Problems with 2001 Ford Focus VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

This has happened several times. the vehicle accelerates to 2000-3000 rpm by itself. sometimes while at idle and sometimes while driving at any speed in town or the highway. i have not been able to resolve the issue and have spent money on tps, throttle body, spark plugs and wires, coil pack, fuel pump and filter and it still does the same sudden acceleration. the local dealer said they have not been able to correct that issue with older ford focuses. is there a fix to this issue available? maybe a recall? i have been close to hitting a moving vehicle, after exiting ih 35 and coming unto a traffic light on the access road. i almost rear ended several vehicles stopped at the traffic light. upon exiting the interstate i was approaching the intersection, my vehicle accelerated to about 3500 rpm and i could not stop it using the brakes even though i was practically standing on the brake pedal. i was able to put the gear in neural and thus did not hit the vehicles at the traffic light. the vehicle eventually idled down but it was very dangerous and an extremely scarry situation. i have not used the vehicle since even though i have spent a lot of money on repairs. i would probably not buy a ford again. i am going to sell the car but will tell the buyer that the issue has not been fixed. thanks for any help available

When vehicle has ideled or traveled at slow speeds for a long period, the vehicle will not accelerate. it will also stall has lost fuel efficiency and driver can smell fuel. mechanic states the fuel rail pressor sensor is leaking. mechanic states part is on national back order. one can only assume that back order is caused by same or simillar malfunction.

2001 ford focus. consumer writes in regards to electrical system failure. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle was a lemon. over the past 2 years alone, he has spent $2,000 in non-routine repairs. every time there was an issue, the vehicle was taken to the repair shop for the problem, but was never fully fixed. on one occasion, the vehicle started smoking and the wiring caught on fire.. the consumer was informed, the vehicle needed all new wiring, after the dash lights and tail lights went out 3 times. also, the cruise control and all the lights inside the vehicle stopped working. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle would randomly accelerate and decelerate independently as if it were going to stall. the contact took the vehicle to a dealer but was told that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the contact also stated that there were no warning lights when the failure occurred. the failure mileage was 88,000 and the current mileage was 90,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, there was a sudden up shift and the vehicle accelerated uncontrollably on its own. the contact attempted to down shift into neutral to apply the brakes, but the vehicle failed to brake. the contact was unable to stop the vehicle and it accelerated up to 40 and 60 mph. the contact had to shut the vehicle off to stop acceleration. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or repair shop for inspection or repair. the manufacturer was made aware; however no further assistance was provided. the failure and current mileages were 109,000.

Driving with cruise control set at 60 mph when car accelerated gaining speeds over 75. i pulled over, shut down engine, lifted hood and saw accelerator linkage was stuck. i cleared linkage, started engine and car ran normally. this happened 3 more times on later dates with cruise control engaged. car starts accelerating until i stop vehicle, shut off engine, and free up linkage/metal. *tr

While passing a car while driving down a two lane road, my accelerator pedal continued going down to the floor on its own. i tapped the brakes, checked to see if there were any obstructions by the pedal, tried everything i could to free the accelerator pedal but nothing worked. by this time the car was traveling in excess of 80 mph and applying the brakes were not slowing the car down at all. finally i put the car in neutral and while the engine kept racing at full throttle, i turned off the ignition and coasted to the side of the road. my husband returned to look at the car and found the accelerator cable disconnected and lodged between the mounting bracket and the throttle actuator, jamming the throttle at full throttle. fortunately this happened about two miles from the house. he was able to reconnect the cable and drive the car home, but he said that while driving back, the throttle was slow to throttle down when he released the pedal. once back home he found the cable had disconnected again. we are going to contact ford to see if there has been any recalls on this for the 2001. we found recalls on the 2000 model but none on the 2001. we also found one complaint that was described exactly as ours with the cable disconnecting and hanging up on the bracket. *tr

Tl* the contact own a 2001 ford focus. when the contact applied the brakes and stopped the vehicle it accelerated. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the throttle positioning sensor replaced. a year after the vehicle was repaired, the vehicle continued to accelerate. the transmission and the throttle positioning sensor were also replaced; yet, the vehicle continued to accelerate whenever the brakes were applied. the contact stated the throttle positioning sensor was defective and caused the vehicle to accelerate. the contact was concerned that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the failure mileage was 153,000. the consumer also stated the vehicle went into neutral while driving. the mechanic stated it was due to a faulty tps sensor. the consumer stated the sudden acceleration would cease for abut six months and then return. the tps sensor was replaced three times. updated 07/29/11

