Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1842502/01/200510012962No crank on start charging system warning indicator on driveability concerns and or malfunction indicator lamp on. *eh04/05/2005
036103/31/200310001855Malfunction indicator lamp on with or without rough running, lack of power, surge or poor fuel economy with diagnostic trouble codes p0401, p0402, p1400, p1401. *tt *jb07/23/2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
1687806/01/200310002596Coolant leak from a cracked coolant degas bottle. engineering is investigating. *tt09/08/2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
04241012/13/200410014082Engine vibration at idle. *tt04/28/2005
1640811/01/200210008338Spi engine - oil leak - contract request. *mj07/28/2004
1753602/01/200410008108Belt squeal. *mj07/22/2004
1750501/01/200410007338Runs rough and/or malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on condition with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p402 and/or p0403 (egr flow excessive detected/egr control circuit) in wet weather or in a car wash. *tt06/14/2004
1674604/01/200310002649Higher than normal idle speed, runs rough at idle and/or diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0171. *tt09/09/2003
1688106/01/200310002599Check engine light on and diagnostic trouble code p0460 (fuel level sensor circuit malfunction) - service tips. *tt09/08/2003
032202/03/200310002472Streamlined diagnostic procedure for vehicles with malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0401, p0402, p1400 or p1401, or runs rough, lacks power, surge, poor fuel economy, and the above listed dtcs without09/03/2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
1587405/01/2002637732Dpfe sensor pulsing or ticking noise from engine compartment. *tt12/04/2002
1563902/01/2002630687Some vehicles may exhibit engine vibration at idle in drive, neutral and reverse. *tt04/19/2002
0124612/10/2001630515Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure. *tt04/18/2002
1541911/01/2001630436Some vehicles may exhibit an engine vibration at idle, most noticeable when engaged in reverse. *tt04/17/2002
1534310/01/2001630262Concerns with oil smell in passenger compartment. *tt04/15/2002
1551401/01/2002630033Some vehicles may exhibit an engine vibration at idle, most noticeable when engaged in reverse. *tt04/11/2002
021401/21/2002630001Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant and/or oil from the cylinder head gasket area. *tt04/11/2002
0120510/15/2001627927Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and or p0174. *tt02/26/2002
1527809/01/2001625819Some vehicles may exhibit a diagnostic trouble code or other related dtcs. *jg12/03/2001
1516308/01/2001624624Some vehicles may exhibit an oil smell in passenger compartment. *yh11/08/2001
1507707/01/2001621080A condition may exist with intermittent stall / hesitation or lack of power. *tt09/06/2001
014703/05/2001619424Subject regarding engine oil recommendations for use in 2001 vehicles - sae 5w-20 motor oil. *tt05/30/2001
1484604/01/2001619329Some vehicles with 2.0l spi engine only, may exhibita burning oil smell noted from outside or from within the passenger compartment. *tt05/23/2001
1449211/01/2000616563Some vehicles may exhibit a slight engine vibration at idle, most noticeable when engaged in reverse. *tt03/06/2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
1901601/01/200610019076Replace timing belt idler pulley during 2.0l zetec engine cylinder head replacement - service tip. *tt02/10/2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
CSP-08B0105/16/200810026389Ford: certain 1999-2001 model year vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in new york and certain 2001 vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in the state of maine, certified for sale in california-federal emission warranty refund. *pe10/23/2008
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
02M0106/01/200402M0110007207Customer satisfaction program 02m01 supplement #4. certain ford 2000 through 2003 vehicles equipped with a tube-mounted egr pressure sensor - additional egr pressure sensor warranty coverage. *tt supplement #3. *mj supplement #606/03/2004

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
PE02040FORD MOTOR COMPANY04/04/200209/09/2002ENGINE STALLING
 Alleged loss of engine power may occur at low speed or high speed

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
07/27/20121080001
 On 7/27/2012, the car caught on fire while being driven. the smoke started coming into the interior through the vents. when attempting to pull over,there was no brake (my guess is that the brake line had melted.). my husband used the e brake and park to stop and someone yelled...get out of the car.my husband and son jumped out and the car became engulfed. there is nothing left. he told me that just before that it started hesitating some,like it was going to cut off, but didn't. for a more detailed statement please contact him. i am so thankful that they got out... thank you, *tr
11/14/2011140000
 Engine suddenly had no oil in it. in turn, the engine is now blown.
09/08/2010130000
 I've had numerous problems with my ford focus and despite regular maintenance i've been stranded on the side of a highway countless times.thus far i've replaced the engine twice. twice i've had to replace the alternator. my throttle does not return to idle and has unexpected moments of acceleration and i've had to replace the engine throttle sensor. both of my front coil springs have broken and were very close to puncturing my tires. after taking my vehicle to numerous mechanics none of them have been able to diagnose why my car shakes so badly. i have very poor visibility at night with the exterior lighting which is significantly less compared to other vehicles. my fan has had to be replaced since it was malfunctioning and my car was having problems overheating as well. during the course of all of these car malfunctions, i've been in dangerous situations on the side of the highway and in risky neighborhoods at night. this car has proven to be very unreliable and unsafe.
01/14/201070000
 I have had a ford focus 2001 for two years and in those years i have had to replace the engine and engine mounts. i have found out that this i common place in almost all ford focus's. i fear that this car might leave me anywhere, now one week ago the ignition cylinder has broken. this is not wear and tear. i demand that these cars of 1998 threw 2003 be labeled as lemons and have ford issue a recall or reimbursements on them.
03/17/2010129000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving at approximately 15 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the contact pulled over and when he restarted it, the vehicle functioned properly. the dealer, when contacted, stated that they were unaware of such a problem. the failure continued to occur intermittently. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls related to the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 129,000. the current mileage was 130,275.
04/20/201093000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving at approximately 10 mph, the engine stalled. the contact tried to restart the vehicle after a minute it would not start up. the contact then noticed smoke emitting from the hood which soon became a fire. the fire department extinguished the fire and a fire report was filed. the vehicle was totaled. the current and failure mileages were approximately 93,000.
02/07/20091
 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
07/30/20091300001
 The connecting rod broke in the engine. our mechanic said that almost all 2001 ford focus has this problem. i know i have 130,000 miles on the vehicle but i kept up with all recalls and maintenance. just lucky we made it home safe. if there is such a problem with most focus why wasn't it fixed by ford before a break down and lost of my vehicle. *tfr
06/07/2009610001
 Our daughters 2001 ford focus caught on fire from the engine, burned into the cabin. the car was off and parked in a lot. we purchased the car from a ford dealership when it was 3 years old, and have never been told of this problem. the car has been totaled. we are so fortunate that our daughter was not injured, nor that anyone else or property was damaged. she had only been out of the car for about 4-6 minutes before it erupted in flames. prior to that the car appeared to drive fine. no smells, no warning lights. very scary. i felt that i need to tell someone, as the insurance company, appears to want to just settle the claim, with no investigation. how are we to make cars safer, if the insurance companies, the last line of defense, don't notify anyone? *tr
09/07/2008118000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the engine began to idle excessively high. on a separate occasion, the vehicle stalled without warning and lost power steering. the driver experienced extreme difficulty steering the vehicle and had to use excessive force to turn the steering wheel. the vehicle was able to resume normal operation. the failures occurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they wanted to charge the contact for a diagnostic; however, the contact refused due to the cost. the technician refused to repair the vehicle unless the aftermarket parts were replaced by the manufacturer. the parts consisted of the pcv valve and fuel filter. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer conducted a campaign (03v-482) to address the stalling in the vehicles. the contact experienced the identical failures mentioned in the campaign, but the vin was excluded. the failure mileage was 118,000 and current mileage was 119,000.
10/08/20081070001
 The engine snaped and now the car is no longer working. however prior to that it would idle acting as if it was stalling out and making noises. *tr
11/05/2008127923
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while purchasing the vehicle, the contact was informed that the motor mounts, which hold the engine in place, needed to be replaced. she was instructed to bring the vehicle to the dealer the following day for repair. when she arrived at the dealer, she was informed to leave the vehicle. when the contact arrived to retrieve the vehicle two days later, the dealer refused to provide paperwork stating that the vehicle was repaired. one week later, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and a loud rattling sound was heard coming from the engine. she called the dealer to return the vehicle for repair, but they refused to take her calls. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and a mechanic stated that the motor mounts were never replaced and would cost $3,000. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 127,923 and current mileage was 128,000.
09/03/20081
 On hot days after the car has been brought up to operating temperature and is restarted it goes into a mode where it consistently stalls at idle and low rpm. it has a manual transmission. this is an intermittent problem and only occurs some of the time. nether ford or independent mechanics have been able to diagnose and fix the problem. intermittent and unexpected stalling is a significant safety problem. *tr
07/08/2008857001
 Thermostat housing has started leaking coolant. this is reportedly a common failure on focus with 2.0l dohc engine (zetec). the thermostat housing failure may or may not be a connection to the valve cover leaking oil onto the thermostat housing and hot exhaust manifold which produces a faintly noticeable burning smell when driving. *tr
09/10/2004490001
 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
05/26/2008400001
 The valve cover gasket leaks prematurely, which causes oil to drip onto the exhaust manifold. the burning oil creates fumes. the poorly designed seals around intake air box allow fumes from the engine compartment to enter the passenger compartment. these two design failures combine with each other to expose passengers to burning oil fumes. now, i have to replace the valve cover gasket to avoid exposing myself to burning oil fumes. *tr
05/01/2008125000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact started the ignition and the vehicle made a strange noise. the engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle could not be driven. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a diagnostic. the current and failure mileages were 125,000.
