Problems with 2000 Ford Focus EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I was driving and my headlights and interior lights started to flicker and the check engine light came on and then the car just quit running after 10 minutes i was able to start the car and get home i have had this car (2000 ford focus) for a little over a year the place i purchased it from did not tell me about any problems but i have had problems for the whole time and they have only gotten worse i have put an alternator on it and changed a couple of wires that were melted but it did not help! i am afraid to drive the car now especially with my 2 year old in it with me this car is not safe to drive!!!

I have owned this car since december of 2003 and it has been a very large money pit. this time the car just stopped running. i had taken it to autozone and they told me it need an egr sensor or hosing for it. when i was turning at a light the car just stopped running when i had just turned onto a main highway. there has been major electrical problems with it since day one. this car has had 5 clutches in it and i have complained about that all in itself because a car should never need that many clutches within 100,000 miles. that is ridiculous and very expensive and i have gotten no where with that even though there are other 2000 ford focus's with the same issue. my one head light is not right it never has been there is corrosion on the inside of the headlamp. the rear door latch does not work on the passenger side of the vehicle. the passenger side front door also does not latch correctly and no longer locks at all. the trunk latch is not right either. it will not always unlatch and then close again. it often requires several more times of pushing the trunk release and it will finally unlock after several attempts. i have put thousands of dollars into this lemon. i have all the repair paperwork, it has a brand new breaking system, brand new transmission, brand new engine, brand new clutch, battery. we have replaced everything in this car and here we go again....this car has sat more than it has been driven!!! i honestly feel that we should be reimbursed for the money we spent on buying the car because it was and is still a lemon since day one...... *js

I was pulled over on my way home from work almost midnight, and was notified by the officer that i had no taillights, but my turn signals and hazard lights were working. the license plate light and running lights are not working either. in addition, several months ago the dashboard lights blew a fuse, and have repeatedly blown the same fuse. i saw that the wires on top of the hatchback, inside the rubber tube, are cracked and broken. i saw online that this is a recurring problem. there could have been an accident, as i work second shift and always drive in the dark. i don't know how long the lights have been out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that the passenger side tail light would not illuminate. she also experienced other electrical failures on the passenger's side of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the bulb was changed but the failure recurred. the manufactured was notified but they offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 224,000.

Plastic insulation of electrical connector that connects right headlight bulb with wiring overheated, melted and caused smoldering fire that led to damaging smoke deposits in headlight assembly. fire stayed contained to headlight housing. *tr

Fuse to vehicle running lights keeps blowing. headlights still work but all other exterior lights go out. result is driving at night with only headlights and brake lights. after months of replacing fuses intermittently, i discovered the wire harness to the rear hatch have wires that twisted and failed causing a intermittent short. *tr

For the third time since i've owned the car, the rear tail 'running' lights have blacked out. at the same time, dashboard lights do not function. nhtsa campaign 00v411000 covers this for about 75,000 focuses identical to mine, but for some reason, mine is not covered by the recall. i've had the same problem three times. each time, the wiring harness and fuses have to be replaced. once, the multifunction switch needed replacing, too. the repairs have cost me nearly $1,500. i contacted ford the third time, but the representative said there was nothing ford could do to help with repair costs, as my specific vin did not fall under the recall. my concern is the random nature of the tail light loss. it happens when i'm driving home at night, and i need to put my hazards on any time i drive after dark. it is extremely dangerous, and i am afraid of being struck from behind. *tr

We own a 2000 ford focus zx3 and the right passenger headlight is defected. it looks to have oxidation but after trying to clean the headlight we can not do so..after observing alot of ford focus' we have noticed that all of them have the same problem. is there a recall for this? please let us know. *kb

00 ford focus taillights not working. found that ford has a recall for the wire harness decklid. took vehicle to a ford dealership was told that my vehicle is not part of the recall. i've numerous recalls on this vehicle already. vehicle was overheating. was told by ford dealership that needed a new radiator, cost me $800. when i picked up the vehicle it was still overheating, come to find out i only needed a new water pump. *tr

