Problems with 2000 Ford Focus SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that while having maintenance performed, the contact was made aware that the coil springs had fractured. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician verified the failure and determined that both coil springs needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 112,604.

Vehicle was accelerating from a traffic stop on a four lane city street. at approximately 200 feet beyond stop the vehicle went out of control and began swerving into oncoming lanes. breaks and steering were ineffectual. because of slow speed, vehicle stopped withing twenty to forty feet. initial inspection on site indicated the right front wheel separated from the lower suspension arm and drive shaft. inspection by a qualified mechanic and insurance adjuster stated that rust had weakened suspension arm causing it to break approximately 5.5 inches inward from the ball-joint attachment point. because of the slow speed and light traffic there were no casualties or property damage. this vehicle while being fifteen years old has only seventy-six thousand mile and is garage kept.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the suspension dropped to the ground. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where it was stated that the ball joint had become detached from the control arm. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 127,000.

Rear wheel bearing went out , making horrible noise and grinding. *tr

The vehicle went in for an inspection because there was a clunking noise from the passenger rear of the car. it turns out that the rear subframe and right rear sway bar has rusted completely off. the amount of rust by the technician has been found to be exorbitant in comparison to the amount of miles it was driven. the tech suggested that the car was submerged, but there was no record of it being so. i am the third owner of the car. i would like to file a complaint, for there seems to be a lot of this issue online, from ford focuses from 2000 to 2005. *tr

Got my daughter her first used car from a dealer, which i should had gone with her to check it out first since an 18 year old would most likely not know anything much of a car besides driving it. you would think buying from a used dealer is safer than buying out in the street. so when we took it out of the lot noticed engine tremble and suspension noise, (too bad no lemon law on used dealer selling this type of cars). after diagnose the engine produced a catalytic convert malfunction code. also after inspection the focus needs all four suspension struts. a month later that other suspension noise resulting almost in a accident from a back wheel shaking which came from a back wheel bearing which hub nut was just about off, which would had caused the wheel to come off. i did a search and this are all common problems with the focus and i believe there was a recall for a back wheel issue. the bad news is that after a while of the recall being issued it is voided or only specific vin numbers are considered effected ????. the latest encounter is the steering column locking and the key not being able to unlock it. the worst part is that the ignition cylinder would have to be drilled out to be replaced (very interesting since is the first time i seen that). i'm noticing from my experience with ford vehicles that although in my opinion there engine and transmission are a bit better than most vehicle, is the little parts that one have issues with that ends up costing the most, just saying. so why is it that with many complaints and known issues from previews model years ford has not attempt to resolve the issues. i bet there would be many other people out there complaining if only they new they can complaint, the question is, is anyone going to do something about it!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, she heard a loud clunking noise and smoke emitted from the front end of the vehicle. the contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that both front coil springs and struts were fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who verified the failure and stated that the front coil springs, struts, and tires needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 80,000.

The accident occurred on a hill at 10:30 p.m. i suddenly lost all power and control of the car near the crest of this hill. the car drifted back almost in a straight line. the brakes and engine weren't working as the car picked up speed in reverse under its own power i.e., from the slope of the hill. it continued backward until coming to a sudden stop with severe impact. the car was stopped by a storm sewer culvert (ditch) to the side of the road. the left rear of the car and undercarriage were severely damaged i.e., catalytic converter, muffler, rear axle, etc. the car was in excellent condition, was well maintained and had recently been inspected. the car was deemed a complete loss by the insurance company. i can provide more detailed information including a police report if requested. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle was having a routine oil change performed when the technician informed the contact that the driver and passenger side coil springs had failed. the vehicle was then taken to the dealer who replaced both coil springs at the contacts expense. the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. the manufacturer confirmed the dealers advice and would not provide any further assistance. the failure mileage was 112,964.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact was driving 30 mph when he noticed an unusual noise from the rear tires. the vehicle was then taken to a local repair facility where they diagnosed that the rear driver side wheel bearing would need replacing. the dealer was informed of the failure and the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 72,442 and the current mileage was 72,492.

