Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I own a 2000 ford focus and among all the recalled parts i've fixed the car continues to have problems. the car jumps either when i press the gas or if the car is in idle. i've brought it to a mechanic and they thought it had to do with the oil leaking in my spark plugs which they fixed and gave me a tune up with all ford parts. of course now they suggest bringing it to the dealer and have ford run tests. i've probably have gotten something fixed on my car every 6 months for the past 3 years. also i've had to replace 3 windows due to the device that pulls it up and down broke. and now my key won't start the car. i can't start my ignition because of the key lock/pin is defective. what more do i have to go through for ford to recall or fix this car, get in an accident and get hurt myself. *nm

Recently the vehicle started to idle erratically sometimes dying, i took it to the dealership and they told me the bosch platinum spark plugs were not compatible with ford vehicles and sold me new spark plugs. the problem seemed to go away but about 30 days later it started again. frustrated with the dealers performance i checked the vehicle myself and found that the crankcase vent between the engine and firewall had a rubber elbow and hose that were collapsing after the vehicle started. i removed them and found the elbow had a hole and the hose seemed to be structurally weakened. i replaced both and no more problem. *jb

For several weeks, when i would go to start my ford focus (2000 se), i would feel a small amount of turbulence coming from the engine. today, as i delivered my newspaper route, the engine had a loud unrythmic tick to it. by the afternoon, when i attempted to turn on the car, the engine shook violently and made a terrible 'clanking' sound that echoed loudly from within the chambers of the engine. i have not attempted to restart my vehicle, because my mechanic warned that he has worked on three other focus models that have had the same problem. two of those vehicles experienced an exploding of their engines. my vehicle will cost anywhere between 500$ and 1000$ to repair, but even then there is no guarantee that it will be remedied. the mechanic believes that the problem exists within the fourth chamber's bearings, which - if out of alignment - causes the shaft to lose centrifugal force (hence the violent shaking). *nm

I was returning to florida from new orleans in mid february, 2006 when my car stalled. it was extremely hot outside and the engine seemed extremely hot, but the temperature gauge showed no problem. i waited a half hour and the car restarted only to stall again after 20 minutes or so of driving. this happened the whole way down to florida. i spent 5 nights in motels and had a ford dealer in north florida supposedly fix the problem for $200.00 only to have it stall again about an hour or two from the dealership. i waited until nightfall when it would be cooler and made it all the way to tampa before it stalled again. i cannot drive my car long distances (100 miles or so) in the florida summer heat. *nm

2000 ford focus suffers from defective motor mounts that could cause drive shaft damage. there was a recall for this problem in some areas according to my ford dealer, my car was not included in that recall. i would like to file a complaint to document that my car and others falling in that parameter should be included in the recall for right motor mount. *nm

There is a leak in the resevoir for the radiator, electrical problem with the radio. the radio keeps losing power when going down the road. the master switch for the passenger window does not work, the rear passenger window assembly is broke leaving the window not able to stay up. there is a funny noise when driving down the road. it sounds like a crackly noise. half of the time the heat will not work. *jb

2000 ford focus se, engine will stall with no warning causing a complete stop of the vehicle in the middle of the highway almost causing an accident. since the problem didn't show any prior symptoms i consider this a major safety problem due to that when it happened to me in a 5 line highway at night with heavy traffic only luck helped me avoiding a major accident. i received a letter from ford back on 2004 related to a fuel pump problem and a replacement program to vehicles having symptoms listed on the letter. at that time my vehicle was working fine so i follow the recommended action that was to take no action and safe the letter in case of something happening in the future. how good is the letter if this problem no give any warning signs it happen at any given time. please follow up on this problem that had been reported by many owners. *jb

Problems with car stalling, overheating, and the oil dip stick dislodging, car doors do not open properly from the inside or outside, possessing airbag was ejected. *jb

Burn oil fumes/smell coming out the vents and engine compartment. *nm

While driving my 2000 ford focus zx3 my car lost all horsepower and would barely drive down the road. i had the throttle body replaced and now it is making a loud noise if you try to excelerate. with this occuring i am left with nothing to do but, spend "more" money on problems everyone is having with this year and model of car. what does it take for the ford corporation to do something about it...someones life could be taken with all these defects and reoccuring problems. *nm

