Problems with 2001 Ford Focus EQUIPMENT

2001 ford focus se 4 door sedan. 67,140 miles. turn signal will not turn off automatically once turn is completed either turning left or right. have to now turn off the signal manually. happened on my way home from work on 7-19-2011. nothing yet has been done to correct the failure other than an internet search to determine what might be wrong. *kb

The ignition will not turn without large amounts of spray lubricant and pummeling the key while in the ignition to cause the tumblers in the cylinder to fall into place. this is a major safety issue, because it happens without warning, and right now, during these epic blizzards we are experiencing, it has caused me to be in danger. this problem is common among owners of this vehicle. many people have developed ways to temporarily fix it since they don't have money available fix this unexpected safety issue, which is not part of preventative maintenance of an automobile.... while others have opted to just get the car towed to a dealership, which replaces the ignition assembly with the same faulty parts, and then charges up to $500. this ignition needs to be recalled by ford, and it needs to be replaced free of charge with a reliable ignition assembly. this morning, after having to find other transportation to work for two days, i finally dedicated three hours to getting the ignition to turn. i had to leave the key in the ignition, because i cannot afford to lose my job by being absent or tardy. i am in an initial probationary period at my job, and i think it goes without saying that if i had enough money to fix ford's mistakes, i would probably just go and buy a different car altogether. *tr

I am the original owner of a 2001 ford focus purchased in mooresville nc the vin is #[xxx]. the fuel pump had to be replaced. the pump is the same one described in the ford extended coverage program03n01 dated 2003 and supplements 1 & 2 dated january 2004. ford said my was not covered under the program because it was built in aug. 2001 after june 13, 2001 cut off. the car was built in the wayne assembly plant, the location of the fuel pumps that fail. after more search on the internet , my husband found a technical service bulletin article #04-5-6 describing the procedure for installing a new design fuel delivery module in the 2001-2002 ford focus. under the issue it states: there is a new design fueled delivery module available for service on 2000-2002 focus built before 12/31/2001 at wayne assembly plant and built before 2/13/2001 at hermosillo plant. the ford motor company said that my does not qualify for the extended coverage program as it was built in aug. 2001. we think that because the car this the pump described in the bulletin, was built at the wayne assembly plant within 2 mos. of the june 13, 2001 that ford could have cove the repair but the company will not. this is an $800 repair. the steering column locking key cylinder is also in need of replacement again. i need to turn the key manually back to a neutral position for the engine to run after starting the car. this is the third locking cylinder that i have had installed in my car. i think four cylinder is a little much for a 9 year old car! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The a/c evaporator core leaking refrigerant into vents of car. fumes making driver and passengers nauseous as well as a/c failure. *tr

My cars battery was not working, as told by a triple a mechanic. i took my car to the repair shop to get it replaced and they said that the battery was working fine, the alternator was bad. they said the car wouldn't go out of the shop if it wasn't fixed. so i paid them $416 to get the alternator fixed. after i got the car back within a day, it stopped working again. the same problem and the car would not start, while i was driving home they messed up my meters, the lights wouldn't turn on and the car wouldn't start, not only did they charge me wrongfully there was no alternator problem, the battery was bad. i called them and they wouldn't answer me properly, they said that it wasn't their fault and i should replace the battery myself. they hung up the phone. this company is a fraud, they lie and wont answer my calls. my car is messed up, they changed all the wires the lights wont work, the gauges don't work. i called the sheriff and they said i should take them to court, they also replaced my tired and they used different tires. im extremely mad and i need help. *tr

I tried to start my car and the key wouldn't turn in the ignition, therefore i was unable to start my car. it has only occurred this one time, i am having the ignition replaced. *tr

Turned off my 2001 ford focus (with only 36,320 miles on it) as usual and when i returned to car and attempted to start it up, the key would not turn in the ignition. had to have it towed to the dealership where they had to drilled out the tab, and build and install new key cylinder for a total of $427.84. they did not offer the old part to me and i didn't think to ask for it. thankfully, it happened during the day while i was at my dentist's, and not at night after work. have since found out that a class action law suit has been filed in california. there should be a recall of these cars. *tr

