Problems with 2000 Ford Focus STRUCTURE

The rear door latches on my car have failed. the car's year and make was recalled under recall: 05s27, nhtsa campaign # 05v030000 however my vin number is not covered under this campaign. i now have rear doors tied together using a rope.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the vehicle slip on ice and crashed into a boulder. the contact stated that pieces of the dashboard fractured causing injuries to the front passenger's left side of the face, front of neck, chest, abdomen, and left thigh which required medical attention. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

Key wont go into ignition, wheel locked up, have to get locksmith to fix...barely affordable. *tr

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph on a curved road, a loud noise was heard from the rear of the vehicle. the contact moved off the roadway to inspect the failure and discovered that the driver's side subframe had become completely detached from the vehicle due to corrosion. there was also a large hole under the carriage. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 54,140.

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 approximately 35 mph, she noticed a loud banging noise coming from underneath the vehicle. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic, who stated that the frame was fracturing and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileages were approximately 61,000.

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

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

2000 ford focus, rear doors will not close, currently using duct tape. although there was a recall, i'm told not my vin number. looked online, many other complaints like mine, also not their vin number. it appears to be much more wide spread than ford wants to admit. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 65 mph, the contact crashed into a guardrail with the front driver's side of the vehicle. he sustained injuries to the left side of his head due to the grab handle. a police report was filed and the vehicle was repaired. the contact feels that the grab rail in the vehicle is unsafe because it protrudes from the head liner in a folded position. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 139,000 and current mileage was 140,000. updated 06/29/09 *bf updated 07/02/09.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that the front and rear driver's side doors would not close and the locks failed. the failure has been occurring since january of 2009. in may of 2009, the doors opened while driving approximately 5 mph. the manufacturer and dealer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages: doors:latch) and it would cost $100 to diagnose the vehicle. the manufacturer would not assist. the failure mileage was 125,000 and current mileage was 130,000.

The driver side door no longer closes unless it is locked. it cannot be unlocked with a key. *tr

After rain, water puddled on passenger side floor. contacted ford dealer who said they are unaware of any such problem. however, they referred us to a repair man who said he fixed several hundred cars with this same problem. there was 4 inches of water in car and there is a foul moldy smell in car. apparently this has been an ongoing problem as i have noticed the smell in car prior to this incident. *tr

Ignition lock cylinder won't turn,front tires locked, car had to be towed in. dealership had to put the car on a jack to get it into the shop, removed steering column trim, had to drill out broken ignition lock cylinder assembly, had to set up new lock cylinder so the same keys would work. so not only am i stuck without a vehicle till after christmas, i had to pay a towing charge, plus the cost to have the car fixed. back car door latch on passenger side continually stuck and does not allow anyone to exit the vehicle from that side. rattling noise under the carriage is unexplainable - what is next? *nm

Following a minor accident, no damage, the airbag deployed broke the windshield and dashboard. for 12 months afterward the passenger floor would fill with water during rain showers. i took it to be repaired 4 times with no success finally on the 5th trip the body shop figured out that the glue or filler that was placed between the welded structural components during assembly at the factory had cracked leaving a tiny hole that was siphoning water into the passenger compartment. they applied sealant to the seam between the passenger door panel and roof and so far no more leaks. *jb

2000 ford focus se. motor mounts stripped out causing engine to drop and fall forward tearing out the "tripod" joint and sawing through the coolant lines. if this had happened on the highway it would have resulted in a crash. *jb

Brakes will not work when car first driven in morning. have to stand on the brakes to avoid hitting someone. ford will not fix this. this car is extremely dangerous along with the water leak, bad ignition key tumbler and poor gas mileage. it has been rotten from the get go. needs to be recalled! *nm

Dt: contact stated the passenger's side door will not unlock .also, the back passenger's door will not unlock. vehicle was taken to the dealership to be checked. she was told that the vehicle will need to be taken to a body shop to fix the doors.*ak

Water leaking on to the floorboard of the passenger side of the car. repair person said it might be the heater core but there is no leaking of anti-freeze. *nm

