Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||||
| 17278 | 10/01/2003 | 10004922 | Excessive front brake pad wear, front brake creep/groan noise, front brake dust and/or rotor wear. *tt | 01/20/2004 | |
| 16926 | 06/01/2003 | 10002637 | Stability assist (advancetrac/ivd) systems may not be recalibrated properly using wds. *tt | 09/09/2003 | |
| 16685 | 03/01/2003 | 10001938 | Excessive front brake pad wear, front brake creep/groan noise, front brake dust, and/or rotor wear concern. *tt *jb | 07/28/2003 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - ABS WARNING LIGHT | |||||
| 17302 | 10/01/2003 | 10004943 | Vehicles not equipped with anti-lock brake system (abs) may have the red brake light and amber abs light on after hybrid electronc cluster (hec - instrument cluster) replacement. *tt | 01/21/2004 | |
| 15642 | 02/01/2002 | 630689 | Abs/advance trac light on and diagnostic trouble code c1937 or the stability assist system active/fail lamp flashing. *tt | 04/19/2002 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM | |||||
| 05105 | 06/07/2005 | 10017934 | Rear brake squeal. *tt | 12/07/2005 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR | |||
| 01/01/2003 | 15000 | 1 | |
| I had to replace my front brakes at about 20,000 miles and again 30,000 miles later. i understand there is a class action suit against ford for it's early brake problems. *tr | |||
| 12/12/2002 | |||
| While driving the at 45mph the gas and brake pedal locked up for five minutes. pulling the vehicle out of the road. dealer has inspected the vehicle and could not duplicate or correct the problem. ts | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DISC - CALIPER | |||
| 07/21/2003 | 20678 | 9 | 06/10/2002 |
| I have a 2002 ford focus zx5 4 dr hatchback my problems started on 7/21/03 when my brakes lights, headlights, turn signal and radio stopped working. i took it into the dealership and it was repaired however now the radio will no longer response to me turning the vol. up or down as well as i only only set the time on military time. now on 9/7 my brakes have started to grind. on 9/11 my car now vibrates when i accerate at 60 mph +. in the past week i have also noticed that my car will accellerate and hesitate when in motion. in the last three months my gas mileage has slowly declined as well. i am taking it into the dealership tonight - but thought i need to report. seems there are many others like me. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DISC - PADS | |||
| 07/21/2003 | 20678 | 9 | 06/10/2002 |
| I have a 2002 ford focus zx5 4 dr hatchback my problems started on 7/21/03 when my brakes lights, headlights, turn signal and radio stopped working. i took it into the dealership and it was repaired however now the radio will no longer response to me turning the vol. up or down as well as i only only set the time on military time. now on 9/7 my brakes have started to grind. on 9/11 my car now vibrates when i accerate at 60 mph +. in the past week i have also noticed that my car will accellerate and hesitate when in motion. in the last three months my gas mileage has slowly declined as well. i am taking it into the dealership tonight - but thought i need to report. seems there are many others like me. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 05/11/2004 | 20600 | 05/25/2002 | |
| My 2002 focus needed front brake pads and rotors at 20k miles. my repair shop says ford uses a very soft compound on the brakes and rotors causing them to wear quickly. my local ford service center says i am lucky because he sees this type of repiar needed at 13-14k for the focus. after calling my local ford dealership, and ford directly, i was told that my warranty does not cover wear items. at about $300 to repair, this is totally unsatisfactory. i'll never buy a ford again, and i am joining the class action lawsuit at www.focusbrakesclassaction.com | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 11/15/2005 | 52012 | ||
| After 2 complaints to dealer about rear brake vibration/noise, they found noting wrong.on our trip going down interstate 40 at 70 mph the back wheel comes off my car.the wheel and hub are broken,cuts the brake line and i lose my brake fluid. no brakes and trying to keep it out of the ditch.if there would of been a car on the side of me.i am positive there would have been injury/death.had extended warranty.ford paid 0.said i hit something in road.now at the repair shop again.the wheel bearings on the rear are frozen.i have to buy new drums for both side again. | |||
| 04/29/2007 | 38200 | ||
