I leased a 2000 ford focus february 16, 2002 thinking that this was a good investment. i was wrong. i have had 3 recalls on the vehicle and yes ford fixed them for free. now my key is stuck in my ignition and will not come out nor turn to start the car. i do not have $500 to fix the vehicle as i am a single parent barely making ends meet. i was told that my warranty expired, therefore i would have to pay the expense. i do not have a car and because of this, i was forced to leave my job. i also have to find a ride for my 4 year old son to get back and forth to school everyday. bad investment, i think so.
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), ...
I lost control of my car; the back tires were uncontrollable, i was unable to keep my vehicle under control because of this great shaking/swaying from the rear of the car. after the accident i noticed that the left rear wheel was loose and askew. because i was unable to control my vehicle, my car rolled twice down an embankment. the airbag deployed, and i received a quite substantial burn on my left wrist.
I tried to put the key in the ignition. it would not go in. i had to have the car towed to marshall ford in mayfield heights, ohio from cleveland heights at a cost of $60.00. marshall ford said the place the key should go in was cracked. they drilled out the ignition and installed a new cylinder. cleaned up chips. at a cost of $267.00? i feel this was a definite defect in this car and am asking for your help in having ford cover this cost.
The main concern i have is that i have had this car in 4 times now for rear wheel bearings. my other issue is that when the actuator in the rear drivers door went out that all the locks and windows freeze up in the locked position it that is where they were at when it dies. not the key, manually or remote will wor. this to me is a saftey issue, you could potentially be locked into your vehicle with no way out.
Fuel system: vehicle was filled with fuel at a gas station. driver went to leave, car did not start. attendant informed driver that fuel was leaking from vehicle. almost a full tank of fuel dumped onto pavement. fire department showed up and towed vehicle away. apparent problem: fuel hose linkage had come loose and had fallen off from inside the body of the vehicle. other: throttle cable breakage in heavy trafic at high rate of speed. driver meanwhile merging with traffic. breakage resulting in quick deceleration. serious accident narrowly avoided. car was unfortunately out of warranty period, but ford paid for the repair. towing charge was not reimbursed.
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
Car stalled along side a road seemed like "vapor lock" would not start, had the car towed to dealer, he checked it out and reported found nothing wrong, car started, computed checked out ok. it took dealer two days to check out car did not get a write up from the dealer concerning this check out of the vehicle. the car has been through 4 sets of rear tires plus one set of snow tire in less than 55,000 miles all rear tires show the same pattern cupped and bald within 5-8 thousand miles dealer has provided 3 sets of tires we have provided 2 rear end allignment has been done twice. this car was also part of rear axel recall tires slide sideways. dt
First purchase focus it had a loud engine we took it back and they had to replace top of the engine. then other parts of the vehicle started to fall apart. in a 2 year span, mostly the occurances happened in the first yr, molding around the headlights came off along with the molding around the windshield back and front, trunk will not shut the molding around the key hole fell out and the lock inside was loose(taken in twice only the lock was fixed once the molding was just replace the last time, still won't shut) ignition got stuck key would go in but would not turn, engine is stalling all dashboard lights come on and then car stalls in park and just starting to move. dt
These problems have all happened at different times and seem to be completely unrelated. the rotors had to be replaced with the brakes at approximately 13k miles. the engine just went into idle while i was driving. this happened three separate times, but when i took it in to the dealer. they didn't see anything wrong with it and couldn't duplicate the malfunction. my rear wheels started making a very low noise around 8/15/02. after an accident at the end of august. the noise was much worse and the rear bearings were replaced by the shop that fixed my car after the accident. south florida is a "high-salt/corrosion" area because of our proximity to the sea. this was never introduced before. when the cigarette lighter is pushed in, it does not merely pop out when it is hot. it ejects and is thrown on the floor. having it land on my leg twice and my carpet scorched by it twice, it could have cause a serious accident. thank you for your assistance. dt
I sent a form in yesterday but did not have the vin number. this car is in the shop right now. mr
1. july 26,2000 was the first incident when the fuel gauge light came on and even though the tank was full, the gauge registered empty. dealer replaced sender and pump assembly. 2. oct.11,2000 fuel gauge light came on, and the gauge registered the tank as empty even though it was full. dealer replaced the sender and pump assembly. 3. feb. 6, 2002, engine check light came on, returned to the dealer who replaced fuel filler cap. 4. aug. 19, 2002, service engine light came on, returned to dealer who replaced the gasket-fuel tank sender.*ak
When i get close to 1/4 of a tank of gasoline, my car begins to die or sputter. it has died several times and wont restart. the other day i was coming off an exit ramp from the highway and it died coming around the sharp turn. i was almost hit by several cars while trying to get the car started long enough to move it off the ramp. after about 20 or so times of turning the ignition and gunning the pedal, i got it moved into a safe area off the highway. it took about 45 minutes and a lot of conk outs to get it moved. i was stranded and very angry. i was even more angry when i got home and did a little research to find that this same complaint has been made to ford/nhtsa and never reported to the public. i have had 6 recalls this year on this [xxx] car and i am very concerned for my safety now. i got the car because of its great ratings for safety- now i am afraid everytime i put my son in the car of it blowing up on me. i want to get rid of it but i cant because i owe more on the loan then i can get for trade in (my guess is the value of the car has totally fallen because of all these recalls). i am so angry with ford and i am afraid for my safety while driving this car. please do something about this! thank you. oh and the gas gauge never reads correctly. i have to count my miles to make sure i am okay on gas between fill ups. the gauge will just drop to below e and the light comes on for no reason. then after a bit of driving it will go back to normal. very odd.*ak information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
While traveling on highway vehicle will stall, and engine light will appear on dashboard. dealership is aware of problem.*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.