A hole appeared in the driver's seat upholstery, near the drivers left hip. disassembly of the seat cushion revealed a broken weld which allowed a sharp metal piece to puncture the upholstery. i also observed this on replacement seats i purchased from a 2002 svt focus. photos (of the 2000 seat) at https://flic.kr/p/mle2fp; https://flic.kr/p/mlduyh; https://flic.kr/p/mle5w6. i was aware of the hole when i purchased this car in 2005, but did not discover the cause until recently, when the seat folding mechanism failed, and i had to replace the seats, and noticed a similar hole in several that i saw. i then disassembled the original seat and found the cause of the problem. this issue is dangerous in that it exposes the driver's body to a sharp metal projection. *tr

I owe a 2000 ford focus se(wagon ) and have incurred a problem with the trunk latch and drivers side door latch. have been instructed that my vehicle was not covered under the recall due to vin even though the problem was the same as mentioned in the recall. also, vehicle was not covered under my extended warranty because it was not an electrical problem. i am suppose to be responsible for the $456.00 repair for the driver's door latch, and $148.00 for trunk latch repairs. i have owned the car for 1 year , this was the 4th ford, and the last i will ever purchase. my complaint stated that if there was a recall on a part it should be replaced at dealer's expense . i should not be required to pay for a problem i did not cause. i take very good care of my vehicles and should not have to suffer .*ak

Water entering passenger floor. carpet pad soaked mold smell in car.had it in dealer shop at 4500 miles 16000 miles they replaced carpet and obviously temporarily fixed the leak. now the warranty is up and the dealer wants me to pay to have the leak fixed. i attempted to repair it myself but cant stop the leak. ford has service bulletins about this water leak but apparently they don't know how to fix the leak either.now i am stuck with a molded smelling car and a wet carpet. *jb

While driving the door ajar light illuminated then suddenly the rear passenger's side door opened on the consumer 2000 ford focus. *nm the door would not catch without having to lock and slam the door several times. *sc *jb

Dt: caller indicated hatchback wife's vehicle keptopening. there was a recall, but the manufacturer claimed this vehicle was not included because it was not purchased in a northern state. dealer had not been contacted yet. *ak

While driving driver's door opened and closed on its own. vehicle was taken to the dealership on june 30 , 2004, dealer repaired and replaced hinges and electrical motor at consumer's expense of $700.00, but problem recurred. *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

Leaking water into passenger foot-compartment. isolated problem to plastic cover that sits beneath windshield, and is mostly accessible with hood open. the problem is that the plastic comes away from windshield due to some buckling in the plastic. fixed problem by applying pressure to plastic to bend it back to shape so it snagged-up closer to windshield. not seen problem since. mastic to adhere plastic to windshield might be an option to other people. the fuel gauge sometimes refuses to work. found this to be case when key is put into ignition and key-turned to start engine was done too quickly. if entering key into ignition and then turning key each click, giving each click a half-second, then gauge appears to be more reliable. when engine goes into slow-idling state, engine idles very erratically and is not smooth. sounds like only some of cylinders are firing. this has only started to occur today and since reading comments on this website, i'm concerned. have tried adding fuel-injector-cleaner to fuel tank, awaiting results of that. the trunk would not close. the problem here was fixed by removing the locking assembly from the trunk-lid and simply dowsing the mechanisms with wd40 and then bending some spring-loaded components.. there are 2 moving components in the lock. first is shape of a loop that you can easily move with finger/screwdriver. this component locks onto stub that you can see when opening trunk. the other component is hidden within casing and moves in front of other component to hold it in a locked position. problem was with this component. problem was component had "somehow" gotten bent and not free to leave casing and block other component. bending this to a position freeing it of casing fixed problem. engine lacked power when under load when accelerating, vehicle would shudder and decelerate instead of accelerate. problem resolved when ford dealer replaced spark-plugs plus leads and a full engine tune-up. $230 plus but fixed problem. *la

I have had problems with my ford focus ever since i purchased it in november 1999. now the interior is falling apart the rubber on the right passenger side is coming off, i opened the door on the drivers side and the panel fell off. the car has less than 40,000 miles this car has caused me nothing but trouble since i purchased it. i am a previous owner of ford product and was very satisfied with it. however, i feel the focus was not checked thoroughly before placing it on the market. this is not the first time i have contacted you all about this car. *la

