Problems with 2001 Ford Focus FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

While driving my 2001 ford focus back in november of 2008', i experienced the engine stalling while driving on the freeway. the headlights started to flicker along with the dashlights going haywire. i then drove the vehicle home and had it towed to my auto repair facility. they found nothing wrong and could not do what i described to them. approx. 1 week later it did the same thing again, this time the check engine light stayed on, and they were able to receive some diagnostic codes. they cleaned some ground wires but stated that was all they could find, the same thing happened a few days later, i called my mechanic, and we both agreed that i should send it to the ford dealer. i had it towed again, this time to the ford dealer where i stated that the problem only occurs while it is being driven. after approx. 1 week, the dealer stated they were unable to duplicate the problem, but they advised me that the alternator dropped to 11.5 volts. i advised them to replace with a new alternator. they advised me that they were sure that is what the problem was. on or about 1/2/09, i experienced they same electrical problems that i have been having over the last 2 months. i drove it to the dealership immediately and advise them i was having the same problem and that it was not the $ 550.00 alternator that i paid for. i again reiterated to them that it has to be driven, to have the symptoms occur. since i had the new alternator installed i only put on 325 miles. my service manager kory foster with gosch ford in hemet, ca has only called me twice since 1/2/09. when he calls he has always stated that he cannot find anything and he does not no what the problem is he has not heard of this type of problem with the ford focus. i have told him everytime i have seen him and when he calls to drive it ! it is the only way to get it to stall out. the last time he called me which was last week sometime, that i could come get my car if i needed it. i advised him to keep it until it is fixed. *tr

My daughter was driving on the freeway when her car just died, while driving. it started up again immediately, but it has happened several times in the last month. i went online to view recalls, and it stated that 2001 ford focus had a recall on this issue. i also found 2 other items that are happening to this vehicle that were also recalls. i made an appointment with the dealer to have these recalls fixed, but when they pulled up the vin number, they said that there were no recalls for this particular car. the other recall i found was the electrical system, and battery failure. i have already burned up one battery because of this issue. the recall states that the cabes overheat and may melt. this vehicle did this as well. the other recall is where the latch on the back door begins to not latch properly, causing the door to come open while driving. the back door will not latch properly on this vehicle either and at times we have to open and close it several times in order to get it to latch. these 3 recalls are all things that have happened on 2001 ford focus vehicles, which our vehicle is, but because our vin # doesn't match the recalls, they refuse to fix them. these are true safety issues. my daughter could be killed because of these issues. how can i have my vehicle added to these recalls? i am extremely upset and concerned that these items will not be addresses when ford knows that they are a problem on other 2001 focus vehicles. i will sue should something happen to my daughter due to this issue and fords unwillingness to correct the problems. *tr

I bought this car in jul07. in dec07 started having problems with car surging/jolting while driving on highway (55-65 mph) then car would just stall, completely die. engine light would come on, no power steering no lights. i would manage to get it over to the side of the road narrowly avoiding accident and car would not start. after sat for about 10 mins it would start. it would drive ok for about 10-20 miles and then surge and die. it happens periodically and in between the car may drive fine for weeks. service center can't find anything wrong with it. it just happened again 3-18-08 while i was driving on interstate at 65mph, jolted twice and completely died. i was nearly killed as a semi was behind me and another beside me. i had to fight the car to get it off the side of the road and narrowly missed the semi running up over the top of me. after sitting for 10 min it started again but would not reach full power. i could only get it up to about 50 mph, then started jolting and died again after about 6 miles this continued for 30 miles. engine light was on. i had that read by adv auto later and it was two codes one for mass airflow sensor. it has been in service garage since then. they can't find anything wrong with it. i did notice that this seems to only be happening when it rains. they sprayed water today on the front of the car while it was running and it died in their shop. they still have no idea what is wrong with it. it also has a loud vibration/noise in front end. motor mounts have been changed, new alternator, new battery, new belt replaced dec 27,07. the vehicle died again feb 5, 2008 6 times. it dies at all speeds and sometimes stalls at stop lights/signs. i am extremely frustrated with it and need a reliable car to get to work and am making car payments on a car that has been in the shop 36 days in the last 90. also very concerned about causing an accident or killing myself, my kids or someone else. *tr