Ignition switch wont turn. *tr

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

This came out of nowhere. one day the key would not turn over. it was as if the steering column was locked. we googled the problem and found that it is very common in ford focus's built between 2000-2003. the quick fix was to carry a hammer around and give it a hit when the key gets stuck. this has worked pretty well until this morning. it took me 15 minutes to start the car. *tr

I will start with the fact the car is on it's fourth battery. it has had the wiring harness replaced along with every sensor in the car some twice. there was a steering column recall done on it. the two back windows tracks have been broke a total of six times. the door handles brake three so far. the stereo is broke for the second time. i have had to do the brakes twice so far and all this and the car only has 63,498.8 miles . *tr

2001 ford focus has failed twice during long trips. vehicle stutters, struggles and will maintain a speed of only 35-40 mph during these episodes. stopping, restarting will reset and allow another 5-10 miles of proper operation and then in happens again. during both instances it was hot and humid. was able to continue trip both times, but this is a scary situation on the interstate!!!!! suspecting fuel control module, but everything tests fine at the shop and unable to recreate symptoms for mechanic. online ford database says this vehicle is not included on the recall for fuel system malfunction, but the sysmptoms are exactly as described in the complaint.

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

A/c fan switch burned along with the connecting wire block, putting smoke into the vehicle, if the vehicle hadn't been turned off after seeing smoke could have resulted in fire. *tr

Brakes have been failing frequently. after taking it to be repaired the first time in june, i attempted to make a stop at a red light and the car was nearly ii the intersection before the brakes worked. the problem is repeated and i feel as though the car is unsafe to drive if the brakes can not be repaired properly by even the dealership. *tr

I was driving my 2001 ford focus in the left lane of a 2 lane highway at about 40 mph when i turned the ac on and the car just stopped. i took it to a garage and they told me i needed a new compressor which would cost 1000 dollars..i found a garage that would do it for less using a used one...my problem was this would happen every time i turned the air or the defroster on. i was afraid i would cause an accident..and am still afraid today when i drive it far..wondering if it will stall out at high speed again and cause me to have an accident. i also have had problems with the key jamming and not turning and my newest problem is i stopped for gas and when i tried to start it all i got was a clicking sound.. *nm

I own a 2001 ford focus ztech. my car was stalling at random in the middle of driving and finally wouldnt start at all. i took it to a dealership. they said my battery cables were melted, so they replaced them, rerouted them, along with my clips, etc. they couldn't figure out why my cables would be like that and said that is probably why my car doesn't start all the time, but they couldn't be positive so they recommended that i replace my starter as well. they charged me $998. this also happened to me in previous years. i went to the vehicle recall site and see that ford started a recall in 2003 on this very same problem. why didn't i receive recall information on my car? i've stalled before in the middle of traffic last year for the same problem and had my battery replaced. this happens too much. i have small children's safety to worry about. what bothers me in addition to that is that the ford dealership that i used should have noticed this recall and related it to my vehicle's problem. i feel this is a terrible safety issue, and i can't afford to keep getting new batteries/cables and starters. also, my key keeps getting stuck in the ignition, and ford won't do anything about that either, even though my dealer said it's a very common problem with this product. they said it would cost me at least $400 to fix it. i've already gotten stuck at a store twice. it just works when it wants to. *nm

2001 ford focus air conditioning was repaired due to leak, consumer would like to be reimbursed for parts. *kb ***nar*** the evaporator and heater core was leaking. *jb

Radio/cd/clock unit appears to short out at various unpredictable times. the cd or radio will act as if the unit is turned off; however the clock display also disappears from the panel. after 10 minutes or longer the clock display will return to the screen - with the correct time and the radio/cd portion can be turned back on as if was turned off. during these "shutdowns" i can not do anything to make the unit work. this includes using the on off buttons and any and all of the other control option/buttons. this has happened three times that i am aware of since i have been driving this 01 focus 4 door model. starting in april of this year 2006. *jb

