Problems with 2000 Ford Focus FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Recal 03v482000 concerning stalling. dealer performed the recall repairs on 2/04/2004. before the repairs vehicle stalled only at a complete stop. after the repairs vehicle stalled at least three times a day. driver had to wait for the vehicle to stop on its' own. shifted into park, and restart the vehicle. fuel tank was full when vehicle stalled. *ak

After parking consumer returned and attempted to start the vehicle, but it did not start. consumer smelled fuel odors inside the vehicle. consumer left the vehicle to discover a pool of gas under the vehicle. dealer examined the vehicle, and determined that the fuel line detached from the fuel tank. *ak connection of fuel line to the fuel tank and fuel line clip was repaired by service dealership. vehicle was also tested by dealer. *la

After receiving a recall notice on my 2000 ford focus, i took the car to my local dealership (university ford) to have service done, and also to inquire about having the fuel pump replaced. i told the dealership that on more than one occasion my car has demonstrated the symptoms indicated in the letter i received from ford, and that i would like to schedule a time to have this part replaced. upon speaking with the service advisor i was told that they were unable to duplicate the symptoms of the recall, and therefore they would not replace the fuel pump. after playing phone tag with the service manager for about a week, i finally spoke with him tonight, and was told the same thing, that they would not replace the fuel pump without being able to validate my claim, even though i had already spoken with ford motor company's customer relationship center, where i was told that this service should be done without any further diagnostics. *ak

The consumer received a recall concerning a fuel delivery problem from the ford manufacturer, nhtsa recall 03v482000, fuel pump. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and dealer refused to honor the recall unless $75.00 was paid up front to perform a diagnostic test. *jb *la

I can no longer defend the ford motor company from the moniker "fix or repair daily" crowd. i am the unhappy owner of a 2000 focus who will no longer champion the ford brand. i commute approximately 130 miles daily - mostly highway and have had multiple "near misses" due to the fuel pump failure. i had the fuel pump replaced before the "silent" recall and am now again experiencing the same symptoms at highway speed that ford willfully knows are dangerous to the motoring public. my local dealer - don seelye ford of kalamazoo, mi has no sympathy - is only willing to replace the 2nd defective fuel pump when the "new and improved" part is available in february of 2004. in the meantime - i and those around me on the highway are at serious risk - all with ford's blessing. i contacted the ford motor company's customer relations center and met with indifference to this issue. they recorded my complaint, offered no solution than to take my life (and others) at risk by continuing to drive their faulty vehicle. the service center representative would not (or could not) tell me whether this "silent" recall was an nhsta recall that fell under the "safety act" - which would mandate immediate attention with the full force of federal law. i read with amazement and astonishment the article in the blue oval news dated nov. 19, 2003 by robert lane related to this issue. i was born and raised in detroit, mi and have several family members who have and continue to work for this company with pride. no longer. i have purchased 3 new ford vehicles in the last 10 years, am in the market for a new vehicle and will not be looking at any ford products. i am the head of a 3 car family - with 2 teenagers - one of driving age. no one in my immediate family will be purchasing, driving or riding in a ford vehicle in my lifetime. and that lifetime may be cut short due to ford's decision in relation to this issue. god help them. *jb

Consumer received nhtsa recall letter 03v482000 concerning fuel pump failure. dealer told consumer to bring the vehicle, and he will make diagnostic test which will cost consumer $80.00 to see if this was part of the recall. *ak *la

Recall 03v482000 concerning stalling. consumer had the fuel delivery pump replaced in march 2003 and november 2003. vehicle was currently having same problems as mentioned in the recall. dealer told the consumer the vehicle would not be covered under the recall. consumer contacted the manufacturer on this matter. consumer received a call back from mr. lance tang, a supervisor for the customer service line, who told the consumer that she would never be able to get the new part under the recall. *ak

The dealership refused to perform recall 03v482000 until the consumer repairs their engine. the recall symptoms have already occurred which lead to the engine failure. please provide any additional information. *nm

Multiple problems with 2000 ford focus. (nar) *ph *cb

The driver received a recall #0037391 notice for the fuel pump. the mechanic stated that the consumer would pay for the diagnostic test. the consumer felt she should not have to pay for the diagnostic test. *nm

