2001 Ford Focus complaints

THE FIRST THING THAT I NOTICED WITH MY CAR WAS THE STALLING OF THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THE CAR WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 50-55 MPH. AT 12036 MILES, I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE REPAIRS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY TOLD ME CAR NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. IT ALSO NEED THE ROTORS TURNED AND THE TIRES ROTATED BECAUSE AT 12000 MILES THEY WERE STARTING TO WEAR. THEY GAVE ME A BILL FOR $101 THEY STATED THESE ITEMS WERE "WEAR" ITEMS AND WERE MY RESPONSIBILITY. I QUESTIONED WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING AT 12000 MILES. HE TRIED TO PUT THE BLAME OFF ON ME SAYING I BRAKE TOO HARD. YOU KNOW THAT IS REALLY FUNNY SINCE I HAVE A 1995 FORD ESCORT. I BOUGHT IT NEW. IT NOW HAS 170,000 MILES. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ESCORT. THE REASON I BOUGHT ANOTHER FORD WAS BECAUSE I WAS SO PLEASED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ESCORT. ABOUT THE STALLING, THEY SAID THEY PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. BUT THEY WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS. WELL, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I BEGAN TO NOTICE THE SHAKING AGAIN. THEN ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE SHAKING BEGAN, I HAD A FLAT. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THE NEW TIRE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD THE ONE TIRE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. THE TIRE BUSINESS TOLD ME THE TIRE WAS SO WORE ON THE INSIDE (WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE) THAT THE WIRES WERE SHOWING. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I HAD ANOTHER FLAT. SAME THING.

THERE IS A CHEMICAL SMELL COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER, HEATER AND DEFROSTER. I HAVE RETURNED THE CAR TO MATHEWS FORD FOR REPAIR. THE TECHNICIANS SMELLED THE ODOR AND FLUSHED THE SYSTEM OUT ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, BUT THE ODOR RETURNS. I GET VERY POOR GAS MILEGE, THE BRAKES GRIND, SQUEEK, AND THUMP, THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER WINDOWS HAVE A LOUD SQUEEK,THE TRUNK WON'T CLOSE COMPLETLY UNLESS YOU SLAM IT AS HARD AS YOU CAN,

WHILE DRIVING 15MPH POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AND VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS STARTS TO FLICKER, WITHOUT WARNING. THEN THE VEHICLE STALLS OUT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE SEVERAL PARTS, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS

WHILE PLACING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH THE VEHICLE FROZE UP THERE WERE NO STEERING. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 35MPH WAS INVOLVED ON SIDE COLLISION AT THE DRIVER SIDE AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOY. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 8, 2002 I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 FORD FOCUS ZX3 AND I WAS TRYING TO TURN ONTO THE FREEWAY AND MY CAR WOULDN'T TURN ALL THE WAY AND WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND I CRASHED INTO A CURB AND WHEN THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED MY LEFT FOREARM WAS BURNT.

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN HIT AT 30MPH IN THE FRONT CENTER OF THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. PH *JG

# OF THE ORGINAL WHEELS BENT. WARRANTY REPLACED 2 OUT OF 3, NOW ALL 4 ARE BENT AGAIN. FORD IS FINDING THIS PROBLEM AT THERE PROVING GROUNDS IN ROMEO MI. I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR LIKE THIS! THE WHEEL HAS BEEN CHANGED FOR THE 2003 FOCUS. DT

THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WORE OUT WITH ONLY 11000 MILES ON THE CAR. UNACCEPTABLE FOR A NEW CAR. DT

CONSUMER STATED THE BATTERY LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, JUST AS STATED UNDER RECALL#02V288000, HOWEVER DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR BECAUSE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. TS. CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER DID FIX THE BATTERY INDICATOR PROBLEM AT NO CHARGE, ALSO THE BRAKES AND ROTORS WAS REPLACED.*JB

THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE ARE WARPED AND TREAD SEPARATION PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE TIRE. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

FOCUS WAS BROAD SIDED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY A FULL SIZE OLDSMOBILE TRAVELING APROXIMATELY 45 MPH. THE SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DT

NO SUMMARY. DT

CONSUMER IS CONCERNED ABOUT RECALL ON FORD FOCUS 2001 FOR ENGINE FIRES.