The main concern is the engine overheating. the dashboard indicator does not show when the engine overheats. currently we are taking it back into the shop because of the smoke that come through the hood. we feel the car could catch fire at any moment and that is is undependable. it has been towed twice. we do not feel we can sell it because of all the on going defects and yet we still owe $9,000 plus to the bank on it. we feel trapped in an unsafe, undependable vehicle. the problems continue. we don't know what to do. dt
Last month, i replaced the right rear wheel bearing on my ford focus when it failed. i have heard reports that other people have had the same problems, and i believe this problem is related to a flaw in design. more dangerous than that, though, is the problem i had with the fuel system. the car lost power on several occasions after right-hand turns or going uphill. it did not stall, simply sputtered and lost power for between 2-5 seconds. one of the most frightening incidents happened when my husband and i were merging onto the capital beltway on our way to visit friends, and the car lost power, nearly causing an accident. i took the car to the dealer and they were quite familiar with the problem, as ford has issued a service bulletin about it. the repairs cost over $425, and involved replacement of the fuel pump and complete flush of the fuel tank. i was told that ford claims the problem is created by contaminated gasoline, which means that at any time, this problem could resurface. i am frightened to drive the vehicle in traffic or on the highway, because my confidence in its safety has been shattered by this problem. i believe that ford is aware of this safety issue and should issue a recall on the faulty system.*ak
In april 2000, my car died. ford had to give me a brand new engine. now in december 2002, more car problems and they have to replace the transmission. this car is not even three years old and has too many major problems for a vehicle this new. dt
Was traveling 50mph heard a loud noise in trunk of vehicle. sounded like grinding noises. stopped vehicle and smelled smoke. engine check and abs lights came on . parked vehicle , then, had vehicle towed to dealership. was informed wheel bearings had blown out. this caused wheels to go bad. *ak
Takes off real hard like it wants to die but won't, then stops. when car is ran for a while it starts doing. we are not the only focus with this problem. there are others along with their reverse going out or first gear. every one who takes it in doesn't get it fixed
Car stalls or surges when going 50+ miles per hour/headlights flash on/off and other electrical components fail/engine light illuminates
I have had nothing but problems with this vehicle just last month the cable and motor in the rear passenger side door window burned up and now will cost over $600. to fix i can not get the front rack & pinion fixed because it will cost $1800.00. the transmission is going out now it slips out of gear sometimes not at all. i just got the brakes repaired for the third time in may and they are again squeaking. i have all of my receipts for work done to this car. i am now having to put power steering fluid in once or twice a week. the automatic locks on the doors lock and unlock all the time, and the electric instruments turn off by themselves. (radio) the driving lights go out at times and will not come back on. please help me, i am a single mother and have complained to courtesy ford they want to charge me diagnostic $90.00 for each item i am complaining about and then the amount it will take to fix all of the things wrong. this vehicle i just recently found out has had six different owners before me and one was rental car company. i do not know who the rest of them were. courtesy ford had said there was only one owner. they will not listen to me and now the focus' have a front suspension recall that may have been the problem the whole time with the brakes and the tire replacements and the power steering problems.!!! please help me. dt
There is a very bad squeaking noise when braking, and when consumer lets off the brake there is a grinding noise. driver states more than twice brake pedal was applied, and pedal went to the floor. ford has been contacted.*ak.also consumer was complaining of the transmission slipping, the cigarette lighter was not working, cup holder bubbling, serpentine belt was replaced due to a squeal coming from under the hood, gas light was coming on when the tank was full of gas, door ajar light was coming on, starter and battery were replaced, driver sider mirror knob fell off, rpm runs high, headlamp molding was replaced, sunvisor was broke, rear child seat latch cover was broke, air conditioner and heater were replaced, passenger door trim, driver seat metal bar, rewind button for am/fm cassette was inoperative, carpet loose, pillar trim was coming off, ticking noise was coming from the front of vehicle, the egr valve ws replaced, rear tail light was out, the bulb was replaced, deck lid wire harness, a new fuel tank was installed due to the engine light illuminating, the front and rear brakes have been replaced due to warpage, also the speedometer stopped working.*jb
Engine check light remains on while driving. dealer contacted. feel free to provide any further information.*ak
No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
Tires wearing out fast, accelerated speed, and engine kill, uneven suspension, indicator gauges and lights haywire. i was told by ford that i had wrecked the car and had to pay $883.00 for repairs + $350.00 for new tires.*ak