My car has a constant bad vibration that intensifies on right turns, going up grades, and over bumps. i have taken it to jim click ford in tucson, az for a total of three times. each time they come up with a different excuse and it never fixes the problem. i have been told at first it was, my tires, i replaced all four tires with top of the line michelins, then i was told that my fuel pump was going out and that is the cause of the vibration, now it is the coils. not one of these has fixed the problem, i am still waiting on the pump to get in stock at jim click, and they did replace the coils at a charge of $370.88. in addition to the vibration it sporadically tries to stall and hesitates when turning. i also have my taillights, and back up lights constantly burning out, i have replaced them 3 times and the last time i had jim click replace them. (the back up light, passenger side is out again) i was also told the first time i took in my car to jim click ford (before the fuel pump recall), i needed to replace a failing fuel pump and that would cost $680.00 to replace. (parts and labor) i could not afford it and took it out of their shop, i then brought it in after the recall and they told me that the fuel pump was not the problem that it was the coil and they could not replace the fuel pump since it was not failing. i then fought it out with them and they said they would replace the fuel pump when it came in stock late january 2004. they did replace the coils and the engine check light was on when i brought it in and that is how they determined that it was the coils. they fixed that problem and i got my car back and guess again the engine light came on the very next day and the vibrations are getting worse. i am starting to feel that this car is a lemon my car only has 64,000 miles and has so many recalls and service bulletins it is scary. *cb

The consumer received nhtsa recall #03v482000 concerning a fuel delivery problem. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and they refused to honor the recall. the dealer stated a diagnostic was needed to see if the vehicle qualified for the recall. *jb

Consumer received nhtsa recall 03v482000 concerning fuel delivery problem. took vehicle to a dealer, and dealer won't honor the recall, claiming need to perform first a diagnostic. consumer paid $75.00. *ak

Consumer received recall 03v482000 concerning stalling. the vehicle has had recall repairs done in january, but, the problem recurred. also, rear seat belts were sticking. when consumer needed to undo the belts the buckle stuck. *ak

I am very angry, i am having the ford focus stalling problem, dealer already replace fuel pump and still stalls, the car has been 30 days at 3 different dealers but haven't fix it, they are aware of this problem but they can't fix it, i have all the same symptoms of the fuel pump problem but this is not what is causing the problem they already check the alternator and it is fine. i hope some one can give me a hand on this i don't know if i can suit ford, and i don't want to wait until i die because this car is hazard, let me know what can i do. *la

Upon inspection of the fuel injection by the dealership consumer was informed that the part didn't need replacement, but if any of the symptoms occurred again, to bring the vehicle in immediately and the part will be replaced. currently, the symptoms reappeared, but dealership was not able to perform recall repairs because the part was not available.*ak

We purchased our 2000 ford focus in august of 2003 it had low miles and we figured i was a good car. in october it broke down on us and it was a clutch disk that went out. we said ok and they fixed it under warranty. the day after we got it back from the shop it started making a weird noise so we took it back and they said they need to make a adjustment. then less than 3 weeks later we ended up having it break down on us once again they had to replace the transmission. well here we are once again. about a month after the transmission. going through a stop light one day the car started to have engine hesitation and loss of power and then would stall out. now they are telling us that water got in our fuel tank and ruined the fuel pump. i just found out by doing some of my own research that the fuel system was recalled in nov of 2003 for cars exhibiting the similar symptoms. the dealership where we purchased the vehicle has not informed us of this recall and states that the water was the cause of our problems. *la

When applying gas vehicle begins to hesitate and engine starts to produce a loud noise. *ak

2000 ford focus fuel pump replaced in warranty at 35000 miles. fuel pump out again at 69000 miles. *ak

Fuel pump malfunctioned, causing intermittent stalling. fuel pump was replaced five times, however the problem still exists. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle hesitated. the failure occurred intermittently and without warning. the vehicle stalled on two separate occasions. the fuel filter, spark plugs, and wiring were replaced. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on three or four separate occasions for identical failures, but they could not duplicate the failure. the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 03v482000 (fuel system, gasoline), although the failures were identical. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 93,000.

i purchased a 2000 ford focus june of 2003. it checked out fine but just to cover myself i also purchased an extended warranty. in december the car began to run rough so i brought the car into the dealer who changed the spark plugs and a hose. all worked fine for about a month, at which point the car began to run rough again. when i would stop or slow down the car would act like it was going to stall and my engine light would come on. at a stop light i would shift into neutral or park to keep it from stalling. around this time i received a letter from ford that the fuel pump has caused problems just like i was experiencing. i was happy to know this issue was being addressed by ford. i made an appointment at the local ford authorized dealer in town. later that day they called to let me know it was not my fuel pump and they needed my ok to diagnosis. well they told me they could not find anything so they called ford. ford explained there was a design defect in the engine that caused carbon build up and something to "stick" in the valve. now ford will not take any responsibility, the warranty company won't cover it and the repair is over $2000.00! this has been a nightmare for a single mother who purchase a basic, what i thought economical & reliable car. now i am forced to use every penny i have saved to use toward owning a home some day into a car that ford designed wrong. does ford the big company pay?no, the consumer does. this car attracts a certain type of customer, not one with a lot of money to spare! any advice? *jb

