Problems with 2002 Ford Focus SUSPENSION

Vehicle has about 108,000 miles. i did replace the tie rods control arms and sway bar of the front subframe. the mechanic said that the subframe is very rusted and the engine could fall of if the vehicle is not serviced immediately. i bought the car around 90,000 miles and have already replaced fuel pump and other parts under the car.

At speed of 40+mph and uneven highway or when encountering a manhole cover the rear of the car sways and shimmies left to right in an extreme manner. noticed much worse with new tires that grip well. have had it inspected by a professional who says all vital parts look okay. 4 wheel alignment did not remedy. i see references to a design issue with the upper control members that make it impossible to reach a correct camber setting. i don't trust much on the internet though, and would like nhtsa guidance or further information. thanks for any help you can provide, i appreciate it.

Ok so i've had my ford focus for about 3 months now i fell in love with this little thing recently got struts changed in front and ball joints bushings and tires so i knew it would need an alignment so got that done now at speeds from 50-60 mph this car starts fishtailing out of control i dont have alot of money i am not workin at present so i cant afford to take my used car to dealer much less to another auto shop. i travel 50 -70 miles each day to work and i'm scared its gonna fishtail me into a wreck. mileage 134000 applke valley calif.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. while the vehicle was being serviced, the technician informed the contact that the rear coil spring was fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 38,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. while driving 50 to 60 mph, the suspension spring on the front driver side snapped in half. the failure caused a sharp point and shredded the front driver side tire. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the tire and spring were replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 120. updated 08/17/16*lj the consumer has since sold the vehicle. updated 08/22/16.*jb

2002 ford focus zx5. brakes were replaced and first time it was drove there was a noise from front passenger wheel area. found the coil spring is moving and making popping noise. i googled the problem and found a lot of complaints about these springs breaking and damaging tires or causing accidents and that there had been a recall? trying to find out for my mom. this is her car but i am giving my contact info. *tr

In 2004 ford issued a warranty extension on the front coil springs. this was called: customer satisfaction program 03m02. they knew the part has been incorrectly manufactured and the coil spring would break due to corrosion. the warranty was extended to 150,000 miles or 10 years. my coil spring broke on july 26 2013 when my car only had 56,193 miles but it was 11 years old. the ford dealer told me that the company would not pay for this repair. my complaint is that i think the ford motor company should pay for this repair and for the other front coil spring since the problem should have been a recall since the company knew the part had not been manufactured correctly. *tr

Last inspection it was reported to inspect this year the crossmember/subframe needed to be replaced or car would not pass inspection researching this i've found several people complained about this also i saw recall of more suspension issues occurring now.. 40 k mileage it has last year had to replace sway bar because it let loose when i drove home puncturing my tire almost went into the river this night . *tr

This is our first year driving this focus in the snow, we bought it in 2011. we had a snow fall on 11/1/2012 and we took the car out for a drive. any speed above 35 mph and the rear of the car floats (wiggles) back and forth up to a foot. it is completely unstable on snow or ice. i did some research online, and ford apparently knows the problem,: defective rear upper control arms, since they did a silent recall on these in 2006. nhtsa should investigate this since there are many more focus out there like ours, and ford should have to recall and replace the control arms on all of these units from 2000-2004. i have over 35 years of winter driving experience and i have never had a vehicle (even the old rear wheel drive models) behave so dangerously on snow and ice, even with all season tires on it. i contacted ford motor company and they said there is nothing they have to do since the car is out of warranty. here is an attached article i found on line. october 03, 2006 ford motor company told dealers that they may need to replace the rear upper control arms on ford focus models. the models include: 2000 through 2004 focus sedan, wagon, zx3 and zx5 series. ford will check the rear camber and, if possible, make an adjustment. if an adjustment to the vehicle's rear camber is necessary beyond the negative end of specification, then the dealership will need to source replacement rear upper control arm(s)." this is considered a "silent recall" where upon ford may not notify owners of this condition. . *tr

The front sub frame on my 2002 ford focus zts was completely rusted through and unable to support the front suspension. i also had my car inspected by a ford dealer who passed it and told me nothing about how destroyed my sub frame was. when i took it to a mechanic they told me it was so bad i shouldn't be driving the vehicle. the bolts where even rusted out of the sub frame. its believed that this also caused my motor mounts to have to be replaced. cause such bad vibration that it ruined all my shocks, struts, and all 4 of my tires. the tires where only 5 months old and are destroyed. *tr

The front subframe structure on my 2002 ford focus is rusted so badly that it no longer supports the front suspension it was designed to support no other it on this vehicle is as rusted as the very important part. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. while driving approximately 25 mph, the contact drove over a speed bump and heard a popping sound coming from the front of the vehicle. the contact stopped the vehicle and noticed that the front driver and passenger side coil springs were fractured. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the technician stated that the coil and strut assembly would have to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 113,800.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. while driving approximately 65 mph, the contact heard a popping noise on the front passenger side of the vehicle. after coming to a stop the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the front passenger side coil spring was fractured. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. in addition, the contact mentioned a manufacturer's recall for the failure. the manufacturer stated that the recall had already expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 115,900.