03/18/2008890001707/11/2007
 I bought this car in jul07. in dec07 started having problems with car surging/jolting while driving on highway (55-65 mph) then car would just stall, completely die. engine light would come on, no power steering no lights. i would manage to get it over to the side of the road narrowly avoiding accident and car would not start. after sat for about 10 mins it would start. it would drive ok for about 10-20 miles and then surge and die. it happens periodically and in between the car may drive fine for weeks. service center can't find anything wrong with it. it just happened again 3-18-08 while i was driving on interstate at 65mph, jolted twice and completely died. i was nearly killed as a semi was behind me and another beside me. i had to fight the car to get it off the side of the road and narrowly missed the semi running up over the top of me. after sitting for 10 min it started again but would not reach full power. i could only get it up to about 50 mph, then started jolting and died again after about 6 miles this continued for 30 miles. engine light was on. i had that read by adv auto later and it was two codes one for mass airflow sensor. it has been in service garage since then. they can't find anything wrong with it. i did notice that this seems to only be happening when it rains. they sprayed water today on the front of the car while it was running and it died in their shop. they still have no idea what is wrong with it. it also has a loud vibration/noise in front end. motor mounts have been changed, new alternator, new battery, new belt replaced dec 27,07. the vehicle died again feb 5, 2008 6 times. it dies at all speeds and sometimes stalls at stop lights/signs. i am extremely frustrated with it and need a reliable car to get to work and am making car payments on a car that has been in the shop 36 days in the last 90. also very concerned about causing an accident or killing myself, my kids or someone else. *tr
03/21/200852899103/07/2006
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving approximately 25 mph and approaching a traffic light, the battery light illuminated. the contact noticed smoke coming from the hood and then flames appeared. she stopped and exited the vehicle when it became completely engulfed in flames. the police and fire departments arrived and a report was filed. the vin, engine size, and powertrain were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 52,899. updated 04/11/08 *bf the dealer stated consumer had vehicle in a pinch bolt torqued and a zetec engine cable routing. the dealer also replaced both front coil springs. updated 04/11/08 *tr
04/03/2007830733003/09/2002
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the engine light would illuminate and the vehicle would stall, stutter, skip, and not run when the tank reached a quarter tank. initially, the contact was informed that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. then she was informed that the timing belt, gear, pulley, and tensioner needed to be replaced. the components were replaced. finally, the contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. ford stated that the vehicle was manufactured too late to be included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v482000 (fuel system, gasoline). the purchase date and speed were unknown. the current mileage was 88,000 and failure mileage was 83,073. updated 03-04-08 *bfthe fuel pump was replaced.
12/15/2007128000206/20/2006
 I am the second owner of this vehicle the day after i purchased the 2001 ford focus the engine light came on and i had loss of power. i took it back to the dealership and they replaced some parts and also had replaced a few recalled parts. the engine at that time had 78,000 miles on it. i have owned the car for a year and a half it currently has 128,000 miles on it now and had to replace serveral parts which are oxygen sensors catalyc converter, struts, shocks and idle pulley. i get my oil changes and tune ups on a regular basis. one morning went to start my car to go to work and it would not start. it was acting as if it had run out of gas but i had over a half of tank of gas in it. after trying to start it it finally started and was making a horrible rattling noise in the engine. it ran for about 15 seconds then died. i left it alone then called a tow truck to take it to an autorepair shop and had a diagnostic test done on it. i was told that a bearing had broke off and hit my third cylinder and smashed my spark plug. it also hit the piston and the piston was cracked. there were no warning signs and i would not have had a clue that there was anything wrong with my car. the auto repair place said the i was lucky that it happened at home and not while i was driving because it could have been very dangerous. i am now having to get a remanufactured engine costing me $3,300. which i have to have financed. is there any thing that i can do?*cn
10/19/200753000108/17/2001
 2001 ford focus. original owner. maintained. spark plug blew out of cylinder. dealer suggested most expensive fix - new cylinder head and spark plugs. not covered by warranty. will instead just get spark plugs rethreaded and trade in car asap before any other major issues. car lost power. was at a stop light and then made a right turn. lost power and loud explosive noises resulted on freeway access road. police had to come out until tow. dangerous situation. *tr
08/22/2007105/28/2001
 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
01/24/2007140000412/01/2001
 Tl* - the contact owns a 2001 ford focus with a current and failure mileage of 140,000. the contact stated that she was driving 55 mph on a hot day and the vehicle would sputter and lose acceleration , then lost power. the contact stated that the engine would stall, but the car would still be driving until the contact applied the brakes. the contact had the mechanic changed the spark plugs, wires, and fuel filter, but the problem persisted. the contact called the manufacturer, and they told him to take it to the ford dealer to get it diagnosed. the mechanic stated that it was a failure in the fuel distribution system, but the parts were on nationwide back order. *ak
02/13/200742000112/30/2006
 Tl* - the contact owns a 2001 ford focus zx3. the contact purchased the vehicle ,and two weeks later the heat stopped working. the contact stated that she took the vehicle to the dealer for repairs, and they did an incomplete repair job. the dealer got the heat to work but it only worked when the contact turned the heat on high. the contact stated that on a really bad snow day she smelled rubber burning and turned the heat off and opened the window. she had to shut the window and turn the heat back on, and when she did fumes began to gather in the vehicle, and the entire vehicl was filled with smoke. the contact continued to drive home when the car shut down entirely. ford and toyota gave her the run around concerning replacing the vehicle and a trade in. the contact was instructed to continue using the vehicle while a trade in was being negotiated. when the contact went to sign negotiation papers she was declined. *ak the consumer stated after picking up the vehicle, all the lights illuminated, the consumer was told it was fixed. the salesman test drove the vehicle and it cut off in the middle of the steet. updated 03/30/07. *jb
08/26/2006190000111/15/2005
 Dt: the contact stated while driving 35 - 40 mph, the check engine light and battery light illuminated. while pulling the vehicle into a parking lot all the dashboard lights darkened and the vehicle hesitated as if it was going to stall. it was parked for about 3 minutes and the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was observed by an independent mechanic who determined that a barren came out of one of the pulleys however that would not cause the vehicle to stall. the vehicle was left at the scene of the incident. two days later the contact returned to the vehicle and the vehicle was burned. the insurance investigator observed a security video which identified the vehicle smoking and a window had fallen.
11/10/20041
 Events leading up to the failure: check engine light came on has never gone off since, highly increased running noise, engine hesitation that at highway speed it causes the whole car to jerk failure: i took the car in and they told me i needed a new head that ford had redesigned a new one and it would cost $1000. the one i currently have deposits carbon and will keep doing so until it eventually gives out. the thing that irks me is ford obviously knew there was a design flaw if they designed a new one, therefore i feel they should be covering this. corrections: none, cannot afford. will have to drive it until the car gives out.
01/01/19011
 2001 ford focus ignition cylinder broke, problems with the tire equipment, engine light illuminated and the sway bar bushing needs to be replaced.*mr the ignition cylinder had been replaced three times. the steel belts were showing through the front tires at 54000 miles. the sensor which caused the engine light to illuminated was replaced three times. the front brakes were replaced twice. the battery, radiator, thermostat and fuel pump also failed. *nm
02/15/20053
 The driver heard a humming noise coming from the front of the vehicle. the noise escalated while the vehicle accelerated. check engine light appeared on the dashboard, and remained on. then, vehicle stalled. driver was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that driver's side wheel bearing needed to be replaced due to corrosion. also, the engine needed a sensor. *ak
01/05/20042
 The vehicle tends to stall unexpectedly at various speeds. taken to dealer for check up, and the computer was reset. the stalling still persists, and the dealer has not determined a cause.*ak
12/16/200477000412/15/2000
 My 2001 ford focus has stalled again. this is about the 4th time. local mechanic found problem to be fuel injector pump. dealership claims that is only battery replacement. i have all old parts from recent service at dealership. i would like to see this vehicle recalled. found internet article that states that this is not an uncommon problem with this make/model. http://www.theautochannel.com/f/mania/repair/news.html?mania. *jb
11/19/20045010/20/2001
 Dirve the car for 30 minutes or longer (engine is hot). stop, and restart it from 15 to 30 minutes later, and the car will continually stall so long as the clutch is completely depressed. this will happen very predictably under these conditions. it is clearly temperature related, as restarting the car just 5 minutes later when still very hot, or an hour later when cooled down, and there is no stalling. dealer (athol ford) believes it is related to the idle air control valve, but refuses to fix it, even though it was taken in while still under warranty. dealer also claims to have no knowledge of any tsb related to this issue.*ak
11/08/20042
 Check engine light appeared on the dashboard. vehicle stalled. consumer was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. *ak
06/15/2004200306/12/2002
 Consumer complained about an ongoing hesitation problem. vehicle had been to dealer on several occasions, but problem recurred. *ak
08/17/2004320002
 While driving vehicle stalled intermittently. consumer pulled over and restarted the vehicle. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak
07/21/2004270001105/05/2001
 The vehicle stalled on two separate occasions. *jb the speedometer in the vehicle always reads zero. the milage erase on their own and pop up again days later then disappear again. the consumer stated that he has to turn the vehicle off and turn it on again to read the gas gauge. automatic locks engage 20 minutes after the consumer has started driving. the vehicle steering wheel became hard to move as the vehicle loss power and shut down on several occasions. *tc
07/14/20042
 Vehicle was taken to the dealership for a routine general maintenance, and mechanic determine that engine was leaking oil. service manager indicated to the consumer they will fix the problem for $100.00. but he had to sign an agreement if the job was not satisfactory dealership was not responsible. the settlement had to be resolved by a local arbitrator. vehicle was still leaking oil.*ak
04/29/2004380004
 While at a stop sign or driving vehicle stalled. consumer restarted vehicle. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak
06/15/2004450001
 While driving at any speed engine hesitated intermittently. as a result, vehicle was almost rear ended. a recall was issued for the engine stalling, however this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak
03/28/200440001102/21/2004
 My car just started to stall out.. i had ford replace thew fuel filter and pump still has that problem.