Vehicle running rough - dealership said fuel pump needed replacing; done;then two days later the #3 piston broke and the engine is now unrepairable and must be replaced. *ak

Water leak in my 2000 ford focus. upon reading this website i realize the other problems i've had are similar to this car. car stalling, fuel gauge sticking, radio going out, carpet being replaced,wiper problems etc. when it rains the water can fill the passenger floorboard 2-3 inches. i've had the leak checked at several different places and so far no one can find the leak. according to this website the dealer can't find the problem either. my car is not under warranty any more, and i was informed if the leaking continues it will damage the "brain" computer or electrical system. if that happens and i have to spend a couple thousand to fix, but if the leaking is not found it will just happen again. i feel this car is unsafe and should have a recall. also, i have not received notice of all the recalls that pertains to this car. i have received only one pertaining to the back real wheel bearing, which was replaced at dealer. but i see that there have been others. why was i not notified? *la

Car stalls, hesitates, getting worse very dangerous!! fuel system seems bad

Merging on to the express way, my 2000 ford focus had a sudden loss of power and i was almost hit by a semi, since where i was driving was surrounded by concrete barriers. i later found that this is a fuel pump problem that is a common problem for focus owners. *la

Numerous problems with focus. bought car in 2001. since the day that i drove off the lot i had squeaky brakes. took to servicer and was told dust on brakes & it was normal. after three attempts, they changed pads & rotors. now i hear the squeak again. car cut off while going up a hill. was told by the servicer that it happened because the weather had recently gotten hot and it "shocked" the car. key wouldn't enter the ignition. had to have the car towed to servicer. car shuts off if under half a tank. servicer told me " keep the gas over half a tank". sometimes i smell something burning while heat on in car. on 2 occassions saw smoke coming from the vents while a/c on ( didn't take to servicer for these problems because they never occured again). today 11/10/03 the check engine light came on and the car started shaking and stalling eventually cutting off. took to the servicer and explained the problem, without even mentioning the make and model of my car the technician said, " you must have a focus". no longer under factory warranty and can't afford to pay for these defects that ford is very much aware of. also, the car no longer has value. tried to trade it in before factory warranty ran out last year, and was told car only worth $4,000 while i still owed $10,000, which means i would have had to come up with the $6,000 difference to be free from the car. the car was only 2 yrs old when i tried to trade it in! so, i feel i got ripped off with a lemon that i can't even get rid of. i am seriously considering calling the finance company and voluntarily giving the car back, but then my credit will show a repossession, which is not fair being that the consumers were never told about the history of problems with the focus before we bought them.*ak

Engine stall during turn. dealer says it was due to bad fuel pump and it needed to be replaced.*ak

While driving 60 mph the vehicle stalled and the consumer lost power steering. the consumer managed to pull over and the vehicle experienced a hard start. the consumer had the vehicle towed the to dealer. *ak the consumer was told that the mass air flow sensor was dirty and by cleaning it would remedy the problem. *scc the vehicle stalled again and the consumer was then told the fuel pump or the fuel delivery module was the cause of the problem. *jb

Consumer had experienced symptoms of engine hesitation, loss of power surging, and other similar symptoms due to vehicle's fuel pump which was defective before receiving recall notice from manufacturer. (nar) *la

Currently own a 2000 ford focus wagon with approximately 57,000 miles on it. in the last 3 months we have had 2 breakdowns that could of very easily ended tragically. 1st: 3 months ago the front driver side suspension spring sheared in half. the sharp shear of the spring went into the tire and ended ripped it apart. thank god my wife and kids were only going 25 mph. 2nd: 1 week ago the fuel line clip attaching the fuel line to the gas tank burst into pieces in a parking lot of a local store as my wife was driving around. again, thank god nobody was smoking nearby. *la

Ford focus fuel pump fails to deliver fuel and car stalls. dangerous! i was only less than half of a tank of gas full and my car stalled out on the very busy davis blvd in nrh tx. it repeatedly died when trying to restart the car to get it to a service station. i filled the car up and the car worked fine. now we never let the car get below a haff a tank. please resolve this issue we could have been killed! this was the most recent time this has happened. this problem and similar hesitation upon acceleration in turns and going uphill have happened numberous times and have left me feeling like i was going to be stranded or worse- in a wreck. i have also had the common ignition cilinder lock problem, a broken door actuator, a broken lumbar support, drasticaly leaking a/c onto the floor, a very noisy front stut noise when going over speed bumps, front car creaking from right front fender noise at highway speeds, and poor service reps that insult person and destroy car (broke things on car that were not broken when brought in for service). all of these things need addressing, but most of all the fuel/hesitation/stalling problem before someone is killed!