| My 2002 ford focus wagon needed brakes because the front end would shake when i applied brakes. also noticed a whirling noise from the back off car but did not mention that to my mechanic. he took it for a test drive and asked if i noticed the whirling noise too. he said he was concerned and checked that 1st. my right rear tire was frozen and not turning, that's where the noise was coming from. it had to be cut off in order to be replaced. he told me that the wheel could have broke off while driving and could have killed me, i had that repaired, along with front end brakes and replaced warped rotors. then just 2 days later backed out of my driveway and broke a front right coil spring. a year later replaced the alternator. and last week just had to pay for a rebuilt transmission, because would not shift properly, upon observation the transmission had metal chips in transmission fluid and needed to be replaced. i cant believe no recall on this car! | |||
| 07/11/2008 | 88000 | 1 | |
| The front springs on the 2002 ford focus are faulty. the front passenger side spring was cracked , and took the car to goodyear to get repaired, since it's out of warranty (including the extended warranty i purchased). i then lettered ford, and they said in november 2004 they mailed a notice to customers ( which i never received) notifying them of f the problem with the springs. they said there is no recall, but they are repairing under a customer satisfaction program. they said i should have brought my car to the dealer and it would have been repaired for free. they would not reimburse me. i even tried to negotiate and asked them to at least reimburse me what they would have paid their dealer but they refused. this car also has defective brakes and rotors. when the car was under the original 3 yr 36,000 mile warranty , the front and rear brakes and rotors needed to be replaced. ford said they could not repair the rotors or cut them, and brakes and rotors are excluded from the warranty. it cost me over $ 500 for brakes and rotors on a less than 2 year old car. a few yrs later, same thing, front brakes and rotors , and again, i was told the rotors can't be cut, they always have to be replaced. *tr | |||
| 12/27/2007 | 103800 | 2 | 12/21/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. while driving 10-15 mph, the vehicle would not stop when she applied the brakes. in addition, the contact had to put the gear shift indicator into the park position to stop the vehicle. the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. the failure mileage 103,800 and current mileage was 103,900. updated 02-14-08 *bf the consumer stated to a ford dealer the previous owner installed decorative overlays to gas and brake pedals. updated 02/14/08 *tr | |||
| 03/19/2007 | 57000 | 2 | 09/13/2005 |
| Tl* - the contact owns a 2002 ford focus wagon with a current odometer reading of 57,5000 miles. on march 13, while driving in heavy traffic on dry pavement the contact tried to decelerate by applying the brake pedal and the pedal was pushed two to three times until coming to a complete stop, narrowly avoiding another vehicle in front of the contact's vehicle. also, on march 19, 2007 while driving in heavy traffic in the morning the same problem occurred, the brakes did not work, the contact made a hard right hand turn, causing the vehicle's rear end to swing to the left, while the front end continued to swing right toward the guard rail. after coming to a complete stop the vehicle was struck on the rear driver's side by another oncoming vehicle. the contact struck her head, but required no additional medical assistance. the failure mileage was 57000. *ak | |||
| 08/30/2006 | 100000 | 9 | 07/15/2002 |
| I have a 2002 ford focus zx5 that is well maintained. within the first 2-3 years, i have had to replace the front brakes and rotors. in 2004 i had to replace the battery. in 2005 i had to replace the right rear window motor. presently the left rear window motor isn't working; the window will not go up. the rear front window is not working properly and the air bag light comes on each time the car is started and stays on. the cd player had to be replaced in 2005. in 2006 all four tires had to be replaced because of factory dry rot. i regularly service and maintain the car, and have approximately 28,000 miles on it. i take excellent care of my vehicle and feel this car is not made with quality parts and that it is not safe. although i drive at normal speeds, it does not get the mileage stated on the sticker. *jb | |||
| 10/21/2005 | 3 | 09/10/2005 | |
| I recently purchased a used 2002 ford focus. i have been having trouble with the brakes, the radio, and water leaking in through the front passenger side. the brakes squeak everytime i apply them. the radio only works for one minute and then it fades out, all you can hear is static. the most important of these problems is the leak. it has rained really hard three times in the past month, and all those times i have found the carpet in the front passenger side soaking wet. i have taken it back to the dealership from which i bought it, but they say that it is not covered under the 90 day warranty. i have reaserched on the web and have found that there are many complaints like mine. the ford company should be made responsible since they are the manufacturers of the car. *nm | |||