Went so sears auto center at 9570 south west freeway houston texas 77074. for a tire change they charge 156.00 and also told me that my car rotors were broken and need shoe/pad to be replaced. and car not to be driven. total amount 571.00. called next morning to cancel work because i decided to take to dealer ford. but that time car wasn't fixed yet cause they told me to pay first but i didn't have a credit card with me that night so i left it there and took bus. they charge 271. next morning for some shoe/pad which i took my car the the regular mechanic and they told me that sears did not change anything on my car. so i pay that many my car is still not fixed. i have to drive my car because i don't have another way to move. so please help me to to get my money back or to get my car fixed. *jb

Poorly designed ignition cylinders. this causes the tumblers to fail resulting in a lock-up of the ignition. the owner cannot turn the key to start the car and as a result, has to be towed. i was told that the ignition cylinders in the 2000 and 2001 focus were the european design. i have had to replace my cylinder twice. once it was covered under warranty, the second time it was not and i had to pay $200. there are other focus owners who have this problem. see the websites below. http://www.autowhiz.com/messageboards/message.php?id=1784 http://consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_focus_ignition.html http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.eea6dd2/286 among many others i was told that they put an engineer in the position to specifically re-design the ignition cylinder. so while ford continually claims to not know about the problem, it is apparent that they did. while there were no deaths nor injuries, it is not up to the people to pay for ford's poor quality. *nm

The ignition switch does not permit the car to start. the switch (xs4z-11582-ac cvr asy aux fl) has been replaced twice, once at 41,407 miles and again at 57,834 miles. the dealer and aaa provided a temporary remedy to the stranded driver, which is "with the key in the ignition, hit it hard with a hammer to engage the ignition assembly." aaa keeps spare ford focus ignition switches in its emergency service support trucks. *jb

My steering column locks up and will not allow me to turn the car on. i drove my car to work no problem when i came out i could not get the key to turn in the ignition. the steering wheel is locked and will not move thereby not allowing me to trun the car on

I have replaced my rotors and brakes 3 times already and now they are starting to make that sound again where it starts to drag. i just replaced my brakes in may of 2004 and i have only driven it 8,000 miles. i still have 4,000 miles left on the warranty. i took it in to bill pierre ford and they told me it was normal to have this niose and that there is plenty of brake left. i am thinking that they are wanting me to drive it until the warranty is up so i will have to replace the rotors and brake pads and pay out of my pocket instead of just replaceing them now! i am very irritated now cause i can not get any help and it is going to cost me another $600.00 dollars!! i have already replaced them 3 times out of my pocket . what the hell is going on with ford how can they get away with this!*ak

My brakes failed due to lip and warpage created on front rotors. brakes failed within 10,000 miles of normal driving. brakes were replaced again and old lipped rotors available. this was the third set on my car with only 50,000 miles. *nm

I walked to my car one evening after catching up with some friends. when i went to start the car i could not turn the key to start the ignition. the enitre steering column locked up including the brakes. not only did i had to have my car towed to the nearest ford dealership, but it was not covered under my warranty. the dealership replaced my "ignition lock". when i went to pay for the work, the cashier said that they have to replace at least one "ignition lock" a day at the dealership. now my radio has been shorting out. i called the dealership that worked on my car and they said that there is no correlation between the two problems. *ak

Vehicle fire sustained on 2001 ford focus after replacement of a valve gasket cover at hollingsworth richard ford in baton rouge louisiana. following replacement of gasket, smoke was noted from the hood. dealer service representative stated that smoke was due to a cleaning solvent used after servicing the vehicle and should stop in about two days. the following day (after service), the vehicle caught on fire where the fire had to be extinguished by the local fire department. my son and i were in the vehicle and bearly escaped before the front of vehicle was engulfed in flames. report has been filed with dealer who told me that this was a matter that should be handled by the insurance. ford dealer showed nor indicated their acceptance of any liability regarding this issue. research has indicated many customer complaints of vehicles fires centered around this year of focus.*ak

Was driving home and engine began knocking and got louder and when i returned home had my husband look at it and found 3 motor mounts were rusted off. dealership replaced motor mounts a week later at my cost and didn't give me a rental car. *tr

2001 ford focus ignition locks. unable to start vehicle. *ak

I purchased my 2001 ford focus in october 2001. in april 2003, i had to get the front brakes, pads, shoes and rotors replaced. this is after i had always taken my car in for scheduled maintenance. i was told that none of this was covered. i was out of over $400. the same thing has happened again 13 months later. everything needs to be replaced. the majority of my driving is highway and i can't get an explanation from ford. i purchased a lemon. the switch also broke on my turn signals. it would not automatically turn off. this happen in feb. 2003. again, a year later, the same thing has happened. someone needs to look into this. *mr