12/15/20020
 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.
10/15/200348500
 The same as eveyone else. 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. they would have to charge me 75 bucks to check it out (because according to ford, it has to be done by them regardless of my qualifications) then if it's not having the performance problem at the time they would not be able to verify it's the fuel pump. since it's intermittent i chose to pull the tank and investigate my self. i agree "kinda" that it's a fuel pump issue. the reason i say this is because i pulled the tank tonight, disassembled the pump/sending unit assembly and found a large amount of sediment in the base and around the sides of the body the pump sits in. additionally the screen/sock on the inlet side of the pump motor was almost completely clogged with the stuff,. the tank itself had a light film of the brown stuff which easily is wiped with a clean rag. looking at the gunk, it would seem to me to be very bad gas, but why just the focus. i put the same stuff in both my other two vehicles and no problems. i can't analyze the stuff to determine what it is for sure but can assure you it's only a matter of time before it caused enough cavitation for the pump to heat up burn out. i did not see evidence of any gaskets or anything else internal attached to the tank going bad, but since i use the same fuel else were w/o problems it almost has to be a situation like a seals/sealant deteriorating and producing the nasty stuff. i plan on saving $250 and clean it all and see if things improve. the pump is only available from ford (interesting). ford needs to do somthing about this before they allow somone to get killed out there on the hiway. i just purchased this vehicle used a month ago for my 15 year old daughter. i should have done better research first.
03/15/200339948
 I bought my focus used, it had 38,000 miles, on a trip the engine began to act up. it was revving all the way up but would not go above 40 mph. after calling a tow truck the check engine light came on, the dealership that i took it to had it for over a week and had difficulty locating the problem. it started and drove just fine for them. i had the fuel pump and filter replaced, as well as the fuel system flushed. while it was there they performed recall work on my battery cable routing, and my one of my engine control arm bolts. everything was fine for a few months, then i had a tire throw tread, the front passenger side. 1 week later it was back to get the other tire replaced because it had a bubble in it, after learning that i got the rest of the tires replaced. a few weeks ago my brakes started squeling, i had the pads checked they were fine, after they kept making noise i insisted that they were changed. after driving about 100 miles i started hearing a spinning thump. that became very loud. back into the shop, they replaced a brake caliper, and also i had to get yet another fuel filter, it was begining to become restricted, again. the brake problem even though it had been doing it for a while since i did not have a ford dealership do it was not covered under my warranty, and i am sure that something else will go wrong. yay!
09/15/200349500
 Was driving the turner turnpike back from funeral, cruise control on at 76 mph. boom from under the car, oil light comes on, smoke billowing out from underneath. i pulled over, turn the engine off. the whole engine covered in oil. behind is a trail of oil from over the hill to where i had stopped. i'm pretty sure the engine is gone. no knocking, temp was right, no warning light, just boom! didn't even get to 50,000 miles. what a crock!
07/15/200326000
 Car suddenly stalls when taking a sweeping right hand turn. power steering is inoperable, leaving auto in middle of road or highway ramp.
05/15/20010
 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
12/15/20020
 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.
12/15/20020
 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.
08/15/200346500
 My 2001 focus zx3 will sputter, lose power, and threaten to stall. this occurs at any speed. it has stalled and left me stranded once. when towed to the dealership, nothing could be found wrong with it and so i was charged nothing. it started up again just fine, but periodically threatens to stall again. also, the paint over the driver side rear wheel is bubbling up and coming off.
01/15/20030
 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
07/15/200365000
 The tire and the brakes went out and the car stated sliding. after the crash there were bolts that were found on the grass where the crash happened
10/15/20030
 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.
10/15/20030
 After three unseccessful attempts to have my ford focus repaired for engine stalls(while on the highway with the kids in the back seat,with 18-wheeler behind me).iionce again took my car to ford for warranty work.they found that the fuel pump was not suppling enough pressure and fixed it i thought,when at work with the car running and the exhaust at running temperature,all the fuel leaked out and could of very easily caused a fire which could of caused a great lose of life not only for myself but also for my wife and kids who always drive the car
03/10/20041290001
 While driving at 35 mph consumer heard a pinging sound coming from the engine compartment. several moments later consumer heard a loud popping sound and the engine died. consumer found out that the engine had thrown a rod through the engine block.*ak
07/22/2003380001
 Consumer had a front collision and neither of the air bags deployed. dealer notified. *ak vehicle's engine stalled causing steering and brake failure causing a collision into the side of a mountain. air bag equipment failed to deploy on impact. *mr
07/10/20031
 Vehicle shut off while driving at any speed. dealer has inspected several times and could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak
03/05/2003
 I am experiencing problems consistent with ea02-022 concerning vehicle stalling at any speed. although the car has not yet completely stalled out while driving, it has felt as though it may do so at any time. numerous repair attempts including replacement of the oxygen sensor and fuel pump have not remedied the problem. as ford recognizes that this is a progressive problem, i have to worry every time that i drive the vehicle that this will be the time when i completely lose power.
01/17/20031
 Check engine light illuminated and the emergency brake failed. *dt *nlm
 While driving the vehicle it gears down very hard and jerks. the power shuts down and the illumination of the dash board gets very dim. took to dealer, problem still exist. please provide any further information. ph
11
 The consumer has experienced the following: the brakes has an abnormal noise, pulsation when moderate-hard braking, and grinding, the accelerator cable clip-broken, battery and case, belt assembly and idler seal, transmission/pan gasket leak, temp guage-found burnt resister/connector-goes hot and cools when a/c is on and the fan does not come on, the vehicle stalled at an intersection, the exhaust camshaft seal is leaking, the fuel sender works intermittently/inop, and the rear suspension-rear shocks-seemed weak and hears a noise in the rear end when going over a dip. scc
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
03/03/201162000
 After purchasing car with 62k miles on it, i discovered a coolant leak the next day. this leak has gotten worse over the last week. a search of different internet sites found at least 15 reports of the thermostat housing coming loose/breaking loose from its position against the engine block. this is where the leak is coming from on my car, and the description in at least one other case appears to be identical to my own leak. the descriptions found online range from nearly immediately after purchase to approximately 1 year after purchase. this leak is severe enough to generate a 2ft wide by 4ft long puddle of coolant in approximately 12hours. continuous leak even after car has sat for greater than 12 hours rules out a failure only while under pressure.
11/11/2006110000
 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.
10/03/2008449591
 Noticed coolant leaking onto pavement for several days. for fear of overheating took it into a pep boys as was closest repair facility. they found the thermostat housing (plastic i might add) was faulty and with parts and labor it came to $455 for the job. the nearest ford dealer said they would need 2 days to even look at the problem. *tr
11/18/2007105574110/16/2007
 Thermostat housing is leaking. found internal seal wall cracked/washed out allowing leakage past seal ring. steady drip of coolant from thermostat housing even after replacing seal ring. found many other complaints of same problem in discussion threads on internet. coolant puddled under car where pets can drink it and loss of coolant causing overheating. *tr
07/10/200789400107/02/2006
 Puddle of coolant on daily basis. slow but continuous leak. had to have thermostat housing replaced. part made of plastic rather than metal. *jb
10/17/200673850110/30/2003
 Cracked thermostat housing. i recently needed to have the plastic thermostat housing replaced on my focus, as it was cracked and leaking. i have been researching on the web and found numerous other entries regarding the problem. i have not seen a recall or any info regarding if there is a systematic failure of the part. i have the part if needed for research. *nm
11/25/200114403/01/2001
 Dt: brakes failed twice since 2001. brakes were replaced in 2001 and 2002. kept repairing the vehicle. the water pump/battery, and tires malfunctioned. on june 11 2005 while driving the car stopped. the car made a popping sound and started smoking. there was a warning, the battery light was on. the engine lights came on right before. car didnt start back up after several attempts. car was towed to home. dealer reported no problem with the vehicle. car was regularly serviced.*ak
06/11/200427000410/19/2001
 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
03/01/2002204/01/2001
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
112/01/2000
 Vehicle overheats while driving, the consumer has to pull over to let the vehilce cool down before continuing to drive. *tt *nlm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN
06/01/200464871101/26/2003
 2001 ford focus z3 cooling low speed fan system resistor failure, hot lead wire in plastic shielding melted , insulation melted from socket to source socket. contacts overheated/melted, circuit's fuse did not blow. high speed fan continues to operate when air conditioner is turned on. car overheats in traffic because low fan motors do not come on, never noticed problem as air conditioner usually on all the time. has been ongoing for past 6 months. just now checked resistor and found burned wiring. no fire, no injuries but given different circumstances could be a fire problem. the fuse should have protected the circuit but hasn't. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE
101/15/2002
 Vehicle stalled and shuttered as if it was going to cut off. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
1501/02/2001
 2001 ford focus displaying problems with transmission due to several leaks, cruise control, and trunk of vehicle. *mr water leaked onto the floorboard of the trunk which was only adjusted(problem repeated), the cruise control worked intermittently(new switch was ordered, the drivers side window squeaked and was fixed, the transmission leaked and was replaced but the service dealer was unable to determine the cause, water leaked in the front passenger side (problem repeated) then the r & l cowl grid was replaced to remedy the problem but didn't, coolant leaked from the upper radiator and the hose clamp was replaced, the trunk did not shut properly and the latch was replaced but did not fix the problem, the vehicle was taken in due to the parts being recalled, the real wheel bearings were replaced, the second recalled part was the pinch bolt torque and battery cable routing which was replaced, and the mechanics found that the brakes had worn out in the front and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was taken in for warranty repairs on 10 separate occasions and six attempt for the leaks, the problem in the front of the vehicle persisted. in addition, the entire transmission had to be replaced because of several leaks, several circuit and switches have broken down on the cruise control. the consumer was also concerned with the gas mileage which had consistently fallen and did not act as the promoted dealers sticker. the consumer requested a full refund for the purchase price. *scc *jb
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
11/01/200997000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. she received a recall notice for the rear door handles which were repaired at the manufacturer's expense (see nhtsa campaign id 05v030000). the front passenger door came open due to a defective door handle while the contact was driving. the manufacturer was contacted and advised her to take the vehicle to the dealer where they would further investigate the defect. repairs to the passenger door were scheduled with the dealer at the owner's expense. she also stated that the engine failed and was replaced per the extended warranty. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 97,000 and the current mileage was 124,000.