| 06/20/2005 | 41000 | 2 | 03/16/2002 |
| Dt: consumer complained about brake problems. both front and rear brake were replaced in less than 3 years. the brake pedal was making a noise. the dealer and manufacturer stated that the proble was the brake booster and that it was a normal thing. this failure made it harder to stop the car. manufacturer said to fix this problem would make this failure worse. also, said this was not a safety issues. manufacturer said do not worry about this. first happened about 8 months ago. now it happenes everytime the car is used. *ak *nm | |||
| 01/03/2005 | 2 | ||
| Multiple failures; continual issues with brakes. correct water leak and patch tire. *bf the alternator needed to be replaced. *jb | |||
| 12/27/2004 | 37500 | 3 | 10/23/2004 |
| 1. spindle holding brakes was stripped. 2. reported by covington ford third auto that had to be replaced 3. no explanation as to why spindle failed. *jb | |||
| 10/15/2003 | 2000 | ||
| There is a line that went straight into the engine's intake that has been leaking fluid since 2,000 miles and was inspected by deler who told to me that it was nothing. but the engine case should not have a large leak of fluid that soon. finally now, they have done something on this and replaced the hose, as it was seen once more and knows of all the times reported. i hope this is just not a easy fix or this now hasn't caused any damange to the inside of the engine itself, as the engine has been in the shop for riding rough. they told me last time that the part of the transmission that was fixed would fix this. i think it is due to the oil leak on the top of the engine case since it was new. a new car should never have a oil leak on a engine case. | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| I have experienced problem after problem since purchasing my 2002 svt focus. random stalls, leaks, and noises. shift linkage failure, wheel bearing failure, power window problems. intake manifold failure, wrong idle speed, loss of electrical power. 35 days in the shop so far and counting, all within 11mo of purchase. don't buy a ford car, you'll regret it. | |||
| 04/15/2003 | 11000 | ||
| At this early mileage the brake pads and rotors need to be replaced. we were informed by the service manager at the dealer that this is a problem the see often because of the type of brake pads and type of rotors. this is unbelievable that ford is hiding this problem. we bought a brand new car so we wouldn't have this problem. | |||
| 11/15/2002 | 0 | ||
| Fuel pump was replaced twice from january to june sterring wheel and car shake while stopping and driving at 50 mph or above brakes have been checked 3 times finally had replaced and rotors, no change in performance | |||
| 04/05/2004 | 1 | 01/08/2002 | |
| Today is the fourth time my car has been towed for service for a recurring problem: brake sensor fails and car won't shift out of park - disabling the vehicle. this problem last had me stranded in tennessee. i feel this is a vehicle failure rather than dealership failure. i am concerned where i will be stranded next. i believe my car might be a lemon. i am extremely concerned that my vehicle fails, is repaired and fails again with no warning. i am scared to drive the car not knowing where i will be next when it does not work. i would like to know what can be done to insure this problem is fixed; and what should be done in the event i cannot be guaranteed that this problem will not occur again. *jb | |||
| 09/01/2002 | 2 | 08/01/2002 | |
| I bought my 2002 fordfocus in august 2002 from universal ford dealership in long island city, new york. about one month later of having the focus my brakes started squealing. my new car only felt and drove like a new car for one month. i took back the car for service and they told me the car is normal. i recently changed my brake pads and had my rotors checked out and still am having brakes squealing. *la | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 10000 | 1 | 01/15/2002 |
| My focus has only 30,000 miles and the brakes have been serviced four times for the same reason. i have had to replace my brake pads and rotors do to the excessive warping and wearing. fixed numerous times, and the problem persists. dealership informed me that this is a major issue with the focus, but no recall has been made to notify the problem. i guess ford is waiting for a few fatalities before addressing the issue. sad but true. welcome to corporate america! *la | |||
| 09/03/2003 | 25000 | 3 | 12/30/2001 |
| The vehicle was taken to the dealer because noise was heard coming from the front brakes. the dealer replaced the front brakes. *ak the brake problem continued. the radio had no bass and after the vehicle was shut off the radio would turn back on. *scc *nlm | |||
| 04/12/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states when starting the vehicle in the morning, the brakes would not work. *ph | |||
| 06/14/2003 | 3 | 07/19/2002 | |
