Problems with 2000 Ford Focus WHEELS

The rear passenger bearing has failed on my vehicle. the bearings appear to be recalled on the year and make of my vehicle but the dealership refuses to replace them. nhtsa campaign #01i017000,

Driving at 20mph the left front wheel fell off. this happened due to the subframe being completely rusted through and it broke at the arm leading to the wheel. inspection sticker 9 months earlier did not mention any issues. car body does not appear to have any rust. $750 to repair using used subframe. value of car approx $1400. unusual level of subframe rust for age, condition and geographical location of car. *tr

The 2000 ford focus started making a grinding noise 3 weeks after purchasing it. the back riders side wheel bearing was bad. it has now been changed 3 times in less than 1 year and 6000 miles! we found there had been a recall on this same thing back in 2001,and was fixed. so its still going bad and ford wont stand behind it! also the door handle wont work and that was a recall that was fixed too, also to bad so sad! ford has turned into a very bad company to do business with!we have always had fords,but that's about to change! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated the rear end off the vehicle would feel loose driven over 20 mph. the contact stated that the failure felt similar to the vehicle attempting to accelerate. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was advised that the rear wheel bearings failed. the mechanic told the contact there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 00v303000 (wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts) yet when the contact spoke with the manufacturer, he was advised that the vehicle was previously repaired under the recall in 2002. the contact was concerned because the bearings failed even after the recall repairs. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileages were 1470,000.

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 while driving approximately 55 mph, she heard a noise from the driver side rear tire. she pulled over but could not find a failure. she smelled smoke but there was none visible in the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing where the contact was informed that the driver side rear tire was not bolted to the wheel. the tire bearing and drum needed to be replaced. the brake pads also burned as well. the contact found recall 00v303000 (wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts) which seemed to be directly related to the failure. the current and failure mileages were approximately 57,000. updated 05/18/10. *lj

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 50 mph, there was a bumping sound and the vehicle started slowing down. he noticed that the wheel separated from the vehicle and rolled away. the tire was not securely fastened onto the wheel. he managed to stop the vehicle without crashing. the vehicle was towed and the tire and rim were replaced. there was also damage to the front fender. the failure and current mileages were 196,400. updated 06/08/09 *bf the center of the rim remained bolted to the vehicle, but a larger portion of the rim separated from the vehicle. updated 06/18/09.*jb

Left rear wheel bearing disintegrated at 109,563 kilometers (68,000 miles). luckily stopped immediately and checked cause of noise. wheel was wobbling, and would have shortly fallen off, or seized, potentially causing car to serve into oncoming traffic. removed wheel and replaced bearing myself. roller bearings in pieces, wheel hub very hot. there is a recall for this defect but apparently my car was not included as i never received a notice. recall should be extended. 2000 ford focus se sedan. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. sporadically, the contact would hear a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle along with a vibrating sensation. upon further inspection, he noticed that the rear driver's side wheel and brake drum assembly were abnormally loose. the manufacturer stated that his vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 00v303000 (wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts); therefore, they would not assume financial responsibility for the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 129,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while the contact's spouse was driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle began to pull to the right. he slowly drove the vehicle home and discovered that the nut backed off the hub on the rear driver side wheel. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 00v303000 (wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts). the current mileage was 88,056 and failure mileage was 88,040.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving between 35-45 mph, the rear wheels began to wobble. the mechanic stated that the rear wheel bearings needed to be replaced. the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 00v303000 (wheels, lugs, nuts/bolts); however, the failure has recurred. the contact inquired about nhtsa safety improvement campaign number 01i017000 (wheels, lugs, nuts/bolts) and was informed that the campaign was over. the failure mileage was 170,000.

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. the contact stated that nhtsa campaign id number 01i017000 (wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts) only applies to those residing on the east coast of the united states. the contact stated that he is also experiencing the same failure where he resides. the failure occurred in the state of washington in december of 2007 during massive floods and snow storms. he took his vehicle to the dealer several times and they confirmed the failure. the contact notified the head sales department and they stated that nothing could be done because he was not in the regional location as the recall stated. the failure and current mileages were 100,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the dealer and manufacturer refused to repair the vehicle under nhtsa campaign id number 01i017000 (wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts). the dealer stated that they did not have to perform the recall because the vehicle was repaired under the original recall (nhtsa campaign id number 00v303000). the current and failure mileages were 115,000.