Sticking accelerator pedal 2001 ford focus se. 2.0l l4 dohc driving down the interstate heading to work and was going to set the cruise. i couldn't get it to activate tried speeding up and slowing down and setting - didn't operate. a few moments later a car merged in front of me from the on ramp. i slowed down let traffic on the left go by. i then merged to left lane and depressed the accelerator and it stuck at/near full throttle. i tapped the brakes to see if the cruise had engaged - no change, looked to see if there was an obstruction by the pedal - none found, tried pulling pedal back with my foot - no effect, tried stomping on accelerator to see if it would unstick - no change. i was now going over 80 mph and close to rear ending a car in front of me i stepped on the brakes hard, it didn't slow down. at this point i turned the ignition off and merged to the right and off to the emergency lane. i opened the hood and inspected the accelerator linkage at the throttle plate. found the cruise control cable had disconnected and got lodged between the cruise control cable mounting bracket and the throttle plate actuator keeping the throttle plate at or near full throttle. i reconnected the cruise cable went to work returned home and have set the car aside for further inspection. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving between 20-80 mph, the accelerator pedal would become stuck momentarily. the dealer stated that the throttle body was defective and needed to be replaced. the part was unavailable and the dealer stated that it was being redesigned especially for this failure, and would not be available until december of 2008. the vehicle is inoperable and awaiting the replacement part in order to be repaired. the failure and current mileages were less than 30,000.

My daughter was driving on the highway. traffic was trying to merge, and she was blocked in on the left. she accelerated a little to get ahead of the merging traffic. at that time the throttle stuck wide open and would not release. she stated that when she tried to stop the car with the brakes, it would not slow down even though she was pushing as hard as she could on the brake pedal. she placed the gear shift in neutral and was able to stop the car. she came to a stop at the side of the road and shut the car off. the rpms were at 7000 before she shut the engine off. upon restart, the engine continued to race to 7000 rpm. she was able to get the throttle un-stuck by pushing the pedal to the floor and releasing. she drove the car to a sears auto center, where the technician found the throttle linkage malfunctioning. he could not fix the problem, and could not guarantee that it would not happen again. we elected to leave the car there, and have it towed to a ford dealership in the morning. it was a very scary and potentially dangerous event. *nm

No event led to this failure. i was driving on the freeway when my accelerator cable broke. luckily, i was in a lane that allowed me to coast to the shoulder; however, a defect such as this is a safety concern. this could have caused me to get into a car accident.

When attempting to brake, the consumer down shifted and the safety ignition switch malfunctioned and was caught under the clutch, causing the relay to slow down. the consumer pulled the emergency brake to stop the lurching, but it was too late and the consumer scraped another vehicle in a parking lot. *ak *sc

Consumer noticed fuel rail system was leaking gasoline, resulting in stalling. independent shop cleaned the fuel injection an throttle cable. dealer was notified. *ak

Vehicle stalled while driving or would not start. dealership informed the consumer that the problem pertained to the idle control valve, but the problem was not resolved. *ak

While driving down the montauk highway 27, i reached the speed of 50 mph. approximately 5 minutes after reaching 50 and placing my car in cruise control, the car unexpectedly began to rapidly accelerate. i could not slow the car down, had to turn the ignition key off and stopped in the middle of the highway.*ak

The vehicle experienced sudden acceleration while driving 35 mph. the gas pedal went all the way down to the floor. the cable popped out of the throttle mechanism and the vehicle accelerated. please provide further information. *jb

I purchased a 2001 ford focus on my way to work while pulling into my parking space the car accelerated unexpectedly then the brakes did not work. i then pulled on the emergency brakes which did not work to immediately stop the car. i crashed head on into the car in front of the parking space. also, upon impact the airbags did not inflate. the car was supposedly to have front and side impact airbags and one in the steering when and nothing happened. my chest went straight into the steering wheel so hard there was a circular imprint around my chest and stomach. after people came to see about me one man asked if my car was off. i said yes and he pointed out the car still looked like it was trying to accelerate. the wheels were spinning full force. i took the car back to the dealership i only had it for 3 days and nothing was done to correct the failure. the owner of the dealership said since the car was in a wreck it was worthless to him and there was nothing he could do. he even threatened that he would call the police if my family and myself did not leave. *jb

