Problems with 2000 Ford Focus VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

When i hit the brakes the whole car jolts when you go over 40 miles per hour of the steering shakes i've already replaced the safety neutral switch on a transmission now my car will not start it just makes a clicking noise and when it does turn over it immediately stalls out my cigarette lighter also lit a spark in the back of it go off and the brakes sometimes have grate brakes other tines i have to slam the brakes down to get any brakes.

While in motion on a busy highway, driving 70 mph, my 2000 ford focus (62,000 orig miles) began downshifting; the engine light illuminated. replacement of the neutral drive sensor was completed. now, six months later same thing happening. driving on a busy highway at speeds of 65 mph the '00 ford focus begins downshifting causing a decrease in speed at an alarming rate, rpms increase, engine light illuminates making the vehicle unsafe.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving various speeds, the vehicle accelerated without warning several times. the contact called courtesy ford lincoln of rome, inc. at 888-258-1265 (located at 101 us-411, rome, ga 30161) and was informed that there was no recall for the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 200,000. *tt *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving various speeds, the vehicle independently accelerated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure could not be duplicated. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 109,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the vehicle independently accelerated without warning at a high rate of speed. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence, parked, and then taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle needed to be taken to the dealer for inspection. the dealer and the manufacturer indicated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 00v302000 (vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. the approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while attempting to park the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed and the rpms increased. the vehicle independently accelerated over a curb and crashed into a house. there were no injuries and a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to the insurance facility and the failure was unable to be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 24,000.

I was driving and my headlights and interior lights started to flicker and the check engine light came on and then the car just quit running after 10 minutes i was able to start the car and get home i have had this car (2000 ford focus) for a little over a year the place i purchased it from did not tell me about any problems but i have had problems for the whole time and they have only gotten worse i have put an alternator on it and changed a couple of wires that were melted but it did not help! i am afraid to drive the car now especially with my 2 year old in it with me this car is not safe to drive!!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that after shifting into the drive position, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated to 20 mph. the brake pedal was engaged and was able to stop the vehicle. the failure recurred multiple times intermittently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 89,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that while the driver was driving at 55 mph, the accelerator pedal became stuck to the floorboard. the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a fence and a tree. a police report was filed. the driver sustained injuries to the arms and body. the vehicle was towed to an impound lot. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

While driving the vehicle the electric dash cluster quit working and the vehicle cut off in the middle of traffic. the alternator was replaced then the vehicle did the same thing a few months later. the battery cables were replaced and the battery and the alternator were replaced as a precaution. the vehicle after 4 days and no driving longer that 35 miles a day the same thing happened again while traveling down the interstate. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact was driving 35 mph when the vehicle failed to return to an idle position. the vehicle was not taken for inspection or diagnosis. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the issue and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in recall nhtsa campaign number: 00v302000 (vehicle speed control). the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle independently increased acceleration to 90 mph. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. the brake pedal was engaged when shifting into both neutral and park, which caused the vehicle to come to a stop. the vehicle driven cautiously to the dealer, who stated that the throttle body was stuck in an open position. in addition, the speed control cable was frayed. the vehicle was repaired. there were two recalls associated with the failure under nhtsa campaign id numbers: 00v302000 (vehicle speed control) and 99v346000 (vehicle speed control). the contact's vin was not included in either recall campaign. the approximate failure mileage was 170,000. updated 07/16/13*lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving at any speed, the vehicle would suddenly accelerate without warning. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic but the vehicle was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was contacted and denied the contact any assistance with repairs because the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 99v346000 (vehicle speed control). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 166,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact was driving 5 mph when the accelerator pedal became stuck. the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed head on into another vehicle. there were no injuries. the dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the defect. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 74,999.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 55 mph with the cruise control engaged the vehicle began to accelerate beyond the set speed, up to 80 mph. the contact tried to disengage the cruise control by stepping on the brake pedal and turning the cruise control off but the vehicle continued to accelerate. the contact was able to drive onto the emergency lane and turn the ignition off. the contact opened the hood, pulled the throttle cable back and forth to disengage the cruise control. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the sudden acceleration and the manufacturer informed the contact that there was nothing they could do. the contact noticed that there were two recalls regarding the vehicle speed control and the throttle wire but the vin was not related to the recall. the contact stated the failure could have caused a crash. the failure mileage was 103,000.