Since august 2003, i have experienced ignition lock five (5) times with my 2001 ford focus. first two "repairs" (8/03 and 12/03) were covered under warranty, and supposedly replaced the ignition cylinder. i never saw the old part. however, when vehicle was taken in for subsequent repair to the same problem (2/04), i was told that a permanent repair would require replacement of the steering column and would cost me $500+, but that the ignition cylinder could be replaced under warranty. i got no response to my inquiry about why no permanent fix had been made while the vehicle was under warranty. i directed them to perform the repair i could afford - the cylinder. i never saw the old part that time either. the car was re-keyed as well. the ignition locked again on 5/20/04, and after i contacted ford motor company, the service department notified me that they had replaced the tumblers and re-keyed the vehicle at no charge. they also informed me that any subsequent repairs would be at my expense, as they would not be covered by warranty. the ignition locked again on 5/25/04. *la the initial repair to this problem was made under warranty. it was not a permanent repair, although there were service bulletins and a significant record of complaints issued on this same problem from early 2001. at no point have i received a satisfactory answer, from the dealer or from ford customer relations, to why the permanent repair was not performed in august 2003. i feel that the dealer made no attempt to effect a repair on this problem while it was warranted, but stalled with temporary fixes until the mileage/age of the vehicle would require me to pay, both for parts and labor. as it now stands, i will be taking my vehicle to another dealer for the repair and a second opinion, and hope i can get my money back. i refuse to pay even ten cents for a repair by a service department that has already failed to make the same repair four times!

We sued ford via the magnuson moss warranty act. the focus had been sold prior to the filing of the law suit. we reached an out of court settlement of $3500. the problem with the car was intermittent stalling. the local ford dealer was unable to determine the cause of the problem.

Ignition cylinder broke without any signs, and was stuck without a car for a week. *ak

My 2001 ford focus se 4dr tends to stall out after using the air conditioner. the stalling behaviour starts after the a/c has been on for a while and continues after the a/c is turned off. the engine sputters and will stall while driving at highway speeds.*ak

I purchased a new ford focus in july of 2001. my wife uses the car to drive on the highway to and from work. we have had the car for 18 months and took the car to the laird noller dealership in lawrence for the 30,000 check up with 33,000 miles on the car. after spending $300 for the check up, we were told that the brake pads and rotors need to be replaced. i have spoken with two mechanics and have been told that the rotors should not need to be replaced on a car that is driven primarily on the highway since there is not a lot of stop and go driving. there a dozens of listings on the intert and the nhtsa website of the same complaint on their ford focus vehicles. i was told by the dealership that ford puts thin rotors on the focus to begin with so they have to be replaced very early. i was also learned from an employee at the dealership that the person that performed the service on our focus has had trouble meeting his quota of upselling repairs on cars that come in for their check up. after picking up the car, the entire dashboard was shaking and the front tires were making noises. when we brought the car in it was fine , after we picked it up it sounded horrible. we called back up to the dealership and were told to drive it for a few days and it should be fine. after waiting the two days, the brake pads began to grind into the rotors and the car did not drive well at all. i have spoken with ford and with the dealership and they have told me that there is nothing they can do for me and that i am responsible for the repairs. ford knows that there is a problem with the rotars they are using on the focus, but is not willing to do anything about it. i am worried that are not other problems with the car that may make it unsafe. i have two small children and am worried about driving them around in the car. i believe that with the number of complaints i have seen, ford should be told to initiate a recall ...