I was driving on the highway at about 50 mph and heard a loud pop. at first i believed it to be a tire blow out so i pulled over. on closer inspection, it was the left front coil spring that had broken and was rubbing against the tire. had i not pulled over, the coil spring would have fully punctured the tire and caused a blow out. ford issued an extended warranty for this issue but denied my request because my vehicle's extended warranty had expired the previous year. i don't understand why this is not a safety recall, a broken spring can easily cause an accident. *tr

Driving down the road in a subdivision at about 20 mph, turned, and heard a cracking sound from left front tire. stopped and got out to look = left front spring coil was broken. i drive a 2000 ford focus. have also had trouble with the ignition system - key not turning in tumbler - and with the fuel pump module. last contacted recall from ford dealership was for "wiper motor in 2001." *tr

The right front coil spring on my 2000 ford focus has broken. this failure is due to a defect in the manufacture of these springs! ford has admitted as much in their customer satisfaction program letter dated november 2004. this failure happened while my 18 year old daughter was driving the vehicle. fortunately it did not result in a crash, but after reading some of the summaries in the other 88 complaints i believe that only by shear luck and the grace of god there have been no fatalities. i do believe that there have been some crashes and injuries, ( see complaints on front suspension in your database. i.e. id no. 886337) as someone who works in the automotive industry i strive to maintain my vehicles to very high standards and this includes keeping them clean including the undercarriage. this is why if you were to inspect my vehicle you would not find any excessive corrosion anywhere on the car except the spring at the failure area. the failure occurred when my daughter was going over a speed bump. *tr

Left front coil spring snapped, vehicle weight of sharp, broken remainder of spring against front tire while vehicle parked. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud grinding noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. suddenly, the front end collapsed without warning. the vehicle exhibited front suspension failure and roadside assistance was called to the scene. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the failure caused the struts to separate from the axle. the technician replaced both front struts, axle, and both sway bars. the failure mileage was 52,000 and the current mileage is 52279. updated 04/16/09.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while the contact was driving approximately 25 mph, there was a loud noise and suddenly the front driver side collapsed. the contact was able to continue driving with caution to an independent mechanic. the failure was contributed to the front driver side coil spring and strut. the technician also replaced both of the front strut assemblies. recently, the front passenger side coil spring detached from the vehicle which caused the tire to blow out. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where both front strut assemblies were replaced twice. the rear coil spring was also defective. the coil spring and control arm were replaced. the failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

The right front coil spring broke on my car and punctured my front right tire while it was parked. luckily we were parked and the vehicle was not moving or it could of been very dangerous. *tr

Car was turned on to return home from work. hears a loud noise from front of car when put in drive. car after that was rubbing on right front tire so didn't drive home. left in work parking lot. had towed to metcalf's auto clinic in dyer, in. right front coil spring had broken. asked why would that happen when miles are low 49k for 2000 ford focus se and garage kept. attendant said ford is aware of problem so i called ford dealership in merriville in. was told notices went out to inform owners of problem in nov of 2004 and that an extended warranty was given to fix if problem occurred. only i never received such notice. so now i am asking for ford to pay for repair and they refused it saying it wasn't fixed at a ford dealership. i was also told that you were notified when a notice was sent to me.. but when i called i was told only ford has that information. so is a catch twenty two. warranty offered by ford is suppose to be for 10 years and 150,000 miles. so i fall under warranty but cannot prove i didn't receive notice and is their excuse for not wanting to re-imburse me for repair. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that the engine stalled sporadically. a technician inspected the vehicle and stated that the fuel pump was the cause of the failure; however, the repair shop would not assume responsibility because the vehicle was titled salvaged. the failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage was 65,000. updated 07/01/09 *bf the front coil springs failed as well. updated 07/06/09.*jb