Bought new in '01 ford focus. noticed right off brakes would make a grinding noise and squeak. tires were worn real bad on inside on one front size since we bought it. repeated alignments with no improvement. still experience this problem. started experiencing problems with it missing during acceleration. check engine light came on in february 2005 and took it to the dealership. they replaced sensors that had recall,was recall code p0401. engine light stayed on. they said that we were using gas that was dirty and waiting too late to put gas into the car and that was why it was stalling. we paid $272.98 for them to replace this whole section that had to do with the fuel being filtered. car loses power and stutters going around curves with even over a half a tank of gas. stalling to the point we must pull over into the emergency lane afraid of accident! i own car i bought brand new and it jerks and sputters like some piece of crap from jd byrider! everytime we start the car you smell oil burning for15 minutes afterwards. had it checked no leaks or anything could be found. april of 2005 noticed when the car idled at a traffic light the thermostat would show shoot up showing it was running hot! took it in to the dealership and they found anti-freeze leaking. was told the thermostat housing and thermostat had to be replaced. retested it and was told problem solved. our bill was $375.00. this was first brand new car and was taken well care of, it only has around 78,000 miles on the odometer. i was told there was a silent recall on these for the engine problems and they were being fixed for no cost to the owner. we were not notified of a recall and paid for all of this out of pocket .car is paid off now and cannot enjoy having a paid off car with low mileage because we are scared to drive it and bought a new car that was safe to drive around with our kids! time goes on and it is getting worse. sometimes not wanting to start at all! engine still stalls despite all these repairs. *tr

Initially the problem seemed to be hesitation in the transmission at high speed on the highway. however, it gradually worsened and resulted in surging and loss of power. the throttle because totally unresponsive and i had to coast to a stop on the side of a busy highway. the car is in the shop presently. given the amount of data out there to show this is a common defect for the 2001 focus, i expect ford to cover the repair. *tr

I have had my ford focus wagon for three years now. i had to repair a alot of things on this car! tranny, alternator, fuel pump, timing belt, and the only door that opens from the outside is the passenger right front, which my kids have to climb through to get to the back because both back doors broke not even four months from the day i bought it. also the driver door only opens from the inside because of the companies defected car door handles. my friend has the same car, and its the same way. not mentioning how everytime i stop it dies out and i have to try and keep starting it. it seems there is always something wrong with it. *tr

I am the owner of a 2001 ford focus. i have had a problem with lugging and sputtering upon acceleration. 1/24/05 my vehicle would not start. i contacted braeger ford milwaukee wi, the car went there for service. they told me that the problem was a defective fuel pump. i received a safety program notification that stated a dealer will replace the fuel pump at no charge to you program 03n01. braeger charged me $511 saying that the pump replacement was not part of the program even though it was clearly stated on the information sent to me by the motor company.*ak

When fuel tank registers 1/4 of a tank or less, car loses acceleration when going up a hill that curves to the right. car stalls but will start again after a few minutes. later that same day the car stalled and would not start again had to have vehicle towed. mechanic registered no problem and could not find anything wrong with car after driving it and checking on computer. car drove fine for two months then started hesitating when trying to accelerate. car stalled and would not accelerate, even with a full tank of gas, car had to be towed to a mechanic who checked fuel pressure, said was fine and car drove with no problems. they could not pin point problem and computer registered no problems. why hasn't this problem been fixed when so many people are experiencing the same problem?*ak

Fuel pump in my 2001 ford focus failed and had to be replaced. ford offered me no reasonable solution for this problem. my car has only 26,000 miles, and is 1 month outside the warranty. ford apparently has a recall for just this problem, but claimed that my car is not affected.*ak

Loss of power due to poor fuel circulation. car consistantly cuts out and dies. according to russ dean ford in pasco wa, the dpfe sensor is bad.*ak

My car has been stalling now for about a year. i had it fixed at around 27,000 miles and i still had a factory warranty and i went to joe machens ford in columbia, mo (where i bought the car in 10/01) and they said it was a wire on the transmission that was corroded. about 3 weeks ago, this happened again and again i took it to joe machens and they told me there was nothing wrong with it. i had asked them to check again because this had happened about a year ago and it was transmission problems. they replaced some seals. repair work took about a week. on june 4, 2004, i was going down i 270 in st. louis, mo and i was in the fast lane going 75mph when my car stalled. it would not go and i am glad that i was going to the speed i was because as it was dying i was able to maneuver over to the side of the road. joe machens again fixed it and said that it was the fuel pump. they replaced my fuel pump and my fuel filter on june 8, 2004. on my way home from columbia, mo on june 11, 2004 it stalled again. as of now i have not sent it any where to get it looked at because this happened last night on my way home from college. this will now be the fourth time this has happened with no results.*ak

My 2001 ford focus exhibits all the symptoms of the faulty fuel module. however, when i contacted ford, they said that my vin was not one of the vehicles affected. i'd like the fuel module replaced, as it is faulty. can you please help me?*ak

Leaking from windshield to dash to passenger cabin: in heavy rains and car washes water would come in though the windshield seal and run down into the dash near air bag and come out near fuel shut off valve. ford wanted $1,000 to fix this. the problem happened on other ford focus models. i was told there was a service advisor and that nothing would be covered under warranty. after discussing this matter, i got price down to $150.*ak