Ford focus sped up for no reason and then veered to left crossing left lane and went into ditch which had a culvert and the car then bounced into a cornfield. airbags deployed for both driver and passenger. driver had broken ribs and other bruises. passenger had chest injuries from which he died couple hours later. the inspecting officer said witnesses insisted they did not see brake lights, and if there was anything wrong with the car the driver would have hit the brakes. driver remembered the accident, and was awake and talking to passenger. she was hospitalized and had neurological tests and did not have a stroke. *ak

My 2001 ford focus se 4dr tends to stall out after using the air conditioner. the stalling behaviour starts after the a/c has been on for a while and continues after the a/c is turned off. the engine sputters and will stall while driving at highway speeds.*ak

I am writing to you in regard to a host of problems i am currently experiencing with my 2001 ford focus zx3.these problems include, but are not limited to: (1) gears not shifting properly and signs of locking up during driving -- and brake grinding sounds; (2) continuous "flickering" of headlights and dashboard panel lights; (3) air conditioning and heating systems not functioning properly; (4) large pond of water (during heavy rains) in floor on front passenger side; (5) problems with fuel module and fuel monitor; and (6) transmission failure in progress. _x001c_transmission failure in progress -- ecm codes erased by dealership -- fuel monitor and bad running condition very evident._x001d_ he further stated the _x001c_fluid is burnt very badly_x001d_, he _x001c_cannot service the transmission at this point_x001d_ and that this vehicle _x001c_is going to go downhill_x001d_ from here. in other words, the 2001 focus that i purchased from town & country ford, inc. only nine months ago is not drivable and it will cost at least $2,000 to replace the transmission. this is clearly a defect. it has to be! i cannot afford to repair this vehicle and make payments on it at the same time.

Vehicle accelerated without driver touching the accelerator pedal. over $5,000 for repair.*ak

Engine stalls and power loss and brakes not responding resulted in rear end collision with another vehicle. *ak

I bought a 2001 ford focus. the throttle was sticking and was hard to take off and then it would lurch forward all of a sudden. i took it to the dealer and they oiled the cable and it worked for a few hours and got stiff again. i took it to another dealer and they replaced the throttle body. that problem was fixed. now when i drive it the check engine light comes on and then it dies. i had to have it towed back to the dealer. i feel this car is not safe. *nlm

Nar 03/05/2003 the vehicle engine sped out of control by itself with a hugh burst of speed, and the car ran into the shrubbery at the edge of the parking lot. *cb

The consumer was backing the vehicle of out a parking space when the accelerator pedal became stuck resulting in a collision with 2 other vehicles. the dealer could not determine the cause. *mr *nlm

While backing up slowly with my foot on the brake, the car lurched backward with tremendous force and struck two other parked vehicles. the brake failed to stop it. dt

While driving the vehicle started accelerating by itself to the point where consumer had to pull over, out of the highway.dealer was notified.*ak

Accelerator got stuck, and the vehicle started to speed up which caused an accident. contacted dealer. *ak

While in motion consumer's foot slipped from gas pedal. consumer tried to put foot back on the pedal, but there was no pedal. consumer was able to move vehicle to the side of the road. c0nsumer had vehicle towed, and it was stated theat cable to gas pedal broke. *jg....*ak

While backing vehicle into the driveway, the engine surged and the vehicle shot back toward the house hitting it. the vehicle then shot forward bending a metal fence. consumer suffered injuries to the neck, also, in the accident the front seat broke, putting consumer into a 45 degree angle. *jg

When returning from being out owner was backing vehicle into driveway when it suddenly accelerated rearward. vehicle struck the wall, and then bounced back into street, hitting a pole. driver's seatback collapsed in the process. please describe details.*ak

While driving on highway engine started to accelerate without warning. consumer almost had an accident. vehicle repaired by dealer, who determined that map sensor failed. on 08/05/02, engine accelerated without warning again. vehicle taken back to dealer, who installed a flt recorder in car to detect where problem existed. on 08/09/02, engine accelerated without warning again. consumer was very concerned about family safety in vehicle.*ak

Vehicle loses power while accelerating up hills, and at any speed. please provide any further information.*ak