06/11/20081090001
 Engine failed at 109,000. it threw a rod and destroyed the engine with no warning. *tr
10/14/2007100000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while attempting to accelerate at any speed, the vehicle hesitates for several seconds before eventually accelerating. the failure occurs everytime the vehicle is driven. the vehicle has not been in any crashes due to the failure and has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current mileage was 107,000 and failure mileage was 100,000
04/26/200886000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving at any speed, the vehicle would begin to stall and then shut off. the vehicle would also stall and then regain power. the vehicle was not diagnosed by the dealer. the failure mileage was 86,000.
02/14/200879000111/01/2005
 My daughter was driving around 30 to 40 mph and when she hit or tap the brake the car would vibrate and try to cut off. the car did cut off and would not start . i towed the car to a shop and found that the valve seat came loose and fell on the pinions, therefore, destroying the engine. the valve seat was totally gone and went through the exhaust. ford mechanic recommended replacing with new motor and manifold plenum since they would not be able to get all the metal from the valve seat out of the plenum. i could get a used motor but found other on the internet that had the same problem, therefore the problem could happen again. *tr
07/21/200793000105/31/2002
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving 25 mph, the vehicle began to make a loud rattling noise. there were no warning indicators or prior failures. the contact drove approximately 1/2 mile to her residence. the mechanic stated that the bottom piston failed in the engine. the current and failure mileages were 93,000.
02/07/2007136000409/10/2003
 At seemingly random time my 2001 ford focus zx3 stalls. so far the stall has only happened when at a stop, but sputtering and loss of power randomly at highway speeds has me worried about an eminent stall. i have had the fuel filter changed as well as the egr valve and egr pressure flow sensor and nothing has solved this problem. *mn
12/22/200540
 I was driving my 2001 ford focus i just bought from an independent dealer and 3 or 4 days later the engine started stalling out of the blue. i didn't think anything of it until my engine light came on while driving. i got it tested and it said cylinder 2 misfire. i got the spark plugs and wires changed and it didn't do it anymore. then a week later it started doing it again. this time with my wife driving the kids to a doctor appt. everything seems to be ok with the car except the stalling. when i turn the ac on the stalling seems worse. i have had the car for 4 months and have tried everything i can to get the problem fixed. but, no one can seem to figure it out. there have been a lot of close calls with accidents. *nm
03/20/2006357
 2001 ford focus - 23,000 miles. engine stalls without warning. i have taken the vehicle to 4 different mechanics and the problem is not located. *jb
03/12/2006120000103/01/2003
 Dt*: the contact stated while driving at any speed and without warning the vehicle stalls. after one hour the vehicle restarts. the dealer replaced the fuel pump, fuel filter, cam, oxygen sensor, fuel sensor, fuel line, coil tech, and vacuum hose; however this did not remedy the problem.
01/26/200641000409/08/2001
 Brakes had to be replaced at less than 24,000 miles; continues grinding and squeaking continue even following brake replacement and turning of rotors; at have replaced all four tires two times, with less than 20,000 miles on each set of tires; ignition switch malfunctioned - i could get the key into the ignition, but it would not rotate; now at only 41,000 miles, the engine attempts to stall in idle - the whole car shudders - and has stalled twice while i was stopped at traffic lights. this presents a dangerous situation, not only for myself, but for my two children and others on the roadway. in reviewing this site, i am obviously not the only one experiencing these same problems. why doesn't the nhtsa issue recalls on ford focus for these and other problems? ford should recall the whole line and issue refunds to customers or cancel their remaining loan payments. i am a single mother with two children, who cannot afford costly repairs. the attitude of the service personnel at the ford dealership here is awful, and they have treated me badly every time i have gone in there, so that i don't even want to take the car in with this latest problem.*ak
11/06/20054
 Just driving to the bank and the car started to sputter as if it was losing power when i came to a stop at a red light. i have replaced the air filter and the fuel filter. i checked all fuses. when braking i have to have one foot on brake and other on gas to give it a little gas so it doesnt stall. *nm
12/18/2001800115
 2001 ford focus experiencing problems with the front brakes, fuel pump, battery, sway bars and tires. *mr the consumer replaced the front brakes five times, the radiator went out, the thermostat and sensors pertaining to the engine light ad gone out, the fuel pump and the battery went out and the mechanic could not find the problem. currently the starter showed signs of going out and the vehicle needed sway bars and 4 tires. *sc
09/03/2005640001209/03/2005
 Dt: while driving vehicle stalled and operated at a reduced speed. went back and forth eventually allowing the engine to die. this happened at all speeds. there was loss of power. the vehicle could not restart easily. it may take 20-30 minutes to restart the engine. the vehicle has not been to a dealer. no repairs were made. the consumer has no idea why this happened. the consumer believed this vehicle was included in nhtsa recall, nhtsa 03v482000 concerning the fuel system. the consumer contacted ford, and ford stated this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak
05/08/200550500109/18/2001
 Consumer states: starting to have engine hesitation,loss of power, some surging. the check engine light has been on for a few days. the engine sounds rougher but there is no knocking. *nm
03/23/200580000101/25/2003
 The vehicle stalled. consumer pull over, and had the vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak at the stop light the motor blew out which caused the vehicle to stall. the #4 valve set dislodged some how most parts stayed in #4 and #3, but got in every part of the head. the service quote need replaced engine with long block. vehicle need engine assembly complete- remove and replace. *bf
10/01/2003206/01/2001
 Ford focus 2001, excessive rocking of the engine, replaced motor mount. *bf when the consumer went to the dealer the third time, new bushings were put on the front of the vehicle. when the consumer applied the brake at a very low speed, the wheel vibrated and the body of the vehicle appeared to stop at a slightly slower speed than the wheel and there was a jerking a reaction. the mechanic believed there was a problem with the rear center motor mount and the lack of an a frame brace, which was causing the problems with the wheels. *jb
11/21/200350000211/01/2003
 While driving the consumer noticed that the instrument panel gauges were in operative. she could not tell how fast she was driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. *jb on some occasions when the speedometer failed the odometer also stopped working and the vehicle idled erratically. at times when the clutch was pressed while stopping the engine would die which resulted in loss of power. the fuel gauge was also unstable and as a result the consumer is never sure how much fuel is in the vehicle. *nm
10/10/2002123000809/14/2000
 I own a 2001 ford focus. problems started one month after purchase. window wiper motor blew but was under warrenty. then after warrenty expired everything started to go wrong. trunk hood would not latch closed, then door latches started to stick , then had to climb into passenger seat to open drivers side door because it would not unlock and door handle plays games and opens door when it wants to. fuel pump had a recall, thank god because i kept stalling on highway. then while driving home from work the back passenger side door flew open on highway, almost caused accident. then engine blew with only 123,000 miles on it. i have all oil change records to prove engine oil was changed every 3,000 miles give or take 20. engine had to be replaced and that left me without a car for a week. paid $1900 for an engine from a totaled focus. called ford motor company and they told me to hold my engine receipt so that when and if they get any complaints maybe in 2 years or so i'll get a refund. total money that i have put in car is over $4,000.00 and it's still not paid off yet. now i need a new front axle because that is going bad. why can't ford help me when i have questions and why is it when i go to a dealer and they can't help and then i call company itself they go and call dealer i went to and they go by what dealer mechanic says and not customer. i will never buy another ford again. and now the dealer i bought it from went of of business.*ak
11/17/200437392303/01/2001
 Oct. 13-14, 2004: engine would crank and crank and not start after sitting overnight or for several hours. after much cranking, engine finally would start. oct. 14 - personal mechanic identified that fuel pressure was bleeding off - fuel was not remaining in fuel rail. directed me to take it to ford dealer for fuel pump recall 03v482000. oct. 18 - to solve the problem, related to ford's recall program #03n01, ford dealership replaced fuel pump. in conjunction with the fuel pump replacement, dealer recommended fuel filter also be replaced, at a cost to me of $62.95 plus tax. i approved this. dealer (suntrup ford) also recommended fuel cleaning induction service, done for $127.88. oct. 28 - returned to dealer for repair. car had sputtered at stop light twice, and idle when stopped had changed from what was normal. dealer could not duplicate concern, and reprogrammed the car's computer for $119.90. nov. 16 - on two occasions car sputtered after starting when engine was warm. on second occasion, car was extremely difficult to start. after it finally started, i drove about a block, and it stalled without warning and without sputtering. car was towed to private repair shop nearby, where on nov. 17 mechanic indicated he could not duplicate the condition. mechanic promised to look at car again on nov. 18. consequences of failure - inconvenience, potential dangerous condition, out several hundred dollars for recommended repairs (related to recall) and for towing. car still not diagnosed because condition has not been duplicated.*ak
10/18/2004690001006/15/2003
 My 2001 ford focus has stalled numerous times and died once while i was getting on the highway. it usually dies when it has a quarter tank of gas or less but still not on empty. i have replaced the fuel filter and had the injectors cleaned. i also took it in and had the recalled bolt fixed.none of these things have fixed the problem.*ak
08/25/200476000105/28/2001