Possible throttle linkage sticking. i have owned a 2000 model year ford focus, for approximately 3 yrs. in the past 6 months i have had at least 3 occurrences where the vehicle's acceleration remains after releasing the accelerator completely, i have recurred to place the vehicle in neutral and pump the pedal, this has solved it so far, but i will have the vehicle inspected soon. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that when driving on the highway approximately 55 mph with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle suddenly began to accelerated. she tried to turn the cruise control off; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate to almost 90 mph. she was forced to shut the engine off to stop the vehicle. when she turned the ignition on again, the engine began to rev loudly. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. the mechanic told her that the cruise control cable snapped. she called the manufacturer in reference to recall 00v302000, vehicle speed control cables and was told that her vehicle was not included. the vehicle had not been repaired to-date. the current and failure mileages were approximately 116,000.

Tps/pedal position sensor a circuit malfunction is what comes up on my actron engine scanner. the engine will rev up while driving sometimes. i checked the connection of the sensor and greased the connection pins for better connection. rain seems to make it happen more often. *tr

I have a 2000 ford focus that the cruise control cable started sticking wide open. after inspection i found the cable had wires in the cable housing broke and was causing the throttle to stick open. the cruise control would open the throttle while accelerating and would not release. i now have the cable disconnected from the cruise control ford wants over $100 to fix the problem. it is a fault to the cable and should be recalled. why want they issue a recall on this car. i could of been killed from the sticking throttle cable. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. on november 16, 2007, while driving 30 mph, the vehicle accelerated to 60 mph. the abs engaged and the vehicle accelerated to 12,000 rpm's. the contact drove into a curb in order to stop the vehicle. he shut off the engine and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer replaced the vehicle speed control cable. the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls; however, nhtsa campaign id number 00v302000 (vehicle speed control:cables) was related to the failure. the failure mileage was 70,924 and current mileage was 71,200.

On 10/23/07 i inserted key into ignition of my ford focus and immediatley the lights and gauges went haywire-vehicle failed to start. to make a long story short ,after unpluging the battery cables and going back to the stranded car the next evening, it started . 2 days later my wipers came on by themselves and would not stop until i turned the car off and restarted. on 10/31/07 while driving my daughter home, the vehicle began accelerating and deccelertaing uncontrollably. i pulled of the highway and when i opened the drivers door, the seatbelt light began blinking and making a loud ticking noise. this had happened the night prior, but i thought maybe the button was depressed. my dome lights make a screeching noise and blink on and off. this is a serious problem that needs to be looked into. whenever something like this happens i am driving home late at night and of course the dealer is not open to help me . my car is almost paid off and i will not invest more than what it is worth, which is only about $2,500.too bad i have paid about $18,000 for it. i would also like to know why i have not received recalls for the following problems: 1. 1st month after purchase, electrical system running airbags, mirrors, doors etc. failed. 2. 37,000 miles- transmission failed 3. 42,000 miles- power door locks failed and soon after passenger doors stuck in the lock position. 4. all window tracks have failed. 5. wheel bearings replaced. 6. trunk latch failed 7. ignition failed and was replaced and is going again. 8. brought in for 1 recall (fuel filter) and still didn't correct problem with vibration and lurching. this is a vehicle that exceeds highway saftey ratings? something will be done about this if i must hire an attorney- i am out a lot of money and no vehicle. *tr

While driving my car to work on 8/20/07 i noticed the car beginning to accelerate on it's own. the car has cruise control but the problem continued even after i turned off the speed control function. given the excessive rate of speed the car had accelerated to i applied the brakes to slow the car down but once i released the brake it continued to accelerate upwards of 75-80 mph. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds and trying to decelerate, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and she was unable to brake. the vehicle was able to come to a stop by her coasting the vehicle. the vehicle had not been inspected by a dealer nor had it been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 42,000. the consumer stated a recall was issued for the exact problem. however, her vehicle identification number was not included. updated 05/04/11

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was not included in nhtsa recall # 03v482000, for the fuel system: gasoline due to the vin, when the manufacturer was notified, although the vehicle had the same problems as described in the recall. the contact stated while traveling 55 mph, the engine hesitated when the accelerator was depressed, making a chugging or coughing sound before the engine reacted and accelerated.

Dt*: the contact stated while placing the vehicle in reverse, the vehicle lurched backwards and struck a concrete pillar in a parking lot. the contact was wearing a seat belt, but no injuries were sustained. there was minor damage to the rear of the vehicle. the police was not contacted. additionally, the engine revved while driving various speeds. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer and the manufacturer was not contacted.

