Problems with 2001 Ford Focus POWER TRAIN

The car jerks when i put it into reverse. the cars stalls when i put it into drive. i have to take off in 2nd gear. then i can put it into drive and it takes off just fine.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph and changing gears from second to third, the vehicle began shaking uncontrollably. the vehicle was not been taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnosis. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

I have a 2001 ford focus lx with 199,871 miles on it and its my first ford car. i have owned many of ford trucks in my life and always fixed problems with them myself. but with my focus, every time in the past 4 years when i turn a corner roughly around 15 mph or over, it cuts out and the car bogs out and jumps like the engine is going to jump out then i get a bad smell almost like sulfur coming from the car. all fluid levels are good with a full gas tank. this happens whether the car is hot or cold. usually i can just punch the gas pedal to the floor and it will eventually gain rpm's again and go with no problems until i turn sharp again. i have recently replaced spark plugs and cables, alternator, transmission and clutch plate, fuel pump and various pcv valves and hoses. had the fuel pressure tested and it was fine. this problem has been consistent like this for the past 4 years with no other problems. i have always been a ford guru but this car is making me think twice. i have 2 small children that go with me almost everywhere with me and just today as i turned a corner getting on the highway ramp, it bogged out worse then ever with many angry drivers on my tail. i thought i was going to crash the car into the guard rail. i hit the pedal to the floor like i usually do and it started going again, but in fifth gear it kept jumping and cutting out. i turned off the side of the road to turn the car off then back on and it ran fine all the way home. i have read many forums with the same issues on my make and model and tried many solutions with no luck. with your expertise, do you have any ideas why this is happening. i see this problem allot with focus but never any working solutions. *tr

I was driving to work and i turned on my cruise control, i had to barely brake for a caution when a car was coming in my lane, once i went around them...i left the cruise control off....but the car sped up on its own...approximately 65-70 miles an hour. my brakes were working just fine. i called my dad to see what he wanted me to do....i drove on to work (approx 20 more miles) and didn't have my foot on the gas pedal the whole time....the cruise was off...the pedal was stuck and the car continued going 60 miles per hour....once i came to my exit, i took it out of 5th gear (manual transmission) and the car revved up horribly...i pulled into work and shut it off. restarted it and it was doing the same thing. these cars need recalled!!!! *tr

I was stopped at a red light, when the light turned green and i engaged the gas pedal the car began to clank and jerk loudly and violently. i drove' the car about two feet before the steering seized up, the car could not be put into neutral, died completely, and had to be pushed to the side of the road. one of the pistons, cylinder # 1, was extensively damaged, due to the valve seat failure which shattered the piston, broke off pieces of the piston skirt, and bent the connecting rod. no damage was done to the cylinder wall, but pieces of the piston skirt were found in the oil pan, and pieces of the piston crown were found in the bottom of intake manifold. valve seat breakage in the older model focus, is so common that aera engine rebuilders association issued two bulletins (tb 1725 & tb 1939) to alert the industry to this issue. these bulletins state that the 'intake valve seats are made of a powdered metal that shatters easily'. on october 29, 2012, after the vehicle had been repaired, i phoned ford to request a refund for the cost of the parts and was informed, that since there was no recall no refund could be issued. the valve seats have subsequently been modified from the faulty powdered metal type, this shows that ford is and was aware of this issue. internet entries that outline this problem on the 2001 model can be found at numerous websites, including: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/focus/2001/. *tr

Saturday may 04/2013 my car killed over 30 times driving about 5 miles. this happened last year doing 60mph on the freeway. it is impossible to restart a manual transmission at this speed. in this case, i drove into the service department of ford of bellevue and it continued to kill while there trying to move it. the service person blew me off wouldn't even take the time check it out or even listen. as i was driving out it killed too many times to count. the sales manager said to bring it in monday. sunday it stopped killing. when i brought it in monday, i asked for the service manager, the service employee went to find him & it took about 10 minutes, that was curios as the place was deserted. when the service manager arrived, he refused to discuss the matter only saying we were busy. i had contacted ford as well as the franchise holder auto nations previously but nothing was done. last week i sent a letter to the chief engineer at ford but i suspect nothing will be done at that level again. in my research i found the following information today that was posted by another individual " the vehicle is stalling at unpredictable times due to fuel delivery system/fuel pump. i am a ase certified mechanic. i talked to ford, then i called the local dealer. they told me, as they have in the past it's a fuel pump issue..." there is more to this posting but the bottom line ford knew of this problem all along and chose to ignore it. this is an accident waiting to happen & it could be a killer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact was driving 20 mph when she noticed that the vehicle would not acclerate before stalling without waring. the contact was able to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted they advised that the vehicle was not under recall and provided no further assistance. the failure and current mileages were 170,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while traveling 65 mph the contact noticed that the steering wheel had suddenly jerked to the right without warning, seconds later the contact noticed that the traction control light had appeared on the dashboard. the vehicle had not been diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 137000.

