled out on highway 6 times beginning in may 2003, including 1 time needing tow. fuel filter replaced. island ford of staten island will not check car without fee as it was "3 days past warranty." serviced 3 times by 2 different independent repair shops with electronic diagnostic certification without finding problem. vehicle passed nys emissions recently.*ak

The vehicle stalled without warning. *jb

While driving at 30 mph and with no warning vehicle lost power, causing consumer to pull of the road. *ak

Started experiencing problems with the vehicle after purchase. suddenly in august, all power systems/computer type items began to fail -- power locks, trunk release. then, car began (and still does) to sputter and shake when stopped/idle until it would shutdown. also, the radio/cd player would shut off. checked for tsbs for the vehicle model & year and found at least 15. when i took the car to the dealer (world ford sandy springs) we were told that they are technical service bulletins and that we would have to pay to have the car repaired. only official ford recall notices, not even ntsa recall notices, would be honored. on top of this, we would be expected to pay $90 per complaint batch (the tsb list was batched in to 3 main areas)for diagnostic purposes and if any of the complaints were related to a recall, the $90 would be refunded as applicable. i expressed that if ford issued a tsb and the ntsa issued a recall notice, then i should not have to pay to have the car worked on.

While traveling on the highway without prior warning, the vehicle would shut down. please fill in any additional information. dealer was made aware of the problem. *ph

Fuel gauge giving incorrect readings, car stalling on tight curves such as on-ramps to parkways and interstates. told the problem was the fuel pump. had it replaced on 7/11/03; within 48 hrs lines disconnected from pump spilling fuel everywhere. ford reconnected lines which held for 2 weeks then disconnected again. this time ford replaced the second pump. now its the coolant system that is failing, car overheats then stalls. so far no accident has occured, but it seems only a matter of time.

Consumer states that while driving at any speed and without warning vehicle will stall, and it will be hard for consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified. *ak

The vehicle stalled without warning, which caused the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. *jb

Constant squeaking noise when the brakes are applied. i've already replaced the rotors, brakes, brake pads, and drums on several occasions since buying this focus about 3 years ago. also my steering wheel locked on me one day in april of 2002 the key would not fit into the ignition to start the car i have no idea why this would happen from one day to another. i had my vehicle towed to the ford dealership and they didn't know what the problem was caused by. they said that they needed to update the lock cylinder. luckily i purchased the api extended warranty that cover the car for 100,000 miles. so the cost of the work done for this was $427.20. all but $50.00 of which was my deductible was cover by this warranty. the problems didn't stop here. i also have had to get the cd systems that came installed in the car replaced. the was a constant clicking noise with the cd player and 90% of the time the cd's wouldn't even play. i called the dealership and they said that they could replace it for me but that it wouldn't be coverer by the warranty so i would have to pay for it out of my pocket. i ended up having a new system installed but not from the ford dealership, i took it to circuit city. recently this month july 2003, my car has been staling and shutting off at stop signals and stop light also just shut completely off on the freeway thank god no accident occurred. i called the dealership to report this problem also my check engine light would come on and off several times and they said to bring it in and they would check the engine light but that i would have to pay $165. 00 just for them to check the light and it would be more $$$ to repair what ever problem it was. i was fed up by then. *ph

My 2000 focus stalled out several times during the summer of 2002. it stopped when i bought a new battery. no problems during the cooler months. i took it in for the battery cabel recall a few months ago and all was fine. now that the temperatures are hot again here in az, the car has started to stall out again. it totally died while driving in traffic! after the stalling in traffic, i had to let it sit for a few minutes and then i got it started enough to pull over onto the shoulder. i had to pull over about 3 more times before i made it home. i had to turn the a/c off or it would have stalled even more. this happens almost every day if i'm driving in the afternoon in town. this has been going on for about 2 weeks so far!

While coming home from a house warming in tucson, az on 06/21/03 me, my 2 nieces,and my daughter were on the fast lane of the freeway coming out of tucson when the engine started losing power, the car started slowing down to about 25 mph we had to cross 3 lanes to get off the freeway with other cars coming at 65 to 70 mph we almost got hit on the last lane before exiting the freeway. the car then sputtered the rest of the way off the freeway. after sitting for a while we were able to start it again. and continue home but we used frontage rd all the way. i am afraid to take it on the freeway anymore. sometimes it does want to start at all. the door on passanger side also doesn't unlock with power button. service engine light comes on with battery light and oil light. i feel someone will eventually be seriouly injured unless they find out what is wrong here.