Left wheel fell off on the free way and 2 passengers were injured. *tr

Rear wheel bearings failed on my 2000 ford focus. the right rear wheel literally almost came off while i was driving on the interstate. there was no advanced warning that this was going to happen. i simply heard a whining noise (and a couple of clicking sounds) moments before i lost control of the vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact heard a loud grinding noise coming from the rear end of his vehicle. he took the vehicle to a local mechanic and the rear wheel bearings were replaced. weeks later, the noise recurred, especially while applying the brakes. the manufacturer stated that they were aware of the failure, but the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 00v303000 (wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts). the failure mileage was 85,000 and current mileage was 90,000. updated 12/12/07 *bf updated 12/12/07 *tr

A "grinding" noise was heard when brakes were applied. inspected brakes - found no problem. within a few days the grinding noise turned into a constant "growling"/ "rumbling" noise. re-inspected wheels/ brakes and found drivers side rear wheel to be loose / wobble (lug nuts were properly torqued). closer inspection revealed that the hub/ wheel bearing assembly had "significant play". while the car was jacked up the drivers side rear wheel would go from "easily spun to nearly locked up". the "rear bearing retaining cap recall" was performed on this car years ago - we are the original owner of this car.*jb

I've had this happen three times now. i get a flat tire. pull over, jack up the car, take off the lug nuts, then find myself unable to remove the wheel. it is like the wheel rim has frozen or seized onto the hub. this happened most recently just yesterday night. i was driving on a dark highway when front driver's side tire went flat (nail in the tire). i was alone, and i'm a female - with good upper body strength. it was very scary when, after 30 minutes of trying with all my strength to pull the wheel off so i could put on the spare, a truck pulled over and a strange man offered to help. this guy was big, like arnold schwarzenneger, but even he was unable to pull the wheel off! thank god he was a nice person and not some freak rapist or murderer. he called a tow company for me, who towed me to a service station where they had to use a small jack-hammer like thing to remove the wheel. this should not happen! and this is the third time i've had this problem in the three years i've owned it. *nm

For almost one month, loud humming in front right and both rear wheels and loud rear squeaking on braking revealed, after 4/20/06 inspection, failed wheel bearings in our ford focus se 2000 in right front and both rear wheels. both rear cylinders were leaking fluid and right brake drum was failing. many of the ford focus vins issued during 2000-2001 manufacturing years had wheel-bearing failure issues and consequent recalls. we were informed by "maria" at ford motor company, today that our vin was not one that had a wheel bearing issue. how, then, could three of our four sets of wheel bearings fail? ultimately, failed wheel bearings can lead to wheel failure and detachment leading to injury or death. why isn't the nhtsa addressing this serious issue with ford, as the manufacturer appears to be sidestepping its ethical and legal responsibility in this matter. we spent over $1,000 on this repair. nine months ago, our front coil springs failed, which could also have led to a fatality. ford assisted us then, but is doing nothing to help us now. please note that because on ongoing teamsters strike, most ford dealer shops were unavailable to service customer service or supply needs at the time we sought service. we seek reimbursement for repair of wheel bearings, rear drums and cylinders/lining. wheel bearing service reimbursement is essential. *jb

The right wheel bearing failed for the third time. the first two were recalls and paid for by ford. this time they refused to be responsible for a bill of $270. it seems to me that a known defect should have repair coverage forever, and that a wheel bearing should not have to be replaced every 40,000 miles. *jb

Dt: the contact stated there was nhtsa recall campaign 00v303000 concerning the wheels: lugs: nuts, and bolts. this vehicle had the same problems as indicated in the recall, but was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak

Mine is a ford focus 2000 se. the rear wheel bearing on the left side has gone bad and needs to be replaced on my vehicle. it is causing a loud rumbling noise at speeds higher than 20 mile/hr and wobble at speeds higher than 50 mile/hr. apparently this is a common problem and can lead to the wheel coming off during motion. it seems like there was a service campaign by the ford company (nhtsa campaign id 01i017000) to address this issue. i also noted nhtsa action number pe 02016 for this same problem. i contacted the company to be told that my particular vehicle (according to the vin number) was not supposed to be having this problem and thus not part of any service campaign or recall. it is very unfortunate that the company does not take responsibility of a common safety problem with their vehicle, just because in their assessment it is not their fault. i was wondering if i can take advantage of the above mentioned service campaign or the nhsta action number. *jb

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

on 19 feb 2005 i went to have my rear brakes replaced on my 2000 ford focus. when they went to replace the rear brakes, they found that the rear wheel bearings were seized to the rear spindle. i had recall #01b85b done on 27 dec 2001 to prevent this. but it did not help. *jb

My driver's side rear wheel broke and nearly came completely off while i was driving in the car with my children. the car is parked in my garage because i refuse to spend anymore money trying to get it fixed.