| I bought my 19 year old daughter a new focus because i felt new cars were safer and more reliable. today, she was involved in an accident. she has had ongoing problems with the brakes making noise and not being responsive. on her way to have them looked at again, she made a left onto a major road and the traffic in front of her was at a dead stop. it was the rav 4 in front of her, not her brakes, that stopped her car dead. thankfully, no one was hurt. to add insult to injury, the airbag i felt would protect her did not deploy. how many complaints have to be submitted before things get addressed by a manufacturer? to think i bought my only daughter a car with unreliable brakes and airbags that don't work. unfortunately, like a lot of other consumers, we found this out the hard way. *nlm | |||
| 04/26/2003 | 10594 | 1 | 08/28/2002 |
| I purchased a 2002 ford focus se. at 10,956 miles i had to replace the front brakes. i was billed 256.06 for this repair. i also had a water leak that occurred on the front passenger side. the leak was fixed. the problem was said to be the pollen filter. the center console was loose, that was also fixed asap. and lastly the fuel economy is far from what ford claims it to be. please visit www.fordfocusbrakeproblems.com for more info. *jb | |||
| 10/23/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that when trying to apply the brakes they can hear a loud noise and the brake pedal will go to the floor causing the vehicle to have extended stopping distance. dealer has repair vehicle on several occasions. dealer notified ts | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 06/15/2006 | 46000 | 1 | |
| Always keep my car checked regularly, changed my brakes in march,but my abs just went down; even if it is a different part, i am wondering if it is normal to have to change the abs so soon, my car has only 46000 miles. *nm | |||
| 11/05/2003 | 23000 | 3 | |
| While driving applied the brakes and pedal went to the floor and there were no brakes. as result, consumer's vehicle collided with a guard rail. dealer could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak | |||
| 04/25/2002 | 3 | 01/01/2001 | |
| Water pump went out and loosened which caused fan to hit it continuously. noise in brake pedal, reported 3 times, dealer has no idea what it is. it has gotten louder. they hear it but don't know what it is | |||
| 06/29/2002 | |||
| When applying brakes at 40-55 mph there is a loud grinding sound and pedal feels spongy. dealer refuses to do anything about it. please provide additional information.*ak | |||
| 06/12/2002 | 1 | ||
| Brakes grind when consumer is applying brakes. following day consumer could not stop when trying to park, vehicle ran into a house. *akconsumer suffered bruises to the chest and back problems. consumers mother suffered a concussion and the children had bumps and bruises. *jg | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||
| 01/02/2005 | 15000 | 3 | 02/29/2004 |
| Front brakes wear down to nothing within 15,000 miles. *ak | |||
| 09/30/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that when applying the brakes in a sudden stop vehicle steering wheel locked up, which resulted in an accident. please provide any further information. mr | |||
| 1 | 07/30/2002 | ||
| Vehicle experienced problems with the brakes, there was a crash in which one person was injured, consumer no longer owns this vehicle. *slc | |||
| 04/02/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2001 | |
| I went to stop behind a truck and my brakes did not respond. the car wouldn't stop. it was like there were no brakes.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 1 | 04/02/2002 | |
| Squealing - grinding sound from the front tires - front brakes replaced and rear brake rotors were turned and cleaned | |||
| 06/12/2002 | 1 | ||
| Brakes grind when consumer is applying brakes. following day consumer could not stop when trying to park, vehicle ran into a house. *akconsumer suffered bruises to the chest and back problems. consumers mother suffered a concussion and the children had bumps and bruises. *jg | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER | |||
| 09/09/2003 | 14692 | 1 | 07/25/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus has failure of front brake calipers, needs replacing of rotors, pads and calipers under warranty but dealer refuses to agree to this estimate by master brake. dealer says i only need pads and rotors machined. car only has 14,692 miles on it.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 1 | 04/02/2002 | |
| Squealing - grinding sound from the front tires - front brakes replaced and rear brake rotors were turned and cleaned | |||
| 03/17/2003 | 45000 | 4 | |
| Vehicle stalled and the ignition tumbler was defective whereby consumer have to leave the key in the vehicle. the ignition was replaced four times. also, front brakes squealed, and did not stop the vehicle. pads were replaced four times.*ak | |||