While driving, the vehicle stalled due to electrical failure. there were no brakes or steering. the vehicle crashed into a tree. driver dislocated her shoulder and sustained a head injury. *ak the rear wheel bearings was replaced, the fuel filter was replaced *jb

Vehicle lost power and stalled when making long right hand turn around highway on-ramp. the vehicle would not restart for approximately 15 minutes, leaving the car in a very dangerous position, half way in the traffic lane for an exit ramp. this has occurred three other times while under 1/4 tank of gas; however, it recovered didn't stall completely or recovered within a minute or two. *la

On october 10th 2003 i was driving in the ford focus 2000 wagon from new york city to cleveland, oh, about 500 miles. it drove well for about 300 miles, but started to choke and sputter on hills, like it was about to stall. i was hoping i would make it to cleveland for repairs, but it stalled out on me going 65 miles an hour 60 miles outside of cleveland. i was able to restart, and limped into the nearest town and found a ford dealer in ashtabula oh. he said it was the fuel filter and repaired it. it drove fine for the rest of journey into cleveland. but i then headed to new york city a few days later, and again after 200 miles, it started sputtering on hills. then outside of binghamton, ny it stalled again. i again restarted, and terrified of a fatal accident, i called for road side assistance from verizon wireless. they got a tow truck to get me to a garage, but they were closed. the next morning, i waited for them to diagnose the problem and repair the car, but they were unable to replicate the stalling problem. i drove the rest of the way into new york city terrified, and almost stalled out at the foot fo the george washington bridge. it was after 5:00 pm so the dealership was closed that i bought the car from. so i am planning to have them look at it. but they said that unless they can see the problem, they can't fix it. i also called ford and they said they never heard of this problem. which i later found out is a major problem with this car, and there is an active investigation underway at nhtsa. i am hoping to get by under the lemon law in ny, but fear that the dealership will claim there are no problems with my car. thank you for listening to my complaint.

On the 12th of october, i was driving on the interstate at about 70 mph, when the engine started to hesitate, and then finally just stalled out all of a sudden. i was in the 2nd lane from the left on a 4 lane interstate, and cars had to swerve around me to avoid a collision. i have done some research, and have found hundreds of similar cases of fuel pump failure on ford focus. i think this should be a safety recall. *ak

While driving upward vehicle stalled. dealer stated fuel injection system failed. *ak

The car stalls in turns while downshifting; going up hills and at highway speeds. it begins hesitation while accelerating; and after several hesitations it will stall out much like it is running out of fuel. the problem began the first year i bought the vehicle and only when the car was running with under half a tank of fuel but now occurs even with a full tank. twice i have mentioned it to ford technicians, twice test results came back negative. the ford technicians have been unable to locate the problem and the car is no longer a reliable source of transportation. *la

Vehicle stalled multiple times while accelerating. failed to start. fuel pump had to be replaced. *la

Driving with under half a tank of gas during right hand turns car almost stalls and slows very rapidly. bucks and starves for fuel and almost got rear ended by car behind me. happened several times on highway on and off ramps and around sharp right hand turns. *la

I have a 2000 focus. i experiance hesitation when the fuel tank is about 1/4th full, it died once while turning around an offramp cloverleaf. also when coming to stops it idles rough. when starting and waiting while in or out of gear, idling is rough. turning corners i occasionaly get creeks from the front and rear. sometimes i hear thumps from the rear when riding over bumps on occasion. i hear and feel a growl while the engine is running regardless of being in or out of gear or in or out of motion. it feels more prominent when the temp. is below 60 degrees. i can feel it vibrating in the steering wheel while turning and it seems to stop while turning left but continues when the steering reaches center. while going up or down inclines or small depressions in the road it becomes even more noticeable and you can feel it in the floor. the drivers side rear door lock sometimes clicks in and out of the lock postion erratically when the electronic door lock/unlock button is depressed. this handle is also extremely tough to open. sometimes power is lost to the radio, i remove the detachable aniti-theft piece and replace it, sometimes it works, sometimes i need to do it numerous times before the radio will turn back on. i had experianced warped rotors on the front when i first bought the vehicle numerous times, but i switched them with slotted rotors so i no longer have this problem. my rear brake drums are stock (but the pasds are not) and they squeal quite frequently, possibly due to excessive dust. i had noticed that sometimes the power window control would not work for windows other than the drivers. this has not happened in about a year or 2. i have just recently experienced water in the passenger well. last, occasionally the transmission will hesitate while driving. it almost feels like the transmission is shifting into neutral, but more like it was a human with a cluthc out a bit who cannot make up their mind about what gear to use.