Ford focus headlamps extremely dim and on low beam and one side on low beam while opposite side on high. if you switch to high beam it does the same thing only opposite. wiring internal to headlamp seems too small for current fed through wiring. you can see the wiring is fatigued. replaced high beam switch and on/off switch to no avail. checked power and grounds to no avail. seems ford has electrical issues with these cars. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the instrument panel indicators and tail lights failed to illuminated. the contact replaced the fuse and bulbs but the failure continued. the contact stated that the vehicle should be included in recall # 06e026000. the dealer stated that the vehicle was excluded from the recall. the current and failure mileage were 103,000.*ak

Both of my rear brake lights have stopped working. the trunk light works for braking, and the tail lights work, but not for braking. *jb

Rear deck lid brake light incredibly sensitive to vibration with push in bulbs. just closing trunk causes brake light to fail. dealer claims this is not a recall. *nm

Ignition failed on 2000 ford focus also turn cancel signal 3 times under warranty and broken again out of warranty the ignition failed 3000 miles after warranty expired. the turn cancel during and after. i have 1 relative and 1 friend that has had the same thing happen. *nm

Dt: 2000 ford focus. consumer smelled something burning while driving and continued to drive for about a mile. stopped vehicle, got out, and there was a strong smell, but was unable to detect from where the smell was coming. a couple days later went to park vehicle in garage and noticed that both headlights were out of place. upon inspection noted a melting of the mounts and housing, and the bulb holder was loose, spring was not efficient enough to withstand jarring. consumer felt this happened because consumer had to drive over several railroad tracks, and felt this could have loosened these parts. no repairs done. took vehicle to dealer for a pricing of the repairs, which was $60 each headlight, and dealer did not specify why this occurred. *ak

Headlights/radio and electrical parts would come on and off on their own. consumer drove vehicle to dealer for inspection, but mechanic could not duplicated the problem

This is a crap car, i can only hope for the best of the next few years as i have paid off the [xxx] thing. 2000 ford focus. fuel pump failed and replaced at dealership who in return refused to give back the full tank of gas i thought i had (i filled up that morning and brought it straight there) another malfunction??? they say i brought it in at 1/4 tank???? the car still sputters!!!! what the [xxx]. also>>>>>paint is horribly peeling off trunk. my car will be green in no time. again dealer wont even answer phone calls because i am off warranty (as if driving miles would actually have anything to do with the peeling of paint) moisture in the front headlight never goes away. and quite frankly i don't feel like replacing the rotors and pads every 15000 miles!!!! chevy here i come! *nm information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Dt: the contact stated the ignition switch failed three times within a year and a half. the first time, she went to start the car, the ignition would not turn over. the car was towed and repaired. the second failure was approximately one year later and the same thing happened. the car was towed and repaired for the second time. the third failure happened this week, went to start the car and it would not start again. it is being repaired now. the dealership stated it could possibly be the starter along with the ignition switch. *ak in dec 2001 the consumer was involved in an accident due to a problem with the tires and the rear axle. the transmission cooler lines were replaced. the brake lights and heater did not work. the egr tube was replaced. the wiper arm was broken. the engine light stayed on all time. the driver side mirror had to be replaced. updated 01/11/06. *jb

While braking tail lights failed. dealership was notified,but did not resolve the problem. *ak

While driving at night time headlights failed, only the high beam worked. also, this vehicle had a problem with misrouted battery cables. dealer not notified. vehicle's warranty expired. *ak

1. everyday city driving with use a turnsignal. cracking sounds started coming from the steering wheel. and the turning mechanism now fails to turn off automatically. 2. the turn signal doesnt turn off automatically after turning or passing. 3. parts where purchased but never put on, because the labor to replace the broken part is very expensive, requiring the removal of the steering wheel/airbag. 4. according to a focus enthusiast site. this problem is very common place. *ak

First one: ignition locked. one night after classes, i went to start my car and the key would not go into or turn the ignition lock. i called my ford warranty and they sent a tow truck. the tow truck driver informed me that he is familiar with the problem on the ford focus, as he had had many calls to pick up cars with the same problem. second one: after returning home from driving to the store one saturday, i parked as usual and tried to pull up my hand brake which would not go up or lock into place. i then noticed that the little button you push in the release the handbrake was located all the way into the assembly not allow it to lock. i plan on taking my car in november to be repaired. my ford warranty will cover it since its a few thousand miles under warranty.