| 10/15/2004 | 31040 | 1 | 08/29/2002 |
| 1)normal driving pattern; 2)brakes started to crunch at 31,000, this car was purchased new and still under warranty, but not for brakes. 3)took to ford dealer on 10/15 they wanted $550.00 plus to fix, my salesman told me he had never heard of this happening at such low mileage. called ford corporate, got no help with service rep, requested a call from supervisor, still haven't recieved a call back. took to midas to fix, was repaired this morning.*ak | |||
| 07/15/2004 | 23600 | 2 | 05/27/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus with 23,600 miles required all new pads and rotors-- dealership has said that this is normal...for the focus... and such work is not covered by warranty. took the car to midas and had front brakes and rotors replaced (rotors couldn't even be turned!), mechanic at midas stated that replacing pads and rotors on a vehicle before the warranty has even expired is not normal, typical, or to be expected. before replacing the brakes, there was chronically a large amount of brake dust on the front wheels.*ak | |||
| 08/13/2004 | 10777 | 1 | 06/06/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus zx5. brakes grind and squeal. at 10,777 miles (10,000-mile service), ford dealership said front brake pads and rotors are completely worn out and need to be replaced at cost of $500. car is unsafe to drive without replacing brakes.*ak | |||
| 08/03/2004 | 22000 | 1 | 10/30/2002 |
| My 2002 ford fucus zx3 needed new brake pads and rotors after a mere 22,000 miles!! this service cost me $280 and is not covered under ford's warranty. clearly there is a problem with the braking system if a car needs new rotors before the first set of tires wear out.*ak | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 14800 | 2 | 06/15/2002 |
| Brake pads and rotors need to be replaced every 14,000 miles. nothing has been done to fix the problem!*ak | |||
| 05/28/2004 | 23000 | 1 | 03/23/2002 |
| Have only 23,000 miles on my ford focus 2002 wagon and it needs front pads and rotors. i have never had a car that needed rotors at 23,000 miles. this is a major safety and design defect. *la | |||
| 02/14/2004 | 1 | 07/26/2002 | |
| On 2 occasions i complained to dealership re the amount of brake powder on the front wheels - these were on the first two oil change visits. both times i was told that this was normal (hub caps were dark charcoal). took car in to dealership on 2/14/04 for routine oil change and was told that the brake pads needed to be replaced but that the rotors had not been affected. car had only 14,300 miles, extremely low mileage for pads to be worn out. rep told me to bring car back for them to check for defect in brakes. i took the car back 5 days later and was told that not only were the pads bad, but that a mistake was made in rotor reading saturday and that rotors had to be replaced as well. there were serious communication problems which were later resolved, but i wound up paying meineke for pads ($133.00 incl labor) for a lifetime guarantee instead of fairway ford's price - $145 for 12,000 mile pads (same brand installed by the factory) or $195 for ford product. that night (2/19) i called ford headquarters to inquire about whether they had had previous, similar complaints. was told that they had no record of such complaints and that they could not help me; that they have to rely on the judgment of the service manager of that particular dealership and i should contact him. i wound up involving my attorney and writing to the service manager who investigated and found in my favor. they replaced the rotors for free. my concern is that ford is obviously using an inferior product; that i have found numerous complaints posted on the web about the focus brake pads; that there is a class action suit still in the discovery stage concerning the 2000 and 2001 focus brakes; and that i believe ford motor company should be held accountable. i appreciate that the service manager wound up apologizing and replacing the rotors for free, but this should never have happened in the first place.*ak | |||
| 02/28/2003 | 23424 | 1 | |
| While having vehicle serviced for another problem dealership noticed that brake pads and rotors wore out prematurely and needed replacement. *ak | |||
| 03/05/2004 | 22314 | 1 | |
| While performing an oil change dealership indicated that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. they wore out prematurely. *ak | |||
| 02/25/2004 | 24000 | 1 | 07/15/2002 |
| I have a 2002 ford focus with 24600 miles on the car. the brake pads and rotors where gone when i took the auto into the shop.*ak | |||
| 01/31/2004 | 26300 | 1 | 03/20/2003 |