 I had experienced a loss in acceleration and my car stalled. i started the vehicle again, it ran for about one mile and then it stalled again, this time there was a clicking noise from the engine. i could not get it started again and i called for a tow to the dealership. after they ran some tests and took apart the engine, they found that a valve had broken in the cylinder and damaged the piston and the head/head gasket. the car is a 2001 ford focus that i had purchased new and i dont understand how this could have happened to the engine since it is less than 3 and
01/01/19011
 Since the warranty on the vehicle expired, consumer would have to pay a service fee to get the engine stalling recall performed. (nar) *ph *cb
01/25/20031
 Nar 03/05/2003 the vehicle engine sped out of control by itself with a hugh burst of speed, and the car ran into the shrubbery at the edge of the parking lot. *cb
01/17/20042
 When trying to start the vehicle, consumer noticed a bit of hesitation on the engine. as driver started to back-out of the garage and headed on to the neighboring street, vehicle stalled and died. (nar) *la *cb
05/26/20041
 While drivingthe vehicle stalled. the driver was able to drive it to dealer for inspection. the mechanic could not duplicated the problem. the driver informed the mechanic that this problem still occurs, and has not been resolved. please provide any additional information. *nm *tc
04/01/2004630001509/14/2000
 Vehicle shakes and dies erratically. took to dealer for fuel pump assembly recall. repair has not fixed. driving on highway, step on gas all the way and car decelerates and loses speed. intermittently dies when this happens. also shakes violently while stopped leading to stalling. all of the above have happened on several occasions in the past couple of months. i thought the recall for fuel pump assembly would fix it, but it has not. getting progressively worse. *nm
102/13/2003
 When driving there is a hesitation. consumer feels that engine may shut off. *ak
02/08/20042
 While driving at an undetermined speed vehicle stalled. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and mechanic determined that engine and transmission failed. *ak
350005
 While driving vehicle stalled, and the engine check light illuminated. vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the mechanic did an inspection and found no problem. *ak
340001
 Consumer stated dealership was having a problem getting the correct motor mounts for vehicle. consumer was afraid that the motor will fall out of the vehicle. *ak
750002
 Dealership tested the fuel pump and indicated that it was defective, but didn't replace it. 120 miles later engine misfired. dealership replaced the fuel pump, and determined that it was not the cause of engine misfiring, consumer indicated engine wasn't misfiring or showing any other sign of problems until dealership started working on it.*ak
01/06/20042
 While driving 65 mph the vehicle stalled. the consumer managed to pull over and had the vehicle towed. the dealerships mechanic has been notified but did not resolve the problem. *nm the same incident occurred when the consumer's son was driving the vehicle. (the vehicle died while in heavy traffic) *sc
1
 Vehicle hesitated/lost power. when turning there was a loud clumping sound.*ak
10/30/2003442002
 While driving, the vehicle would intermittently stall. the consumer would have to depress the gas pedal in order for the vehicle not to stall. cause has yet to be determined. the dealership was notified, and the problem was resolved. *ph
11/01/200345954509/10/2003
 When i driving more than 40 miles continually the engine stalls, i have to wait and make several tries to restart it again, some times while i in the highway its make me lose the control of the vehicle due to the lost of acceleration.*ak
60002
 Vehicle stalls when turning in either direction. dealer has replaced the fuel filter twice, but the problem still occurs. *ak
08/07/20031
 Vehicle was rear ended on highway after engine died.*mr consumer took vehicle to the dealer twice prior to the accident. both times the dealer couldn't duplicate nor correct the problem. (attorney on behalf of client mr. munroe) *ph *jb
10/21/200348500109/08/2003
 I just purchased a 2001 ford focus for my daughter a month ago and have had a problem with it stalling at unpredictable time. i did a little searching and found this is a problem that others are having and the nnhtsa is currently investigating. this is a very serious issue especially for a young, new driver. it can be deadly. please give me an update on this investigation and add my complain to the data. i hope you pursue this issue before ford allows someone to die from it. ms. *la
09/18/200318500100
 My vehicle feels like it's missing or about to stall and i have taken it to ford and they say they can not do anything for me.they say it's a characteristic of ford focus 2001 with just over 19,000 miles. it is so bad that i feel like running it into a tree sometimes. please help me!!!!!!! thank you. *la
46759111/11/2000
 While driving at any speed vehicle would suddenly stall. this almost resulted in a rear end collision. dealership had done a diagnostic test on the vehicle, but no failure was found. *ak *ph
10/04/200367000103/20/2001
 I was turning a corner to merge on to highway and car stalled and died on me in traffic. i was almost rear ended. *jb
09/30/2003520001
 Was driving for a few minutes engine light came on. had taken vehicle to dealership, and was informed by mechanic that cause of engine illumination was not known.*ak
08/27/2003110/15/2001
 3 major complaints for 2001 ford focus zts 1.) front suspension needs a right arm replacement 2.) engine light turned on and was turned off when brought to ford dealer shop. 3.) on a separate occasion, car stalled while driving. *ak
08/20/2003490001
 2001, ford, focus stalled while merging into traffic from on ramp. *ak
07/27/200349500506/21/2003
 Car stalls without warning at various speeds on various occasions.*ak
07/15/2003330001
 2001 ford focus - engine stalls, car only runs 2-3 mph. *ak
07/05/2003404372
 Engine stalls and power loss and brakes not responding resulted in rear end collision with another vehicle. *ak
9
 The vehicle shut off while driving at various speeds and the exterior lights shut off as well. the consumer managed to avoid a collision. this happened nine times. the dealer attempted to fix the problem three times but the problem had not been determined. *nlm *scc *jb
06/15/20032005/10/2002
 Problems similar to ea02-022. stalls (enigine shuts off) while driving on freeway or at any speed. fails to start in driveway or parking lot, then car gets towed to repair shop and car works fine with no problem found. replaced fuel filter with no effect on problem. verified spark works and relays are closing when car would not start. happens very frequently. about once per week. car now has 58,000 miles on it and problem started to occur around 32,000 miles. please fix this is dangerous!! stalls occur without warning. stalling this often makes this problem higher risk than an occasional stall.*ak
11/01/2002552504/05/2001
 When on a cloverleaf interchange from freeway to freeway, right when i begin to accelerate again, the car begins to shake violently back and forth. also, when i then try to accelerate by pushing the gas pedal, the car slows down or stalls. the only way to correct the issue is to stop the car, turn it off, and restart it. this is particularly frequent when coming off mn-100 and getting onto i-394. i have taken it to the dealer twice. they keep saying it's the tires. i have paid over $500 to have it fixed now and the car still malfunctions. in addition, the check engine light has been on the entire time.
05/20/20031
 The vehicle stalled without warning, and did not restart. *jb
05/14/20031
 While driving, the vehicle stalled and did not restart. *jb
430001
 The engine stalled without warning. *jb
04/17/200347077105/24/2002
 I have a 2001 ford focus which is stalling in traffic. the motor accelerates while driving, making the transmission shift hard while driving. the vehicle drops speed while driving without any indications. vehicle stalls if the air conditioner is turned on when the outside temperature is 75 degrees or more. this problem has been going on with the car three weeks after purchasing the car may, 2002. and to date, april 19, 2003, it continues. the vehicle has been serviced numerous times for the dash lights blinking which also caused the car to stall in traffic when temperatures above 75 degrees. during the winter months the car did not have stalling problem, only the lights blinking. since the weather is getting warmer, the vehicle is stalling with the above problems again. *jb
04/17/200325000109/27/2001
 I have a 2001 ford focus zts. with a 1/2 tank of fuel or less, my car stalls in mid acceleration, while going around curves, due to what feels like lack of fuel. i have had to pull off to the side of the road when this happens because once the curve is passed, i do not immediately get fuel back to the engine. i have avoided several accidents because of this. this has been a recurring issue for a couple of years, but it's getting worse. it originally started with a 1/4 tank or less. now it's a 1/2 tank or less. it's starting to worry me. this happens at normal driving speeds and is much worse when trying to accelerate into traffic from an off-ramp. *jb
04/09/200337980002/15/2002
 Car stalls when coming to a stop. *nlm
1
 The vehicle started to buck/hesitate. the consumer checked the vehicle over and decided to replace the fuel filter, however the problem continued. *jb
03/31/200330400105/01/2001
 The engine mount broke from the vehicle. *jb *tt
03/23/200308/04/2001
 It is a 2001 ford focus with 50,000 miles. the engine began stalling. we took it to our dealership and they indicated that we had not done anything wrong and that is was just a defective engine. it is going to cost us $1,700 to fix. according to research i have done, many investigations have been conducted and complaints have been made. *nlm
03/15/2003
 While driving at any speed and with no warning the vehicle stalled and was difficult to restart. *nlm
1
 The engine missed usually mildly, but sometimes violently as to shake vehicle and sometimes stall, also the vehicle experienced a raw gas smell, suspension, brake,transmission and tire problems.*ak. consumer also noted the rear hatch popped open by itself.*jb
03/14/200319550204/12/2002
 I bought a 2001 ford focus. the throttle was sticking and was hard to take off and then it would lurch forward all of a sudden. i took it to the dealer and they oiled the cable and it worked for a few hours and got stiff again. i took it to another dealer and they replaced the throttle body. that problem was fixed. now when i drive it the check engine light comes on and then it dies. i had to have it towed back to the dealer. i feel this car is not safe. *nlm
03/01/2003712/29/2000
 The vehicle stalled without warning, the dealer was unable to correct the problem.*jb *ts
02/01/20022100007/24/2001
 While driving vehicle stalled , resulting in loss of brake and steering functions. as a result, consumer collided with a truck. ph
01/03/200032001
 While traveling on the highway the vehicle will hesitate and shut down without prior warning. dealer is aware of the problem.
