Problems with 2002 Ford Focus ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Heat shield dropped while driving on west ridge road causing sparks. it ruptured the fuel line which caused the fuel to spew all over the road. 911 contacted, road closed and taco bell where the vehicle was moved, was evacuated due to the massive fuel leak and fumes. dealership contacted, tow truck picked up vehicle.*ak

Engine just dies with no warning while on the highway,after engine dies i lose power steering, and wheel will not turn. i am able to restart the car while still in motion. this is the third time this has happened.*ak

While driving on thruway engine quit, and car was on fire. courtesy ford checked car and found piston went through block causing oil to catch fire under car and melting fuel lines. vehicle has 60k and has been serviced regularly. quoted over $6000.00 and was told warranty ended at 36k. this incident could have been very serious. *nm

While driving 35 mph vehicle stalled. consumer managed to pull over, and had the vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but it did not resolve the problem. *ak

There was a bad odor in the vehicle that made the occupants sick. the smell existed even when the air vents were closed but worsened when they were open. the dealership could not locate the of the odor. *nlm

At any speed engine check light came on , and then, engine rumbled and stalled.vehicle stalled ten times. a recall was issued, but this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak

Intermittently at any speed, the vehicle will shift out of drive and into neutral then back into drive. the vehicle has been to the dealer seven times for this problem. the dealer will not do anything because they can not duplicate the problem. the manufacturer is aware of the problem.

I bought the car on oct 29, 2002. since day one the car has consumed way too much gas. it is outrageous! it has become a mortgage pmt! my car pmt is $344 a month i pay the same in gas a month. i use to own a 1993 ford escort,stick,4 cyc and never did i ever spend so much gas. i am 49 yrs old, don?t speed, and know the difference. i have also owned many stick,4 cyl cars and none have ever spend so much gas. there has got to be a problem with the car in that respect. second: a couple of months ago the "check engine" light came on, ever since then, my car won't start in the mornings, and when it has been sitting for a awhile. i have brought my car to the dealer 4 times already, they have changed the fuel pump 3 times, still having the same problem, this last time in which i picked up the car yesterday, nov. 11, nothing was done! i ask questions but all i get is there is nothing wrong! but something is happening...nowadays, everything is computerized, one thing goes bad and it affects the entire car. something is not being check, but i am informed, everything is being checked! i have had it with the car! with the amount of gas that is being consumed & the not starting just don?t know what to do! there is something majorly wrong with this car! i can't stay this way, it is not fair, it?s so expensive to own a car nowadays. the stress of being left anywhere, being late for work most of the time due to the car not starting. why should i pay for something that is not working properly? i work, living pay check to pay check, i am having way too much stress & now i am @ a point where it has effected my work, possibly i will loose my job.

Engine stalled after i had driven two miles with no warning. i had just down-shifted into 2nd gear as i was slowing to make a turn and the car stalled across two traffic lanes and would not restart. the oil light, battery light, and one other light came on (alternator i think). the car was manually pushed out of traffic lanes in neutral gear by two motorists who stopped to help. they were also unable to restart the vehicle. after approximately 10 minutes the engine started. i had the car towed and after 5 days the dealership still cannot find anything wrong. apparently the onboard computer did not capture the problem. i am extremely concerned because the car stalled without warning at approximately 25 miles an hour. had i been on the interstate as scheduled (i was running late and had to drop my daughter off before going home to pick up my laptop) i would almost certainly have been involved in an accident because i had no time to maneuver out of traffic after the engine stalled. it was 75 degree day (monday 11/3/03) so outside temperature could not have been a factor. *la

While driving at any speed vehicle hesitated and took a dip forward and down to the ground. then, it accelerated as if nothing happened. consumer's daughter experienced the same thing while driving and lost control of the vehicle which landed in a ditch. consumer's daughter sustained back injuries. consumer wore seat belts. however, air bags failed to deploy. *ak

There is a line that went straight into the engine's intake that has been leaking fluid since 2,000 miles and was inspected by deler who told to me that it was nothing. but the engine case should not have a large leak of fluid that soon. finally now, they have done something on this and replaced the hose, as it was seen once more and knows of all the times reported. i hope this is just not a easy fix or this now hasn't caused any damange to the inside of the engine itself, as the engine has been in the shop for riding rough. they told me last time that the part of the transmission that was fixed would fix this. i think it is due to the oil leak on the top of the engine case since it was new. a new car should never have a oil leak on a engine case.