| I have a 2002 ford focus, the brakes are shot on this thing at only 26000 miles. contacted ford on the this, to no avail. did some research on the web after my contact with ford, and found that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of people. that have a ford focus that have the same problem. there is no way a vehicle should have bad brakes at 26000 miles. in some cases as low as 15000 miles. ford doesn't seem to care to much about this, at least thats the impression that i got when i talked with them. there anything that you people can do about it. *ak | |||
| 01/27/2004 | 20000 | 1 | 10/12/2001 |
| At 19,000 miles i had to replace the front pads/rotors because the pads woe out and had chewed through the rotors. this is my wife's car, it's not driven hard, and now at 33,000 miles i have to replace the front and rear pads, hopefully that's all. this car is crap and a rip off. *jb | |||
| 12/10/2003 | 20000 | 1 | 10/20/2003 |
| Front brake pads and rotors had to be replaced after only 20,000 miles of driving. the mechanic told me that this is a common problem with all the focus's he has seen. *la | |||
| 08/26/2003 | 17282 | 1 | 04/06/2002 |
| I am the original owner of a 2002 focus se. april 2003, i passed ny state inspection w/o any problems. august 2003 i bring my car in for an oil change and i am told that both front and rear brake pads need to be replaced asap b/c they are all the way down to the rotor. there were no warning sounds coming from the brakes. the dealer also tells me it will cost me $600.00 to repair! i called ford in detroit and they told me that it was a high price, but they don't control dealer's prices. they also tell me that there is no reported problems w/the brakes, so it must be me. i do not brake hard. the mileage on the car has been through soft driving. i took it to a local car repair who told me not only do i need front/back brakes, but that cars aren't designed to wear brakes down at the same rate. at this shop it cost me $325. i joined the class action suit w/ fordfocusbrakeproblems.com . *jb | |||
| 09/09/2003 | 14692 | 1 | 07/25/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus has failure of front brake calipers, needs replacing of rotors, pads and calipers under warranty but dealer refuses to agree to this estimate by master brake. dealer says i only need pads and rotors machined. car only has 14,692 miles on it.*ak | |||
| 06/16/2003 | 1 | ||
| Brake pads are warped and wear out in a short period of time.every 20,000 miles had to replace them.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving a grinding noise was heard. vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that brake rotors and pads had to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 04/30/2003 | 08/26/2002 | ||
| Brakes are completely ruined along with rotors in 11,000 miles. completely unthinkable. dealer says they have noticed a problem but no one is willing to do anything. i am very unhappy. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 11/16/2005 | 35500 | 1 | 09/07/2004 |
| At around 35,000 miles my father noticed a grinding noise on the front of his focus. thinking that it was the screech of a warning indicator he parked the vehicle until he could have me look at it. both front rotors were severely ground down with the left inside pad being totally down flush with the metal. this shouldn't be normal wear. back brakes showed signs of normal if not less than normal wear. this should not be normal wear and tear on a vehicle with this few miles on it. i had to replace both rotors prematurely. we will keep the old parts for thirty days in case they are needed. *jb | |||
| 10/27/2004 | 2 | 10/21/2002 | |
| Yearly inspection resulted in a failure due to excessive rotor wear on both fron rotors. although i was informed that the brake pads would have lasted another 5 to 6 thousand miles. no faulty or damage to the front end that would have caused this type of wear. previous inspection last year at another ford dealer showed no issues. also informed of this type of wear being considered normal by the dealers due to the manufacturing process of the original rotors being changed to intice owners to replace rather than turn the rotors when needed. found that there is a pending class action in california of the same incident. also located two technical bullitens from ford showing concern over the issue. called the ford corporate and was told that there was nothing i could do due to the factory warrent covering only 12k miles and i was at 34k miles. called the dealer back, told them of my findings and my disappointment in discovering that it was a known issue after all. the service manager called me back to inform me that it would be covered under warranty since they had overlooked the issue.*ak | |||
| 10/15/2004 | 31040 | 1 | 08/29/2002 |
| 1)normal driving pattern; 2)brakes started to crunch at 31,000, this car was purchased new and still under warranty, but not for brakes. 3)took to ford dealer on 10/15 they wanted $550.00 plus to fix, my salesman told me he had never heard of this happening at such low mileage. called ford corporate, got no help with service rep, requested a call from supervisor, still haven't recieved a call back. took to midas to fix, was repaired this morning.*ak | |||