I was driving, and wanted to shift to lower gear (from 5th to 4th - manual transmission) for braking. the transmission was stuck in the 5th gear. i used the clutch to coast to a safe stop and had the car towed to a service location. the mechanic diagnosed it due the broken cables from the shifter to the transmission. the mechanic replaced these cables and the car is ok. we did not save the cables.*tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford taurus. after starting the ignition, the gear shifter level could only be placed in drive, after shifting from neutral. also the rear exterior brake lights failed to function. his vehicle identification number was excluded from recall campaign id number 04v106000 (exterior lighting:brake lights:switch). no repairs were made. the failure mileage was 102,000. the current mileage was unknown. the vin was unavailable.

Ignition sticks and moves around, horn fell completely out from under the car and hit someone's car, the fan box and all fell completely off and down, backfiring stalling rattling vibrates front right side around tire area rattles horribly, check eng. light stays on mass air flow sensor is bad transmission sensor is bad lighter stopped working car completely goes dead spits sputters, manifold pipe broke so now its loud. its all day long non stop period we have replace several sensors and tubes and wires for it doesn't work not getting the gas mileage i should and i have had it 11 months but hardly dove it 3 total all together i cant afford any thing else to fix these problems 3 days after i bought it its been pure ?!@#$%. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving 40 mph, the contact heard a loud noise and the vehicle began vibrating and jerking. she pulled over and stopped the vehicle. she noticed that the front passenger side tire was sideways. no one has inspected the vehicle yet, but the contact was informed that the axle split in half. the purchase date and powertrain were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 30,050.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the cv-joint makes a noise when the vehicle made a right turn at approximately 5 mph. the dealer stated that they were unable to diagnose the failure. an independent mechanic stated that the cv-joint was defective. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current mileage was 40100 and the failure mileage was 40000.

Tl*the contacts son owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving 55 mph, the contacts son noticed smoke rising from under the hood, followed by flames. approximately one minute later, there was an explosion. the fire investigator stated that the fire may have been caused by the transmission. the fire destroyed the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 70,000. updated 09/12/07 *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

Clutch pedal failed due to failed/defective weld, leading to damage to clutch master cylinder. weld showed indication of insufficient heat penetration. defective part should have not passed quality inspection. defective part available. car stranded in gear. *nm

When accelerating in various inclines or decline my car chokes and hesitates as if it has water in the gas line or the fuel filter is clogged. it starts to jerk and sputter and refuses to accelerate if i push on the pedal instead it chokes out. either the car dies right there or i manage to pull it over and let it die on its own as soon as i come to a stop. trouble restarting the car as if to much air intake to choke it out. finally it starts and it runs after blowing the lines before putting it into drive it's good fro maybe another 10 15 miles and the again it starts puttering and wanted to die no choice but to let it die to restart. car has been in the shop numerous times have had a collapsed fuel line and has been replace but still the problem persists again when it's in the shop it does not happen and yet they do not drive it at the time its normally driven or at the extremes of the traffic while it happens so as to see what it does. a best explanation you can find from a mechanic is no problem seeable. and yet there is one from us the purchaser. *jb

Dt: contact stated the dpfe sensor went out. she said it went out 2 years ago and she had it replaced. she said it cut out while she was going 40-60 mph. she described it as jerking. she noticed this a couple of weeks ago. the service department told her that it was a weak sensor, and a lot of people had to get it replaced. *ak

My car has 29,500 miles on it. i bought it used about 3 weeks ago. following symptoms: 1 - car stumbles/hesitates/loses power at around 2-3k rpm...regardless of speed...but stumbling/hesitation is best felt on the freeway. 2 - car has had some type of recall work and dpfe sensor replaced at: 17500 miles. not sure if fuel pump recall has been performed...ford dealers have been very reluctant to tell me without making me spend $150+ on a stupid diagnosis...that's called good business. 3 - dpfe sensor replaced prior to me picking up the car at: 28440 miles. 4 - 1000 miles later...i have the stumbling. 5 - things i've done to the car: a - replaced air filter b - replaced fuel filter c - replaced pcv valve d - replaced plugs (using bosch platinum 2) so far i've done all changes myself because no ford dealership seems to care to offer advice or a helping hand. the consequences are that i've almost been hit from the rear due to stumbling/hesitation. *jb

Dt: when driving a certain speed the vehicle will jerk, usually between 35-45 mph,. it is worse when trying to go up hill. the consumer contacted the dealer that replaced parts 2 different times, there was a recall on the fuel pump, and they replace it. the dealer thought that may solve fproblem, but it did not. *ak

I first noticed a roaring sound coming from my right front wheel about 2 weeks ago. i took my car in today to the local ford dealership and was told that the entire right front axel assembly needs to be replaced. i asked how this could have happened and they couldn't tell me. i was told by the dealership that my car was unsafe to drive. i don't feel that this is something that just happened over the last 2 weeks nor do i think i did anything to cause something like this to happen. after reading other complaints on this site i realized it could possibly be a manufacturing defect. i called the ford company in michigan and asked what they do about vehicles that are unsafe to drive and was basically told that there was nothing they could do. i did tell the gentleman about the complaints that i had seen on this site and again he told me there was nothing they could do. i guess if someone gets killed due to these "unsafe" vehicles then someone would do something about it which is a shame.

