Problems with 2000 Ford Focus SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Car has had the brakes serviced a total of five times and the car is stalling during acceleration. this car has been in shops for several recalls as well as twice for ignition lock failure. one of our children was trapped in rear seat by defective seat belt & had to be cut out with a knife. car stalls after it warms up. dealer says it's fuel pump but if that were so, wouldn't it stall waarm or cold. i spoke to an employee at another dealer who said ford was finding problems with sensor connected with cooling system. who do i believe? they want to charge us $700 to replace fuel pump that probably works fine.

Current malfunction is hesitation and engine stall and brake failure. my car is almost 2 years old and within that time period i have experienced the following malfunctions: windshield wiper, air condition, electric window, brakes, struts, rusted rotor, ignition switch, electrical shorts(flashing dash), engine hesitation/stall, blown fuses where car would not start.

My 2000 ford focus has had problems starting 2 months after i purchased it. it's been in 6 times for excessive brake noise and or squealing. the door hinges were squeeking and had to be replaced due to misalignment..it took 5 times to determine this. weather strip molding has been replaced due to falling apart around the headlights. the cd player/stereo was replaced with a new factory model when cd player would not work properly. the "new" model was replaced yet again due to coding seen and no numbers in the window digital area. the fuel pump was replaced after stalling more than 50 miles from home...still does not run up to performance. fuel area reworked again. would not start due to battery cable. ford needs to discontinue this model until they can fix the problems it has with it. they also need to get all focus models off the road, they are safety hazzards.

This is a copy of the letter i sent to ford prestige ford garland tx attn: [xxx] dear [xxx] re: ford focus 2000 vehicle id# [xxx] i became a customer of prestige ford 5 years ago when i first bought my 98 escort. i was pleased with the car, never had any problems within the 2 years i had it only the scheduled maintenance. feb 28th 2000 i made the stupidest decision in my life to trade it for a brand new focus 2000 -i was impressed of the reviews of being the european car of the year in 1999. well during this 3 years i had nothing but trouble and i just received another safety recall. i don't even remember how many times i've taken my car back to ford for safety recalls during the last 3 years. in 3 years i had to replace brakes 3 times (that's actually once a year) replace rotors twice something got messed up last august with the electrical system and the starter i had to have that fixed. there's always noise with the brakes, i asked several times and all your staff or the one on 75 can tell me is a "known problem" first it was "metal brakes" no problem that's normal after a couple of years you changed it to a "known problem"??? i just wanted to let you know my disappointment about this stupid car, i sure did made a big mistake when i decided to buy it. also i bought extended warranty and that really seems not to be a big benefit since it hasn't helped a bit, i still had to pay for all this repairs. as far as i know this are the known problems with the car, so tell me am i supposed to be a happy camper?? i'm a single mother, i make my payments on time, i don't have the time and the money to keep spending in a car that will be paid off in a couple of years and then i will be left with a big peace of junk. please let me know when i can take my car to get fixed again. very unhappy customer [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), ...

Consumer noticed excessive front brake every 10000 miles. dealer have replaced pad and rotors. please provide further information.. ts

Consumer states that when trying to apply the brakes they can hear a loud noise and the brake pedal will go to the floor causing the vehicle to have extended stopping distance. dealer has repair vehicle on several occasions. dealer notified. ph

Brakes replaced but continue to squeal front suspension collapsed causing crash.

1)we had trouble with right rear door lock stuttering nothing found to be wrong has only occured once since 2)transmission makes a whirring noise intermitenly when car is in reverse dealer found nothing wrong on both occasions 3)rear brakes on two occasions have made squeaking noises first time at 34950 km new shoe pads. second time at 41346 km shoes and drums sanded 4mm left on shoes has squeaked on only one occasion since 4)front brakes done at 24450 km new pads and repaired two rotors. second time at 41346 km pads shown to be at 6mm left

Consumer was exiting a parking garage and placed vehicle in reverse. without warning, car suddenly accelerated and rear tail spun around 2 times then hit a parked vehicle. consumer did apply brakes with no success. ph insurance company informed dealership that there were two recalls that dealt with a defective throttle and speed control which was not performed on the vehicle prior to the accident. other problems included weezing noise while turning. power steering racked failed and replaced. lack of power steering in steering wheel. rear brake pad replacement. rear wheel bearing noise. defective wheel bearings replaced. tire punctured and replaced. hesitation on acceleration. fuel pump and gasket replaced. tires rotted out. key stuck in ignition. replaced malfunctioned shifter assembly. trunk lid wouldn't latch. latch replaced. *tt

Consumer noticed excessive brake consuming every 10000 miles, dealer has replace three time the front and rear pads and rotors. please provide further information. mr

the brake lug bolts are under sized, consumer states' the wheel may fall off. please provide any further information. ts

Both front rotors were cupped and tapered, the dealer suggested that the brake pads were too hard for the rotors which caused unusual wear. in less than 3 years, 27,736 miles the transmission has slipped 6-8 times, the vehicle was taken to the dealer but they were unable to duplicate the problem on two different occasions. nlm