Have had nothing but trouble with my focus the brakes wore down while i was on vacation and i was stuck driving for a bit on metal to metal....which ruined my rotor.....then the battery after almost 3yrs. has caused my car to not want to start twice......each time i have had to clean off the built up acid on the battery so that a clean connection can be made.....the paint keeps on chipping, my anteena has become frayed, just recently my car's steering wheel locked up on me and the key wouldn't turn in the ignition......it is in the shop as i write this.....and from what i have heard i am not the first person to have had a problem with the cylinder.......the car seems to be slugish when on the inerstate.......the focus is a dangerous car and ford co. needs to do something about it..... jeremy

Flange brakage on the egr valve assembly. the pipe breaks at the flange where it connects to the side of the exhaust manifold. causeing a sputting sound and emitting exhaust fumes into the automobile. it also causes problems with (3) sensors. i called the service and parts department at three local dealers and was told by all three that this is a common problem with this part but there was no recall. so i had to have a new one installed with a one year warranty on the part. but if this is common whats to say after a year it will break again? the part is not well made as it's made out of copper with a small weld at the flange. i have been to other focus owners group sites and found several had seen this same problem. i would be thankful for any help you can give me on this matter. john garner

Nov 2002 took to dealer the car was purchased from, told them it was sluggish and gas guage didn't always register. i thought at that time it was maybe the transmission. i was told nothing wrong, could not duplicate problem. took to neighborhood dealer for the same problem replaced fuel filter. had all this work before warranty expired in feb 2003. never notified about possible fuel pump. june 27th started car and engine died. it then wouldn't start again for about 30 minutes. i took it immediately to my neighborhood ford dealership. who told me it was the fuel pump and strongly suggest not to drive the car until repair. so the car was left there for repairs. after listen to the service people at the dealership, it came to my attention this was a common problem. i started to invesigate this myself and find 67 cases listed on the nhtsa website. the common statement was that the while driving at any speed and without prior warning vehicle dies out. on car hitting a park vehicle and several near misses on the highway. 2000 ford focus engine sputters and then stalls at high speeds. my concern is that i have heard and read hundred if not thousands of these fuel pump failures and after many nice but ineffective answers from ford i feel that someone will be injured seriously or die to these faulty and possibly dangerous fuel systems. my dealership previously worked on this telling me fuel filter and i feel know well it was more and like the fuel pump. it seem that the gas guage not registering is a clear sign of problems with the fuel pump.

I drive a 200o ford focus lx. i have had it stall out several times on me under normal driving conditions. at first i thought it might be me leaving it out of gear or something, but then i read a article in the newspaper stating that ford focus's have a problem with this. i brought my car to the dealership and had them look at it and they found nothing wrong with it. has anyone else had this porblem? i dont remeber where i was the article but i wish that i did... i have found several related articles about ford cars with the same problems, but mine was not listed. i am trying my best to get it fixed but when i take it in, theres no problem so they cant fix it! i will go and do anything in my powers, goto local papers, news stations, ect... if i have to! please help... do you have similar problems? lets talk...

Car stalling out for no reason... sputtering in the engine, causing no reaction when i step on the gas. *ak

While driving at 35mph vehicle stalled. dealer notified, and could not duplicate or correct problem. *ak

2000 ford focus lx 4-door sedan - numerous complaints: 1) currently have 75,200 miles on car and have gone through 5 (yes five!) complete sets of tires.2) engine stalls at any speed with no warning lights or indications, car bucks and gas pedal can be depressed to floorboard and car will not move - barely avoided three accidents (two of which would have involved my two small children) 3) all four doors will stick - really need to pull to open - and once open, they will not close again (you need to try to close the doors repeatedly before they finally latch). they also popped opened while driving. afraid one day one of my children or a passenger or myself may be injured. they are manual door locks and latches. 4) same with trunk - often needs repeated tries to close and latch 5) leak in front passenger footwell - when it rains, or when going through carwash 6) front brakes have been replaced twice at my cost - horrendous, irritating, embarassing squealing is incessant - brake dust accumulates every day! in some instances, brakes need to be applied very firmly to stop vehicle (again, i do not feel safe with my children in car). 7) extremely foul smell when air conditioning use is attempted. 8) stereo was replaced - original factory installed would not work after 2 months of ownership. 9) paint is flaking off of skirts - i was informed by ford that this is "sandblasting" and that i must drive on dirt roads all of the time - i live on an asphalt street, drive on asphalt roads and asphalt highways - not dirt! 10) fuel pump was replaced once already - was told i must be buying "dirty" gas - if it is dirty gas, is that my fault? i don't exactly run the gas stations, and i don't buy fro one specific station - i fuel up when i'm low, wherever it is convenient. 11) i have had three alignments to try to stop the horrible shaking of the car - the steering wheel vibrates so badly that my arms are sore by the time i get to my destination. *ak