My car just dies when i am driving. the lights in my dash all light up, my power steering goes out, and my car just turns off while i am driving. this has happened at least 7 times. i have already taken it in 4 times to get it fixed. *la

While traveling on the highway and without prior warning there was an odor coming from inside of the vent area. *ak

2002 ford focus se engine stalled.*mr consumer had the fuel pump replaced expecting to remedy the problem. once the consumer arrived at the gas station and began to fill the gas tank there was a puddle of oil underneath the vehicle, it was then determined the dealer installed the gas tank incorrectly which caused the leak. *ts. on the third occasion, while driving, the engine stalled and restarted and the automatic transaxle/cooling system light illuminated on the dashboard and then went off. *jb

I bought my ford focus zx5 on october of 2002. a month after i had it i took it through the car wash and it stalled. ever since then i had have problems starting it. i brought it in and was told that there was nothing wrong with the car. on july 21, 2003 car stalled going through an intersection with on-coming traffic, i got the car to start and i brought it in to the dealership and again they can't find anything wrong with the car. they referred me to the dispute settlement board. i filled out all the information and submitted it. on september 11, 2003 the board decided that they did not find a problem so i had a ford engineer come out. he finally came out in october and said there was nothing wrong with the car. i do not feel safe in this vehicle. i tried to get rid of this vehicle but i owe $10,000.00 more than it is worth. please help. i don't know what else to do.*ak

Since 7/7/03 my 2002 zx5 ford focus has stalled and not restarted right away at least 15 times. i've had it towed to the dealership 5 times. they have had it there for 50 days since 7/7/03. each time except this last one they claim they find what is wrong with it on the computer and do the repair. it has all been under warranty. i work at night, i've stalled in front of on coming traffic, i have stalled going 35 miles an hour, i have stalled on a blind corner. i've had to walk home many of these times at 3 or 4 in the morning and leave the car in an unsafe position. *jb

I was driving down the pa turnpike going 60 mph in my 2002 ford focus. i had just passed a cop and have witnesses that i was not speeding or driving erratically. it was 8:30 in the morning and my car suddenly lost all power. my rpm's dropped and i was loosing my speed. (this happened one month prior and i took it to ford. they replaced the fuel pump and two other parts on warranty) i had to get to the right shoulder, which had a wall right after it, because i was in the left lane where there was a wall directly to my left. in trying to cross the car lost traction on the road and shot me head first into the wall. head first at 55 mph and my airbags did not deploy. the car has been deemed a total loss and for the past ten days i have been in unbelievable pain, to the er 3 times. now i have physical therapy for about a month before hopefully everything is better. i am a 19 year old female and i don't want to see anybody else hurt in this sort of accident. i have an attorney and i suggest anyone with a focus have one on hand. i want everyone to read this before they buy one! my next step is to contact magazines and television shows. i had a guardian angel with me, someone may not be so lucky! *nlm

While driving, the engine failed. the dealer was notified. *ak *scc *jb

The vehicle stalled while driving, which forced the consumer to pull over. *tt *scc *jb

At least twice a week my car takes 2-5 tries to start. after it starts, it runs very rough and feels like it's going to stall...sometimes it does if i'm at a light. i have a stick shift and there's no indication on the idle that it's running low. my car has been in the shop more than i've had it for the last six months. ford tells me they haven't received any complaints like this and the dealership has told ford they can't replicate the problem...even though they've told me on a couple of occasions that they have. usually they don't replace anything but so far they've replaced my egr valve, fuel pump, and gas tank. the dealership has been inconsistent on how they document the time my car's been in the shop and with a one year old and a four year old...i can no longer take time to go to the shop...not to mention lossed time at work. i actually like my car but i need it to start and they obviously can't fix it. this has been a frustrating experience and we will no longer purchase ford vehicles because of the lack of cooperation from both the dealership and ford. we've bought an f-150, explorer, and the focus from the same dealership...i guess our money was just a drop in the bucket for them and in the long run customer don't really matter. i don't know what to do about the car except to try for the lemon law...but since the dealership has chosen to lie and say they can't replicate the problem, who knows how that will turn out.

While at a stoplight, my 2002 ford focus zts suddenly experienced an engine stall. the check engine, check battery and check oil lights came on simultaneously. the ford dealership noted on the invoice that they had checked the battery and charge, and all was "ok." however, when i asked them why it stalled as it did, i received a short answer that they "couldn't find anything" that would lead to that. the stalling was not noted on the repair invoice. i'm afraid of this happening again, particularly when commuting. the focus has 15,000 miles on it.

