Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

While driving around turns vehicle would stall out. vehicle has been to the dealer on seven occasions and but problem recurred.*ak

Consumer states that while making a turn vehicle will shut off. nlm

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

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

Control arm failure resulted in tires needing to be replaced, though they had less than 20,000 miles. ford would not warranty them and firestone would not honor warranty due to damage being caused by defect in the car. the problem with the engine starting and/or dying has just begun in recent months and seems to be getting worse.*ak

I am not please with this car ,me and my wife have brought two other cars from this dealer and this is the first one that has given a lot of grief and sorror,please help me be a continue customer by addressing this problem immediately,and also for future references. thank you ,sign off---sadden. no safety defect mentioned. *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

On 03/08/01, while driving 65mph on freeway, engine stalled. vehicle towed to dealer and fuel pump replaced on 03/09/01. problem began reocurring on 03/13/01. problem seems to start after vehicle is warm and has been driven at highway speeds for 10-15mins. once problem starts, it will reoccur several times within short distances (1/4 to 1/2 miles), necessitating pulling to side of roadway and restarting vehicle. once problem starts, it will reoccur at both surface street and highway speeds.*ak

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

Vehicle consistently stalls when slowing or brought to a stop when air temperature is below 0f, even after engine is fully warmed up.

While driving vehicle would shut down without prior warning. power would completely go out, no steeering or hazard lights. consumer would turn engine off, and start back up. this has occurred on numerous occasions. dealer was unable to duplicate, so was not able to provide remedy. *ak

Vehicle stalled while attempting to park, it would not restart for 12-14 hours, the dealer was notified of the incident, the vehicle has stalled a total of four times the dealer has replaced the fuel pump, sensor assembly and fuse assembly. *nlm

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

While driving, vehicle will jerk, on one occasion it would not go more than 35mph and then it stalled, vehicle has also stalled at highway speeds. this has happened numerous times. contacted dealer who cannot fix the problem.*ak *slc

Vehicle stalled twice when slowing down to stop, dealer has cleaned airbox. numerous times and vehicle will still hesitate, almost stalling.*ak

Vehicle stalls intermittantly at 20-35 mph. vehicle has been taken to dealer 2-3 times, no problem was found. nlm

Whenever driving can smell fumes coming inside vehicle throuh vents. smells like burning plastic. gears would get stuck. hard to shift from one gear to another gear. *ak

At any speed vehicle will shut off with out any notice. contacted dealer, and was not willing to do anything.*ak *mj

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.

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

Vehicle experiences problems with brakes, the front rotors, front brake pads, and rear shoes have been replaced due to vibration when brakes applied. *slc

These are the probelems with my car. it is only 8 months old, yet this car has had repeated problems. the first major problem is with the brakes. they continually squeak and i was told by ford that it was due to a safety issue. the brakes and pads were replaced yet the problem has continued since. i have also made numerous complaints and had the breaks deglazed and serviced many times only to have the problems continue. the next problem is with the ventalation. the engine strongly smells of burning oil/fuel. this problem was checked and fixed three times, but this problem also continues. the smell is so strong inside the car that passengers now refuse to ride in the vehicle. the smell is also very strong from out side the car. the third problem with the vehicle is with the driver's side door. the lock and latch are very tight and are some times imbossible to turn or open without exessive force. the door hinges are also stiff. this is a lot of friction in the hinges making lots of noise and not allowing the door to move smothley. the last problem i am reporting is with the suspension. this problem has been fixed more than 5 times and it is still a very big problem. new parts have been put in and the squeaking and humming is still very loud. there are also loud clanking noises coming from the suspension.*ak

While driving vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment. dealer is inspecting vehicle.*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

The ac evaporator case failed causing leakage. *cj

Extreme amount of problems and recalls, vehicle has low mileage. in addition to listed problems, severe rear tire cupping at 7000 miles, may be attributed to loose rear wheel bearing. power steering pressure hose leaking, a/c still not fixed correctly cold lasted for about a month drivers door lock wont lock interm. rear trunk latch wont release from inside car. fuel gauge erratic, caused driver to run out of gas on a bridge. maf sensor failure, caused driver to be limited to 15 mph on freeway till next exit. vheicles radio stuck on with key removed causing battery drain---happened twice and was fixed. vehicle is a lease due back for return in august. cant wait to be rid of this headache but feel sorry for whoever buys it... i would still like ford motor co to reimburse me for the lease payments made for the amount of downtime and time vehicle spent at the dealership to fix some of these problems......thankyou

Defective front brake rotor. *ph during the inspection the consumer was told that the defect was not covered under the vehicle's warranty. other vehicle components also malfunctioned. the vehicle's trunk latch broke, the check engine light illuminated twice, the cd player became inoperative and the steering wheel locked up. *nm

Overheating/ transmission slipping/ vibration. *ak

While driving, the vehicle caught on fire.*jb(claim#42-1295-268)

The vehicle would not go into gear intermittently. on 01/16/01 the boot around the shifter was torn and the dealer had ordered a new replacement boot cover. *yh

Car was taken to delaership in april regarding noise coming from the rear of the car. they stated they could not find any problems. i cannot tell if the noise is coming from one of the rear wheels

Leak at fuel tank hose caused check engine light to illuminate. nlm

Vehicle overheated, and engine coolant light came on. there was no coolant leak. dealership is aware of the vehicle's problems. *ak

Fuel tank failed.*et

Vehicle has stalled 9 times and has been in for repair, but ford is unable and unwilling to detect the problem. they cannot "duplicate" the stalling therefore it does not exist. although i have stalled on the interstate, while driving 70 mph and on city streets. i refuse to take my child in the car with me because i am scared we will be rear ended. i have contacted the az atty general's office and was told that ford refused to mediate the situation and the stalling problem does not exist. the atty generals office stated their workload is too heavy to enforce the az lemon law and i would have to hire an atty. as a single parent i cannot afford to hire an atty and still pay my car payments, which ford expects me to do, yet they will not honor their product and admit this car has a problem. i bought a new car so that i wouldn't have the repair cost of a used vehicle and i bought a ford because they had been in business for a long time and i thought they were safe and realiable. *ak

Have had very discerning trouble with 2000 ford focus. things previously fixed are still not working properly. i have had the car since late 2000, and it has been in the service dept. more than i have been able to enjoy it.