While using a highway on ramp, i heard a popping sound. i've been getting a rattle for a few weeks. i looked underneath today. the pass side rear coil spring is broken at the top. the dr. side rear coil spring is broken off at the bottom. i drive mostly highway, 10 miles a day back and forth to work, so i don't understand how both rear coil springs would break. my fronts were replaced a few years ago by ford dealer when they broke. this seems like a problem if all 4 coil springs break off the same vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. the contact stated both front coil springs broke. during routine tire maintenance the mechanic stated the coil springs were broken. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 160,000.

2002 ford focus. consumer writes in regards to denial of reimbursement *tgw the consumer stated in may 2011, the right front spring fractured. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop where both the left and front spring/strut assemblies were replaced. the consumer learned ford had issued a technical service bulletin advising dealers that certain focus vehicles including his were susceptible to front spring fracture failures due to inadequate corrosion protection. the consumer was denied reimbursement, because he did not take his vehicle to a ford dealer for repairs. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact heard an abnormal banging from the rear of the vehicle. the failure would occur when driving at various speeds. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for inspection. the contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the rear passenger side trailing arm was fractured and striking against the brake line. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 35,000. updated 04/05/11*lj updated 04/05/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford focus ls. while driving 35 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle would not steer and the steering wheel locked. after stopping the vehicle and inspecting the problem, he noticed the left strut spring collapsed. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified. the failure mileage was 38,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. the contact stated that the passenger side coil spring fractured while driving 5 mph. the vehicle was still drivable and was driven to a dealer. the dealer advised that the sway bar, strut mounts and the links had also fractured as a result of the failure. the coil springs were covered under a voluntary recall that was issued, but they declined to repair the other components. the failure mileage was approximately 135,000. the vin was not available. updated 06/29/11*lj updated 2/07/2012 *ln *tr

Corrosion of the front coil spring, the spring failed at the point of the corrosion, damage to the fender resulted. partial loss of steering control, crash averted. *tr

My ford focus left tire fell off because of the wheel bearing breaking. with no warning or noise my tire detached during driving. my tire was found 40 yards away with the lugs nuts still attached to the outside of the drum brake. police report was filed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. while driving 5 to 10 mph, she heard a loud banging noise. she drove onto the emergency lane to inspect the vehicle and noticed that the front axle looked as if it was going to break. she safely drove the vehicle to her residence. the dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that there was nothing wrong with it. the failure continued to occur and it was inspected by the dealer again. the dealer advised the contact that both front axles needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure continued to occur. the dealer advised her on the third visit that the front axles that were replaced were defective and that the wheel bearings needed to be replaced. the contact stated that the vehicle also had an exhaust leak. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 113,000 and the current mileage was 123,000.

Front passenger side coil spring had to be replaced because of breakage. loss control of car over bump at less than 20 mph speed! *tr

My 2002 ford focus has only 41,000 miles on it and the front right coil spring broke on me last week. fortunately i did not crash or loose my brakes but it has potential for a catastrophic event. i am hoping ford will recall these as they did with the earlier models. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact took his vehicle to the dealer for routine inspection. he was advised that the front cross member had excessive corrosion. he called an authorized dealer and was informed that the component needed to be replaced at the cost of $800. he is in the process of having the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer stated that the component was not covered under warranty. the contact has possession of the failed component. the failure and current mileages were 60,000. updated 07/28/09. *lj the consumer was informed the excessive corrosion was the result of not having adequate corrosion protection at the time of manufacturing and it was in danger of failing. updated 07/31/09.,*jb

Driving home from the store and i heard a snapping sound in the front of the car i took the car to the service station they looked under the car and said it is a broken spring and it was dangerous to drive. *tr

2002 ford focus zx3 front passenger side coil spring failure...top 7" of spring snapped off making the car dangerous to drive. incident occurred 1 block from house but not immediately investigated until i found broken spring piece in the road after work. highway travel to and from work could have resulted in a bad crash due to loss of control. i purchased replacement parts (ford svt suspension kit 397-m-3000-zx3) at considerable expense because i do not trust the remaining unbroken suspension parts. car has only about 50000 miles and is not abused. failure appears to be due to extended fatigue crack propagation instead of an isolated catastrophic event. there is old rust on the spring break point surface along with fatigue crack styrations indicating a long failure time. possible cause would be sub-standard material or heat treatment. this is unacceptable in a vehicle of this age and mileage. ford would have had a huge lawsuit if this failure resulted in my injury or death. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. the contact stated the rear bearings seized and needed to be replaced six times. on one occasion the contacts rear passenger wheel broke off causing the contact to replace the control arm. the dealer did not diagnose the failure, but stated the failure occurred frequently with that model year vehicle. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.