ford will not honor recall on wheel bearing. statement said even if the car has been service before it will fix. not true i spent a hour on the phone with them . ford will not honor aggreement because it did it again. search results report date : june 20, 2008 at 11:33 am nhtsa campaign id number : 01i017000 make / models : model/build years: ford / focus 2000-2001 manufacturer : ford motor company mfr's report date : nov 29, 2001 nhtsa campaign id number : 01i017000 n/a nhtsa action number: n/a component: wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts potential number of units affected : 238653 summary: this is not a safety recall in accordance with the safety act. however, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. vehicle description: 2000-2001 ford focus passenger vehicles, originally sold in or currently registered in the states of , ohiom, . in high corrosion areas, where salt is used on roadways in the winter, the rear wheel bearing seal race can experience surface corrosion. if this condition occurs, the wheel bearing seals could become damaged and allow contamination to enter the wheel bearings. consequence: the wheel bearings could prematurely wear and cause a noticeable noise. if not repaired, this condition could progress to the point where the wheel begins to wobble. remedy: dealers will replace the rear wheel bearings at no cost to the consumer. additional bearing seals will also be installed to ensure a smooth ride. this program will be in effect until december 31, 2002, regardless of mileage. even if the vehicle has already been serviced under recall campaign 00s31, ford has taken additional steps to keep the wheel bearings in top shape. owners ford has decided to conduct a service campaign to replace the rear wheel bearings. owners can contact ford ...

Spring broke on front end of car- shredded tire that isn't even a year old. mechanic informed me he had the same year & model of car with same problem. i asked if a recall was issued he said he could not locate any. *tr

The front passenger side coil spring of my 2000 ford focus zts broke in half and punctured the tire. the car was then towed to a mechanic. i have fewer than 50k miles on the car. the only event that might have led up to the break was traveling at less than 10mph over a speed bump inside a parking garage. the spring, shock absorber, and tire must be replaced. and my mechanic expressed surprise that the tire did not explode. i contacted ford to determine whether there was a recall on this part since it was such an unusual occurrence. i was informed that some cars of the same make, model , and year were recalled because of corrosion on these springs. however, my vin number was not included in the recall. a quick search of website set up for ford focus owners by owners revealed several people with the same problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for an alignment. at that time, the contact was informed that the two front coil springs failed and needed to be replaced. the mechanic replaced the two front springs, the two rear wheel cylinders, and a brake line. the contact learned of nhtsa campaign id number 01i017000 (wheels:lugs/nuts and bolts), but it did not apply to her vin. she called the dealer and was informed that the recall had expired. the current and failure mileages were 136,000. updated 06/16/08 *bf

While the car was parked i heard a pop come from the car. then part of the front passenger side coil spring fell out. *tr

I was driving ny car about 25-30 mph when i heard a noise. low and behold my right wheel was wobbling back and forth. then it stopped for a moment so i decided to take car to shop. on my way to the shop my barring went completely out. my abs light came on the everything locked up,got to shop right rear wheel was smoking bad. shop told me everything burned up coast me 1,200.00 to get back on road. just one of the many things fixed. *tr

2000 ford focus #1 car has been owned by me since 2001 (bought from a dealer with 13k miles on it), it gets used lightly and never goes on long trips. i use it just for local driving, to and from work. (about 5 miles a day, car has 80k miles on it) this car is a lemon! i have had some of the strangest problems and gone through more recalls then anyone should have to. #2 problems i'm having currently: suspension car's front passenger side spring has broken, makes very loud crunching noises when turning, needs repair. electrical car has smelled of burning rubber, and electrical system has started smoking on more then one occasion, have come very close to going up in flames. turning the car off then disconnecting the battery terminal cures the problem temporarily. was also told by local mechanic front axles are bad, and need to be replaced soon but do not know much more about it. problems i've had: fuel pump recall, door latch recall, and battery cable recall. have also had problems with the rear bearings of the car, paid out of pocket to fix those, because dealer told me there was no recall on them. after reading nhtsa campaign #01i017000 i have since learned otherwise. #3 all the problems i'm having with the car currently are not fixed. all the other ones were repaired by the dealer with the exception of the rear wheel bearings. the front spring is still available as is still on the car, and he electrical system is still intact. i will have to replace the spring soon but i'll hold on to it. the same goes for the front axle's. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 30 mph, the contact heard a grinding noise. minutes later, the front end of the vehicle collapsed. she pulled over and noticed metal hanging from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the garage and the mechanic stated that the front passenger side spring struts failed. the mechanic replaced the sway bar links, the inner tie rod, the cb boot, the driver side axle, and the front passenger side hub bearing. the current mileage was 90,982 updated 5/19/08 *cn