Driveshaft broke after braking and swerving at 50 mph.*ak

Consumer was shifting gears and transmission failed on its own. transmission was unable to shift properly, and was unable to move. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and mechanic determined that transmission needed to be replaced. *ak the consumer stated that the vehicle would go backwards in reverse after a lot of jerking. after several attempts the vehicle would not go back at all. *tc

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact stated that the side view mirror on the vehicle was repaired and the transmission also slipped. after the repairs were complete, the vehicle did not drive the same. the dealer stated that the parts needed were not in stock and they kept the vehicle for one month. in addition, whenever the left turn signal was activated, the vehicle would shut off entirely. the lights were replaced; however, the vehicle continued to lose power whenever the signal lights, hazard lights, or air conditioning were activated. the headlights continued to short and, while driving at night, the high beams had to be activated. the seat belt in the rear driver's seat was inoperable and the driver's seat continued to move backwards from the steering wheel. she also stated that the key can be removed from the ignition while the vehicle is in motion and while the ignition is on. finally, none of the warning lights on the instrument panel are functional. the failure mileage was 23,000 and current mileage was 95,000.

Vehicle shook severely for no apparent reason while driving 10 mph. vehicle could not accelerate anymor, and it finally died.*ak

There was nothing in particular that led to the failure. car is driven under both highway and in-town conditions, and temparatures range from below freezing up to 100 f.*ak the vehicle when shifting on the highway often shifts into neutral, revs up, and may finally shift into a higher gear. sometimes you have to take foot off gas and re-push in order for it to shift. then when it shifts into gear, it jerks into gear. secondly, when car is driving in town and is given a small amount of gas to accelerate, the vehicle shakes and shudders until you let off or give it more gas. it has not led to any particular injuries or consequences, other than being unable to accelerate on the highway causing slowdown.

While driving, the vehicle stalled. the consumer tried to restart it, but was unable to do so. the check engine light appeared on the vehicle and remained on. the consumer also noticed a loud clicking and banging noise was heard coming from the front. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the shift solenoid switch needed to be replaced. please fill in additional information. *jb

The brakes went out and transmission went out at the same time.*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

While driving 30 mph transmission slipped gears. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. the cause was not determined. *ak

Gear shift locked without warning. as a result, vehicle became inoperative. *ak

The transmission on my 2001 ford focus failed after my owning it for less than 2 1/2 years and it's around 58,000 miles. i bought it new. the dealership is surprised and said they've never seen this before; it's only partially being covered by warranty. *ak

while driving at an undetermined speed vehicle stalled. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and mechanic determined that engine and transmission failed. *ak

I purchased a 2001 ford focus in august 2001. in sept. 2001 with only 2240 miles on the car transmission seemed to be slipping and the car failed to accelerate properly. had it towed to the dealership and they said there was a leak in transmission line. this was repaired. in oct. 2002 at 16416 miles headlights would not come on when i turned the switch. switch was replaced. about this same time new brake pads were required. nov. 2002 at 17871 miles the ignition cylinder locked up. car was towed and ignition cylinder replaced. august 2003 at 26757 miles ignition cylinder locked up again. once again the car was towed to the dealer and ignition cylinder was replaced. now i have a bubble in one tire and my brakes are squealing. what's next? not once have i picked my car up from the dealer and it been washed or vacuumed out. i bought a new car because i needed reliable transportation. now i feel like taking it back to the dealer and letting them keep it. i wonder how many ford employees would buy a focus?. *ak

Car jumps at highway speed. checked with ford dealership in regard to problem, and no one can give me an answer.*ak

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.