The rotor are warp every 3,000 to 4000 miles and also the vehicle steering wheel vibrates. the dealership is aware of the problem. ts

This car has more recalls than i ever seen. the air bags deployed and gave me second degree burns. the brakes are shot and i have to pay for repairs even though i only have 29,940 miles. the keyless entry does not work even though its been fixed 2 times the ignition locked up and they change it the air conditioner leaks but they say its fine. mr

Car is only 2yrs,8mo. have currently expended over $4000.00 on repairs. problem with seals allowing fumes in car from other vehicles running beside mine. the noise and wind shear level is very unsatisfactory. squeal noise and thumping feeling from pressing on brake pedal. hesitation on accelerating into traffic flow. poor quality on parts and workmanship from manufacturer

Consumer brakes do not function properly if applied at speeds of 40 mph or over. vehicle will not slow down or stop unless brakes are applied with extreme force. consumer has had to replace pads every 3 months. mr

Dt: the brakes make a noise like it is a dump truck stopping. when the consumer hits the brakes the vehicle does not stop immediately. he changed the brake shoes twice and then took the vehicle to the dealership. while at the dealership, they found a service bulletin and the consumer has to pay to replace the lining and magnets. the problem with the brakes has always occurred, but it is not every time you hit the brakes. this vehicle is still under an extended warranty and it is not covered. consumer has called the federal trade commission and has a reference number, 6397393. *nm

Brakes squeaked badly since the day purchased. contacted dealership they said they were new and it would eventually stop. about 3 months later i had to take the vehicle in for a recall and told the dealership about the brakes. they told they were aware of a problem because of the number of complaints, but were anticipating a recall. now i have to have my front pads and rotors replaced. the mechanic told me he too was aware of a number of vehicles like mine that were being serviced for the same problem. i cnatcted the customer service dept. at ford and told me until an official recall was implemeted they could do nothing.*ak

Consumer states while driving 45mph had extended stopping and heard a grinding noise. nlm

When applying the brakes, consumer states' the brakes make a gringing noise and a squeaking noise, like the brake pads are rubbing on wheels. the vehicles brakes have been changed three times and the noise keep returning. cause is unknown. please describe further. ts

Front brake pads and rotors needed replacement after 30000 miles. there was no indication of wear until grinding sound was heard from the front brakes. by that time rotors could not be repaired, and needed to be replaced.*ak

I sent a form in yesterday but did not have the vin number. this car is in the shop right now. mr

My son had a wheel stuck on the curb of our driveway. he opened the door and, with his foot on the brake, looked out to see the position of the wheel. the brakes failed and the car rolled down the driveway hill, hopped the curb, crossed the street, went over an embankment and landed with the rear end of the car against a tree. the car was totaled. when ford was contacted they said they had not received any other complaints about brakes on the focus. our mechanic spoke to an associate with ford who will deny speaking to him. the ford associate said they are aware of a problem with the brakes failing, they just don't know how to fix it so they can't issue a recall. it seems this ball belongs in your court! our car was totaled, our son suffered only minor injuries; the next person may not be so lucky. mr

While applying brakes there is a grinding noise coming from driver's side wheel. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

Excessive wear on front brakes. consumer did all highway driving, and had to replace rotors at 30000 miles.*ak

Brake pads on 2000 ford focus. *ph (nar) the consumer also requested to be reimbursed for $446.44 in original repair, also would like to have a written explanation from the dealership of how the problem could be remedied to avoid excessive maintenance cost. *cb

Fumes in passenger compartment whenever heat or air conditioning on. dealer claims smells nothing and also rotors on brake drums are minimum required by law without having to be replaced even though they have never been machined or scarred. dealership says they are aware of problem but ford has done nothing about it and rotors aren't under warranty even though they are defective

Both front rotors and pads needed to be replaced at 32,000 miles of wear. dealer has been notified. *ak *yh

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

While driving 45mph rear brakes failed, had extended stopping distance. *ak

Consumer states the rear brake pads on the vehicle failed while the consumer was driving, after taking the vehicle into the dealer the dealer noted that the pads had woren out to fast.*jb

A grinding sound from left front wheel would occur when brakes are applied. vehicle taken to dealer , and informed consumer that rotors and pads needed to be replaced. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

This is the second time the dealer is charging me for the exact same problem. i almost killed myself and my girlfriend on the freeway. the brakes starting making this sudden grinding noise and were no longer effective, i had to use the hand brake and engine brake to get out of it without hitting anybody.