Went to back out of driveway and heard loud scraping noise. found front coil spring broken and protruding into top of tire. also, found a lot of rust under car by front tire. severely gouged tire in just short distance in driveway. *tr car is at dealership for repair at this time. presently car has only approximately 20,000 miles. if this had occurred at highway speeds, we would probably be dead!

Left rear wheel bearing failed at 80,000 miles after they said it was replaced by recall at 22,000 miles. left rear wheel comes loose and wobbles. had to have it towed because it is unsafe to drive. *tr

Rear coil spring broken (rr). *tr

In april 2002 the local ford dealer performed the 2000 ford focus wheel bearing safety upgrade at 19,000 miles. in oct 2005 the right front wheel bearing was replaced at 59,000 miles and now we need to replace the right rear wheel bearing at 79,000. it appears that ford has not fixed the problem with their safety upgrade. *tr

Driver side front coil spring snapped. *tr

2000 ford focus; both front coil springs broken or coils overlapping. *tr

Front coil spring broke and could have caused bad accident and injury. coil spring where it broke was rubbing on front tire. front end had been noisy and would sound like something bumping or not connected when on rough pavement or speed bumps. had to have front coil springs and struts replaced, re-aligned. *tr

2000 ford focus with 30,000 miles. differential blew up and destroyed the transmission. one year ago the struts had to be replaced in the front end. i understand these things are not normal occurrences especially with the amount of driving i do. i can't sell or trade in the car without repairing the transmission, estimate: 2,700. *tr

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

My car was parked at the airport. when i returned home after my car had been parked for three days the anti-lock brakes light came on and my car was making a loud noise. i took it to the dealer and the rear left ball bearing was broken and i was informed by the service technician that my wheel could fall off. i later realized that the same ball bearing was previously fixed under recall 01b85. however the dealer would not cover the expense and i had to pay for it myself. i later wrote a letter to ford to request a refund and my request was denied. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the abs light illuminated when the vehicle was started. while driving, the contact heard a sound, which resembled scraping metal. the dealer stated that the wheel bearing failed and they repaired the failure. the powertrain, speed, and dealer information were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 96,250.

We were driving our car (a 2000 ford focus) and had just pulled into our driveway, as we shut off the engine we heard a popping sound, but neither my wife nor i could decide if it was the car. about 30 minutes later my wife was going someplace with the car and when she had backed up we heard a scraping sound coming from the front end. upon investigation we found that the driver's side coil spring had broken and a sharp pointed end of what was left was poked out into the tire, the tire did not blow, but could have if we were traveling at any significant speed. the coil spring should have been restrained by a clamp and a cup shaped plate, but the plate was not cup shaped at all. this seems like a defect and an unsafe thing that could result in injury or death to the occupants of the car. ford has a known bad track record with springs, and there is a technical service bulletin that should be upgraded to a recall. further, other models of ford should be inspected to see if they also have this engineering design flaw with the spring base plate. *tr

Own a 2000 ford focus, was backing out of a parking space, when i heard a loud noise from the front drivers side. stopped the vehicle, got out to see if i hit anything, nothing was there, just smooth asphalt. was very nervous about driving the vehicle after that. on my hour commute home i notice the vehicle drove differently, something didn't feel right. also noticed a rubbing noise when turning the steering wheel. drove as slowly as possible. called my mechanic next morning, took it in to be looked at, two mechanics took a quick look and drove it. both came to the conclusion the front drivers side spring coil had broke! mechanic informed me the vehicle was very unsafe to drive. *tr

