Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

This car stalled in the middle of an intersection at peak traffic hours and at the top of a freeway exit ramp. we have seen tv new reports and an article in the san diego union tribune regarding these same symptoms.*ak

Takes off real hard like it wants to die but won't, then stops. when car is ran for a while it starts doing. we are not the only focus with this problem. there are others along with their reverse going out or first gear. every one who takes it in doesn't get it fixed

Vehicle will stall out without warning.*ak

Vehicle would momentarily lose power while driving at multiple speed. vehicle been to the dealer, and the problem reoccurred. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Brakes have squealed fron about 1500 miles. have had pads replaced, but squeals did not go away. front brakes grind, at shop now. in november 2001 had to have struts replaced while having recall work done. struts little over a year old. engine makes a chirping noise at about 1000-2500 rpm, but dealer unable to duplicate. also squeals or whines when making right turns. windshield cracked when a small stone hit it. will have insurance replace. overall, not happy with car. been in the shop three times in the last year!!

While driving at 65 mph vehicle suddenly died. consumer feels lucky that vehicle was not rear ended. *ak the dashboard lit up and the engine shut off. consumer was driving approximately 65-70 miles per hour and was unable to steer to the shoulder. after approx. 20 min the engine started. dealer was unable to find anything wrong with vehicle. *jg

I have had my car for one year and five months. i have replaced the fuel pump a month after purchase, twice within two months. my gas lines have fallen off the car, causing the neighborhood to be filled with fumes. stalls while driving, not matter the speed,dealership said they fixed the issue, still ongoing. car hesistates to go at times. often the inside of the car smells like gas. hard to put car in reverse and other gears, often pops out of gear. recently replaced clutch cable, tech says the clutch is fine. replaced the brakes and rotors after being told they were fine, two weeks later the rotors were gone. brakes continue to squeak. windshield is not sealed, you can hear air blowing in while driving. had a burning smell from under hood was told there was no problem, only to get a recall, and my cables were melted. brake lights always out, when i replace one the other goes out. i have contacted ford motor company, and dealership, both tell me i have to keep getting repairs. i asked ford motor company to buy the car back, and they refused. i feel this car is not safe, i hate driving it.*ak

Driving along the freeway and the engine stalled. was able to refire the motor and continue car conti nued to run rough.*ak

Consumer experiencing many problems with ignition, key will not turn when inserted in ignition switch. dealer replaced ignition. *tt

Engine stalled when making a clockwise hairpin turn (freeway transition) with approx. 1/4 tank of gas. *ak

I purchased my vehicle in february of 2002. just 2 weeks after purchasing, car shut down and locked up. had towed to dealership and found out that there were several recalls to be fixed. there was no cost for that work. then in about april of 2002 the button that turns the air on and off messed up and the air would not work. we went to ford and since i had no warranty, i was going to have to pay for the repairs, they quoted me at $170.00 to repair this so i order the part for 12.00 and fixed it myself. then 11-4-02 i went to get into my car and start it, and once again it would not start. we had it towed again, causing us to pay for a rental and towing fees. the car was in the shop for 2 days and they said that the ground wires were shorting out????and they said it needed several other things also, but they are yet to get fixed due to financial reasons. i cannot stand this car!!!

This stalling while driving problem has occurred on two occasions, both times at low speed. once while making a right 90deg turn and once while slowly rolling to a stop at an intersection. the seconed time the car was hard to restart.*ak

Vehicle has stalled a few times while driving down hill or in turns at slow speed. vehicle is at dealership at this time.*ak

Vehicle stalled out, and consumer left it where it was. then, he went back 3 hours later only to find that vehicle had burned up. he was told by the fire department that there was a vehicle fire. *ak

In april of 2000 the first problem was encountered when the car lost electrical power and went on auxillary power- i was towed to the dealer and the alternator was found to be the cause of the power failure - both alternator and battery were replaced with no further problems to report as of yet. second problem encountered while idling i noticed the fan was not turning on to cool the engine down- i brought car to dealer in january of 2002 where i was told that there was a problem with the fan relay switch which was replaced to my satisfaction. no further problems have surfaced with cooling system. thirdly and most troubling is my experience with the automatic transmission. i had noticed the transmission slipping in early 2002 (jan) and had the dealer look at it- they told me the fluid level was low and added a quart and test drove - immediate afterwards changed gears great - as time went on i noticed it again- i made an appointment with the dealer- before the appointment the car started worsening until complete transmisiion failure occured. the car was towed to dealer wher it was worked on for about 3-5 days - a new transmission was supposed to be installed (4/2002). 2000 miles later and 4 months same problem surfacing again!! i have an appointment in the morning hopefully the problem will be addressed. i believe this problem is a safety concern and an accident waiting to happen- so far i have been lucky enough to escape injury or death. there are over 60 incident reports listed on nhtsa 's web site for transmission failures and i believe someone needs to look into this matter further. i am considering legal options as well as a simple yet effective way of voicing my opinions through never purchasing a ford again!!!