Was driving home from work last thursday (10 minutes on the interstate, 97 degrees, full ac), when the car started to lose power followed by transmission lurching and engine trying to die. pulled the remaining block into my apts and opened hood expecting to find overheated engine, and ended up see a bunch of flame and signing my thumb. got fire extinguisher and put it out, and called fire dept. no work was done to engine other than a new air filter 4000 miles ago. so far the ford dealer wants to write it off as complete loss and leave it to my insurance. took out my air intake, melted battery, melted battery wires, ruined hood, scroched headlight, smoked interior, and who knows what got sucked into engine through the intake. dealer wouldn't tow because "warranty tows have to be called in through ford customer service". photos are up at http://www.geocities.com/archangel_jjn. contact me for more information. *ak

Engine light comes on and stays on. vehicle will not accelerate properly, and has a rough idle. replaced sensor and fuel pump.*ak

Car hesitates while at steady throttle and stalls while idle unless i turn off air conditioner and stereo (sometimes stalls anyway). dealer has been non responsive to the problem, stating it needs routine main tenance flushes,which have cost hundreds of dollars with less than 25, 000 miles on the car. the problem only continues to get worse. the stalling makes me fear for my safety. also, the dealer cannot service my vehicle in less than two. *ak weeks when i call for an appointment. i had the vehicle looked at today by anot her mechanic who told me in his opinion, these flushes had not ever been done and that the car was badly in need of such. i have the invoice from the dealer stating that they performed the fuel injector cleaning and the throttlebody combustion chamber cleaning (at my expense) at 25,482miles. on several occasions, the car has not started immediately in the morning as well.

While driving engine check light would come on and show vehicle surging forward. dealer was not notified at this time. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Accelerator pedal would stick intermittently while driving. dealer was not notified at this time. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

While driving at 60 mph using the cruise control, all of a sudden vehicle lost power and stalled out with all lights in instrument panel coming on. contacted dealer ,and the dealer could not find the problem. *jg *ak

While parking, vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit a brick wall. dealer and manufacturer weere notified.*ak *slc

While driving vehicle hesitated to accelerate when pressing the acceleration pedal. the cause of this was undetermined.*ak

When engine was started and gear shift was put into drive position vehicle started rolling backwards unexpectedly. dealership examined vehicle for this problem ,and replaced throttle. after dealership made these repairs and drove on highway brakes failed to stop vehicle when pressure was put on brake pedal. driver for tow truck examined vehicle and determined there was no brake fluid in the vehicle (this diagnosis was confirmed by the dealership. *ak please provide any additional information / documentation.

Three times i have had the throttle stick even though i have let off the gas. once when i had less than 5,000 and again at the end of last year. once when i parked the car and once while i was stopping at a light. both times i had to shut-off the vehicle and re-start it to cure the failure. i did not report it to the dealership but it did it again last week while i was driving.*ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact stated that she experienced numerous issues with the vehicle which included the passenger side struts which had to be replaced twice. the vehicle would sit sideways when parked. the back of the front passenger seat would not lock into place, so it slid forward while the vehicle was in motion. the headlights were too dim and did not provide adequate lighting on the road. the front driver's side seat belt alarm would ring although the seat belt was engaged and the latch would also pop open suddenly at times. the vehicle stalled while the contact was driving and would accelerate suddenly. the contact called the manufacturer who stated that the repairs would have to be performed at the contact's expense. the current and failure mileages were approximately 107,000.

While driving 65 mph consumer applied brake, vehicle did not slow down. consumer had to shut off engine to stop vehicle. this happened 4 times. dealer replaced servo speed control. *ak

Was traveling uphill at 30mph and was depressing accelerator pedal, which went to the floor. vehicle started to drift backwards. parked vehicle and had it towed next day. mechanic indicated accelerator cable had broken. it went to the motor, had separated completely.*ak

The cable that connects gas pedal to the engine broke off, i was driving up a hill and had no gas pedal . i called some ford dealers but they nad never heard of this. i am worried someone might have a very bad accident because of this. i was lucky no one was behind me when it happened. *ak

Something caused gas pedal to stick to floor and rapidly increase speed resulting in loss of control of vehicle resulting in crash.*ak

While traveling at normal highway speed, i was crossing the tacoma narrows bridge when i experienced complete loss of throttle control. the vehicle slowed to a stop with the engine at idle. the accelerator pedal went to the floor. i called 911 and a washington state patrol vehicle responded and pushed me off of the bridge. the vehicle was towed to the nearest ford dealer where it was discovered that the throttle cable had snapped close to the linkage at the engine. the cable was replaced under warranty. due to the high volume of traffic on the bridge the stalling of my vehicle caused a large traffic jam and left me in a very unsafe condition.*ak