Early on i had issues with stalling but just thought it to be weird for the car would turn back on..would power down while driving then i could start it over again. wasn't until recently it became an issue that worried me when i was on a trip and it did it 3 times in a row and it wouldn't start on the second time but then did on the third try. i had been pulling out into heavy traffic when car just died.. everything went dead. tonight my engine light came on and i started searching the net looking for reasons why when i came across the stalling issues with the ford focus 2000. i have also encountered multiple problems with the car over the years and until recently have stayed under 50,000 miles. i also had the locking of the ignition which was replaced by the dealing but last time i took the car in for the rear bearings they told me my car was not one of the 21 states it had issues with. i see they have now included that to go into all 50 states. at this point i am really scared to drive this car anymore and was just getting ready to do an out of state drive which i am putting on hold. i've had other issues that are nothing compared to the car stalling out in traffic.. it just stops.. steering freezes brakes lock.. its a mess and a danger to my child's life and mine. the latest problem of stalling plus the gas pressure seems to be an issue.. i press on the gas and it seems to sputter as if the car wasn't getting enough gas and almost dies.. i thought maybe my clutch was going out but that doesn't seem to be the case. it has not been a cause of an accident thank goodness but have come very close. this is a danger to other drivers and to myself. *jb

My husband was driving our 2000 ford focus zts and the clutch pedal fell completely off. after doing research i see that there was a limited time recall for this item, however we are 2nd owners of this vehicle i am assuming the original owners did not have this fixed. however, we purchased the vehicle from a ford dealership in 2001 before the recall expired and they also did not have the faulty clutch replaced. called ford today and they offered no assistance. fortunately my husband was not injured and no one else was injured either. however, this could have led to a very serious accident. we are now having to pay to have the pedal assembly replaced as well as the clutch master cylinder. total $650.00. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward and crashed. the vehicle accelerated through landscaping wood and sustained minimal damage to the bumper. no injuries were incurred and the police were not contacted.

My idle speed control valve i was told was not working properly and the rpm's would shoot up whenever i would have the car in neutral. however this posed as a high danger risk because it would jerk forward because of the car idling and such a high point. this almost caused me several accidents and is seeming to be hurting the engine. however the danger of keeping my car like this is why i am writing. i think this posed as a driving risk b/c of how unsafe it made the car after this started to act up. *jb

I was driving on a highway and turned on cruise control going up a hill. when the car cleared the hill, it continued to accelerate past the set point (probably 65 mph). at 70-75 mph i became alarmed and hit the off button to disengage cruise control, but the car continued to accelerate. i then hit the brakes lightly, thinking this would disengage cruise, but it did not and the car continued to accelerate to about 80 - 85 mph, at which point i turned off the engine and coasted to a stop on the shoulder. i then re-started the car 2-3 times, and each time, the engine immediately went to very high rpm, so i shut it down quickly. i had the car towed to a dealership where i live, and the next day the service manager had the same experience: car revved very high and he shut it down quickly. the second time he tried it, the battery was dead. when i spoke to the service manager this morning, he told me that the cruise control actuator had become "turned around" and that this had kinked the cruise control cable, preventing it from returning throttle control to the gas pedal. there have been two recalls on 2000 ford focus vehicles related to the cruise control system (nhtsa campaign id numbers 99v346000 and 00v302000), but apparently neither applies to my particular vin, which is [xxx]. this obviously could have turned out very differently had i been driving in heavy traffic or had i not thought to simply shut the engine off, and i view it as a very significant safety hazard for this vehicle. i hope that you will initiate an investigation, as this failure could easily have fatal consequences. *jb updated 07/17/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

The vehicle has a recall for the speed control cable and servo unit (99v346000). the dealer and ford motor co. service state that the recall doesn't apply to my vehicle even though i have the problem described in the recall which is a faulty servo unit. *jb