I have a 2000 ford focus sedan. i have experienced the "stalling" problem that seems to be so rampant with all focuses. mine began to stall at when at a full stop. i took it into the dealership and they said there was a newly designed head to fix the problem. but it was out of warranty by less than a month. even though they know it's their fault, since there is not a recall on the new head, i have to pay over $2000 in repair costs! *la

Vehicle has stalled 3-4 times at 10-20 mph and 45 -50 mph. dealer cannot find cause of problem. *ak

While driving at any speed and without warning vehicle completely shutdown, resulting in a collision. dealer has been notified, and could not determine cause. please give any further details.*ak

While driving 55mph vehicle would downshift and lose power. took to dealer and dealer indicated that motor will downshift when using back defroster. please add vin. *ak

While parked with the ignition off, the vehicle caught on fire.*jb(claim#59-v961-685)

My car has shut down twice while driving causing complete loss of control. the first time i was driving down a mountain going about 60 mph and the car shut off and i had no control of the steering or anything. the car restarted on its own after a couple of seconds. the most recent time, i was coming off the freeway and the car shut off causing me too drive into a curb going about 50mph, this time i had to restart the car myself. both times i have taken the vehicle into the service dept. and they have told me there is nothing they can do. i called ford customer service and was told that they are aware of the problem. *ak

Consumer was traveling 30mph on a side street and a truck veered into consumer's vehicle direction. applied his brakes, and crashed into other vehicle. upon impact, dual airbags didn't deploy. dealership was aware of problem. *ak ford motor company stated that they were not able to verify any manufactuer's defects. *tt

Exhaust fumes coming into vehicle while driving/ or standing. vehicle at the dealer shop for repairs. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

While drivng, the insured noticed smoke coming from the hood, and then the vehicle caught on fire.*jb(claim#40-2559-357)

While traveling approximately 30 mph vehicle stalled out and lost control, causing it hit a curb. damaged right front wheel and suspension. dealer notified. feel free to provide any further details on this matter.*ak

The engine stalled, which caused the vehicle to have no steering and no brakes. *jb *ts *jb

Vehicle stalled while slowing down and would not restart. dealer/manufacturer were not notified at this time. feel free to provide any further detrails on this matter.*ak

The consumer states that the vehicle stalls in warm weather at various speeds. the dealer has determined that the cause was the fuel pump restricting the fuel flow. fuel pump was replaced.

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

My motor mounts went out while i was driving down the highway making the engine hop. my seatbelts are locking up so that you can not get the seat belts on. and my tires cord broke making the tire wavy and the steel belt was showing through.*ak (dot number: e13 027430 tiresize: p195/60r15)

Vehicle would stall while driving at multiple speed. dealer contacted. feel free to provide any further information.*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

The insured stated the the vehicle caught on fire under the hood.*jb(claim#04-1294-277)

Intermittently vehicle will stall out and smoke. dealer has repaired vehicle several times; however, problem still exists.*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

While driving 20 mph, car complete shut off causing consumer to lose complete control of vehicle and manuvering of steering wheel, manufacturer contacted. *tt

While driving and foot is removed from accelarator, motor races, loses power dies out.*ak brakes squeal intermittently. *tt

While making a turn, vehicle stalled. dealer was not able to determine cause of problem. ph

When fuel level is at half a tank vehicle stalls at highway speeds. this condition has gotten worse over last 4 months, vehicle currently stalls at any time/ speed no matter what fuel level is, and on a daily basis. dealer cannot find cause. *ak

Pe 02 044/engine stalling: on several occasions vehicle cut off while driving at multiple speed. vehicle been to dealer on four occasions, and dealer was unable to duplicate the problem. feel free to provide any further informnation.*ak

Engine stalls at any speed. consumer feels it's unsafe because it can happen on freeway without warning. dealer has replaced oxygen sensor, but problem reoccurred. *ak jg

My car stalls out. sometimes without warning, sometimes with an extreme hesitation warning. i took it in for service which i supposed oxygen sensor malfunction was the problem. but 2 weeks after that i experienced the exact same problem. my first incident was about a year after getting the car, the second about 6 months after that. but now that the car is 3 1/2 years old it's gotten much worse. (i completed incident date with a guess of the first time - but as above there are many incidents). in one trip, i had to pull of the road 3 times. *la

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

Vehicle has stalled 4 times at speeds between 45 - 75 mph in hot/ dry weather. consumer took vehicle to dealer 3 times so far, and dealer could not remedy problem. *ak

2000 ford focus stalls in traffic. i've had my car into the dealership's service center numerous times for this problem. they have never been able to reproduce the complaint. i've had a flight data recorder installed on it to capture what is going on with it. however, everytime the car stalled, it goes completely dead and i was not able to capture any data. the stalling seems to occur only during the hot summer months. since i live in arizona, being stranded in 110 degreees in itself is a safety factor, not to mention trying to safely get over to the side of the road.*ak

Purchased my car in 2000. my car currently has 51,000 miles on it now. since that time, i have purchased two brand new sets of tires and have had my car aligned two times.. ihave also needed my trunk latch replaced and although my brakes have been replaced they continue to squeal. recently, whilr driving on an interstate mt car sputtered and shut down. i waited two hours at which point it was able to be driven. i took it to ford and they believed i need my fuel pump replaced. this occurred one more time approximately three days later.*ak

I would like to submit a complaint against crossroads ford in raleigh, nc who has me drivinig a death trap. i least this vehicle last year (2000 ford focus) and only put 9000 mile on it to date. even so, it has been shutting off while driving at 45+ miles per hour. when it shuts off i do not have steering capabilities. more than once i was in the fast lane and was in very dangerous situations. once i went into a ditch with my four year old son in the car and to this day, he still remembers it. ford has refused to take ownership of this problem and has not fixed it. this is my sixth lease or purchase from ford and i am appauled at the treatment. i think they are waiting for another firestone incident, for me to lose my life, before they recognize the problem.*ak

Vehicle stalls intermittently, mostly around 35 mph. dealer cannot remedy problem.*ak

The vehicle stalled out while driving, when making left hand turns and also exhibits no start no clank condition, dealer replaced the sender but the problem resurfaced. nlm