408/01/2001
 After the vehicle has been driven for a while and then parked for less than 15 minutes, the vehicle will not restart. sometimes the vehicle will stall out and lose all power steering. the owner has contacted the dealership. *mr *scc
08/18/2002
 While driving and with no warning vehicle will shut off, and it will be hard for consumer to control vehicle. dealer notified. *ak
 When accelerating vehicle completely shutsdown without warning due to carbon getting into cylinder head or dirt getting into fuel pump. please give any further details.*ak
06/25/2002
 At start up vehicle will die.dealer has been notified. please provide additional information.*ak
07/01/2002
 While driving vehicle will stall out. engine cylinder blew out. dealer contacted.*ak
12/01/200012/01/2000
 When accellerating fast either from stop or while shifting into second gear...engine makes a clunking sound. took it to the dealership and the technician said to be a motor mount. he said it wasnt stiff enough, but that new ones would elicit same occcurrance. car does not have to be driven hard to get clunking sound. dissatisfied with reaction and lack of action.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
07/27/200785000103/15/2001
 While driving on an interstate highway the car began to surge and loose power. eventually the car stalled completely. this happened while traveling in normal conditions at ~65mph. the date given is the most recent occurrence. this same situation occurred once before ~1 year ago under the exact same conditions. engine surge has been a persistent problem with the vehicle since it was new (~6 years). *tr
01/09/20061510/11/2001
 2001 ford focus engine stalling. *jb
05/04/200329000312/19/2000
 Vehicle stalls at freeway speeds - restarts poorly and runs rough. happens when gas tank about 1/4 full (about 7 gallons fills tank. vehicle then runs ok. *jb
11/05/2002
 Consumer is concerned about recall on ford focus 2001 for engine fires.
 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
11/20/2002210/01/2000
 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, bill macholdt dt
10/05/2002212/01/2000
 Second failure occurred 11/15/02; engine hesitates and stalls when gas tank is btw 1/4 and 1/8 full. dt
03/01/2002
 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
07/20/2001603/01/2001
 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
03/01/2002212/01/2001
 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
10/02/2002503/01/2001
 Engine stalled 5 times while driving under normal conditions. mr
10/10/2002
 Consumer states while driving at highway speed the engine hesitates. ts
06/01/2002212/29/2000
 Twice since buying this car experienced complete stalling on the hwy--almost lost control and nearly had a fatal accident
09/21/2002
 Consumer states that while driving the vehicle stalls. dealer was notified. *mr
408/01/2001
 After the vehicle has been driven for a while and then parked for less than 15 minutes, the vehicle will not restart. sometimes the vehicle will stall out and lose all power steering. the owner has contacted the dealership. *mr *scc
08/16/2002508/01/2001
 The car completely stalls (dies) randomly. this has happened 5 times thus far. 2 times the car has died on the freeway going approxamitely 70 mph. 3 times it has died going about 10 mph and lost its power steering at the same time. it is a major safety hazard.*ak
02/01/2002609/24/2001
 Consumer states there is a vibration in vehicle and steering wheel at speeds over 55 mph. vehicle sways back and forth, also vibration when braking. dealer has replaced and balanced tires. vehicle has been taken to dealer 6 times could not remedy problem.*akthe spindal was stripped affecting brakes and causing vibration and pulsation. it was stated that the spindal appeared to be defective from the manufacturer. the engine stalls. *jg
09/09/2002110/01/2000
 While driving at highway speed and without any prior warning the vehicle stalls resulting in loss of all power. this problem has 0ccurred during early start up, and when vehicle has been driven over an extensive period . consumer has contacted dealer, dealer has replaced fuel pump and filter but the problem still occurs.*ak *nlm
04/22/2002208/01/2001
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
01/15/2002207/01/2001
 I was stopped, proceeded to make a left hand turn, engine died without warning. the car has done this twice to me. the car was only 6 months old at the time of the first occurrence. *ak
07/26/2002202/01/2001
 Car is sluggish and sputters when speeds of 45 and above are reached. the engine feels like it is going to drop out. car has stalled once at a complete stop. car has been seen by dealership twice and they cant find anything wrong. contacted ford company and was told that the engine has what they term as the v-tech blues. this has something to do with the engine and the ac not working well together. car has trouble both w/ and without ac on. told that this was just how this car runs. nothing they can do about it.*ak
206/01/2001
 Vehicle is losing power at 35 mph and stalls when approaching intersections. i have taken this vehicle to the dealership once, with them unable to locate the problem. also the vehicle has no power except for in the passing gear with the a/c running. i believe these two problems are linked together.*ak
02/21/2002
 While exiting a ramp vehicle completely shutdown. cause unknown. as a result, steering and brakes went outand vehicle coasted to a stop. please provide any further information.*ak
07/23/20021
 Consumer states while pulling off from a yield or stop vehicle will lose power. vehicle chekced by dealer who could not determine cause of problem. consumer stated that this problem seems to happen when slowing down or accelerating from a stop or yield, the dealern replaced mass air flow sensor and pcv valve but this did not correct the problem.*jb *nlm
05/01/2002104/09/2002
 Vehicle was going 20 mph and engine stalled with no warning. vehicle restarted but stalled when put it in drive. had to be towed to dealer. dealer insisted that no problem could be detected. *ak the dealer uplugged throttle position sensor to correct the vehicle's stalling but, and problem had never reoccurred. *yh
06/27/2002106/01/2001
 Vehicle hesitates after driving long distances, finally stalled while traveling at 65mph in the left lane of a three lane highway. *ak
11/02/20017
 While driving vehicle stalls out without any warning. had vehicle serviced 7 times,but problem still occurs. dealer contacted.*ak
07/02/2002
 While driving vehicle stalled without any warning. fuel pump had a leak and all the gas leaked out.*ak
07/01/20021
 While driving vehicle will stall out at anytime without any warning.*ak *yh
01/02/2002306/01/2001
 The vehicle engine stalls without warning. the initial occurrence resulted in my wife crossing into the left lane due to her inablity to drive or brake effectively without the power assist.
06/28/2002309/01/2001
 The car has completely shutdown without any warning on three occasions. the first time while driving at approx. 25+mph... the car started to stall and i hit the curb (right tire/wheel hit the curb), both airbags went off (why????) and burned my arm (really bad) and broke the windshield. i did not report the problem because i found out that geico (insurance company) had lost (or not received) my online application so i had no coverage and therefore i would have to pay for all the repairs myself. new windshield, airbag, wheel... cost $3000+ i'm still paying for the repairs. the second time it happened when i stopped on red light (i just thoght i was running out of gas...), then; yesterday 06/28/02 i was driving home on hwy 192 at approx. 45mph and the engine lost all power (no warning) , i got scared and hit the brakes and pulled over almost causing an accident in the intersection. it's been raining here in fl almost everyday, i am glad the road was not wet when it happened... it could've been much worse. my car is a 2001 ford focus zx3 with only 7500 miles, so it's not an old car. after some quick research i found out this problem has been happening for a while now... and many of my focaljet.com (online ford focus club) friends had the same problem. so, i have to respectfully ask you and everyone else reading this; when will you (and/or ford) do something about it? i've just found out that i am paying ($3000+, and i only make min. wage) for and small accident that could have been avoided... sorry, i am really upset, i almost caused a high-speed/multiple-car accident in the middle of hwy 192 and i as well as other people could have been hurt. please help ! ! !*ak
508/13/2001
 At no particular speed, vehicle jerks hard and stalls. consumer had vehicle checked and repaired by dealer with no resolution.*akthe dealer is having consumer to monitor the vehicle when it starts failing, by pushing a button. this is supposed to pinpoint where the problem is occuring. the vehicle was downshifting while in motion, the sending unit was replaced. also the jerking and stalling were caused by an erratic fuel pump driver module. this module has also been replaced. the ignition lock was replaced, there was a clunking noise present in the door assembly which was repaired, the wheel was out of alignment so dealer adjusted the upper ball joint, and the sun visor was broken which was also replaced. *jg
03/28/2001710/01/2000
 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
03/28/2001510/01/2000
 Servere bucking/jolting a steady speeds, when a/c is turned on, when slowing down, when stopping, and when shifting gears. radio turns off by itself, gets loud by itself, and sometimes, you can't turn it off. popping noises when putting into gear.grinding noises and knocking noises when driving. car vibrate uncontrolably at times. when increasing speeds, car wants to stall out and not shift gears. almost lost control serval times because of jolting problem. ford doesn't care, doesn't want to fix and has refused to contact us after 2 certified letters were sent.
 When driving onto an on ramp or accelerating vehicle stalled out. driver had to leave vehicle on side of the road.*ak
06/02/2002
 While driving vehicle stalled out at 50 mph, causing consumer to lose power. contacted dealer, and dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak
11/25/20011011/01/2001
 The car has been taken in twice and it still stalls, loses brakes and steering. *ak
06/13/2002411/12/2001
 Vehicle intermittently stalls while slowing for a stop resulting in the vehicle loosing all power, the vehicle will restart but will continue to stall, ford was contacted and replaced fuel pump, but problem still exists. *ak *nlm
05/01/2002450003
 The vehicle stalled out when driving at high speeds. *ak the vehicle has stalled out several times, most often when coming off of a right turn ramp. *scc
05/30/2002604/01/2001
 Sudden loss of power with tachometer dropping to zero or near zero when accelerating between 40 to 60 miles per hour 6 times. *ak
05/18/2002
 At 75 mph engine light come on, and then vehicle started to stall. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak
06/07/20021707/01/2001
 Vehicle will either stall or come close, fluctuating between 700rpm and 230rpm. has happened in this manner since purchase and have had it to dealer on four separate occasions, they could not duplicate the concern or fix it. my vehicle is equipped with a manual trans and installing aftermarket intake and pcm programing have had no effect on my concern. i am a member of an organization called focaljet and have heard concern from approximately 80-90 percent of owners with the same issue most were equiped with manuals but not all.*ak
06/05/2002306/01/2001
 Vehicle first started to chug for several days of driving and finally stopped while driving at 65 mph about a week later.*ak
04/15/2002305/01/2001
 Car has stalled out on three separate occasions for no apparent reason. dealer(s) could not identify problem. car still sputters frequently. may or may not be related to problem experienced with transmission over memorial day weekend when check transmission light came on; that was fixed by dealer. last incident was friday, june 7, 2002 when car stalled out.