While driving 50 mph the rear driver side wheel separated from the vehicle without warning. as a result the vehicle fish tailed severely, however, the driver was able to pull to the side of the road. the cause has not been determined. please provide additional information.*ak

I own a 2000 ford focus. the wheel bearings have been replaced 3 times. it appears that they will fail every 20,000 miles. i have notified ford motor co. and they have advised me that they cannot help at this time. i assumed when i purchased this car that it was safe and reliable. i am sorry to say that i was wrong. i find it hard to believe that any car in michigan would need to have the wheel bearings replaced every 20,000 miles. the first failure occurred before the recall when my daughter was driving the car. the tire was shaking and almost fell of the car. the second failure occurred during the recall. the third failure occurred when my daughter noticing a loud humming from the rear of the car. i have contacted ford motor co. customer care center twice and they have informed me that due to the mileage of the car (68,000) that they are unable to help me at this time. i advised them that the repair was only 20,000 miles old. they advised me that this does not matter to them. if ford had correctly fixed the problem, in my mind, it should not occur again every 20,000 miles. if ford is just replacing the part with the original design part, it will continue to fail. i would hate to see a death occur because this design flaw was not fixed correctly. ford is also stating that we must pay for the repairs because we did not 'pay' for the extended warranty. thank you.

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

Consumer attempting to get a reimbursement for repairs that was done on 2000 ford focus. *mr the drum was badly rusted and the bearing(s) were in bad shape. the consumer stated the problem was a faulty due to the first year model and or poor mechanic workmanship. *sc there was a recall regarding this issue recall #00v303000 *jb

Rear wheel bearing had to be replaced a second time. the first time this was covered under the recall campagin. after the first replacement under the recall, the bearing developed the same problems and had to replaced a second time. the second fix was not covered under the recall, since the repair was done once before.

While driving the dash light began to flicker then the vehicle shut down suddenly while in gear. *nm campaign id number : 00v411000. the consumer was told that the power cable to the battery was the result of the problem. campaign id number : 02v288000. the consumer was told by the service department that this is a problem because the vehicle could explode. the warranty company turned the consumer down stating that the problem was not part of the warranty. the key gets stuck in the vehicles ignition and would not come out. the doors would not close properly and remained open while the vehicle was in gear. when the tire was removed the consumer noticed that the wheel was missing a lug nut. campaign id number : 00v303000 the air vent did not stay open when the a/c was on high. the brakes howled like a wounded dog from the time of purchase. pads and rotors needed to be replaced. *tc

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 50 mph, the driver side rear wheel and brake drum assembly separated from the vehicle as described in nhtsa campaign id number 00v303000 (wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts). ford stated that the vin was not included in the recall; however, the vehicle was repaired. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 56,324 and failure mileage was 38,492.

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.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving at any speed, the contact heard a loud grinding noise coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the wheel bearings needed to be replaced. she is unsure if the vehicle was repaired at that time. approximately four years later, she experienced the same failure. the mechanic stated that there was a crack in the wheel bearing and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the vehicle has not been repaired. there is recall # 00v303000 (wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts). the dealer stated that her vehicle was excluded from the recall, although the contact feels it should be included. the current mileage is 58,000 and failure mileage was 10,141.

Started experiencing problems with the vehicle after purchase. suddenly in august, all power systems/computer type items began to fail -- power locks, trunk release. then, car began (and still does) to sputter and shake when stopped/idle until it would shutdown. also, the radio/cd player would shut off. checked for tsbs for the vehicle model & year and found at least 15. when i took the car to the dealer (world ford sandy springs) we were told that they are technical service bulletins and that we would have to pay to have the car repaired. only official ford recall notices, not even ntsa recall notices, would be honored. on top of this, we would be expected to pay $90 per complaint batch (the tsb list was batched in to 3 main areas)for diagnostic purposes and if any of the complaints were related to a recall, the $90 would be refunded as applicable. i expressed that if ford issued a tsb and the ntsa issued a recall notice, then i should not have to pay to have the car worked on.

While driving wheel lugs:nuts came loosened. dealer notified. *ak

I now have a problem with the transmission. the mechanic thinks it is a filter or switch that keeps the oil level in the transmission when turning right. my car shuts off when i make right turns. i have spent way too much money and still owe on this car..frankly i would like to turn it in! has lot of repair needs too much money. i had all of the recall work done also

I purchased a ford focus in april 2000. at that time i opted for the 3 year/36000 coverage. later in that year i was involved in the rear wheel bearing recall and brought the car in for repairs. last week my left rear wheel bearing went-and as the mechanic said "i'm suprised your wheel didn't come off". i contacted ford customer service and was informed that since i was no longer under warranty protection (vehicle has 40,000 miles) i was no longer covered, and the customer service representative proceeded in trying to offer me extended coverage for my car. i feel that since they "tried" to fix the problem and didn't -that they should still be resposnsible for the repair. there is no reason a wheel bearing should fail after only 40,000-especially when i had between 12-15,000 miles on the car at the time of initial recall/repair.