1) rear wheel bearings.. both needed to be replaced on car with less than 62,000 miles. ford said not their problem. 2) thermostat housing made out of plastic, needs to be replaced due to cracking (ford know about this problem will not do a recall). engine light comes on every 3 months. will never buy another ford again. tired of putting money into what we thought was going to be a good car. *nm

Purchased a 2000 ford focus on07/23/2005, with optional service contract and on 09/16/2002, had engine problems took it back to dealer, insurance does not want to cover all repairs i'm liable for1,900 and they wil pay the rest which the vehicle needs an engine overhaul, but its still under warranty and i'm liable only for my deductible of 100.00 through some investigating i've been doing this vehicle is "lemon law buy back".also a dealer roll back vehicle, my contract also was to cover all rental got one on 09/16/05 returned on it 10/3/05,still left without a vehicle,currently still at dealer service center. the worst car i had only 2 months with it, obviously there are more defects. what kind of products is ford putting out on the road so many complaints i mean we do not have any information on whether repurchased vehicles encounter a frequency of repairs that is greater than the equal value ,so far nothing has been done i have submitted a complaint letter to the ford corporation requesting that they look into this situation also made claims to th ,bbb,dept. of motor vehicles, consumer affairs, dept. of ins. have not heard response from ford corp. moreover ford has been aware that this class vehicle made inordinately prove to be a failure. what about that extra service contract? what about the costs incurred during this 50 day lengthy-repairs? since i have had this vehicle which was for 2months only this is the fist failure and the last. *nm

I have a ford focus 2000, my complaint is i have put new parts on this car , a new engine, fuel pump, parts on the front end and a lot more. plus making a car payment. when i take it to the ford shop i don't like the way i am treaded. i still have all my receipts for my car i feel ford should care about their cars and the buyers. *nm

Dt: caller said that the vehicle started making a clanking noise. the vehicle stalled and would not start. vehicle was on a road that had no emergency lane to pull over. vehicle was towed to caller's house, and was still leaking oil. a mechanic said the engine blew out. manufacturer said there was no recalls, and caller's warranty expired. dealer said to bring to bring vehicle but she would have to pay for any repairs herself. caller had a tune up 2 weeks ago. *ak

The consumer had numerous repairs performed on her 2000 ford focus. *jb recall campaign#02v288000 & 00v411000. repairs that have taken place within one year: 14 new tires because of a problem with the wheels, engine, transmission jerking, re-wired, battery, overheating and muffler. *sc

Dt: the vehicle was making a thumping noise at 35 mph, started over weekend, the engine mount cracked and engine dropped from the vehicle while it was in motion. was going 40 mph, and had only 58,000. dealer looked at it ,and said it wasn't under recall. the pressure of the engine breaking. also broke the axle. *ak

The exhaust manifold blew on the 2000 ford focus due to a leaking valve cover gasket.*mr *nm

Driving up freeway on ramp , while pressing on accelerator engine made loud noise. i pulled to the right emeregency lane open the hood. there was a hole on the block of my engine. metal chunks were stuck on my radiator . i also picked up metal pieces on the on ramp. when inspected the damages at home the camshaft rod that holds the cam was broken. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving approximately 25 mph there was knocking sound coming in the engine. there was also hesitation while accelerating. the contact stated that the engine light also illuminated on the dashboard. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic twice and the engine was replaced. the failure continued to occur after the vehicle was repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage 130,000.

2000 ford focus died while driving and the engine light illuminated on the dash. *mr *sc consumer was told that possibly the motor needed to be replaced. *tt

(1)none (2)2000 ford focus w/ 55,000 miles. engine threw a rod on middle of highway, engine lost power and steering messed up. almost caused accident at 60 mph. 5 quarts of oil leaked out onto highway (3)engine had to be replaced.*ak

My 2000 ford focus se's engine has repeatedly died while driving. it has died even at speeds above 60 mph, and has endangered me several times, especially when it happens going around a curve. luckily i have avoided an accident so far, but it's only a matter of time. this has happened i would say about 50 times. i am too poor to have it fixed, but i have had an engine flush and injector cleaning with no effect. *jb

Car is a lemon. radio has failed multiple times. door locks and ignition lock have failed multiple times. current problem is car stalls at intersections. emission light is on and stays on. deal can not fix.*jb i consider the stalling at intersections to be very dangerous. if someone is moving forward assuming the car will move, and it does not because of the stall, a crash may result.