The consumer was unable to start the vehicle because the key failed to go into the ignition. dealership had to replaced the ignition cylinder. also, the left turn signal did not cancel once the turn was complete. the dealership replaced the turn signal switch. *ak. the dome light failed to come when the door was opened, the dealer replaced a burned out bulb. *jb

Has been to shop for 26 days in the past 4 months. repeated failure of clutch (manual transmission), failure of brake pads, resulting in minor crash. have had to had ball joints replaced. cruise control was disconnected from accerator/brake. key would not go into ignition and resulted in key ignition switch having to be replaced. numerous recalls and trips to shop since bought brand new in august 2003*ak

Vehicle has a major electrical problem. while driving vehicle gauges will go "beserk". door chime activates, all lights flicker on and off, transmission changes gears,and the vehicle stalls.*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

The engine stalls while driving as if it is going to shut down. the signal lights will not stop blinking when making left or right turns. this was repaired by east ford in feb 2001 and this problem is back again. i feel that these are more defects in the focus. *ak

I have had my car for one year and five months. i have replaced the fuel pump a month after purchase, twice within two months. my gas lines have fallen off the car, causing the neighborhood to be filled with fumes. stalls while driving, not matter the speed,dealership said they fixed the issue, still ongoing. car hesistates to go at times. often the inside of the car smells like gas. hard to put car in reverse and other gears, often pops out of gear. recently replaced clutch cable, tech says the clutch is fine. replaced the brakes and rotors after being told they were fine, two weeks later the rotors were gone. brakes continue to squeak. windshield is not sealed, you can hear air blowing in while driving. had a burning smell from under hood was told there was no problem, only to get a recall, and my cables were melted. brake lights always out, when i replace one the other goes out. i have contacted ford motor company, and dealership, both tell me i have to keep getting repairs. i asked ford motor company to buy the car back, and they refused. i feel this car is not safe, i hate driving it.*ak

At idle the head lights, dash board lights, and internal dome light flicker with cycle of engine. ford certified mechanic does not acknowledge the problem, nor a remedy to the flickering. flickering still exists! *la

Turn signal malfunctioned after dealer replaced it. problem was recurring. dealer contacted. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Consumer could see headlights fluctuating as if had a bad alternator. consumer had contacted dealer, and dealer could not figure out the problem. consumer indicated a lot of electrical fires started this way, and felt very unsafe in this vehicle. please provide any further information.*ak

There is a very bad squeaking noise when braking, and when consumer lets off the brake there is a grinding noise. driver states more than twice brake pedal was applied, and pedal went to the floor. ford has been contacted.*ak.also consumer was complaining of the transmission slipping, the cigarette lighter was not working, cup holder bubbling, serpentine belt was replaced due to a squeal coming from under the hood, gas light was coming on when the tank was full of gas, door ajar light was coming on, starter and battery were replaced, driver sider mirror knob fell off, rpm runs high, headlamp molding was replaced, sunvisor was broke, rear child seat latch cover was broke, air conditioner and heater were replaced, passenger door trim, driver seat metal bar, rewind button for am/fm cassette was inoperative, carpet loose, pillar trim was coming off, ticking noise was coming from the front of vehicle, the egr valve ws replaced, rear tail light was out, the bulb was replaced, deck lid wire harness, a new fuel tank was installed due to the engine light illuminating, the front and rear brakes have been replaced due to warpage, also the speedometer stopped working.*jb

The outside and inside lamps flicker at idle took car to dealer dealer says the car is doing it but they dont know how to fix it they never seen tis problem before, i went to my ford focus . com and checked for problems on their site there is all kinds of owners complaining about the same problem. i was a ford tech i think it is in the speed of the alternater at idle please help. *ak

Consumer was traveling about 50mph on highway and noticed that headlights started blinking. also, overdrive gear will go on and off without prior warning. *ak

The rubber gasket on the top of the left and right front headlamps is defective on the 2000 ford focus. the rubber dries out causing the gasket between the headlamp and the hood to break loose and possibly fly off into the front windshield. this happened on the right and left front both. i have personally checked every ford focus that i could, and found that this was not an isolated incident. most of those cars has some form of cracking of that rubber gasket. *ak

While consumer was driving gas tank cover blew off the tank and gas was spilling every where.*ak consumer states vehicle has experienced problems with the sending unit and gas gauge. wheel bearings on the left rear failed. transmission fluid leaks, consumer states this is causing slippage and shifting problems. vehicle experiences a burning oil smell. wiring harness failure. light failure (consumer did not specify). gas leaks. failed suspension parts (consumer did not specify). tires wear prematurely (consumer did not give tire information). splash shields broke. brocking wires in central locking system. *slc