103/01/2002
 The problem is that the car always shakes when its in park or at a stop light and it stalled 2 time. have taken it to dealer numerous times and still cant find the problem.
10/10/2001311/01/2000
 Car stalled while on highway on 2 different occasions. also was getting poor gas mileage. brought in for service problem solved after second service.*ak
02/01/2002
 Vehicle has stalled twice at 65 mph. dealer has replaced computer chip and fuel pump. both times cruise was on, but not set.*ak
08/15/20013
 Vehicle stalls at various speeds, taken to dealer 3 times. dealer cannot find cause. *ak
06/02/2002
 While driving 35-40 mph vehicle completely shutsdown without warning, cause unknown. dealer cannot identify cause. please give any further details.*ak
10/15/20014
 Vehicle stalled 4 times, always when slowing down to come to a stop. dealer cannot find cause.*ak
04/24/2001511/01/2000
 My vehicle has just been turned into our dealership this morning, for the same repeated problem of engine check light coming on while driving vehicle. this is our 5th visit, and we are on our 4th egr valve. same complaint, the car drives sluggishly, shutters and about 2 months ago shut off while driving. this happened while my 14 year old daughter were driving the vehicle traveling through a major intersection at night. we were in the process of a left hand turn, at this particular intersection, 2 lanes of traffic are turning left at the same time. we were on the inside lane, making our turn and the focus shut off. we were nearly rear ended, and barely avoided a large intersection accident with traffic behind us quickly braking and swerving into the other lane. it was terrifying! we have had the fuel pump replaced, and each time of our complaint, the dealer cannot diagnosis the direct problem. i have read numerous articles regarding other ford focus vehicles having similar problems. just recently have read about the paint chipping off from the inside of the gas tank, causing a blockage, so that fuel cannot flow through into the pump. there is a definite problem. how many other focus owners are experiencing these same repeated difficulties? i purchased this vehicle for a good reliable car for my 16 year daughter to eventually have, and considering the experiences i have had with shuttering, shut offs..do not want to put her behind the wheel of this car for safety reasons. our paperwork from the dealership seems to accumulating, with no direct answers.*ak
05/29/2002401/10/2001
 While driving on highway, vehicle just stalled out without any warning.*ak 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. *jg
05/20/2002107/01/2001
 Consumer states that the steering mechanism is getting looser the more consumer drives, the looser steering wheel gets. consumer states there is a lot of play in steering and that makes it very hard to steer the vehicle. *jb the vehicle's mileage is decreasing from 300 miles to 200 miles and then to 180 miles for a full tank of fuel. the vehicle also experiences stalling and changing gears has been difficult. *yh
05/20/2002107/20/2001
 Consumer states when driving if vehicle hits a bump the rear end of vehicle goes from side to side like its loosing traction of the road. cause is unknown. jbconsumer further states the vehicle used to give them 300 miles when the fuel tank is full to empty. now the vehicle gives them 180 miles. the vehicle also has trouble changing gears and has been stalling. the dealer says there is nothing wrong. *jg
12/17/20011
 While driving, insured noticed smoke coming from the floor of the vehicle, and then smoke began coming from under the hood, and eventually the vehicle caught on fire.*jb (claim#11-3852-491)
04/29/20021408/01/2001
 While driving my 2001 focus wagon on interstate off ramps it starts to stall and hesitate. the rpms drop out with absolutly no power. this has happened numerous times and is really scary. the last time it happened was yesterday while iwas merging from a ramp and my car died out infront of a semi trying to get onto the ramp.i pulled over as far as i could to get out of his way he locked up his brakes. i take this same ramp all the time since its onmy way home from work. this problem starts if i let the gas get below a 1/2 tank. i been to the dealer and they can't find anything wrong. i am bringing it back tomorrow again to have they find the problem. i am at my wits end with this. i told my family about the problem and said if i get killed in an accident on a ramp it because of the problem of it dying. and to go after ford for this. my family has been in the car when this happens so they know what i am talking about. i went over your other complaints about this vehiscle/ it is unreal the amount of problems that i have in common with them, it worrys me. i was going to give this car to my daughter to drive she 16 but not now. i want her to come home in one piece. i have had a water noise in the dash they cant find, sticking gas pedal now fix for noe after 2 times in the shop. the oil smell in the car. leaking oil i see in in the driveway but can't seem to find where its comming from. i wish i knew more about the lemon law a couple of months ago. it doesn't apply to me now because of my mileage. i drive about 100 miles a day. if you have any question please contact me. thank you. *ak
03/01/2001
 Car has cut off 5 times in last year at speeds of 55mph without warning. the last time caused my daughter to lose control and run over a medium. she was lucky that she did not cross it and kill herself and someone else. ford knows there is a problem but refuses to fix it as they cannot recreate the problem. when will the nhtsa do something? after several people are killed?*ak
12/17/20011
 While driving, insured noticed smoke coming from the floor of the vehicle, and then smoke began coming from under the hood, and eventually the vehicle caught on fire.*jb (claim#11-3852-491)
06/15/20011
 When idling vehicle will start to shake intermittantly, beginning at engine and working it's way back towards rear of vehicle.. dealer cannot find a problem. nlm
04/14/20021
 Consumer states his auto cuts off on him all the time, it started around june of last year. he states the mechanic told him that they could not find out exactly what the problem is. nlm
03/14/2002208/01/2001
 3/07/02 engine failure at 35 mph -- 3/14/02 engine failure at 65 mph on interstate 95. fuel pump replaced after 3/07 failure -- returned to dealer after 3/14 event -- dealer states 'could not verfy cust concern at this time' -- have seen other concerns on your site -- please look into this before someone is seriously injured or dies. *ak
02/10/2002506/01/2001
 My car began having problems at 2,500 miles. i have had it 8 months and it has broken down 5 times. the car dies while driving posing a serious risk of crash, injury and death. the defect remains unresolved. there is no warning that the car is about to go dead other than sputtering then dead. the car has an erratic idle, dies while driving at any speed, dies in park, dies at stop signs and at red lights. i have filed formal complaints to my dealer prior to filing here. no one will help me or take me seriously. put it like this, the car can either be repurchased and ford lose $17,000 or me and my child get killed and my husband sue ford for millions, and he would win. i have a small child and i don't want her to be harmed or myself or other motorist for that matter. i have had my car repaired four times and this time makes the fifth. i fear for my safety and will no longer drive the car. i am currently pursuing action under the lemon law rights. i have read other complaints with cars just like mine. my heart dropped when i saw so many other people having the same problem as me and saw that their problem was going unresolved as well. i pray that you will give us all help. it is rediclous that someone has to get seriously injured or killed before the motor companies will admit there is something wrong. i don't know how they sleep at night.*ak
11/03/2001305/01/2001
 Manual transmission makes clattering noise at idle speed. transmission difficult to shift and grinds gears. when coming to a stop, engine sputters as if it is going to stall. instrument lights flicker due to low alternator rpm. idle then increases.*ak
05/12/2001
 When coming to a stop or slowing down vehicle will stall. consumer loses all power. contacted dealer, but no result.*ak
10/01/2000
 Sudden engine stall while driving at 65 mph. unable to restart car for 5 minutes. then car started and have had no recurrence of problem. dealer was unable to find cause.*ak
08/01/2001
 Vehicle would shutdown without warning while driving. vehicle been todealer shop on three occasions, and still unable to resolve problem. feel free to provide any further information on this matter.*ak
07/14/2001209/01/2000
 Engine stalls while driving first time at 35 mph and second time at 70 mph. dealer can find nothing wrong.
 While driving 60mph at night lost all power. currently, vehicle acts as though it is out of gas.vehicle will just stop running with no prior warning. please add vin. *ak
7
 While traveling at highway speeds vehicle would suddenly stall out for no reason in the middle of traffic. problem of stalling could happen while at a stop light or sign. whenever trying to restart vehcle, it would be flooded. not able to restart after 24 hrs. later, problem was intermittent. vehicle has been towed 7 times after stalling. at dealership mechanic could not locate cause of stalling. was even test driven, but stalling did not occur.*ak
05/29/2001104/01/2001
 Water in the engine, technician could not find any mecahnical reason for it to get in there, need a brand new engine, warranty will not cover it, estimate is $4000. *ak
03/08/2001602/27/2001
 On two occasions vehicle had cut off while parked and idling. dealer was notified, and informed consumer that it was due to engine being broken in. *ak *slc
310/17/2000
 Engine experiencing several problems, vehicle is stalling and then not starting, oil is leaking, the engine races, and vehicle runs hard. *slc
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
09/15/20032
 First time dealer replaced the serpentine belt, and second time dealer replaced nuts and bolts and serpentine belts. but squeaking noise still occurring. *ak
07/22/20030110/16/2000
 Car made squealing sound from the engine compartment. they checked, and found that serpentine belt was loose. they replaced under warranty at 31500, but it is totally rare for a serpentine belt to go bad that early. *ak
04/01/2002111/01/2001
 I was stopping at a light to turn. as i was slowing down i heard a big clunk. i thought i ran over something so i checked but nothing was there. i noticed my battery light was on but the light turned green to turn so i started to go and had no power steering. i pulled over at the liquor store and had my friend look under the hood. upon pulling on the serpentine belt, the tensioner pulley fell right out of the bottom of the car. after looking over the incident we found a snapped off bolt in the street. snapped neatly at the beginning thread. also on the pulley, the mounting arm was snapped in half. i know ntsa is investigating many parts on the focus, so i thought i'd give a heads up about this just incase it could pose any serious problems later on. thanks and have a nice day. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
12/27/201056000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving approximately 5 mph approaching a traffic light the vehicle came to a stop and stalled. the contact made several attempts before the vehicle restarted as normal. the failures had happen on the freeway and other places. after 10 occurs the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for the failure. the dealer advised him that there was a leak in the pcv hose and they replaced it. after leaving the dealer the vehicle stalled again. the next day the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. after speaking with the dealer the contact was advised that the fuel pump was replaced in january 29, 2004. he called the manufacture and was advised of recall nhtsa campaign id number: 03v482000, fuel system, gasoline and that his vehicle was part of the recall and they had performed the recall work once. the contact was the second owner of the vehicle. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 56,000 and the current mileage was 56,500. vwb
10/15/20015000
 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.