Let's see, where shall i begin. within month or two of purchase of 2000 focus sedan it was back in the shop for the front a panel trim. it took 3 times to finally get that right. also less than 5 months after purchase, windshield had to be replaced due to a stress fracture (was a 1-1.5 hairline crack which appeared in windshield). the windshield has since been replaced again. while adjusting the rear-view mirror the windshield cracked around the base, apparently from slight pressure of mirror. and just recently, august 2003, i've noticed water drops flying up from above the dashboard. not sure if windshield is leaking around the bottom base or maybe a.c. haven't had it checked yet, but it will be in the shop this week for other problems i haven't mentioned yet. it was in shop in late 2001 or early 2002 for throttle problems. while the car was sitting still the engine would race between 2.5 and 3000 rpms. fortunately i never used the cruise control during that time. late 2002 the trunk lock mechanism apparently broke preventing the trunk from shutting properly. it wouldn't latch at all. i have yet to have the wiper motor cover recall fixed. and on different occasions the fuel gauge has read empty, no matter how much fuel you have in the tank. and just when you think nothing else can go wrong, it happens. me and my wife were shopping this morning on labor day saturday. we got in the car and i went to start it. my key somehow would not go into the ignition completely, no matter how hard i tried. we eventually call our triple aaa insurance and arrange for a locksmith to come and take a look. he looks at it a second and declares what we fear the worst. our focus is the 7th focus this month he has seen with the same problem. he said that the ignition would have to be replaced by ford. i believe that this should be a recall. i will never buy another ford.

Bought vehicle with a bad fuel pump. dealer replaced it in july 2003. steering column would not work, and dealer replaced it on march 19 2205. middle of april 2005 steering column failed again. will not replace it because it was not under warranty. also , the hatchback door latches are not working properly *ak

2000 ford focus lx 4-door sedan - numerous complaints: 1) currently have 75,200 miles on car and have gone through 5 (yes five!) complete sets of tires.2) engine stalls at any speed with no warning lights or indications, car bucks and gas pedal can be depressed to floorboard and car will not move - barely avoided three accidents (two of which would have involved my two small children) 3) all four doors will stick - really need to pull to open - and once open, they will not close again (you need to try to close the doors repeatedly before they finally latch). they also popped opened while driving. afraid one day one of my children or a passenger or myself may be injured. they are manual door locks and latches. 4) same with trunk - often needs repeated tries to close and latch 5) leak in front passenger footwell - when it rains, or when going through carwash 6) front brakes have been replaced twice at my cost - horrendous, irritating, embarassing squealing is incessant - brake dust accumulates every day! in some instances, brakes need to be applied very firmly to stop vehicle (again, i do not feel safe with my children in car). 7) extremely foul smell when air conditioning use is attempted. 8) stereo was replaced - original factory installed would not work after 2 months of ownership. 9) paint is flaking off of skirts - i was informed by ford that this is "sandblasting" and that i must drive on dirt roads all of the time - i live on an asphalt street, drive on asphalt roads and asphalt highways - not dirt! 10) fuel pump was replaced once already - was told i must be buying "dirty" gas - if it is dirty gas, is that my fault? i don't exactly run the gas stations, and i don't buy fro one specific station - i fuel up when i'm low, wherever it is convenient. 11) i have had three alignments to try to stop the horrible shaking of the car - the steering wheel vibrates so badly that my arms are sore by the time i get to my destination. *ak

Other than the recalls and the brakes squeaking constantly, everything was fine with my 2000 focus up until 1 month after the warranty expired. almost one month to the day, the instrument cluster stopped working. ford would replace it at a cost of at least $500, so i replaced it myself by ordering a part on line for a total of $45. a couple of months later, the ignition cylinder would not allow the key to fit all the way in and as a result the car was not able to start, resulting in a cost of around $300 to replace. i am beginning to see the stalling problem from the faulty fuel pump. now my automatic door locks and trunk release just stopped working and the car is making a very odd grinding noise when you turn. it would be one thing if i was the only one with these problems, but the facts are out there and many, many, many people are all having the exact same problems! i have written to ford main offices and my local ford dealership serveral times on these matters and i have never heard anything back. i honestly am never buying a ford vehicle again.*ak