On 7/5/2003 while driving at 85 mph on the highway engine stalled. the vehicle had this same problem last year ,and the fuel pump was defective. the vehicle will be taken to the dealer on 7/8/2003. *ak

Stalling, hesitation, engine overheats without warning(inside temp. guage stays in safe levels) . *ak

2000 ford focus lx engine problems that could of jeopardize the safe of my 2 year old and myself. engine sputters for no apparent reason. even after oil change. which caused my car to not accelarted and shut down in the middle of a busy intersection.*ak

At 40,000 miles on my 2000 focus wagon, dealer tells me that the clunking noise i hear from front and rear will be fixed with a new front tie rod and rear shocks. visited dealer 3 times to fix a windshield washer leak into tailgate, filling light fixtures and seeping into rear of car. i have had my fan motor replaced and my rear door latches are not working correctly. all of many recalls have been addressed, we even received 4 new tires due to tread wearing. it took many trials to get a correct alignment. my stereo often will cut out for no reason. i am no longer under warranty and fear that this most recent suspension repair will be costly while i still make monthly payments on my vehicle. can you help? *jb

Stalling,coughing,sputtering

The complaint deals with the right side door lock.i took it into mccotter ford where i bought the car from.they wanted to charge me over $300 to fix it and this is with the expensive warranty package. we could not aford this,so my wife and kids are driving around in a car that the passenger side door that cannot be opened. this cannot be safe, what can we do.the car had between 50 and 60 thousand miles on it,the dealership that we bought the car from is in titusville florida. this occured in 2002

I have been hearing funny clunking noises from the motor at highway speeds and more recently the engine cuts out when driving, almost like it slipped out of gear. people have looked at it but they says its fine, its done it 4 times already and its kind of getting old.

While driving vehicle begins to stall. dealer notified. *ak

Engine stalls for no reason. the first time it happened in rush hour traffic. we had to hurriedly try to change lanes and exit. it has happened 11 times since then. we have had a mechanic look at it several times and they can't find anything wrong with the car.*ak

While driving at an undetermined speed vehicle stalled, causing the consumer to pull off the road. *ak

Engine check light comes on, and vehicle starts to shake ,and then shuts off. dealer notified. *ak

My wife has a 2000 focus for the past 3 months when she is driving it will die. it can be restarted quickly but it will die multiple times. it will tend to run rough as well when it has this problem and will have no power. the problem now has become and all the time thing. last week after having it at the ford dealer a couple of weeks back, they left all the connections loose and the car had gas running out every were. also have had a code that said we had a bad gas cap. we have replaced everything that has anything to do with the fuel system and it did no good. fuel pump 2 times, fuel regulator, fuel control module. also checked all the connections as per ford bulletin.

I have gas leaking under the car and is spraying on the enginge. was told not to drive car. lost a half tank of gas within 2 miles.

My engine light kept coming on even after 5 failed attempts to fix the problem. my car company does not want to pay even though the problem happened before the warranty ran out.

Consumer states engine failed completely at 66,000 miles. dealer notified. *ak

Consumer states that while driving and with no warning vehicle will stall, and it will be hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified.*ak

While driving the vehicle stalled and could not be restarted. *nlm

Stalling problem-check engine light-cracked cylinder head at 32655 miles also leaking transmission line, brake dust, broken trunk lock and malfunctioning keyless entry on driver door. *jb

Since at least april 2003 the back right passagner side window will not rise or lower nor will the lock on the door lock from that seating position. the driver only can do it. while in nm driving from ky to az, my 2000 se began to lose engine power. as i drove at 70 mph the engine began to stall, as if no gas was getting through the engine and the car began to die. i was able to safely pull to the side of the road; turned the car off for upwards of 2 hours, start the car again and drive. this happened 5 times from nm to az; over and over again. i called the 1800 ford roadside assistance number and was told since my car was out of warranty they would not send a tow for me. a commercial trucker was nice enough to follow me to the next town to a ford dealer. the service advisor at the dealership offered to look at my car the next day around noon, as he had 6 other focus owners in his shop with the same complaint and he had no idea what the problem is. i decided to press on to az while driving under 55 mph on i-10. the car sat in my garage for 3 weeks before i drove it again. it is still doing it's drive and die and i am concerned now more than ever with the number of recalls on this vehicle what the deal is.

We have had problems with engine stall for no reason. when we are at 1/4 of a tank or at 1/2 a tank the engine will sputter or stall for no reason.