Purchased 2000 ford focus, vin [xxx] from croft ford on dec. 19, 2001; mileage was 12,163 (car was still under warranty); have been unable to walk since march of 2002 (mileage on car is now just over 13,000; last 200 plus miles has been put on by ford dealerships attempting to fix car). have had this car in to several ford dealerships; none of which can solve problem of engine surges; dash lights sweeping; transmission bolting; etc., etc., etc. this car is not safe to drive; i have notified ford motor company; the dealerships, etc., and feel that it should be covered under "manufacturer warranty" .. instead latest was that ford dealership wanted $500 to replace alternator and could not guaranty that would fix problem; i already paid $105; plus $110 and the same problems are happening. the car has been at the ford dealership in woodbridge, va, for over 2 weeks, which leaves my family without a car to transport me. this is not right. i told todd croft of croft ford that i needed a good, dependable, safe car because this would be the last car i ever purchased. he knew that i did not drive much at all and i feel that he sold the car (with an existing problem) to me thinking that i would never know. my daughter was the one who realized this car had a serious defect and took it to croft ford to be fixed several months ago; to date, it still is not fixed; is a danger to drive, not only to the person/occupants of the car, but to any vehicles near when the power surges occur and the transmission bolts. *jb updated 07/18/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

On interstate 95 with cruise set at 70m.p.h. my car excelerated to 95 m.p.h. i could not disengage the cruise and the brakes did not function. i was able to slow the car to 60 m.p.h. by pressing the brakes as hard as possible then i turned the key off which stopped the exceleration but also impaired the steering. i was able to get the car to the emergency lane and my son pushed us off the shoulder of the road.

Dt: consumer stated the cruise control went into full throttle position and could not be deactivated by pressing the brake pedal. the only way to shut it off was to turn the key off. the consumer had to have the cruise control disabled. he has not contacted a service dealer. *ak

After releasing accelerator the engine rpms remain at the original level as if it was pressed in netrual or the clutch is engagged. accelerator is not sticking. then rpm's are normal for a time while driving. it seems to happen above 3000 rpms. *ak

Vehicle lurched forward, and owner had to take out the key from ignition in order to stop the vehicle. manufacturer will be contacted by consumer.*ak

While driving 45 mph the accelerator cable broke. as a result, the pedal proceeded to the floor and began to decelerate rapidly. vehicle was towed to the dealership for repair. *ak......dealer replaced accelerator cable. *ak

On 01-15-05 at approximately 10:00 hours, my fiancee, myself, and my son were riding in our 2000 ford focus se 2.0 liter dohc. when trying to pass a truck the accelerator broke off completely and the throttle cable snapped. we were then stuck next to the truck with no where to go could not accelerate. if it was not for the evasive actions of my fiancee i may not be talking to you right now. we had to pull onto the opposite side of the road onto incoming traffic. i have taken pictures of the accelerator and the throttle cable and will be keeping the old part. this to me is a serious violation and could result in death or serious injury to someone in the future. i along with my family hope that this does not happen to anyone in the future and it was one of the most fearful experiences i have ever had. i have contacted ford and i am seeking legal assistance with this matter, due to ford's lack of assistance. *nm

While stopping at stop sign at an intersection consumer applied the brakes and vehicle suddenly accelerated. then, vehicle stopped. but this incident happened more than once. consumer drove drive vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic could not duplicate the problem. *ak. idle speed shoots way up for a few seconds. consumer have to stand on brake to keep car from moving into intersection. *ak

Consumer's vehicle experienced the same problem as stated in nhtsa recall 00v302000 concerning cruise control. a speed control cable could have a core wire that is long enough to catch on the sleeve at the throttle body end of the cable during wide-open throttle acceleration. dealership was notified. however, they indicated sorry vin was not include in this recall.*ak

While driving 45 mph consumer applied the accelerator pedal, but it failed to accelerate. this caused the vehicle to decrease in speed. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and pulled over. consumer inspected the vehicle ,and noticed that the accelerator cable broke. vehicle was towed to a body shop for inspection, but cause of the failure was not determined.*ak the consumer stated that the accelerator cable snapped in one place and was very weak in another place. *tc

Recall 00v302000, when coming to a stop engine revved at a high rate. consumer pulled over, and restarted the vehicle. dealership would not repair the problem because vin was not included. *ak

Problems with the vehicle motor going fast then slowing down. *mr when the vehicle was in motion, there was thump in the rear under the seat as if it were stopping and or losing power, the emission light had come on the dash board and would go off and on again, the floor would vibrate and rattle, the engine would cut off when at stop lights, the key would not turn in the ignition/stuck in cylinder. the stalling would occur especially when the fuel tank was below 1/2. *sc *jb