Gas mileage is poor on this size veh--motor kicks into neutral while driving at higher speeds. dealer keeps telling me there is no problem/cannot duplicate, 4 incidents, this is very freighting. especially in heavy traffic & cannot get off the road fast. brakes wear between 16000 and 18000 miles with normal driving. the motor belt had to be replaced at 22000 miles. this never happened so soon with any vehicle i have ever owned. repairs and services are very expensive, many safety recalls and product warnings that take time to repair. the dealer has a problem making sure the parts are available when i make an appointment. the wheel bearings have been replaced several times and sound like they may be going bad again! i do not feel safe in this vehicle. what if something fails while myself or my family are in this vehicle. this vehicle has depreciated at such a drastic rate, that i would be wise to trade it for another vehicle. i feel it is in direct relation to all the safety issues with this vehicle. *ph **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**763169

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak (tiresize: 19560r15)

Engine stalled three times so far during downshift, the first time was two years ago and last time was last week. it all happened when i'm slowing down and approching exit on the highway, i disengaged clutch try to downshift and the engine stalled, had to turn the key to start and engine again.*ak

Cd player and radio inoperative. nlm

Repeated attempts in dealing with ford service, customer service and management (regional and central offices) have failed to correct these problems. discrepancy in documentation by thomason damerow ford service department in what i was told was done to the car versus what was documented. i was told verbally that certain corrections were made to the car but these were not documented. for example, i was told by chad the evening service manager that there was something wrong with the crank shaft dampener yet this was not documented when i picked up the car and informed dealer i would pursue lemon law. dealer had car for 30 days in april and i was told parts were on back order. regional manager was to have called me back but did not. service manager contacted on 08/22/2000 and 08/23/2000 regarding repeated problems but he only seemed to be concerned with documentating our telephone conversation. service manager stated he did not know the status on the back ordered parts but that he would call me back but he has not. i informed him that car continues to stall while driving. dealer provided with new phone and address although they were to have contacted me a few months ago before i moved yet failed to do so since april 30,2000. car has since stalled, i am very afraid to drive the car on the highway as the car will not even reach acceptable and a safe speed to merge with highway traffic. i will not use the cruise control as it seems to accelerate on its own even after the cruise control is not in use and it is turned off. there are numerous other problems with this car but the one i am most concerned about is the safety of this vehicle.....stallling, engine shut down while driving on highway, inadequate speeds to merge with traffic, inadequate speeds on slight incline, unable to use car to travel up the mountains which are plentiful in the area where i live. please investigate this problem to protect the public's safety , both the ford drivers and others on the road

Fords dealership are rude, worker broke other parts on your cars and don't let you know. you are not able to trust the saleman , the quote you agreed to pay was change on the way into the financial person. i will never buy another ford. they do not stand behind their cars. i have never had this experience before. i changed dealships and the same business. i did fine one nice person toni. i have a 2000 ford focus for anyone who want o buy it for the balance. *ak

Consumers vehicle jerks and surged while being driven and the check engine light illuminates, the dealer has replaced the trans rang sensor 3 times and the entire transmission once but the problen reoccurs, possibly related to the engine. (attorney for client). nlm

My son was driving the car. he got to his destination and there was smoke billowing from under the hood. he was going to open the hood but he noticed flames and he then retrieved an extinguisher and called 911. the front of the car was totally burned and all the windows were shattered. *tr

Engine has surging/missing. ford says its a command module calibration problem and not safety related. cant fix problem. said ford is aware of problem but cant fix it yet. concerned this is a safety problem. ford dealership would not accept car for service for a third attempt. told to drive the car until ford engineers can find a fix.

This vehicle is clearly one of multiple problems and should be investigated. engine cooling, transmission braking and starter issues. ford protecting self as usual.

Consumer was rear ended, causing a frontal collision in which engine completely fell from vehicle onto the pavement. *ak the mechanic indicted that falling of the engine was due to engine mount failure and defective hardware. *yh

Windshield had cracked and was replaced, approximately one month later the windshield cracked again in the exact same spot, nothing had hit the windshield on either times that it had cracked. air conditioner drains inside the car to the drivers side floor. brakes squeak, dealer replaced rear brake shoes, however noise is still there. steering wheel was peeling, dealer replaced it. vehicle will not start at times, dealer reprogrammed the pcm and replaced the fuel pump. transmission slips into neutral while driving, it will not shift into reverse until after about 10 seconds, dealer has replaced the mlp sensor and transmission range sensor to attempt to correct problem yet it still continues, transmission lines leaking and dealer replaced lines. noise coming from under the hood. hood rattled, dealer adjusted and lubed the hood stops. engine races at times, vehicle hesitates and feels like it is going to stall. *slc

Car stalls out multiple times per day while driving, causing the power stearing to go out and all of the dash lights to go on, scared for my safety. contacted saleperson and dealership owner with no help offered by them