The vehicle stalled intermittently, the dealer diagnosed the problem as a defective module, which caused electrical problems. *jb the odometer/speedometer had shutdown, the trunk opened, the keyless entry is inoperative and sometime the passenger(s) get stuck in the vehicle due to the faulty locks. scc

These items have not been repaired. (body) the metal dressing at the base of the window on the driver side is warped. (paint) the roof has several 2 - 3 inch cracks and the hood has approx. 100 1/2 cracks all in various places.

Consumer received poor service from ford motor company, as well as from following local ford dealers morande ford of berlin, ct and ray seraphin ford of vernon ct, and different opinions from ford employees concerning multiple recalls on a-frame/stereo/windshield wiper motor/rear wheel bearings, electrical system, and sudden acceleration/lurching. *ak

The driver's door did not open from the inside or the outside.*jb *ts

Problems with the engine falling out of the frame of the vehicle. dealer was contacted and stated that the warranty was expired so there was nothing they can do but how ever they will investigate why that happens. manufacturer was contacted and also stated that the vehicle had no more warranty so if consumer wanted to know what had happened he needed to pay to have the vehicle diagnosis. ts

The front and back floors were flooded, the dealership was unable to locate the source of the problem. *jb

My focus (manufactured october 1999) has had several problems with rusting paint. the first, reported in july was covered under the 36k bumper-2-bumper warranty. the latest (reported january '03), will not be. my zts sedan is rusting on the rear two doors on the inside about 1 1/2 inches up from the bottom of the door (where the metal is crimped). with less than 3-4lbs of force, i can take off portions of metal. this is not good business or engineering! in two years, i will have a hole in my door and i will be sending ford the repair bill and it will be paid for by ford.

Continued problems with ford 200 focus zts. bearings, electircal system, brake and paint issues among others.

My 2000 ford focus has had problems starting 2 months after i purchased it. it's been in 6 times for excessive brake noise and or squealing. the door hinges were squeeking and had to be replaced due to misalignment..it took 5 times to determine this. weather strip molding has been replaced due to falling apart around the headlights. the cd player/stereo was replaced with a new factory model when cd player would not work properly. the "new" model was replaced yet again due to coding seen and no numbers in the window digital area. the fuel pump was replaced after stalling more than 50 miles from home...still does not run up to performance. fuel area reworked again. would not start due to battery cable. ford needs to discontinue this model until they can fix the problems it has with it. they also need to get all focus models off the road, they are safety hazzards.

Upon getting out of the vehicle the bottom of the door was so sharp that it cut the consumer's leg. *ak

The trunk release button fails to work, now the lock is malfunctioning also.*ak

These problems have all happened at different times and seem to be completely unrelated. the rotors had to be replaced with the brakes at approximately 13k miles. the engine just went into idle while i was driving. this happened three separate times, but when i took it in to the dealer. they didn't see anything wrong with it and couldn't duplicate the malfunction. my rear wheels started making a very low noise around 8/15/02. after an accident at the end of august. the noise was much worse and the rear bearings were replaced by the shop that fixed my car after the accident. south florida is a "high-salt/corrosion" area because of our proximity to the sea. this was never introduced before. when the cigarette lighter is pushed in, it does not merely pop out when it is hot. it ejects and is thrown on the floor. having it land on my leg twice and my carpet scorched by it twice, it could have cause a serious accident. thank you for your assistance. dt

All four doors lock automaticly after getting into vehicle. when trying to get out of vehicle the door becomes stuck, unable to open with key on the outside of door. pulled windows, still could not open doors.*ak *jb

Passenger side door will not open or unlock manually or remote. dealer and manufacturer have not been notified at this time. *ak campbell ford stated that was one of the characters of the lock and refused to fix under warranty. consumer took to other dealer and found it was covered under warranty. *yh

electric system wiring causing lights/ windows, and door locks to go out. dealer notified.*ak

The key lock cylinder was repaired and it failed again.*ak *jb *ts