While driving out of town brakes failed at 1300 miles. brakes were grinding, and consumer had to replace front brakes/pads and resurface rotors.*ak

Purchased ford focus se in may of 2002 with 13,260 miles. we did not buy the extended warranty because we could not afford. soon after bringing the car home, we noticed the tire was very wobbly, and the brakes were squeaking--took it to the ford dealer and they told us these cars are notorious for brake noise, as for the tire nothing is wrong-the service dept. test drove and didn't notice a thing. have taken it in several other times after that for wobbly tire-still same answer nothing is wrong. have taken the car in for several recalls. key was stuck in ignition and had to be towed to dealership-but the next time my teenaged daughter drove the car the steering wheel was stuck when she was turning at an intersection-had it towed again, there was a piece of material (from them fixing the ignition problem) that was stuck in the steering column. our latest episode with this car is our trip from wa-virginia. the car was fine on the way there, except for the wobble in the tire in which we had the tires rotated yet again. but on our way back we started experiencing sputtering and surging of the car, we would pull off the side of the road every 20 miles (thinking it was from the hot weather), we would get another 20 miles in and same thing until finally we drove through chicago, il and it was worse, so we pulled off the highway and on to an on ramp--walked across the highway to use a business's telephone to call for a tow truck. they found us a tow truck but unfortunately it wasn't a king cab, so our insurance co., called us a cab. the tow truck took us to the nearest ford dealer--the car however seemed to running fine, so we decided to drive some more. we got about 15 miles down the road and sputtering again, so we called for another tow--and in the meantime we called firestone, we drove it there, the serviceman drove the car and felt what it was doing and said he didn't need to hook it up to engine diagnostic that it was the transmission.

This car has had 4 recalls so far. in addition to the recalls i have had it in for other problems like the gas light failed to to work, the igntion part after turning car off would act like the key was still in. the biggest complaint i have is the brakes at 9000 miles i had it in to check the brakes and then 8000 miles later my roters went bad. i do not feel safe in this car at all.*ak

Rotors and pads wear excessively. vehicle has no problem stopping, but squeals when brakes are applied. vehicle was taken in for front brake problem. dealer was notified. please provide more information.*aki

I beg of you recall this car. it will eventually kill somebody and their children. no safety defect listed. *ak

When applying brakes they were squeaking , dealer replaced front rotors. please provide additional information.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

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.

Front brake rotors and pads had to be replaced within 22,000 miles of wear. dealer notified. feel free to provide any further information. *ak

No actual crash. took car in to service a recall notice for the wiper gear cover, mechanic discovers that the brake pads are worn down to 1 millimeter and the car is too dangerous to drive. he also says they have worn down bc the car is not being driven properly. the vehicle is only a year and a half old and only has 14500 miles on it, its not possible that its not driven properly since it doesn't get driven enough. i've researched this on a site called www.fordfocusbrakeproblems.com and there are a number of people having the same problems at about the same mileage. ford must be installing shoddy brake systes for this to be happening.*ak

Brakes were checked at 13,ooo miles. mechanic said they were ok. always black grit on rims on front tires. have gone into many lemon sites and neumerous owners say they have had pads and rotors replaced at various low mileage's. ford customer relations center tells me they have had no complaints. bull. feel this is a design problem, ford must own up to. please advise. thank you brakes constantly screech when braking, owners manual says this is normal!*ak

C v joint and shaft fell apart when the car was put in reverse leaving driveway. pieces throw everywhere.wheel bearings melting to rear drums . back drums replaced and all 4 wheel bearings. door lock system replced after stop working. *ak

While pressing on brakes pedal goes to the floor and it is hard for vehicle to stop. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak

Sub frame bolts loose from factory, transmision slips, brake rotors warped and replaced 3 times, dlr advised that because this veh is built in germany its a high performance veh and the brakes will not last more than 12,000 miles without having to do a complete brake job, ford has been contacted on several occassions and have repeatdly denied that they have any brake issues with this vehicle. *ak

To whom it may concern: i am writing in regards to the faulty brake system on my 2000 ford focus. when i first purchased the car, i noticed that the brakes made a squeaking sound. i was told that ford factory brakes always squeak and so i thought that this was a normal thing for this model car. it wasn't until the brakes stopped squeaking and began to squeal and grate that i began to be concerned. it is for this reason that i am contacting you. i think it is outrageous that a car with just over 31,000 miles should have needed new brake pads and rotors! what a disappointment! i have become very disillusioned about the quality of the craftsmanship of ford vehicles. in my research about the problem i was experiencing, i discovered that i am far from the only person with this difficulty. in fact, i came across a website devoted to ford focus brake problems. i would request that you take this complaint very seriously and research this issue yourselves. it cost me $248.00 to deal with this today, and i understand from others' experiences that it is likely that these new brakes will do the same as the old. i am frustrated and nervous. i have a very small child whom i transport in this vehicle and would be devastated if these faulty brakes and rotors contributed to an accident or worse.*ak

During normal braking on dry road surface vehicle wheeels would lock up intermittently. on wet road surface wheels wound lock up continually. vehicle been to dealer on three occasions, but problem still occurring. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

brake pads have warped at 14000 miles. consumer has taken vehicle to dealer five different times to get brakes fixed, but problem still occurring. also, extended stopping distance and noise when braking. contacted dealer. *ak