While driving down a freeway off-ramp, my 2001 ford focus zx3 started to buck and hesitate, eventually stalling and causing a dangerous condition due to sudden decceleration and loss of power steering and brakes. luckily the vehicle had enough inertia to coast down the ramp and eventually i was able to pull it into an emergency lane using the remaining assist left in the brake booster. there, i attempted multiple times to restart the vehicle and it finally started. it had a half tank of fuel so low fuel level was not the cause and i had only driven 163 miles since the last fill-up so i knew the fuel guage was operational. i attempted to drive to the nearest gas station to fill up just in case and as i as about to turn in the car died again. it restarted after multiple attempts and i waited a long time for traffic to get as clear as it would on this busy road. then, as i attempted to turn in, creeping forward and fearing the worst, the car died again, but luckily i had not yet begun to impede oncoming traffic. if i had been, an accident would likely have resulted. after multiple attempts, the vehicle did start and i pulled in, filled up, and drove home uneventfully to do some research. on the message board at focaljet.com i read about other focus consumers encountering a similar problem with a defective fuel pump and some sort of degradation of a material lining the fuel tank causing the condition i experienced. i feel it is a safety concern of high priority and should be brought to ford's attention immediately. i am angry that my life was put in danger running the most mundane of errands and i will let them know about it tommorrow.

I am writing to you in regard to a host of problems i am currently experiencing with my 2001 ford focus zx3.these problems include, but are not limited to: (1) gears not shifting properly and signs of locking up during driving -- and brake grinding sounds; (2) continuous "flickering" of headlights and dashboard panel lights; (3) air conditioning and heating systems not functioning properly; (4) large pond of water (during heavy rains) in floor on front passenger side; (5) problems with fuel module and fuel monitor; and (6) transmission failure in progress. _x001c_transmission failure in progress -- ecm codes erased by dealership -- fuel monitor and bad running condition very evident._x001d_ he further stated the _x001c_fluid is burnt very badly_x001d_, he _x001c_cannot service the transmission at this point_x001d_ and that this vehicle _x001c_is going to go downhill_x001d_ from here. in other words, the 2001 focus that i purchased from town & country ford, inc. only nine months ago is not drivable and it will cost at least $2,000 to replace the transmission. this is clearly a defect. it has to be! i cannot afford to repair this vehicle and make payments on it at the same time.

After car has warmed up for 30 minutes approx. it restarts after turning engine off but will not idle on it's own. the driver must keep there foot on the gas pedal at all times, except when car is moving and engine is engaged. the car has a standard transmission. this doesn't happen everytime. but after car has warmed up and has had the engine turned off 2 or 3 times this accores. if the engine is allowed to cool down for 15 min. to 45 min. the car will idle again. the time is dependent on the outside temperature. *tr

Fuel pump failure. total loss of power. created a very dangerous situation as it failed while driver was attempting to merge onto a busy highway.*ak

2001 and up ford focus fuel pump & gas tank recall request. the fuel tank is made from a material that frequently flakes off and clogs the fuel pump very often. i have had 3 fuel pumps replaced already, and my car has less than 21,000 miles. due to the inferior design of the tank and fuel pump, the pump clogs too easily, then burns out leaving the car stranded. the design of the pump has a fine mesh screen before the larger screen so the large mesh screen is simply useless! the small screen clogs up from large flakes that would have been caught by the large screen if the pump had not been designed by retards.*ak

Thrilled w/ford's semi-sort-of recall on their focus fuel pumps due to "progressive contamination." had mine replaced at 17,500 miles, and not covered under warranty because of supposed comtaminated gas. the dealership is telling me i am not elegible for reimbursement because of contaminated gas. ford tells me that poor design is causing filter/pump to become clogged. can someone tell me what is clogging the latter if not for "alleged" contaminants in the gas?

I was taking the south i-75 exit ramp to east m-59 and experienced a stall out at the bottom of the ramp - where you merge with traffic going 65 mph. this is a wide, sweeping right hand turn. i drive the route often, and had experienced hesititation on previous occasions, but this was the first time the car stalled. the tank was 1/4 full. after rolling to a stop under the i-75 overpass bridge, i placed the car in neutral and it started. i proceeded without further incidence - counting my blessings i had not been rear-ended. i took the car to my regular mechanic, and he replaced the fuel pump which is located in the tank. he showed me how the filter was designed and became easily clogged. he also said that ford had other complaints on this situation, but there was no recall. i believe this to be a design defect that must be corrected, or i will be relacing the fuel pump in another 30k or so miles. it's not only the $300, but the thought of being rear-ended that should concern ford motor company, as well as the authorities.

Car has stalled while driving on several occasions on the freeway and in residential neighborhoods. the car has also been in several times for excessive break noise. on one occasion the rear drums had to be turned due to drums being glazed over. dealership either changes out the pads or adds an additive to soften the pads to stop the noise

Car would lose power, buck and surge, stall on highway and side streets. when taken to dealership, tech couldn't give explanation for what particles were that clogged fuel pump. charged for over $900. tech said warranty didn't cover vandalism. however, my insurance company ruled out vandalism upon investigation to the parts and fuel sample. bottom line, i had to pay $900 for someting that at the time wasn't ruled a "model" problem. now i think i should be reimbursed. fuel pump had to be replaced, lines flushed, and "contaminated" fuel to be exposed of. *ak