While driving vehicle would shut down without prior warning. power would completely go out, no steeering or hazard lights. consumer would turn engine off, and start back up. this has occurred on numerous occasions. dealer was unable to duplicate, so was not able to provide remedy. *ak

Brakes replaced at 20000 miles, trunk release and pwr doorlocks stopped working, headlights developed moisture, trunk wont shut w/out slamming, numerous other problems

Beams are not light enough, can hardly see other cars.*ak

When applying brake pedal it would go to the floor, also brakes will grind. rotors had to be turned, and brakes were replaced 7 times, but the problem reoccurred. *ak transmission slips and jerks and rpms jump. no problem found. consumer hears loose gravel sound from right front wheel area. dealer found wheel well loose. dealer found serpentine belt failed causing whistle squeal under hood. gas light on with full tank and door ajar light is on. dealer replaced battery. evaporative hose loose. dealer removed and installed fuel tank. cigarette lighter not working. r-cup hold bubbling. driver side mirror knob falls off. rear child seat latch cover in broke. front driver seat metal fell out. both headlamps moulding fall out. sunvisor mirror/bracket moulding on passenger side between door / dash loose. broken. right outer ac vent broken. loose carpet on right front floor. pillar trim coming off. deck lid wire harness had tp be replaced. clicking noise from l/h front of vehicle. egr valve replaced. left rear tail lamp is out. engine light is on. problems with rewind button for am/fm cassette. *tt

Vehicle experiences problems with brakes, the front rotors, front brake pads, and rear shoes have been replaced due to vibration when brakes applied. *slc

Brakes noise resulting from larger than normal chunk of metal in pad grooving the left front rotor. transmission- leak at transmission cooler. suspension noise front- thumping while going over speed bumps, rear squeeking. window trim- coming off or squeeking when rolled up. head lamp- dropping black silicon into sealed unit (visible). engine- stalling, dying while coming to a stop or sitting at stop. no help from dealer service dept. only argues with me!. *ak (tiresize: p205r70/15)( dot number: tire size: p205r70/15 )

Dt: the consumer stated there were multiple problems with the vehicle. the brakes make noises and pulsated when the pedal was depressed. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer where the brake light switch and ignition cylinder switches were replaced. the dealer also turned the drums, replaced the brake pads and resurfaced the front rotors. there was a vibration in the front end when braking. the lower ball joint, right wheel bearings, right front sway bar link, bone socket, steering rack column and tie rod ends were replaced in an attempt to remedy the problem. the tail light covers retained moisture and condensation built up. the dealer replaced the tail light covers and fuses that were blown due to the moisture. lastly, the contact noticed the rear seat was loose and upon inspection the dealer discovered an anchor and hinge problem. the back hinge and pillar were replaced. *jb

While driving turn signal and hazard lights are intermittently inoperative which may cause a rear end crash. currently vehicle is at dealer. please provide further information.*ak

Was traveling approximately 65mph when vehicle went out of control. wheels had felt wobblely and loose. had to swerve to miss several vehicles. managed to get off freeway and stopped vehicle. had vehicle towed to dealership. was informed by mechanic wheel bearings went out. dealership has to order parts. vehicle was repaired previously under recall.*ak screws keep falling out of seat belt and has happened two times. drivers side seat lever keeps breaking and has happened three times. windshield wipers failed while driving during a heavy rain storm, received recall two weeks later, 01v258, dealer replaced wiper motor. turn signal failed, dealer replaced bulb. problems with brakes, rear drum assembly bearing wore into wheel spindle, front brake pads replaced, front rotors resurfaced. consumer feels every bump in the road. bearings have failed twice. side mirror broke. a-pillar trim coming loose after recall repair 00s20. *slc

Dt: the turn signal do not cancel after a turn. the spring broke three times. the trunk does not latch properly. dealership has taken care of both issues, but the problem recurred. in cold weather the idle speed was too high. when put into reverse it backed out like a rocket. this caused an accident on april 9, 2000. the consumer was backing out with the back door open. it happened so fast he did not have a chance to put on the brakes. the car door hit the garage post. there was no police report. consumer stated he had mental injuries and lost his job. vehicle was still idling high in cold weather.*ak