Heating/vent produces a disgusting smell. repairs indicated oil leak near heater - unknown origin. smell abated but still it produces annoying smells that requires windows to be kept open. will have to go back to selling dealership 4th time for further investigation. is there a better way and another shop in cleveland, oh that can make an independent assessment of the problem? thanks.

2002 ford focus will not run in sub zero weather due to condensation in the exhaust system. the fix is to drill holes in the exhaust and let out the water. this change in back pressure, salt in the system, fuel efficiency, and leakage of exhaust into passanger compartment had not been determined. this modification should only be performed after factory certification.

It all started on christmas day of 2002. my car was only 6 months old and the starter went out. about four months later i began to have problems with the automatic locks. sometimes the doors would lock all by themselves and at other times they would not lock at all. i reported this problem to the dealership and the service rep informed me that they could do nothing about it unless it was acting up at the time i brought it in. well, by the time i would get to the dealership everything was ok again. on the 7th of july i took my car to have the oil changed. when i left the dealership all the gauges on my dash were flipping all the way to the right and coming back again. and my battery light was on. i went right back to service dept. they drove the car and (surprise!) it would not do it again. they said they may have spilled some coolant on the belt and it was just losing voltage. as soon as the coolant wore off it should not do it again. on july17 i was driving my car and i looked at my gages and none of them were working. it was just like the car was not even started. i made a u-turn and went to the service dept. they told me to bring in the next day and they would give me a rental car until they could find the problem. the same afternoon they call me and tell my car is ready. i ask if they have fixed the problem and the rep informs me that they could find nothing wrong with the car (after only one day with it!). well they must think i'm some kind of hypochondriac for my car! i told her that i was not coming to get that car until they found the problem and fixed it. i can not tell how fast i am going and i'm sure they wouldn't like to pay for any speeding tickets.*ak

The car is a 2002 svt focus. the engine has a severe miss/surge under normal driving conditions. the last ticket on the vehicle states that there is no fix at this time. october 27, 2003 update: thank you for your help on this matter. ford purchased the vehicle back, refunded all of the payments made, and compensated me for any aftermarket parts i had the receipt for. ford went out of its way to make me happy. thank you.

On november 9, 2002 while doing errands i noticed smoke coming from the engine area of 2002 ford focus (5 months old). it was a wet and rainy day and the windows were fogging-up. i had to roll the windows down to defrost the light mist on the windows, as the defrost button would not work. the smoke became so thick i decided to pulled over and call for ford road service. by the time i was giving the rep. my location people were running from thier homes to move thier cars. i told the rep. the car is on fire. i hung-up and called the fire department. the fire department responded in less than a minute. i ran back to my new car and watched as it burned. the fire departement said the engine fire was caused by an electrical short. i was also told that i pulled over just in time. my insurance company has not been helpful. ford assured me that they would take care of everything. i am waiting for ford motor to take car of everything. i told them in a fax i sent last week that i want that "blue oval" service they constantly talk about - maybe someday. thanks, denise keyes

The engine experienced complete failure at 55 mph with no warning sign. it has not been taken to the dealer for inspection. sunroof was stuck in open position and would not close properly unless manipulated by hand. dealer fixed the problem the following day.

While traveling on the highway without prior warning. the vehicle will stall and will not restart. please provide additional information. dealer is aware of the problem ts

Problem i'm still having and was reported to dealership is car pulls to left, ( not corrected) back end of car or tires bounce on road and especially when hitting a bump, cannot stay on road in slush or snow, back end is all over road, ( nothing done) tires are completely groved in many spots on the tires, caused by rear end bouncing on road, firestone won't replace they say it is focas's rear end and it wears out the tires, dealer or ford won't do anything about rear end or tires, car vibrates badly, rear doors barley open are so stiff, looks like door locks are coroaded nothing was done by dealership even though they said they lubricated, nothing is on the locks to show lubrication of locks.

Pulley bolts on water pump loosened, two fell out. belt pulley twisted, belt frayed and water pump froze. dealer replaced water pump housing, pulley, bolts, belt and anti / fz. mr

Nar 03/13/2003 the consumer has requested that the vehicle go under evaluation by ford to detect problems on the vehicle that was not identified after going on the diagnostic machine, because the certified inspector identified raw gas in the tail pipe and the smell was becoming intolerant. the consumer wants further investigating . *cb *jb

Just completed 3 hour trip in heavy rain. had driven through area of road with several inches of water. while vehicle approached from opposite direction the resulting splash caused the engine to fail. towed car to a local ford dealer and they said the cause of the engine failure was due to too much water in the engine. we also found out that the air intake valve is located near the bottom of the front bumper. this has caused us to need a new engine on a car that we haven't even had for three months. ford refuses to pay for a new engine and insists it isn't a design flaw. the insurance adjuster stated that it is odd that the engine would fail due to water intake.*ak