I took my car to sequioa national forest on memorial day weekend. my car was acting great til i til the grapevine my car suddenly did not want to change gear it would get stuck making my rpm really high i was afraid i was going to burnout my engine after i got into into the mountains the car was fine again maybe cause i was driving under 30 mph but as soon as i got into the highway again i was fine as long as kept the same pace of the car which was 80 mph as soon as i got like 85 or lower to 65 mph it would get stuck. unfortunetly all of this happen when my warranty expired by 1000 miles. i thought ford would be understanding but unfortunetly they didnt give a rats behind. so now im stuck with a "dependable" car with a crapped out transmission. thank you ford you always make good cars (sarcasm by the way) next time ill get a real dependable car like honda or toyota. you suck ford motor company. *ak

While merging onto the highway the car shifted into neutral and had no way to accelerate and causing a hazard by slowing traffic and having to go to the side of the highway. *jb

when transmission shifts into 3rd gear it freewheels and or will not pull

I had my car in the shop five times for transmission problems. the fourth time they replaced the transmission. when i got it home the fluid was all over the place. so i took it back the mechanic, and now i have to wait for another transmission. *jb

When the vehicle was in park, the left axle snapped which caused the vehicle to roll backwards and caused an accident. *jb

The transmission failed, before the first oil change was performed.*jb

I just bought vehicle used in november with 13k on it. the trunk latch was the first thing that wasn't working right. it woudn't work unless i shut it really hard. the split rear seat doesn't latch either. now after15k miles and three months have passed and i keep loosing brake fluid. i took it to the dealer and a tech found that the clutch master cylinder is leaking fluid. i wonder if that is why my clutch is slipping?

The transmission and steering column failed at a low mileage.*jb *ts

Engine light on. jerky gear engaging. choppy acceleration. 8/02 replaced alternator 8/02 replaced v belt 10/02 blinkers out & electric windows broke 10/02 battery light on "corrosion on wires" 1/03 wouldn't start, battery light on, "wire fell off alternator" airbag light on then off

The reason some of these are not dated is because the problems keep on persisting they say they can not find out what the problem is. my car dies on me and the can not find the cause. it makes a winding sound when i take off and still they can not find the cause. my gears always wind and as soon as i get it out of the shop about one to two weeks later it is doing it again, when i am driving it jerks like it wants to die or go out of gear(keep in mind i have had these problems a couple of months after i bought it). i have had to replace the tires two times i am on my third set of tires and they are messed up now. i am not a bad driver i know it is not me i have a child that is constantly with me i do not drive crazy to make all of these problems happen. i have had the brake replaced once already and now they are sqeeking again. my car cigarette lighter keeps on burning out. i just get so frustrated that i am spending all of this money for them to work on my car with the warranty and then tell me they don't know what the problem is and now the warranty is out i have to pay for this peice of junk. i have had 2 other cars and they never gave me any problems and know i am stuck unhappy everyday with this car i can not stand to drive, i feel unsafe in it everyday.

I purchased a 2001 ford focus se 4-door sedan in november 2002. the car was a manufacturer buy-back from the original owner and had a small warranty left. at the end of november 2002, i brought the car back to the dealership to have the spark plugs, spark plug wires and a faulty belt replaced. at the end of december 2002, the car was making a strange noise and the engine light was on, so i returned the car to the dealership. a day or so before my appointment with the dealership, i received a recall notice from ford regarding the pinch bolt. unfortunately, i received that recall notice too late the faulty pinch bolt had already failed and caused so much damage to the rack and pinion that it had to be replaced. i have since replaced the front brakes. i also experienced a faulty valve in the heating system that was allowing water to flow into the car's cabin and soak the carpeting. getting to the transmission problem, about a week ago, the car refused to accelerate going up a hill and instead the engine revved. no matter what i tried, i could not get the car to accelerate past 30 mph. since the car is now long past its small manufacturers warranty, i had an independent mechanic look at the car. he recommended that i flush the transmission and see if that would help the problem. i spent $100 on a transmission flush. that didn't work and the problem continues. i called ford motor company to complain about the car and to ask for a buyback, but my request was refused. i then took my car to wiscasset ford. they diagnosed the problem(s) with the car (at no charge). i need a new transmission. they gave me two options for payment. 1) pay for the new transmission out-of-pocket, estimated cost at $2500 - $3000; 2) buy an extended warranty on the drive train for $500. i am planning on purchasing the extended drive train warranty which will allow wiscasset ford to replace my transmission and will also give me an extra 15k miles for the drive train.

Have there been any reported problems with rack/pinion, transmission and alternators on this vehicle since mileage has been so low yet so many problems with the car. dt

Vehicle sliped out of park and into drive, while car was running, i was out of the car aproxmently 15ft away checking in on the cookout that was going on at the shop.. at which time i heard like a shifting noise or loud click from the car, i look over at the car an noticed the vehicle started forward an crash into to corner of building causing some minor damage to the right front fender of the car nothing to building. when i got into the car the console gear selector was still in park. i notified great lakes ford about what happen, i have to bring it in on 09/25/2002 to have the transmission look at. i just hope i dont get the run - around treatment.. i feel after reading other complaints on your web page of this type of car and year having simular problems ford should be notified and a letter sent out to the customers notifing them of the possible problem with automatic transmission. and a recall notice should be issued. thanks ray scott. nlm

At highway speeds vehicle will suddenly slam into park. consumer has smelled wires burning. dealer has been contacted. please provide any further information.*ak