| 07/15/2004 | 23600 | 2 | 05/27/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus with 23,600 miles required all new pads and rotors-- dealership has said that this is normal...for the focus... and such work is not covered by warranty. took the car to midas and had front brakes and rotors replaced (rotors couldn't even be turned!), mechanic at midas stated that replacing pads and rotors on a vehicle before the warranty has even expired is not normal, typical, or to be expected. before replacing the brakes, there was chronically a large amount of brake dust on the front wheels.*ak | |||
| 08/13/2004 | 10777 | 1 | 06/06/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus zx5. brakes grind and squeal. at 10,777 miles (10,000-mile service), ford dealership said front brake pads and rotors are completely worn out and need to be replaced at cost of $500. car is unsafe to drive without replacing brakes.*ak | |||
| 08/03/2004 | 22000 | 1 | 10/30/2002 |
| My 2002 ford fucus zx3 needed new brake pads and rotors after a mere 22,000 miles!! this service cost me $280 and is not covered under ford's warranty. clearly there is a problem with the braking system if a car needs new rotors before the first set of tires wear out.*ak | |||
| 05/28/2004 | 23000 | 1 | 03/23/2002 |
| Have only 23,000 miles on my ford focus 2002 wagon and it needs front pads and rotors. i have never had a car that needed rotors at 23,000 miles. this is a major safety and design defect. *la | |||
| 02/28/2003 | 23424 | 1 | |
| While having vehicle serviced for another problem dealership noticed that brake pads and rotors wore out prematurely and needed replacement. *ak | |||
| 03/05/2004 | 22314 | 1 | |
| While performing an oil change dealership indicated that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. they wore out prematurely. *ak | |||
| 02/25/2004 | 24000 | 1 | 07/15/2002 |
| I have a 2002 ford focus with 24600 miles on the car. the brake pads and rotors where gone when i took the auto into the shop.*ak | |||
| 12/10/2003 | 20000 | 1 | 10/20/2003 |
| Front brake pads and rotors had to be replaced after only 20,000 miles of driving. the mechanic told me that this is a common problem with all the focus's he has seen. *la | |||
| 09/21/2003 | 16000 | 1 | |
| The front brake rotors were warped. dealership notified of the problem, but the problem has not been resolved.*ak | |||
| 09/09/2003 | 14692 | 1 | 07/25/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus has failure of front brake calipers, needs replacing of rotors, pads and calipers under warranty but dealer refuses to agree to this estimate by master brake. dealer says i only need pads and rotors machined. car only has 14,692 miles on it.*ak | |||
| 08/16/2003 | 13700 | 1 | 06/16/2002 |
| To my focus in to service jan 2003 for squeaking brakes, rotors were warped, brake squeaking said to be normal. they machine straightened the rotors and said ford engineering looking into squeaks. aug. 2003 take focus in for loud vibrating sound. brakes and rotors completely shot. $440 to fix. 13700 miles on car. *ak | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 14053 | 2 | 05/18/2002 |
| At 14053 miles, the rotors on my 2002 ford focus had to be remachined, now at 20k miles, i have to have the same brake problem fixed again. obviously the rotors are either substandard or defective and or there is a larger problem, master cylinder etc. also the rear brakes tend to lock up periodically.1st incident-jan 03.*ak | |||
| 06/02/2003 | |||
| Consumer states that brake rotors are wearing out, and when applying the brakes, vehicle will have a heavy vibration and extended stopping distance. dealer notified.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving a grinding noise was heard. vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that brake rotors and pads had to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 03/14/2003 | 1 | ||
| Brake rotors are wearing out. when applying the brakes vehicle will have heavy vibration and extended stopping distance. dealer notified.*ak | |||
| 05/03/2003 | 15000 | 1 | 12/18/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus, only 15000 miles. $500 for brake job because rotors were shot. mechanic says common problem with focus. *jb | |||
| 04/30/2003 | 08/26/2002 | ||
| Brakes are completely ruined along with rotors in 11,000 miles. completely unthinkable. dealer says they have noticed a problem but no one is willing to do anything. i am very unhappy. | |||
| 05/02/2002 | 2 | ||
| Consumer states that the brake rotors have gone out at 8,000 miles, in may the consumer had the rotors replaced then in july the same problem occured and finally on the 21-sep-2002 the consumer had to take the vehicle in again to have the rotors replaced. the dealer cannot find the problem. *nlm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER | |||