Sessler does not seem to care i am not satisfied with their decision to replace the engine. my faith is shaken in the focus completely.*ak

Within the first month of ownership while driving vehicle shudders and went into a stall. i though i did something wrong and didn't report it. at 1800 miles i drove home from work made a brief stop and when i tried to restart my car nothing worked. the dashboard when blank. veh had to be towed & was kept for 5 days a fuel pump was put in. at 2874 miles a month later i stopped for gas and vehicle again wouldn't start dash board went blank. veh taken back to dealership & kept 3 days. a new starter was put in. july 15 engine light & gas light wouldn't go off (was told nothing to worry about keep on dirivng) took veh for repair light went off. 8/2/02 while driving home from work, rush hour on interstate 295 at 60 mph. dash board went dead engine light came on & veh lost all power. i was able to get to the side of the road and wait and few minutes. had no cell phone & was in a dangerous on ramp i was able to get the veh moving. again after a short distance everything when dead. i waited and again attempted to make it home. i was able to get home and call dealership. i attemped to get veh to dealership, but vehicle again died in the road. all lights came on the veh would start. after waiting i was evenutally able to get car to dealers. i am afraid to drive this car. i feel i am putting my life and others at risk with this car on the road. i am handycapped and purchased this vehicle for safety reasons. it has been a nightmare. how can i get rid of this vehicle and get it replaced? i am truely concerned for my life in the car. the vehicle has been repaired, but i feel they just fix things but don't actually know what is wrong. where do i go for help?*ak

This is the third occasion that this particular problem has happened. neither the ford motor company or my ford dealer are able to explain or offer any rectification of this particulary dangerous problem.no safety defect listed for above vehicle. *ak

At approx three hours after purchasing our new focus, we where driving on the freeway. the vehicle began to jerk, and the speedometer went from 60 to 140, and returned to zero. the vehicle then came to a stall. we then noticed that the check engine light came on, the fuel cap, and the engine services soon. we were able to restart the vehicle, but approx 5 minutes later, the engine shut off. we then return the vehicle to the dealer for repairs. the services department stated that the causes was a loose grounds, and incomplete cir. the services department corrections were diag. led to loose ground connections near battery. a few days later the vehicle did not want to start, and it took 2 attempt's to start the vehicle.*ak

Driving down freeway at 70, engine cut out completely. was able to restart briefly, but engine died after idling for 20 seconds. all other electrical systems work. engine turns over, but will not fire. not a problem with fuel cap, no fuel or fuel shutoff valve.*ak

Vehicle would stall while making turns. dealer was notified, and vehicle was returned back to dealer. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Vehicle will vibrate, and stall while driving. dealer contacted, cannot fix problem.*ak

Consumer states while driving from 35 or more mph the vehicle would intermittently cut off without warning, the vehicle has been to the dealer on three occasions and they were unable to duplicate the problem, the consumer feels excessive heat on his feet while driving, the dealer indicated that all shields are in place, sunroof button is ionperative. *nlm

2002 ford focus completely shutdown while driving 40 mph and did not start up. towed to albion ford for repairs. albion ford "repaired" it. (two weeks at the dealer). picked up car on friday (5/2/02) and shutdown again on sunday (5/5/02). towed to jackson ford. currently at jackson ford for same problem.*ak

Water pump went out and loosened which caused fan to hit it continuously. noise in brake pedal, reported 3 times, dealer has no idea what it is. it has gotten louder. they hear it but don't know what it is

Vehicle stalled at various speeds. vehicle was taken to the dealer on several separate occasions. dealer replaced the air intake valve twice, but problem recurred. *ak

While driving 45mph, in the snow vehcle suddenly lost all power, including electrical. vehicle was able to be restarted. took to dealer, and vehicle was placed on both the diagnostic and data recorder machine, nothing was found to cause power lost after one week.*ak

Consumer states while driving vehicle will just stall without any warning, will start back up after sitting for about half an hour. contacted dealer. cannot fix problem.*jb consumer stated that all electrical parts fail to operate when the vehicle stall. the dealer replaced many parts but the problem was not solved. *yh

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

While driving, it becomes very unstable when moving over bumpy roads, manholes. it also becomes very erratic when roads are wet. took to dealer several times. the problem has not been resolved. nlm vehicle starts and then stalls in am. dealer could not duplicate customer concern. *tt