The brakes have been looked at three time because of noise and it's been serviced several times. it's in service right now and has been there for two weeks. i don't know if they are working on it or if they are repairing other things or what. i haven't had heat throughout the coldest part of the winter. the seat belts don't work and the paint is peeling. the car has locked up not letting me start the engine twice, then just out of the blue it decided to start. i tried to turn in and the car dealer at ford said he wouldn't touch it, didn't want it. we bought it aug. 9 2000-ford credit, simple interest 6.5 --first payment september $456.99 a month they say we owe too much to trade in ???this made no since. now i know what's been going on. my husband has been out to sea usnavy for almost a year and i'm scared to drive it i'm a nervous wreck about this car and i don't know what to do. there has been is so many recalls on this car i don't know if they have fixed them or not

The left front wheel disconnected from the vehicle and collapsed outward, dealer was not able to determine the cause.*jb

Consumer received a recall notice regarding the rear wheel hub retaining nuts which could possibly loosen, however the dealer stated the recall did not apply to tennessee residents.*jb

While driving the vehicle approx. 45 mph the rear passenger's side wheel seized after wobbling harshly for approximately 1/3 mile. the lead up events to this failure was two days of increasing vibration and clanging noise from the rear of the vehicle when in motion.

We purchased this 2000 ford focus on 11/13/00. we began having problems with the manual transmission for the first time in january 2001 and took it to the dealership on 1/25/01 for diagnosis and repair. the vehicle has been in for repairs 4 additional times for manual transmission problems on 8/01/01, 1/11/02,7/09/02, and 2/13/03. the problems have been difficulty shifting into 1st and 2nd gear, grinding when shifting into 3rd gear. one of the times it was taken in we had completely lost the ability to shift into 2nd or 4th gear. each time they have fixed the problem only to have more problems occur. the vehicle was taken to the dealership on 1/30/03 for road noise and wobbling in the wheel. the tire almost fell off on the way to the dealership. at that time we were advised that there was a recall on the wheel bearings. we had never received notification of this and in fact the service manager said that he was unaware of the recall until he looked up our vehicle in the computer. they subsequently performed the following repairs: found related damage because of recall as follows, left drum, spindle and bearings refaced right drum r & r right spindle. rear shoes replaced parts for related damage. this is the information stated on the invoice. at this time the check engine light had also been on so we asked them to also find out what that problem was. they found gross leak found at evap manifold line. replaced line. this vehicle has also been to the dealership for several recalls including the replacement of a battery cable on 1/30/03 and another unspecified recall on 10/02/01. this vehicle has been in the shop 6 times for a total of 67 days in the 27 months that we have owned it. it now has 35,800 miles and the warranty is about to expire. we have made several calls to the dealership and to ford customer service. they have offered to extend the warranty on the drive train and charge us a $50 deductible each time that the vehicle requires service on this system.

Nhtsa#11813-00-v-303-000 rear wheel hub retaining nuts can loosen and allow the left rear wheel and brake drum assembly to separate from the vehicle: consumer states has the same problem on the right side of the vehicle. dealer has been notified. please provide further information. ts

Loud noise coming from rear wheels, dealer service center diagnosed as bad rear bearings. not covered by warantee or recall, similar to: investigation: pe02-016 model year: 2000 subject: rear wheel bearing failure -rear wheel bearings may fail, causing rear wheel to loosen and separate from vehicle.

My complaint is all the problems we have had with the focus. we have had numerous recalls and work done from the drivers seat collapsing, wiring harness replaced, bearings in front, and rear, brake assembly, sway bar, and have had to replace 3 sets of tires, and line up 3 times because they will not make good and the car eats tires. now we have 52,000 miles on the car, and a pin has come loose and gone through the transmission, and case. altough the dealer has been very good, we bought a new car so we would not have this hassle, and that is all we have had.

The ignition switch broke. the key would only go in half way. this happened all of a sudden, no warning. we drove the car to my wifes apartment at school to change for our daughters pre-graduation dinner and when we went back out to leave the key would not go into the ignition. this was on a friday night and graduation was the next day at 10:30. we contacted the local marquette, ford dealer crown motors and they had to tow the car in. the car was locked in park and the steering wheel was locked. we were not there when they towed it away but my wife was stuck in marquette until the following thursday waiting to get the ignition replaced. the dealer said they had to drill out the old switch to remove it. the new switch was coded to our old key so that was good and the crown ford dealer was very nice and accomodating to my wife. we were told when we bought the car from bessemer auto that this was a "program car" but found out through the internet that it was a rental car. i don\\'t think a rental car is the same as a program car. i am 67 years old and have owned many cars over the years and i have never had an ignition switch break to the point the key would not go in. at 37000 miles not good dependability. my jeep has 143,000 and the ignition works fine and i stop and start a lot. i am almost afraid to know any more about the focus problems. my wife really loves this car but is now very unsure of its dependability. she drives home from school at night sometimes and stops at a very remote station for a break and tea. had this happened there she would have been in a real fix since the closest dealer either way is 80 miles.

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.

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.