| 10/12/2006 | 46874 | 1 | 06/09/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 mph on normal road conditions, poor braking action was noticed. there was no warning light illuminated to alert the driver. the contact noticed a presence of hydraulic fluid in the driver side carpet. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, who determined a leak from the clutch master cylinder, which was located inside the vehicle. the clutch master cylinder and the brake master cylinder, located in the engine compartment had a common reservoir. the clutch master cylinder affected the fluid level of the brake master cylinder. the dealership indicated there was no recall for this defect. the manufacturer had not yet been contacted. updated 02/06/07. *jb | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 14053 | 2 | 05/18/2002 |
| At 14053 miles, the rotors on my 2002 ford focus had to be remachined, now at 20k miles, i have to have the same brake problem fixed again. obviously the rotors are either substandard or defective and or there is a larger problem, master cylinder etc. also the rear brakes tend to lock up periodically.1st incident-jan 03.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - PEDALS AND LINKAGES | |||
| 08/10/2003 | 13040 | 2 | 08/01/2002 |
| I have a 2002 ford focus se w/ 5 speed manual transmission and cruise control plus other options. on date listed, i was traveling at 65 mph on a 4 lane hwy approaching a traffic light. the car was in 5th gear w/ the cruise control on. upon touching the brake pedal to turn off the cruise control and begin braking, neither event happened. i tried 3x to get the cruise control to turn off by pressing the brake pedal hard. it failed all three times. by then, i was rapidly approaching a group of cars in both northbound lanes of ga hwy 365 completely standing still waiting for the light to change. in response to a runaway car, i attempted to drive off the right shoulder of the road; however, the car immediately in front of me did the same. i struck her car on the right side with the left side of my 2002 ford focus se. my passenger reached over & turned the ignition switch to off. i was able then to brake the car to a stop a few feet from a concrete culvert. the left front wheel of my car was folded approximately 45 degree angle and the entire front end was down on the ground. the left front tire had blown out. neither car was driveable. this is the second time this car has failed on turning off the cruise control when the brake pedal was applied. further, the brake wear indicator had begun squeling recently. the car had 13040 miles on it at the time of the accident. it was purchased one year earlier. willard ferguson | |||
| 04/15/2002 | |||
| Consumer applied both brakes and clutch at 70 mph, and vehicle did not slow down. this has happened 3 times. pedals were too close together.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - SWITCHES - BRAKE LIGHT | |||
| 11/17/2006 | 62000 | 3 | 09/30/2002 |
| Clutch assembly has a leak of fluid into the interior of the car (down the clutch armature to the clutch pad and to floor mat, if significant leakage) which has a) caused the clutch pedal pad to become slippery and fall off due to the fluid seeping behind the pad [after market replacements not available due to relative youth of car, therefore necessitating service at dealer], b) causes the brake light to come on sporadically due to a drop in brake fluid (clutch hydraulics share a reservoir with brake system), although no finding of corresponding brake trouble can be made [problem temporarily disappears when fluid level topped off] and c) causes sporadic clutch softening and decreased effectiveness. issue has been brought to the attention of both dealer and independent service providers several times, but none can find a fault with the braking system as indicated by the error light and therefore none indicate that a trouble exists. the leak is not obvious upon visual inspection of the braking system and the problem does not appear to have a negative impact on braking power (unless left too long and brake fluid levels drop significantly). unable to locate precise location of leak (suspect either reservoir or some associated line to clutch hydraulics) or to determine why only clutch system appears to be impacted. 1) no noticeable/known events leading to failure; uncertain how long condition existed prior to initial documented problem 2) see failure and consequences noted above 3) no correction in place yet as dealer service does not yet acknowledge problem and did not find problem at recent 60k service work-up (included total systems check and full brake inspection with fluid top offs) problem with brake light firing manifest approximately every two weeks (since first noted in november 2006) due to fluid loss, particularly when temperature drops below 30 degrees fahrenheit. issue is resolved by adding brake fluid to reservoir. *jb | |||