Was driving slowly (luckily), when the spring of the suspension broke on our ford focus se 2000 station wagon. this lead to shredding of the front tire. ford replaced the 2 front springs for free indicating that they knew about this defect and chose not to fix it in advance despite the risk. nevertheless, the same incident would have happened at 75 mph it is very likely that this would have lead to an accident with possible injuries/deaths. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 25 mph the vehicle began making a clunking noise, vibrating, and the right wheel began to make a grinding noise. the dealer stated that the wheel bearing separated from the hub. the vehicle was repaired. on november 2001 repairs related to recall#00v303000 was performed on the left wheel of the vehicle. the failure mileage was 94000, and the current mileage was 96,000. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 40 mph the rear driver's side tire began to wobble and produced noises. the contact smelled something burning and pulled the vehicle to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to the mechanic shop. the mechanic determined that the wheel bearing detached from the wheel. the dealer was contacted. the contact searched online and entered the vin. the system stated that the vin was included in recall # 00v303000. the current and failure mileage were 100,000.*ak

Up to this time, the vehicle was running fine with no sings of any problems. i had just merged on the highway. suddenly, i heard a loud bang. i thought a rock had kicked up and struck the bottom of the car. after exiting the highway and making a turn, i heard a "clunking" noise. after getting the car to the shop to check the problem, it was found that the front driver side coil spring had snapped. to repair properly, both front coil springs and struts will be replaced and the front end aligned. only new replacement parts used for repair. i never heard of, or experienced this. *jb

The strut and spring of my 2000 ford focus broke and needed to be replaced. i was lucky that i was just in a parking lot because i would have lost control of the car at higher speeds. *nm

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 2000 ford focus with 98,000 failure mileage at 30 mph she heard a dragging sound and the vehicle began to smoke from the front passenger and driver sides. the smoke and dragging got worse, therefore, the contact returned home. the vehicle was raised, and the contact noticed that both driver and passenger coil springs were broken. the vehicle has been repaired. *ak the consumer stated original coil springs were sent back to ford to assist in possible reimbursement, however the ford focus was not listed in the recall notice provided. update 05/04/07 *tr

2000 ford focus tire blew out. customer states she was informed after the repair of the vehicle that there was a silent recall on the coil spring. she stated that the coil spring broke causing the tire to blow out. *kb the consumer stated she was notified by ford that they were not going to be reimbursed for the repairs. the consumer provided a copy of the silent recall issued by ford pertaining to the vehicle. *tr

Had to replace transmission, cost close to $2,800.00. after that was replaced i has a coil spring break over the tire which broke off into my tire and i went careening over a railroad track and i went into a ditch. ford motor company replaced that after much protesting on my behalf. i paid out of pocket to have it towed to a dealership. i was never reimbursed for that. the issue i have had since then is that the car stalls for no apparent reason. i have replaced an o2 censor and battery, but this problem persists. it does not matter what speed i am going. the car acts as if it isn't getting fuel to the motor. now, mechanics are saying i may need to replace the fuel pump which is expensive. i will finally be paying this car off next month. it feels like a disposable adventure. i read up on the recalls and feel this has to be a recall with the fuel system. i am afraid to go very far in this car because i don't know when or where it will stall. it has no real pattern . i tried going with a higher grade of fuel, used additives and it just keeps doing the same thing, please consider my complaint. *tr

No special events took place to cause damage. i am at 75k miles. both right wheel bearings have gone bad (both front and rear) and requires the entire hub to be replaced at $350 each. rear hub almost caused tire to fall off while driving, caused brake failure and abs failure. also required rear brakes and abs chip to be replaced. *tr

Driving on rt 80 at 65 mph the passenger front coil spring failed causing the coil spring to rub on the tire and damage it. however, the bf goodrich sidewall was strong enough to allow the car to be driven slowly to a ford dealer about 1.5 miles away. both front coil springs were then replaced per the earlier nhtsa agreement with ford. the coil springs were left with dealer. as the coil failure could have caused a high speed blow out, in my opinion, ford should replace all 2000 to 2003 focus front coil spring in stead of free replacement when they fail per ford's 03m02 customer satisfaction program. *jb