Problems with 2001 Ford Focus SUSPENSION

The driver heard a humming noise coming from the front of the vehicle. the noise escalated while the vehicle accelerated. check engine light appeared on the dashboard, and remained on. then, vehicle stalled. driver was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that driver's side wheel bearing needed to be replaced due to corrosion. also, the engine needed a sensor. *ak

Driver's side rear coil spring broke, causing the tire to blow. manufacturer will be contacted by consumer.*ak

My 2001 ford focus zx3 (zetec) was traveling on freeway, and the rear end began to wobble, fish tail side to side, spark, and smoke. the rear passenger bearing was destroyed, and i was stranded while on leave from my duties as a marine. i purchased a new bearing and fitted it myself. i recall a "recall" notice i received, and i remember turning in the vehicle to have the defect corrected, but it obviously was not. i no longer have this notice. i spoke with a local dealer and the technician, i talked to said that they had replaced all the rear bearings in the ford focuses that they had sold many months ago. upon further investigation, we found that the hub and bearing assemblies that i had and the new one that ford had on hand were dissimilar in that the newer ones had a sealing flange attached to the inside of the bearing. i'm taking the vehicle itself to the dealership that supposedly examined the part before for further scrutiny and reconsideration for my bill. *ak

My 2001 ford focus has stalled again. this is about the 4th time. local mechanic found problem to be fuel injector pump. dealership claims that is only battery replacement. i have all old parts from recent service at dealership. i would like to see this vehicle recalled. found internet article that states that this is not an uncommon problem with this make/model. http://www.theautochannel.com/f/mania/repair/news.html?mania. *jb

I have had more repairs incidences with 2001 ford focus than is normal on any car. if most of the repairs had been in the first 18 months i could have easily declared a lemon. unfortunatley they have been since that time. most recently i have had the rear wheel bearings replaced for the second time on a 3 year old car and am in the process of having the steering column replaced for the second time. i went through over 3 full sets of tire in less than a year and a half. and less than a year ago i got pulled over by the police because i had absolutely no lights in the back of my vehicle. ford dealer charged me to replace the rear light housing and some wire that had shorted out.*ak

The consumer noticed a noise coming from the passenger side rear wheel. it was determined that the noise was due to failure of the wheel bearings. *jb

While driving at any speed, the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. the vehicle was taken to the dealer numerous times for inspection. the mechanic can not duplicate the problem. please provide further details. *nm

My wife was driving our 2001 ford focus wagon on a normal paved road when the right front coil spring snapped in half. the car has 52000 miles on it. i had to pay to have it fixed because the warranty had expired.*ak

Ford focus 2001 recall received after repair of front coil spring. *bf ford only reimbursed the consumer $150.00 out of the $470.00 the consumer paid to have the repair work done. the consumer wants reimbursement for the strut and the damage rim that the coil spring caused. *jb

While having the brake pads changed service man noticed that the left front steering knuckles wore out, and needed to be replaced. this resulted in loss of steering while driving. also, front end problem. *ak

While driving on the nys thruway, for no apparent reason, there was a loud clunk from the front of the car. there were no immediate ill effects but within a few days i began to notice a shimmy. within a few weeks my tires were showing excessive wear. my mechanic found that a front coil spring broke. both front springs had to be replaced, the front and back had to be realigned, and i had to rotate my worn tires all as a result of this spring failure. a friend informed me that this model auto had been recalled for this problem. upon investigation of the recall i found that the model year before had been recalled but not my model year. same problem. no recall.*ak

While driving my ford focus, the right front coil spring pushed itself past the lower stop above the strut and rested there. had it gone further, the front end would have collapsed.*ak

Right passenger coil spring had broken and went through the right front tire. *mr *sc