Engine check light has come on. vehicle has not been inspected by dealer.*ak
100% satisfaction??? we can't seem to get the ford company to help us. my husband had chemical burns that have scarred now. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak( dot number: )
Extreme amount of problems and recalls, vehicle has low mileage. in addition to listed problems, severe rear tire cupping at 7000 miles, may be attributed to loose rear wheel bearing. power steering pressure hose leaking, a/c still not fixed correctly cold lasted for about a month drivers door lock wont lock interm. rear trunk latch wont release from inside car. fuel gauge erratic, caused driver to run out of gas on a bridge. maf sensor failure, caused driver to be limited to 15 mph on freeway till next exit. vheicles radio stuck on with key removed causing battery drain---happened twice and was fixed. vehicle is a lease due back for return in august. cant wait to be rid of this headache but feel sorry for whoever buys it... i would still like ford motor co to reimburse me for the lease payments made for the amount of downtime and time vehicle spent at the dealership to fix some of these problems......thankyou
I learned of a recall at the dealer's location after i had it towed in. i never received info beforehand. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak
Vehicle overheated, and engine coolant light came on. there was no coolant leak. dealership is aware of the vehicle's problems. *ak
I purchased a 2000 (4dr) ford focus wagon se on 06/17/00 and i have had nothing but trouble ever since. here is a list of my complaints constant clicking and screeching noise when i turn or go over a bump sounds as if the car has arthitis problems sometimes my car will not start until after 3 or 4 attempts left back window will not roll down & although i have not heard it since summer the windows make noise when operated like glass rubbing against metal lubericate all of the car doors once a month because they screech extremely loud when opened or shut i have been in almost 4 accidents because of the enormous amount of severe blind spots on both the l & r sides of the car night driving bad - the car sits at a downward angle which allows rear vehicles headlights to blind you with your own rearview and side mirrors - this makes visibility impossible & very dangerous a sour-vinegar like smell appears sometimes on 02/23/02 @ sears auto center i had to replace my tires due to bowed/buckled - odometer was at 22114 - paid out of my pocket to replace tires $508.46 mechanic could not explain why this happened but instructed me to call ford & get reimbursed for the tires - i was told it was normal wear and tear no reimbursement. i do not feel this is a direct tire issue but a cause issue from the car itself saftey recall 00s31 everytime i hit a puddle after rain the engine makes a screaming sound & loses some power. after take the car hesitates like it slips into neutral gear? what is going on? why is ford not held responsible for a bad product and a total recall on the car itself? this car has numerous complaints, ford does not give you a loaner for its bad product & the most they will say is we are sorry to inconvenience you or we apologize for this situation. i do not want their sympathy i want ...
No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
This car is the worst investment i have ever made and a friend of mine bought the same car a few months after me and hers fell apart as well.the dealer has done nothing but give both of us a hard time about these two horror cars and they dont honor the warranties we purchased with these crappy cars .i cant wait to get rid of the ford focus out of my drive way and neither can my friend .i hope you will investigate these cars very closely they are terrible. no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak( dot number: )
No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
This acr is very bad news and i am fighting to get rid of it now and ford should be investigated for selling a vehicle this unsafe and i will never purchase from ford again.when i took this focus in for repair i was told that since it is so new that there isnt a mechanic that really knows how to fix it and that they will get back to me when they find one that can.this is very poor service with a very poor and unsafe car.please look into this for all the people that will have to go througfh this as well .thank you very much.melissa. no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak( dot number: )
No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
I bought the car in june of 2000 since this time the car has had a number of recalls on the car. i feel that the people that bought the 2000 model of this car should not be liable to pay the amount the contact was signed. due to the fact that at the time the car was bought, the people that bought the car didn't know that most of the car's life would be in the shop being fixed. also ford knew that the focus was prone to this happening.
I don't know what caused my car to crash, but i know it was not me. no safety defect listed. *ak
Engine light will illuminate. then, vehicle overheats and shutsdown. please provide any further informaiton.*ak
Attempted to start vehicle in parking lot and it started sputtering and shaking. engine check light/ oil light and battery light came on. then, vehicle just shut off. this happened twice. contacted dealer, and vehicle was in repair shop for 3 days. but, dealer couldn't find anything wrong. the second time this happened dealer said that fuel pump malfunctioned. *ak