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

My car has a eletrical or computer problem which al packer ford cannot seem to fix. i,ve had two recalls they had to take care of so far .when i purchase my car i brought the extended warranty which i thought took care of everything including a loaner car which they nerver even offered for my inconvinece

I took my car to the dealer for a problem which is now a recall. how do i know if i receive all recalls. is it my responsibility or fords to keep me informed. ph

There is just to much paperwork to copy out, but would like to mail copies. i am going to pick up car this afternoon just had second fuel pump fitted and new gas tank. to date no recall info received by post. however i have been drenched with gas on more than one occassion while filling car. i have nearly been killed when car cut out at 55mph on highway narrowly missed by two other motorists. vehicle has 38,000 miles & has had the following repairs. 1/countless engine sensors 2/four new tyres 3/new front brake pads 4/new front brake rotas 5/new front wheel bearings 6/two fuel pumps 7/one fuel tank 8/waiting for third set of a frame plastic covers 9/three stereo players 10/tracklink reset three times 11/still have realy noisy brakes 12/engine sounds like 10 year old car 13/rear passenger window works when feels like it 14/right hand door speaker sounds as if broken 15/new tires fitted showing signs of odd wear 16/tail gate leakes water 17/ thought lincoln/mercury dealer might give better results no just longer wait.

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

Key will not turn in ignition. took vehicle to dealer, and they replaced locking mechanism in steering column. *ak the fuel mileage was not consistent with what was stated , the fuel pump was replace along eith the filter, egr valve and radio, two front tires were replaced at 10,700. *yh

The check engine light illuminated and was told it was a faulty switch that needed to be reset, the problem has not yet been resolved. *scc

My security system basically went nutty...it even sounded funny when the horn sounded, the cruise would also stick or not work at all when it should have been turned on. i have had the hego sensor or the front oxygen sensor replaced 3 times, one at my own cost...i had a huge bulge pop out on my tire early on, firestone replaced it at no cost...the brakes have intermittantly squealed since the vehicle had few miles on it, when i took it in to get it fixed, it basically felt like they had loosened them because you had to press on the pedal harder to stop, soon after they started squealing again, all ford will tell me is that i need new brake pads at my cost because it is road hazard...should a car with 40,000 miles need brake pads? i think not. the last complaint that i have is that the car will stall with no apparent reason why...no matter what the speed is or if i have just started it or have driven it all day it does not matter, i will just be stuck until it decides to start again.

Radio repaired and replaced 4 times for same problem: radio sound cutting in and out intermittently. *ak

I have had numerous problems with my focus. about 3mo after i bought it, the transmission began to feel like it was slipping, and making a noise. i took it to the purchasing dealership, and a mechanic told me it was the torque converter. they didn't have a loaner car for me, so i made an an appointment for the following week. the next day on my way home from work, the car shut down. i called a tow truck, they took it to the closest dealership. when i called the dealership the next day, they said the fuel pump went out. they told me that the stutter i was feeling in my car was probably that. a few days later, the same problem. took it back to the selling dealership, and the shop supervisor went out with me. he said i was driving the car out of context. what he meant by that, he wouldn't elaborate, but said there is nothing wrong with my car. i have been driving it since, and the computer will fade in and out, but i won't lose engine power. my car has to have new brake pads every couple of months, new tires, and other maintenance things. at less than 40000 miles, it needed new spark plugs, and wires, which i happily bought. the dealership wanted $300, because the plugs were in the back of the motor. i went to my car, popped the hood, four spark plugs lined the top of the head cover. there was no further explanation of the attempted over charge. my car has several other problems. the positive cable on the battery, has melted back, there is a loud roar in the cab of the car, and three of the four lug nuts on the right rear tire has snapped off. the explanation for the lug nuts, was that the tire was loose, not fastened properly. but this problem occurred 3-4 mo after i bought it. the tires had not been taken off. i am to the point where i hate ford for selling me this car. i will ever buy ford again, but i love the concept of the car

Purchased 4-30-2001. upon driving vehicle home, noticed oil/gasoline burning odor from air conditioning vents and loud thump and groaning noises from front suspension/brake areas. *ak

A/c tends to have smoke and very bad smell coming from vents, brakes constantly squeal and grind, vehicle doesn't always want to start, no pickup or stalling when stopped at lights, etc. engine makes loud grinding noices, engine also makes loud reving noises like it can't get into gear. front passanger seatbelt tightens and locks for no reason. ford manufactor notified via certified letter twice, no contact to date. waldorf ford refuses to fix saying, "if we can't find the problem, we can't fix it." both refuse to fix anymore. in last year in shop 10 times, for over 45 days, and no resolution.*ak