As i was driving my 2001 ford focus zx3, my tail end started to sway out from underneath me. then i noticed a loud noise from the rear of my vehicle. i then pulled over to inspect the situation and noticed my wheel bearing was not secured properly. then i went online and researched ford focus recalls and discovered there to be one on this issue. i attempted to contact pat & dan's delbalso ford dealership in kingston, pa. they referred me to ford's service department. after speaking to ford, i made a return call to delbalso ford and they scheduled an appointment for me. they made me wait about a week for the appointment and they morning of, i made a call for them to get my car when the service manager told me that they would not help me. as a result i have been unable to get to college which is about 20 to 30 miles away from my home. additionally, i have missed work because of this as well. i made multiple attempts to have my problem resolved by contacting the ford manufacturers' service department. they told me that their recall had been cancelled. they went on to say that they were just being "nice" and assisting their customers by performing the "warranty program" and that the original owner of the car recieved acknowledgement of the program. i was under the impression that when ownership changes and all warranty information is sent to the manufacturer, the manufacturer was liable for all recall information to be sent out. i was never mailed nor been contacted about this warranty program since i have owned my vehicle. i feel that i have been wronged and should not have to suffer because of it. the people at ford motor co. have been very rude and obnoxious over the fact that they are "exempt" from assisting me with my problems. i feel since i was never informed of the program that they should be mandated to help me. when i was driving i could have been severly injured because of their product failure that they knew of and could have prevented.*ak

My rear wheel bearings failed twice. the first time they failed at 8,000 miles and were repalced by the dealer under a recall prgram. the second time, which is the basis for this complaint, they failed at 43,000 miles (this is only 35,000 miles later). the dealer charged me to have them replaced despite the fact that he conceded that it was premature bearing wear. both times i heard a loud grinding noise comeing from my rear wheels.

While consumer's husband was driving on the freeway and attempting to get over into the next lane, as he accelerated and tried to go over, vehicle suddenly dropped in the front, causing him to lose the ability to steer and hit a retainer wall, flipping over, landing, and facing oncoming traffic. consumer's husband did not sustain any injury because air bags deployed. *ak

Both front coil springs broke when my wife was driving kids to school. the ford focus (2001) front end dropped to the ground when this happened. this could have caused an accident.*ak

While driving consumer's wife made a left turn and front wheels locked. then, vehicle drifted and hit the curb and a pole. both, consumer and wife had their seat belts on, but sustained back and leg injuries. also, a recall was issued on the fuel lines. insurance company had the vehicle towed, and was told by the insurance company that vehicle was totaled.*ak *tr

My daughter slammed on the brakes at 40mph and the vehicle steering wheel jerked to the right and she felt a drop in the left front side of the car, the car started sliding and hit a curb. when the car came to a stop the front left wheel was broke off. a tow truck took it to the ford dealership. they said it needed a control arm; hub assembly; tie rod end; tire & wheel; axle; brake line; brake pads & rotor; trans pan and inner tie rod. they concluded it was in an accident and it was her fault and the cost would be $2,387.77 just for the mechanical only. she purchased the car september of 2002, putting over $8,000.00 down on the day of purchase with a remaining balance of $6,000.00. at the time of the accident she had no insurance. i beleive there was a problem with car to cause it to go out of control, and feel ford needs to address it.

While driving about 55 mph on the highway and without warning a loud clicking noise was coming from underneath the vehicle. driver took vehicle to the dealership, and mechanic told consumer that shock absorbers were corroded and needed to be replaced. *ak

3 major complaints for 2001 ford focus zts 1.) front suspension needs a right arm replacement 2.) engine light turned on and was turned off when brought to ford dealer shop. 3.) on a separate occasion, car stalled while driving. *ak

Left rear hub separated, causing wheel to come off causing accident.*ak

Right rear lower control arm/rear trailer arm broke in half, near the rear right wheel, of my ford focus 2001 after driving on sandy road during a rain shower.

My 2001 ford focus zx3's coil springs broke ,causing me to have to replace the coil springs, struts, and get an alignment done. i noticed that the 2000 focus has a recall for the coil springs, but the 2001 does not. i have noticed multiple complaints about the 2001 focus as well as the 2000 during an internet search. i would like reimbursement for the items listed above from ford due to the defective coil springs.*ak

Consumer states vehicle's back end vibrates while driving. dealer can't duplicate the problem. *ak

The fuel filter gets clogged which blocks the flow of fuel to the engine, causing stalling. this is the third time that the fuel filter had to be replaced. a recall was issued regarding this problem. *ak recall campaign # 03v482000. there was brake pulsation, the front end creaks really bad and the vehicle would have no power and or stall while going 40-45 mph. *sc *jb

While driving and making a left vehicle makes noise and is hard to control the steering. dealer notified. *ak

While driving and turning to the left steering wheel makes noise. dealer inspected several times and could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak

Tire problem, possible rear bearing problem, possible alignment problem, egr replaced- engine misfiring is beginning to reappear

Rear tires bald at 20,000. i have replaced 4 tires and need to replace 2 more. i have 42,000 miles on my car. i have rotated the tires all along, but they always end up wearing quick in the rear. for example one set of tires had great tread when they were rotated to the back with about 15,000, then at 20,000 they were bald!!! (like something in the rear chewed them up) car jumps side to side when hitting minor bumps in road and on highway, it feels like car doesn't have good control because of this. dealership and ford rep. say tires are not covered under warranty of course and claim not to find any other problems. they blame it on the driver style. funny this has never ever happened to me before, including my first focus lemon i had for 25,000 miles (they replaced my first focus for us for fuel problems they couldn't fix) i kick myself for agreeing to exchange for a new focus. nevertheless, it really seems like an engineering/design flaw or something else in the rear of the vehicle that is making these tires wear so fast. *jb

The rear wheel bearing failed and cause the wheel to wobble. *nlm

The front wheel bearing locked up. *jb left rear wheel bearing and right front axle assembly all had to be replaced. vehicle was not honored under recall. *tt

The vehicle had been to the dealer on 3 occasions for a noise coming from the rear wheel.*jb....*ak

I have had several repairs for this car. in regards to steering, wheel, tire as well the suspension. as the car was under 18000 mile i had so much problem with mentioned above problems. i could not control my car when it rained or when ever the road was not in perfect shape.

16k- dec 02 brakes and rotors shot $387 16.5k jan 03 transmission rebuilt 2 weeks due to parts on back order 16.7k feb 7, 2003 left front lower control arm broke as wife pulled into traffic full extent of damage unknown at this time

The vehicle hit a ditch in the road and front suspension failed completely. *jb.................*ak

Ford focus 2001. purchased in august of 2001. has always had problems with suspention. has been in shop 6 times to be fixed for the same problem. the problem has been fixed several times but the noise keep on comming back. the car has numbers of other problems. the breaks make noise, the windshiels leaks when it rains, and when i drive on the highway the engine stalls sometimes while driving at high speeds.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing numerous failures. the main failures were the electrical system, brake system, bent tie rod, shaking and vibrating, rear window mechanisms, and flooding after it rains. the leak occurs on the passenger side and the water rises 2 to 3 inches. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer due to the inspection costs. the failure mileage was 130,473.

While applying the brakes there is a grinding noise coming from the rear wheel. the dealership is aware of the problem. nlm

Vehicle was taking to dealer for a recall repairs on wheel bearings. upon receiving vehicle back theres was a noise in the rear. took vehicle back to dealer and they stated that tires were cupping and wearing irregularly. please provide any further information.*ak

My new 2001 vehicle in less than a year started making clucking noise loud vibration. the complete axle shaft had to be replaced and new tires the bearings failed and ford would not help. even though it usually takes six years before they go they confirmed the bearings needed to be replaced. i spent over 300.00 dollars with another mechanic who said they should pay.

Vehicle frictioned against curb and front suspension control arm broke in half. delaer has been notified. please provide additional information.*ak

The car starting having problems at 7000 miles. front end jumping. i had a tire go bad and replaced it. had the tire rotated and the front end lined up. then, the noise and the car still did not feel right. i took it back to ford and the rim is bent. replaced that. so far i am out 250.00 for the tire and 298.00 for the rim/. the problem continued, but by 15000 miles the car was jumping, front end problems. had the tires rotated and the car lined up again. i have the problems still. ( i was told(way i drive, curves,the way i take the corners, ) well, # one i am 43 yrs old and this is not my first car. i have had mustangs before and never rotated the tires or changed my driving habits. ( what ever). at 15000 the brakes started to squeak all the time (wet, cold, moisture, dry). per the manual this will happened. i was told that it is common with focus. i had a escort for over 4 yrs and they never did what this car has. with the front and back the recall 02s42/01b85 was done finally in march. this recall stated pinch bolt that retains the steering knuckle to the lower ball joint on your vehicle may not have the proper torque. ****** ( this condition exists, your vehicle may experience vibration or noise... this could eventually lead to ball joint separation with a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash,) this is what i was told ford dealership was wrong with the car since august. i feel that the recall came to late and now my tires are destroyed. one tire is worst than the others. remember that one tire is brand new ( 7000 less miles).... the brake pedal is still making a noise when i release it at the park mode or stop turn around stop at light or whenever. they have adjusted it 3-4 times. and with in mins. of them adjusting it, it is back to the same thing. this is a on going problem, wasted time and troubles. i do not want everybody to notice when i have my daughter in the car or i get hurt in an accident. this is important your reply help debra.w. *jb