When applying the brakes vehicle accelerated. *ak

While driving on the freeway at 60 mph accelerator pedal stuck. when this occurred vehicle accelerated to 90 mph. there was no vehicle in front of the consumer ,so he was able to pull off the freeway by putting the vehicle in neutral and coasting to a stop. *ak

In the last six months the transmission has started to leak fluid (paid to fix that), i get a letter about a recall for the fuel pump take it in and get that fixed on the way to work straight from the dealership one of the guys i work with comments on my brake lights staying on, my brake lights will now not go off and my cruise control will not go on (paid to fix that), then a few weeks later the front wheel fell off! i was pulling into my parents driveway and the wheel just fell off then spent the entire day getting it on a tow truck and getting it off at the dealership. then the technician kept asking me what i hit. repeatedly i told him what happened and he finally said that that couldn't have happened unless i hit something (paid to fix that), now i get in my car to get me something to eat and my key will not turn. *ak

I bought a 2000 ford focus on march 11 of 2004 for my daughter, i asked for a repair to be made on the vehicle from the dealership i bought it from before buying the car, it was surging and hesitating. i was told it was repaired, the vehicle didn't do this the next day when i bought it, on march 31 my daughter pulled in to jack in the box, parked her car, put the car in park, took her foot off the brake, the car surged forward throwing her into a concrete wall, the airbags deployed, the windsheild shattered, the fron bumper is totalled, my daughter has a third degree burn on her right forearm resulting from the air bag. *ak

The consumer found that recently a problem with his vehicle when accelerating it doesn't slow down once the consumers foot was off of the gas. the vehicle was in an accident and the consumer believed that the acceleration problem contributed to the accident. when the vehicle was taken to the dealer he was told there was a recall on throttle cable. then he was told that the vehicle was not recalled due to the vin. the consumer stated that there have been complaints of this particular vehicle. *ak recall campaign #00v302000. *sc *jb

Hi, i own a 2000 ford focus and it has been nothing but trouble. i purchased the car brand new in 2000 and have had it in the shop so many times. i have had my rear passenger side window mechanism replaced by ford, then personally replaced the driver front window mechanism and the driver back mechanism due to cable breaks. i have had it in with the radio 3 times and it still does not work correctly. i have had to have the brakes replaced, the ignition block replaced, the struts and shocks. the trunk release has never worked. now it keeps breaking down on me if i drive for more than 1 hour non stop. this weekend i went to san antonio from corpus, it died on the highway 3 times going to sa and coming home 4 times & how safe is that! ford said they cannot do anything for me unless it is messing up when i bring it in while it is acting up, however it always happens when i am away from town. they told me that if they hook it up to the machine it will not tell them anything. also, on several occasions my accelerator has stuck and i cannot brake, i have to put the car in neutral and press on the brake hard while the rpm's are still revving and pull the emergency brake, the first time this happened i was pulling into a parking spot and went over the yellow divider. is there anything i can do? *la

Leaking water into passenger foot-compartment. isolated problem to plastic cover that sits beneath windshield, and is mostly accessible with hood open. the problem is that the plastic comes away from windshield due to some buckling in the plastic. fixed problem by applying pressure to plastic to bend it back to shape so it snagged-up closer to windshield. not seen problem since. mastic to adhere plastic to windshield might be an option to other people. the fuel gauge sometimes refuses to work. found this to be case when key is put into ignition and key-turned to start engine was done too quickly. if entering key into ignition and then turning key each click, giving each click a half-second, then gauge appears to be more reliable. when engine goes into slow-idling state, engine idles very erratically and is not smooth. sounds like only some of cylinders are firing. this has only started to occur today and since reading comments on this website, i'm concerned. have tried adding fuel-injector-cleaner to fuel tank, awaiting results of that. the trunk would not close. the problem here was fixed by removing the locking assembly from the trunk-lid and simply dowsing the mechanisms with wd40 and then bending some spring-loaded components.. there are 2 moving components in the lock. first is shape of a loop that you can easily move with finger/screwdriver. this component locks onto stub that you can see when opening trunk. the other component is hidden within casing and moves in front of other component to hold it in a locked position. problem was with this component. problem was component had "somehow" gotten bent and not free to leave casing and block other component. bending this to a position freeing it of casing fixed problem. engine lacked power when under load when accelerating, vehicle would shudder and decelerate instead of accelerate. problem resolved when ford dealer replaced spark-plugs plus leads and a full engine tune-up. $230 plus but fixed problem. *la