Loud snap from under hood , followed by rumbling sound when turned right or left. car will pull in different directions , relating to the last direction steered. the car does set lower now but is not rubbing . the cause is a broken right front coil spring , and possibly other damage. *tr

The right front coil spring failed. the bottom of the upper piece of the coil came down and rested on the top of the right front tire. this caused the car to pull to the side and destroyed the tire. this happened at low speed and there was no incident. but even at low speed, the tire was destroyed in only a few feet. had this happened at highway speed, the near simultaneous pull, suspension sag, and tire destruction could easily caused a wreck. ford has acknowledged a problem with these springs in early my foci and extends the warranty on these springs. what they don't acknowledge is the potential hazard from such a spring failure. *tr

The front springs on the 2002 ford focus are faulty. the front passenger side spring was cracked , and took the car to goodyear to get repaired, since it's out of warranty (including the extended warranty i purchased). i then lettered ford, and they said in november 2004 they mailed a notice to customers ( which i never received) notifying them of f the problem with the springs. they said there is no recall, but they are repairing under a customer satisfaction program. they said i should have brought my car to the dealer and it would have been repaired for free. they would not reimburse me. i even tried to negotiate and asked them to at least reimburse me what they would have paid their dealer but they refused. this car also has defective brakes and rotors. when the car was under the original 3 yr 36,000 mile warranty , the front and rear brakes and rotors needed to be replaced. ford said they could not repair the rotors or cut them, and brakes and rotors are excluded from the warranty. it cost me over $ 500 for brakes and rotors on a less than 2 year old car. a few yrs later, same thing, front brakes and rotors , and again, i was told the rotors can't be cut, they always have to be replaced. *tr

While my wife was driving on i-95 the right front coil spring suddenly fractured and in the process wedged into the tire destroying it and the strut. luckily she was able to get to the side of the highway. the vehicle is a 2002 ford focus. ford knows about this problem and it has happened to many focus'. *tr

Ford focus 2002 zx3 had to have the coil/spring assembly replaced due to the spring resting on the front right tire. from all the research that i have done on the web, this is a safety issue that needs to be investigated by the nhtsa. i found the information for the 2000 ford focus on the following website just to reference how many problems there are with these coil/spring assemblies. before ford has any other problems with deaths occurring with faulty problems, i would like to have it investigated. and to my dissatisfaction ford did not send any warning out nor contact me via their customer satisfaction program that was offered to the dealerships. furthermore, i did not even know that i had to take it to a dealership. *tr

left front strut coil spring broke at approx. 45,000 miles causing the focus to become undrivable. if the broken spring would have gotten into the tire, it would have also destroyed the tire. the coil spring it's self could not be replaced. the struts must be replaced in pairs. both front strut assemblies were replaced at a cost to me of $595. *jb

The front coil spring broke while doing 70 mph on the highway and the coil spring dug into front tire. locking of front tire forced me off the road. thankfully, i was able to come to a rest in the borrow pit. *ak

My 2002 ford focus wagon needed brakes because the front end would shake when i applied brakes. also noticed a whirling noise from the back off car but did not mention that to my mechanic. he took it for a test drive and asked if i noticed the whirling noise too. he said he was concerned and checked that 1st. my right rear tire was frozen and not turning, that's where the noise was coming from. it had to be cut off in order to be replaced. he told me that the wheel could have broke off while driving and could have killed me, i had that repaired, along with front end brakes and replaced warped rotors. then just 2 days later backed out of my driveway and broke a front right coil spring. a year later replaced the alternator. and last week just had to pay for a rebuilt transmission, because would not shift properly, upon observation the transmission had metal chips in transmission fluid and needed to be replaced. i cant believe no recall on this car!

Front springs assembly popped out of plate and punctured my tires. *tr

I was driving home from work on the freeway when my brake light and traction control lights came on and it felt like my back end was fishtailing. i pulled off the road and called aaa. as aaa was towing my vehicle, the right rear wheel came off. the wheel could not be located and to my knowledge did not cause any accidents or injuries to other vehicles. it was determined that the rear wheel bearing had failed and the repair bill was in excess of $2,900, including the damage that occurred to the rear spindle, control arm and suspension. my vehicle is a 2002 ford focus. the previous 2 model years were recalled for rear wheel bearing failure. *nm