I purchased a 2000 focus se on june 5, 2001 with 23,000 miles. i was told that i would be covered under the original factory warranty 3yr./36,000.i also purchased an extended warranty from the api company at the cost of $1,069 to cover 6yr./60,000.i thought i'd be protected. wrong ! the vehicle always had horrendous brake dust but the worst was yet to come. in december 2002, my husband and i were in the process of moving and began to notice a rough idle. well, it's cold in buffalo, ny so we thought it just needed more time to warm up. by early march we experienced stalling problems and the check engine light was on. after stalling at 45mph we had enough. the car was taken to basil ford. with only 32,000 miles on it we were informed that the cylinder head was cracked and the original warranty ran out on 1/29/03. ford wanted about $1,700.00 to replace it. well, we thought if ford wouldn't cover the repair that the api extended warranty would. another error in judgment ! api said there was carbon in the cylinder and they wouldn't cover. finally, after threats to leave the car at the dealer or seek legal advice to remedy, basil replaced the cylinder head for $400.00. who ever heard of a cracked head at 32,000 miles ? we had only put about 10,000 miles on it ! also the keyless entry on the driver door would only work on occasion and the key never did work on the trunk (told the lock needed replacement) which we would have to pay for if we wanted fixed. since the inspection was coming up in june 2003 and the brakes and rotors would probably need replacement just like all focus's do, we traded in the car to avoid the money trap. that car was the worst hunk of junk i've ever heard of! i paid $10,500.00 for the car in june 2001 with 23,000 miles on it and had a hard time getting $5,000.00 as a trade with 33,000 miles in may 2003 ! it was the biggest rip off of my life also i lost out when i cashed in the worthless api warranty.

-2000 ford focus lx - bought used on april 14th. both interior and exterior of car in excellent condition, ran extremely well, one owner repo, clean title. -was rear-ended in very low speed, low impact collision, no frame buckling, bending, or damage to

I was driving down the interstate in the passing lane at 65 mph with an 18 wheeler behind me, very closely, when the engine just died. this is the first time the engine died while driving that fast, it usually dies under 30 mph. i shifted to neutral and tried to start it but it wouldn't start. i had to make a very hasty exit to the center strip as there was another truck on my right. it is very "exciting" to pull on to the grass at (by this time) around 55 with a huge truck taking all of the view in the rear view mirror. *nlm

Over the past three months the engine has been "cutting" off with no notice and has increased in frequency as time goes by. i have had the vehicle back to the dealer at least three times and was told they could find nothing wrong with the car. i was told to call the tow service the next time it stalls and not to restart the car. the vehicle is driven in city traffic and i told them i was not going to block rush hour traffic and risk being rearended to which i was told there was nothing they could do. i called the ford 800 number twice and was told that they stand behind their dealers and if they say there is nothing wrong and that they could not duplicate the problem there was nothing they could do when i asked the ford "talking head" if ford was going to pay for my funeral when the call stalled on an interstate exit ramp and was rearended by a mac truck i was told that i would have to contact my insurance company. a friend of the family did some research on the internet and forwarded to me. to my surprise and contrary to the impression i received from the local ford dealer and the ford 800 number this stalling problem was not unknown and could be dangerous. below is listed the latest cases of stalling. *nlm

Ford focus 2000 sputters and lunges on right hand turns. sometimes stalling and dying. this is a potential safety hazard if your car dies right in the middle of the road.*ak

Car stalls for no reason - has happened repeatedly since january

I have a ford focus 2000 that had a stalling problem. i was told this issue would be a recall (it was also in the newspaper) and since it was not i had to spend 500.00 to get it fixed. i would like to know how many other complaints you have about a stalling issue with these vehicles. i have already had 5 recalls on this car!! *jb

The vehicle was at the dealer on 3 occasions for intermittent starting. *jb....*ak

While coming to a stop the vehicle began to shake and stalled. the dealer has inspected the vehicle and could not duplicate or correct the problem. *nlm

Ford focus stalling at any time. hesitates during driving. has occurred several times. dealer can't find anything wrong. *nlm

My 2000 ford focus has major problems for a car that has only 57,000 miles. the engine will stall and die about every 10 seconds. the gauges and all of the front and rear exterior lights will go dead and the car will jump out of gear. the air compressor for the air conditioner is also shot. *jb

The vehicle stalled intermittently, the dealer diagnosed the problem as a defective module, which caused electrical problems. *jb the odometer/speedometer had shutdown, the trunk opened, the keyless entry is inoperative and sometime the passenger(s) get stuck in the vehicle due to the faulty locks. scc