2000 ford focus se/sw with at and ac stalls and or dies during normal driving conditions at high or low speeds. it_x0019_s a repeating occurrence, after the car has been driven for a short while and the engine is at its normal operating temperature. while the above incidents take place, the car_x0019_s warning systems do not indicate any apparent failure or overheating.

my car is a 2000 ford focus se with 41,000 miles. within the last few months i have noticed a hesitation in acceleration and a difficult time in starting. on july 30th of this year my car would start but not continue to idle. i brought it to my ford dealer and they replaced a idle air control valve @ the cost of $400. this past weekend my car would not start again and i had it towed to the same ford dealership as previously mentioned. they told me it was the fuel pump and it would cost $600. this car has only 41,000 miles on it. i have been to many websites/forums and notice i am not alone. is a recall on the fuel pump in process? *jb

I purchased my 2000 ford focus se from merlin motors in saskatoon. production date - may 2/2000, stock no. pp24941, r.o. no. 155631. i believe this car was previously owned by someone in british columbia. here is a chronological breakdown of repairs. april 17/01 - took car in because driver mirror vibrated badly when driving - so badly that i could not look into it, it was shaking that much. also, the trunk would not open from the release inside the car. parts were ordered at this time. vehicle kilometers- 32854. june 19/01 - they checked for driver mirror vibrating when driving and replaced driver side exterior mirror. the also checked for trunk not opening from the release inside the car, they replaced the trunk stop and adjusted. vehicle kilometers- 35222 june 20/01 - they checked for power steering leak and replaced steering rack and set toe. vehicle kilometers- 37782?? (this is obviously an error - i know i did not drive 2, 560 km in one day!) i also did not complain about the power steering and don't recall why my car was in there at the time. sept 21/01 - they repaired rattle in right front going over bumps, tightened all assemble bolts in front end, removed right caliper and rotor, lubed all bushing, adjusted front splash shields, found tie rod bolt loose and tightened. they also fixed molding on window belt, which was loose and checked inside rear view mirror and found it flawed - part on order. vehicle kilometers- 43170. nov 3/01 - we were driving in saskatoon when engine started to boil. we knew this because of steam coming from the hood, all gauges in the car read normal! we took car to merlin - they could find nothing wrong with the car after their checks, and told us to bring it back if it happened again! work order for this date states: customer saw steam coming from under hood, antifreeze pooled on engine, gauge read normal, steam coming from overflow tank - fill with a/freeze, pressure test for leaks, no leaks found.

While driving at any speed on the highway vehicle stalls intermittently, and by doing so, it causes steering wheel to lock. vehicle had been in dealer's shop for fuel pump replacement. at the time of fuel pump replacement mechanic broke the plastic coupling that connected the fuel line to the fuel tank. the breaking of the coupling caused an explosion to occur in the fuel tank. *ak

I own a 2000 zx3 ford focus. well the reason of my complaint is when taking right hand turns my car feels like its going to stall. this really scares me cause i've almost been in two accidents because of it. i heard that its due to a faulty fuel pump. bad thing is im 1,000 miles passed my warranty. *jb

On several occasions the vehicle stalled causing loss of power. (nar) *ph fuel pump replaced twice. *cb

Fuel supply cuts out and vehicle stalls when making long right hand sweeper turns with accelerator depressed (wot) when fuel tank is less than 1/2 full. this typically happens on highway on-ramps when brisk acceleration is required to safely merge into traffic.

In july i had to have the fuel pump and sensor replaced as the guage would read empty when the tank was full. today,the car stalled while i was parking it. i smelled gasoline and got out of the car to find a large amount of gas leaking all over the ground. i then had to have the car towed to the dealer, as the car is still under warrenty. however, before the car could be towed i had to call the fire dept. as aaa will not tow a car leaking gas until they get an ok from the fire dept. *ak

In the last 6 months i've owned this vehicle i cannot let it go below a quarter tank or the vehicle acts like it's running out of gas. i've replaced the fuel filter and problem still occurs. dealer wants to charge to tell me whats wrong but i feel this is a defect from ford as i've researched and found several other complaints that are the same. hoping for a recall......*ak