Nhtsa campaign 00v303000/rear wheel hub nuts. owner was driving and heard a rattling noise in the rear of the vehicle. owner took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the left rear wheel and brake drum assembly began to seperate. owner also contacted the manufacturer. although this year make and model is currently being recalled for this defect, due to the vin this vehicle was excluded and the owner received no assistance from the manufacturer. provide further details.

While driving and upon making a left or right turn vehicle stalled which almost caused an accident. consumer contacted the dealer. however, the dealer will do nothing to assist the consumed. recall 03v482000 concerning stalling was issued. *ak

The vehicle's brakes had to be replaced about every three months. *nm the rear end was unable to be lined up, if so, the vehicle would fishtail back and forth and the consumer would unable to drive the vehicle. the tires were out of round and the vehicle would run rough, especially when going up hills. *sc *jb

Vehicle was recently serviced at the dealership. consumer parked the vehicle at home and inadvertently the vehicle caught on fire. consumer called the fire department, and the fire was extinguished. according to the fire department it was an engine fire.*ak

We have a 2000 ford focus. i have been having problems with this car ever since september to present date. no one can figure out what is wrong with this car. ever sense september this car has been through 4 dealerships. (pomoco smithfield, pomoco lincoln mercury, pomoco jeep, and freedom ford) 2 recall notices were performed.(fuel delivery module and the pinch bolt battery cables or "steering linkages".) the car has cut off on me a total of 16 times that i can definitely recall. i hit a curb due to engine failure. the underside of the passenger side of the car was damaged. i also almost got into 2 accidents as a result of engine failure. i also got a ticket for failure to stop at a red light because of the car puttering and almost completely stalling at red lights. my engine light came on yesterday. (march 1, 2005) for the second time. *ak

This complaint is concerning clarification of our previous complaints to nhtsa regarding the 2000 ford focus : #10104088 and #10107840. i am extremely concerned about the misinterpretation of data collected by your agency and posted for public review. deaths are not posted, nor are they included as injuries. this misrepresents the seriousness of the vehicle and equipment failures reported. *jb

Fatality vehicle fire, dec. 8 2004. my husband is the original owner of a 2000 ford focus, subject to numerous service visits to bill brown ford, livonia mi for: ignition, steering column, wheel bearing, brake, rear window control, seat belt &trunk latches, overhead light and engine light. the vacuum line & fuel pump & valve assembly were replaced 2/03, followed by stalling. in 6/03, a/c compressor & manifold line replaced. fuel line & pump failure in 8/03, resulted in gasoline spill on residential street minutes after parking. bogging followed repairs, pcm reprogrammed & leaking pvc tube replaced 1/04. fuel pump again replaced. in 8/04, our 24 year old son took ownership of this problematic car. we are uncertain as to whether vehicle malfunction caused a 35 mph collision with a fire hydrant. an immediate engine explosion and fuel fed fire trapped my son and his passenger. described by police as a relatively minor crash which would not be expected to claim lives, the subsequent unexplained engine fire claimed two young lives. a malfunctioning driver's airbag was also detected. this incident was originally reported to nhtsa by my husband (#10104088). i am supplying these additional facts for your clarification. please correct your posting of "0" injuries as there were 2 fatalities. please take effective action to save lives, as these trouble plagued vehicles seem to become more lethal as they age. confirmation of receipt of this information is requested. *nm *sc *jb

While at a stop the pistons dropped. consumer managed to pull over, and had the vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Since buying this car in october 2000, i have had 4 fuel pump replacements. the car is now on its 5th fuel pump, and the problem the fuel pump replacement is supposed to correct is still happening. the car still has trouble (especially in wet or humid weather) with sputtering and jolting/surging. most recently it has been getting worse and worse. luckily the surging has (of yet!) not caused me to have an accident. right now the car is in for a timing belt replacement (!) which was replaced incorrectly and now i have cylinder head issues.*ak

While driving at unknown speed engine light illuminated. then, vehicle stalled, and consumer restarted the vehicle. dealership informed the consumer that problem pertained to the head gasket valve failure. however, the problem was not resolved. *ak