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STEERING VIBRATION. ALSO STATED OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FAN ON THE MOTOR. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE ALIGMENT OR THE BALL JOINTS TO BE OFF. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE BRAKE PADS ARE RUBBING CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. DEALER REPLACE NUMEROUS OF TIMES BEFORE. TS

SEAT BELT WOULD NOT STAY LOCKED. IGNITION KEY WOULD ONLY GO PART WAY INTO IGNITION, COULD NOT START VEHICLE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. DT

WHEN GOING AROUND A SLIGHT CURVE STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED CAUSING IMPACT WITH CURB AND PERMANTLY DISABLING THE STEERING. THE CAR IS UNDRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. RECALL WAS ISSUED 11/06/02 BUT FORD STATES THAT I WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED UNTIL 01/03. I MUST WAIT UNTIL THEN OR PAY TO HAVE CAR LOOKED AT TO DETERMINE IF FAULTY PART IS CONTAINED IN THE MOST RECENT RECALL. DT

TIRED OF GOING TO DEALER FOR WARRANTY WORK ON BRAKES ON NEW CAR. DT

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE VEHICLE LOST TOTAL POWER AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A PART THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACE WAS A PROCESSOR. PH

CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATION AT HIGH SPEED CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

TIRED OF HAVING TO BRING CAR IN FOR REPEAT BREAK DOWNS. DT

WHILE DRIVING THE TIE ROD BROKE CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A GUARD RAIL. *JB

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE HAVING TO BE REPLACED EVERY TWO MONTHS DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT IS THE WAY THE VEHICLE IS MADE. TS

ENGINE STALLING PROBLEM. AT A RUNNING SPEED OF APPROX. 45 MPH THE CAR STARTED TO BUCK AND SPUTTER AND AFTER MANAGING TO PULL IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IT FINALLY STALLED. AFTER LETTING IT SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO START IT AND DRIVE IT ON WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED BEFORE BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE NHTSA WILL HAVE FORD RECALL THE CAR SO THE PROBLEM CAN BE FIXED BEFORE IT CAUSES ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. I'VE CHECKED ONLINE AND APPARENTLY I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP US ALL. SINCERELY, [XXX] DT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

BRAKES HAVE FAILED TO STOP THE CAR, THEY DIDN'T LOCK, AND I DON'T HAVE ABS. RADIO LOSES POWER INTERMITTENTLY. THEN CLEARS UP AND IS GOOD FOR A WHILE. HAD INCIDENCES OF CAR JERKING/STUTTERING WHEN COASTING AT SURFACE STREET SPEEDS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALERSHIP AND TOLD NOTHING WRONG. DEAL WITH JONES WEST FORD, BOUGHT CAR FROM INTERNET AUTO SALES. DT

WHILE BACKING UP SLOWLY WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR LURCHED BACKWARD WITH TREMENDOUS FORCE AND STRUCK TWO OTHER PARKED VEHICLES. THE BRAKE FAILED TO STOP IT. DT

BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING AND RESULTIED IN DRIVERS LOSS OF CONTROL AND CRASH INTO PARKING LOT BARRIER WHICH RESULTED IN VEHICLE ROLLOVER. DT

CAR WAS TURNING RIGHT WHILE LEAVING WAL-MART PARKING LOT ONTO 4 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED. FRONT LEFT WHEEL HAD TURNED SIDEWAYS IN WHEEL AND THE BRAKE LINE WAS BROKEN. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE AND IT CROSSED HIGHWAY AND CAME TO STOP ON RAISED CONCRETE MEDIAN. DAMAGE TO THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF VEHICLE WAS SIGNIFICANT. DT

SECOND FAILURE OCCURRED 11/15/02; ENGINE HESITATES AND STALLS WHEN GAS TANK IS BTW 1/4 AND 1/8 FULL. DT

LETTER TO FOLLOW CONTAINING COMPLETE COMPLAINT. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*****769748

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE BRAKES FAILED CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PRESS THE BRAKES REAL HARD CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO DEPOY AND HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. MR

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR

THE CAR INITIALLY STALLED UPON STARTING IN MAY OF 2002. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND A NEW FUEL PUMP WAS PLACED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN UNTIL OCTOBER OF 2002, AT THAT TIME, IT STALLED IN SLOW TRAFFIC TWO TIMES IN ONE DAY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND A SECOND FUEL PUMP WAS PLACED ON THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER, WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH, PASSING A SEMI-TRACTOR TRAILER ON THE INTERSTATE,THE CAR STALLED. IT TOOK 15 MINUTES TO RESTART AND WAS DRIVEN IMMEDIATELY TO THE FORD DEALER. THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FROM OCTOBER 24TH UNTIL NOV 12, 2002. AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE, THEY THEN PLACED ANOTHER FUEL PUMP ON THE CAR AND REMOVED THE GAS TANK. CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK. IT WAS CLEANED AND A NEW SCREEN PLACED ON THE CAR. ON NOVEMBER 4, 2002, THE SERVICE MANAGER CONTACTED ME AND SAID THAT HE COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. TWO DAYS LATER I READ THE ODI RESUME ON THE FORD FOCUS INVESTIGATION EA02-02 BASIS PE02-040. DT