In late october 2006 i took my 2002 ford focus for vibration/grinding noise coming from front end. ford walker in clearwater, florida said that my engine/trans. mount were working properly. ford kept my car for 1 week and i still had the same problem. i took the car back to ford the very next day because of the same problem. again their service manager and regional managers told me that nothing was wrong with my car. ford charged me $100 for my deductible and didn't fixed my problem. i then took my car to another place where they replaced my right side engine mount which was completely broken. the very same piece ford walker lied to me stating it was working properly. *jb

My 2002 ford focus se wagon has had innumerable problems. firstly..melting battery cables due to poor and faulty wiring that could have caused an explosion of the battery had i not had to pay to get it fixed along with purchase of two new batteries thanks to the melting battery cables causing a short in the system. it subsequently killed the alternator which had to be replaced. it also subsequently killed the thermostat and the solenoid switch which caused overheating and dying problems with the car while driving. most recently the passenger side wheel bearing went out and was causing driving problems unable to control car. now more recently, it had to have a faulty tie rod placed which nearly caused me to have an accident. and as of last friday, its back in the shop again this time for engine stalling at 65 miles per hour which nearly caused yet another accident because i was passing another car and mine suddenly began vibrating so bad and then lost power and i had to struggle my way to the median. this car is dangerous and ford refuses to do nothing about it. i have paid out nearly 2000.00 on all these problems which were similar to issues already recalled and yes i am mad. i have called ford and complained but to no avail. *jb

1. i was driving my 2002 ford focus wagon back from a camping trip and i was going about 60 mph on the freeway 2. all of a sudden there was a "crack"/"bang" from the back of the car, drivers side, the car continued without jolting/swerving (i.e. no affect to the driving of the vehicle), however, after another few miles the rear drivers side wheel was making a high pitched sound, plus cracking, plus some jolting as the bearing realigned itself at times. i stopped the car and the heat from the wheel was incredible, one could have fried an egg on it (this wheel was much hotter than the others). unfortunately this happened on a stretch of road where there are no towns, no cell phone signal, etc, i was forced to drive the car to a town, max of 40 mph on a 60 mph stretch of road, i had a baby in the car and was scarred that something would happen to her. in the town, i left the car, had to call a friend to drive me home. i must say it was the most unpleasant feeling in the world. in addition, this happened on a saturday night, where all car shops are closed! 3. repair shops open tomorrow, the repair is yet to take place. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45mph the vehicle veered toward the right. a clunking sound came from the front of the vehicle. upon inspection the independent repair shop determined the front coil spring fractured. the front coil spring needed replaced.

The front right bearing and spring needed to be replaced due to corrosion. the bearing was frozen and the spring was popped out so far it almost popped the front right tire. the car is a 2002 ford focus - not that old to have something like this corrode and almost cause an accident. i didn't see a recall on any of the parts for my car or anything suggesting shields should be installed so that if the springs pop at a high speed at least it won't puncture the tire. i would like to see a recall on the parts or have the nhtsa require that shields be installed. i spent $578 to correct the problem - replaced front right strut, mount and bearing, spring, and alignment. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated, while driving over a bump in the road, at 45 mph, the suspension failed, causing the wheel to bend on impact with the road. the bent wheel and all shocks were replaced. the dealer informed the contact of a service bulletin concerning the suspension directing the dealer to replace springs only if broken. when the manufacture was contacted, replacement springs were offered at cost.

Passenger side coil spring is fractured. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated after driving on bumpy road conditions a clanking noise was coming from the front suspension. the contact inspected the vehicle, and determined the sway bar link wore out, and the tie rod ends cracked. the contact replaced the sway bar link and front tie rod ends. the vehicle was not seen by a dealer. *ak updated 2/7/2006 - *nm

I purchased my 2002 ford focus in january of 2005. i love my car, have found out about of things that could go wrong later. right now i am having trouble with my front wheels. i have put six used tires on the front since i purchased the focus. in november i had two brand new tires put on plus in may i have had a wheel alignment done. the car still shakes very bad. found out i need my wheel hub bearing replace, plus i found out there may be a recall on the rear bearing which i have not received anything. i should not have to pay for these things to be done. *jb

Dt: contact stated there was a nail in the front passenger's tire. upon replacement of the tire the dealer found that the front passenger coil spring broke. the dealer replaced the front passenger coil spring. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at highway speed the left rear wheel bearings came loose. the vehicle physically felt as though there was a flat tire. the contact pulled over and parked the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. the independent repair shop personnel replaced the rear spindle assembly, the left rear wheel bearings, as well as the hub and drum of the suspension. *nm the contact's mechanic called ford beforehe did work on vehicle. it was a metal to metal sound. this could have easily been deadly. however, contact was in right slow lane an dwas able to pull off the highway. *ak

Complaint regarding 2002 ford focus mechanical problems.*mr the vehicle's right front coil spring broke without warning. the consumer request reimbursement from the manufacturer but hasn't received a reply yet. *nm