While applying the brakes there was a squeaking noise coming from the front/rear of the vehicle. the pedal had gone down and made a squeak noise. *ak the front end bounced and vibrated due to the pinch bolt that retained the steering knuckled to the lower ball joint. (may not have the proper torque) there was a problem with the front end and rear. the wheel was replaced, the flat tire was balanced and the beam worked okay. the vehicle made noise when released from park mode, stop, and was intermittent. (has been adjust 3-4 times but would go back to the same thing) *scc *jb

Traveling on i-465 eastbound in indianapolis at approx. 60 mph. the car made a grinding sound and then the driver (my son) lost control and crossed two lanes of traffic and hit a retaining wall on the left-hand side of the road. there was one passenger with him at the time and he was following us home. we were about 100 yards in front of him at the time of the accident. the entire left front suspension, steering and tire assembly was heavily damaged. left rear tire and suspension also damaged. sun roof would not close. very little exterior damage done scratched paint very small dents, almost all of the damage was done under the tire well.*ak

I was driving in my 2001 ford focus when i heard a huge bang and my front end of my vehicle began to make a strange noise. the tire was rubbing up against the top of the wheel well. the vehicle was brought to a dealership and i was told that the front spring coil had snapped in half and it needed to be replaced. the two front spring coils were replaced in the vehicle. *ak

Attempting to enter freeway at approx 50 mph, the front right felt like it was starting to skid. the next thing i know, the airbags had deployed, with the passenger air bag cover shattering the windshield. no sheet metal damage to car. the front right ball joint had separated, the control arm broke, causing the tire to go flat at a 45 degree angle to the path of travel, tore up the wheel and broke the rotor. the only thing holding the front wheel to the car was the strut tower. police came out but no report done. ford will not honor warranty even though car has less than 19000 miles on it. this is wrong as front suspension collapsed, and airbags should not have deployed as car skidded/slid to a stop.*ak

I have had nothing but trouble with this car since i have had it. the rear end makes loud noise, i have brought it back to the dealership numerous times, and they always tell me nothing is wrong. it makes a roaring noise in the rear end, and something is scrapping on the tire on the rear driver side. in july, i was traveling on the highway with my 3 kids, and the tire on the rear driver's side just went to pieces. we were in a terrible accident. we went off the highway into the woods where the trees stopped our acceleration. the airbags did not come out. i was so thankful to be alive, and my kids also. we sustained about 8000 dollars worth of damage. the car was repaired, and now the same tire that blew out, and was replaced by the repairman is worn again. i am afraid everytime i drive. i can't afford another car, and no one wants to take it as a trade-in because of the botched deal upon purchase of this car. this is the car from "heck". now my warranty has expired, and the roaring noise in the rear is getting louder and louder. i have had the most horrible experience in my life with this car. it is a lemon on wheels, and the dealership always says nothing is wrong. i have had a conversation with another focus owner, and she has described some of the same problems. i have also had conversations with mechanics at the dealership, and they speak of all the focus' they see as trouble. please help. *nlm

While driving at approx 65mph on a straight and level 2 lane road, the car suddenly veered hard right. counter steering had no effect on recovery. the car was at about 90 degrees when it impacted the curb and was launched over a 10 foot culvert. the ford focus then rolled 5 times landing on 3 wheels. the 4th wheel and suspension (front right) was found approx. 30 yards from the vehicle. evidence showes that the lower ball joint was lose, indicated by excessive wear and grooving to the spindle where the lower ball joint mounted. other evidence shows the right side half-shaft has a clean break at the splines (spline was still inside the transmission while the half shaft was other wise not damaged and laying in the field). the 2001 zx3 s2 was totaled. i have pictures where needed. *ak

Vehicle would shimmy at 45 mph or more . vehicle was at the dealer,and problem was reoccurring. feel free to provide any futher information.*ak