While driving vehicle stalled. consumer was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that engine needed to be replaced. *ak

At 77,230 the rack and pinion needed to be replaced because it was worn and about to break. also a week or two later at 77,300 miles the engine seized while driving. the dealership thinks that a housing ring came loose and welded on the cylinder. the engine was installed, but did resolve the problem. the vehicle has been shipped to the factory for further service. *jb

The vehicle stalled while driving. this failure is possible related to recall 03n01. *nm recall number number (03v482000) the consumers vehicle experienced engine problems (engine hesitation, loss of power, and surging)as a result of a faulty fuel pump. the consumer was able to minimize the problems by keeping the fuel tank 3/4 to full as set forth in the notice. *tc

After receiving a recall letter vehicle was taken to dealer for service, and was told the service could not be performed because of a branded title. previous recall service has been performed.*ak

When driving more than 20 mph the whole front end shook violently. please provide additional information. *jb altenator replaced still having problems. engine will only allow the vehicle to drive 20 mph. *tc

At approximately 45,000 miles the vehicle started leaking coolant. shortly thereafter the car was brought in on extended warranty work. the thermostat housing was replaced. since then the car will overheat when stopped or in traffic without having the climate controls on and in recirculation mode. *jb

While driving at any speed vehicle stalled intermittently, resulting once in a crash. *ak

While driving vehicle hesitated. dealership informed consumer that the problem was pertained to the failure of the egr valve. *ak

While driving 75 mph vehicle stalled. consumer managed to pull over, and had the vehicle towed. but on one occasion was able to restart the vehicle. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

At 88,000 miles my focus started losing power and cutting off completely. it would start back up when cranked. the dealership (way brothers) would always say its not doing it now or we can't find anything wrong with it. after taking it back several times with the same results it started knocking and cut off completely. the dealership told me it would cost 3500-4000 to fix (that's without knowing exactly what was wrong with the engine) i had another engine installed and it drove fine for a year and started doing the same thing (losing power and cutting off) the dealership told me the same thing (can't find anything wrong) now it is knocking and smoking from the pipe leading to the manifold. this is my second engine what is the problem with 2000 focus or is it all focus. *nm

Consumer was told that the vehicle should have 1/4 tank. fuel pump was defective and vehicle stalled without notice. a recall was issued by manufacturer. however, consumer was turned away by the dealer, and was told that she will have to pay for towing the vehicle to the dealer, although the vehicle was not safe safe for driving. *ak

Problems with the vehicle motor going fast then slowing down. *mr when the vehicle was in motion, there was thump in the rear under the seat as if it were stopping and or losing power, the emission light had come on the dash board and would go off and on again, the floor would vibrate and rattle, the engine would cut off when at stop lights, the key would not turn in the ignition/stuck in cylinder. the stalling would occur especially when the fuel tank was below 1/2. *sc *jb

2000 ford focus se, car was pulling. felt like a jerking. car seemed to idle out. if i was to sit at a light for more than 30 secs it cut off. maybe 2-3 times in one day.i thought it was my transmission again. but my engine was failing . the head gasket was blown. the mechanic said it's from the car over heating. i don't know how that is possible when i literally fill the coolant to max every week to maybe two weeks. i have been doing this for i don't know how long. seems like since i bought it. now my car is the stop for and will be there for a week. cost over $900! i think everyone on this site needs to start a class action suite againts ford. this car was not ready for release at all. they are playing games with our lives like we are test dummies!*ak

While driving 70 mph vehicle stalled. consumer restarted the vehicle. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak. consumer claims intermittent stalling which started five months after purchasing vehicle. *ak

While driving vehicle stalled. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Car cut off at intersection in philadelphia, it wouldn't accelerate and acted as if it had run out of gas. when i restarted it, it would go about 4 blocks and shut off again. i did this 5x before i actually got home. also, the interior dash area was very hot. i almost called the fire dept., but there wasn't a fire. investigation date closed 1/16/04 per nhtsa and vehicle was sold to me 2/16/04. i was not told of any such problems with the vehicle prior to purchase. dealer does not want to accept responsibility. my 2d payment is due may 1st to americredit.*ak

While driving consumer noticed black smoke coming from the engine. consumer pulled the vehicle over, opened the hood, and saw that the engine was on fire. driver was able to put out the flames. *ak