12/15/20020
 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.
10/27/2003620003
 The ignition switch was locked in place and would not move. this caused the steering wheel to be locked. also, exhaust sensor had to be replaced three times because it did not register properly. *ak
06/17/2003711/19/2001
 The dealer changed the front and rear brake 3 times , the rotors. twice, however the problem continued. consumer indicated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. multiple problems with vehicle. *ak *cb. the hub cap was loose and fell off, the clock spring was replaced, the turn and brake lights were inoperative, the exhaust system made a loud noise, the dealer replaced the pipe and gasket, the seat belt buckle was replaced, because the seat belt light failed to go out. *jb
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
05/14/200759100610/22/2001
 I own a ford focus 2001,zx3 for 59,000. the check engine light came on 6 times now! 2 for a dpfe sensor out, 2 for egr presser valve. also started to stall,buck and surge at 35,000 miles, and found out the fdm had to be replaced. that lasted for a short time which the symptoms came back, and the fdm was replaced again. i have had to deal with inconvenience and the last repair which was dpfe sensor which ford picked up 50% of cost but this car is a lemon! i also had to replace the ignition switch when the key would no longer go in.now the check engine light is on yet again and i have to go back to bob baker ford. *ak
08/14/200528444307/30/2005
 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
08/15/2001412/01/2000
 Purchased car in december 2000 within days brakes squealing and grinding..called dealer said to let wear in..problem persisted..engine light came on ..took car to nearest d dealership..in january 2001..brakes shoes back and pads on front replaced. oxygen sensor, and parking brake replaced ..brakes still had problem engine light still on..took to dealership where purchased..kept 12 days..brakes adjusted and computor and ignition were replaced..light off..brakes still trouble..took back numerous times..for check-ups..at 16,000 told brakes need to be replaced in front and tires where all worn away on inside of tire..bald!! ..manufactor and dealer would not pay for..replaced all four tires, alignment, and new brakes put on front brakes..car still not right with brakes..shaking violently of car while braking at any speed. or going downhill .took back to dealership rotors were no good as well as front brakes. they replaced..inner tires already wearing out...brakes still giving noise and grinding..took back within month..they said fine..took back again when oil changed..brakes where said to be fine..brakes noisy and grinding as usual..3 weeks later brakes failed..had car towed to dealership....they state needs new brakes on front and backshoes cracked and need new rotors...they keep saying its the way we drive car...no way..never had this much problem with any brakes in any car we have owned...car is very unsafe and made with inferior products.. (tiresize: 15)
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
03/01/2001
 Engine floods and stalls at idle or in motion. emissions light comes on wen it stalls. owners manual states if emission light comes on, it indicates that catalytic converter is hot and can cause a fire. vehicle doesn't start back up once it stalls, it has to be towed. there is a gasoline smell before it stalls. dealer has tried to remedy problem 6 times. dealer has acknowledged of other vehicles with same problem. dealer removed fuel pump drained it and cleaned it. dealer hooked a computer to vehicle so code would show how to repair it.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
06/28/2007141000204/23/2007
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving 5 mph, the contact heard a popping noise coming from under the hood. she then noticed steam rising from the engine and the vehicle shut off. approximately 5 minutes later, she was able to restart the vehicle. the dealer stated that the egr valve caused the failure and they replaced the valve and the hose assembly. the contact stated that the vehicle drove roughly after the egr replacement. she returned to the dealer and they stated that the engine caused the failure. as of september 5, 2007, the dealer had not replaced the engine. the failure and current mileages were 141,000.
07/23/200556000103/05/2005
 Dt: contact stated car would not go over 60 mph. she took vehicle to a dealer, and they told her the egr valve was bad. she had not had the valve replaced yet. she noticed the problem on 7-23-05. she has been on the internet and found lots of fuel related problems; but nothing specific to the egr valve.*ak
06/18/200526000312/18/2004
 Dt: the consumer's daughter drove to austin texas, when she entered the vehicle the ignition would not turn. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the consumer's house due to the dealer being closed. the consumer heard of a recall on ford focus zx3, which was having what consumer believed to be the same problem. the consumer contacted ford who said that this vehicle was not part of the recall. the consumer stated that one week after he bought the vehicle the service engine light came on. the consumer had the erg valve replaced. the consumer believed that this may have been a false reading. the nhtsa recall campaign 02v288000 was directed towards the electrical system; battery/cables. *ak *sc
01/16/200539751
 After starting the vehicle consumer smelled exhaust fumes inside/outside the vehicle. dealership repaired the gas recirculation valve (egr) valve. *ak
08/23/20042
 Consumer stated that vehicle surged/hesitated and stalled. she took the vehicle to the dealer, and they did not see any problem. consumer received a recall notice, and tried to get an appointment to get the vehicle repaired, but was put off. dealer stated that the recall had nothing to do with the problem she was having. consumer later took the vehicle to a local mechanic because engine check light came on, and she was told that the egr sensor needed to be replaced. *ak
07/01/200434500301/09/2004
 My 2001 ford focus engine light came on a week or so ago, so i took it to autozone and had them check out my computer, and see why the light came on. the culprit was my egr valve. it said that the was low or no flow to the valve so i cleaned the egr valve ports and replaced the valve with a new original ford egr valve. the light stayed on and it is still acting up. it is hesitated with acceleration, it is stalling and cutting off on my at low speeds, and my gas mileage has dropped big time! also, my left-rear tire had warped drastically even despite rotating my tire often, it all ways seems to keep on warping my back left tire. *ak
04/15/20032200007/07/2001
 Tire problem, possible rear bearing problem, possible alignment problem, egr replaced- engine misfiring is beginning to reappear
01/30/2003
 On several occasions while driving would feel nauseous and begin vomiting. manufacturer diagnosed problem with egr pressure sensor causing exhaust fumes to enter vehicle's interior cabin. ts
04/06/20024
 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
03/08/2002211/01/2000
 Have had numerous problems with the car hesitating and stalling. have taken the car in a total of 7 times. 5 of which were related to hesitation. 3 of the those 5 times they found problems with the car. 2 times for an egr emissions sensor and 1 for a fuel pump (they think). the other two times they coulndt find anything wrong at the time. i have called ford directly and they can do nothing about the car, because they say it is repairable. i have had the car back now for a little over a week since they have replaced the fuel pump. seems to have a little hesitation still, but has not stalled. we have had the left rear tire replace once for cupping of the tire. ford dealership wasnt sure what caused it, but they say i could have run over something hard. the new tire starting cupping like the one they replaced, then that is when the recall for the rear wheel bearings was issued. no problems since then with the tires.
04/24/2001511/01/2000
 My vehicle has just been turned into our dealership this morning, for the same repeated problem of engine check light coming on while driving vehicle. this is our 5th visit, and we are on our 4th egr valve. same complaint, the car drives sluggishly, shutters and about 2 months ago shut off while driving. this happened while my 14 year old daughter were driving the vehicle traveling through a major intersection at night. we were in the process of a left hand turn, at this particular intersection, 2 lanes of traffic are turning left at the same time. we were on the inside lane, making our turn and the focus shut off. we were nearly rear ended, and barely avoided a large intersection accident with traffic behind us quickly braking and swerving into the other lane. it was terrifying! we have had the fuel pump replaced, and each time of our complaint, the dealer cannot diagnosis the direct problem. i have read numerous articles regarding other ford focus vehicles having similar problems. just recently have read about the paint chipping off from the inside of the gas tank, causing a blockage, so that fuel cannot flow through into the pump. there is a definite problem. how many other focus owners are experiencing these same repeated difficulties? i purchased this vehicle for a good reliable car for my 16 year daughter to eventually have, and considering the experiences i have had with shuttering, shut offs..do not want to put her behind the wheel of this car for safety reasons. our paperwork from the dealership seems to accumulating, with no direct answers.*ak
03/01/2001
 While driving 70 mph gas pedal fell to floor. consumer had no control over accelerator, there was a sound like an explosion in gas line. dealer stated egr valve needed replacement. also, numerous times before when driving between 30 - 40 mph engine sounded like it was accelerating, but speed stayed the same. to dealer 5 times, could not remedy problem. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
10/21/200460000006/29/2004
 I have a 2001 ford focus and there is an exhaust tube that runs off the right side (looking from the front) of the manifold which broke from rusting. i searched some forums online and found that many other people are having the same problem. my car only has 60000 miles on it so i don't believe it should of rusted and cracked like it did. *nm
1
 The consumer noticed that the vehicle jerked, stalled, and vibrated. the vehicle also made a loud noise while driving. the dealership serviced the vehicle and indicated that the manifold needed to be replaced. please provide any additional information. *nm
04/30/2001104/01/2001
 Service bulletin for oil leaking into air conditioning from manifold. ford says do not smoke in vehicle. dealer offered to spray with deodorant. *ak