ON NOV 6TH 2002, I HAD THE FORD FOCUS INSPECTED AT A NEW YORK STATE INSPECTION CENTER TO MEET STATE INSPECTION. NO PROBLEMS WERE DETECTED AT THAT TIME IN THE OPERATIONS OR CONSISTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. ON NOV. 11TH RETURNING FROM A 500 MILE TRIP THE BRAKE SYSYTEMS FAILED WITH TOTAL LOSS OF FRONT BRAKES AND A SEVER GRINDING IN THE FRONT DRIVERS WHEEL. UPON INSPECTION THE ROTOR WAS SEVERLY DAMAGED RESULTING IN BRAKE FAILURE. I CALLED THE NEW YORK STATE INSPECTOR CONCERNING THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKES WERE IN SPEC. ON NOV. THE 6TH, 2002. I CAN ONLY ASSUMED THAT I EXPERIANCED A TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO POOR QUALITY OF MATERIALS USED IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM OF THE FORD FOCUS. DT

NO SUMMARY. DT

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD BOUNCE TO SIDE WHEN HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD, TOOK TO DEALER, THE DEALER ALLIGNED VEHICLE, TIGHTENED UP STABLIZER LINK. CONSUMER STATES' TIRES WERE REPLACED 20000, MECHANIC STATES ALL TIRES WERE COUPED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

THE CAR IS POPPING IN FRONT, SCRUBBING IN REAR, HESITATES, LOOSING POWER, FRIENDSHIP FORD OF BRISTOL COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. NOW THAT IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY I'M GIONG TO HAVE TO PAY FOR IT, BECAUSE OF THERE SCREW UPS AND IT'S NOT RIGHT FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THERE VEHICLES. DT

THE CONSUMER WAS BACKING THE VEHICLE OF OUT A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH 2 OTHER VEHICLES. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *MR *NLM

WHEN APPLYING BRAKE VEHICLE VEERS SHARPLY TO THE LEFT. THIS CAUSES THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE TO WEAR PREMATURELY, TIRE WAS REPLACED TWICE. DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. MR

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, VEHICLE JUST STALLED OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING.THE VEHICLE STALLED AS IF IT HAD RUN OUT OF GASOLINE WITH AN ALMOST FULL TANK. AFTER LETTING THE ENGINE SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES, THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES WITHIN A FEW DAYS AND AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM 15 TO 65 MPH, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, INSPECTED THE CAR, AND SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. DT

WHILE AT A STOP WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE, CONSUMER STATED THAT BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS ALL OVER THE GROUND. *TS *NLM

CONSUMER STATES: EVERY 11 THOUSANDS MILES HAS TO CHANGE THE REAR TIRES. AT THIS MOMENT HAS CHANGED TWICE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE BRAKES SQUEAK VERY BAD. TOOK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIME FOR REPAIRS, THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACE AND NOW THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. MR

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAS A BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL. FIRESTONE DOES NOT HAVE AVAILABLE SIZE TO REPLACE IT AND SENT ME HOME WITH IT THAT WAY, WHICH I THOUGHT RATHER CARELESS. FURTHERMORE, I HAVE REPLACE 2 TIRES, AND NASSAR FORD REPLACED ONE TIRE. IN THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, I HAVE HAD 5 FLATS. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE DRIVING AND FIRESTONE HAS OFFERED NO VIABLE SOLUTION. DT

I'M FROM CANADA IGNORE THE LAST HALF OF ADDRESS THANKS ENGINE SPUTTERED THEN STALLED WOULD NOT START. NOTICED ROUND SILVER DOME ATTACHED TO GAS LINE NEAR THE FIREWALL UNDER HOOD WAS VERY VERY HOT. THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ALSO ON JUST BEFORE IT STALLED. THE CAR WOULD NOT RUN RIGHT UNTIL I COOLED OFF THAT SILVER DOME THING ATTACHED TO THE GAS LINES. IT WAS SO HOT I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE. WE LEFT THE CAR ALONE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES THEN PUT COLD COMPRESS ON THAT SILVER DOME TO COOL IT OFF. WENT TO DEALER THEY THOUGHT I WAS NUTS. I NEVER USE THE AIR CONDITIONER AGAIN AND IN THE SUMMER I OFTEN STOP TO COOL DOWN THAT SILVER DOME. THIS SOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL BEFORE SOME FOCUS BLOWS UP. EVEN NOW THE CAR STILL IDLES RUFF AND STALLS WHEN IT GETS HOT USING THE AIR CONDITIONER GETS THE ENGINE EVEN HOTTER ,THE CAR STALLS EASIER. DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. AFTER INSPECTION FOR THE CAUSE OF FIRE WAS TOLD THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE WIRE HARNESS. IT WAS BRITTLE. MR

WHEN COMING TO A LIGHT BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITH THE BUMPER CRACKED SLIGHTLY. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS SMASHED UPON DEPLOYMENT WITH DRIVER RECEIVING BURNS AND CHOKING FROM CHEMICALS. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TS

I ORIGINALLY TOOK THE CAR IN BACK IN OCTOBER BUT THEY FOUND NO CAUSE FOR THE NOISE THE BRAKES WERE MAKING AT THE TIME. NO REPAIRS WERE DONE THEN. DT