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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
20,095 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2000 Ford Focus drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2000 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #45

Apr 012019

Focus

  • 70 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While in motion on a busy highway, driving 70 mph, my 2000 Ford Focus (62,000 orig miles) began downshifting; the engine light illuminated. Replacement of the neutral drive sensor was completed. Now, six months later same thing happening. Driving on a busy highway at speeds of 65 mph the '00 Ford Focus begins downshifting causing a decrease in speed at an alarming rate, rpms increase, engine light illuminates making the vehicle unsafe.

- Onsted, MI, USA

problem #44

Dec 132016

Focus 4-cyl

  • 146,000 miles
We purchased a vehicle on 09/03/2016 from grass valley auto wholesale brokers, grass valley, ca. The vehicle was making a ticking noise and seemed to have a power issue, it kept losing it. The next day I called the lot and told them. They said they had it checked out and not to worry. I did. It kept happening sporadically. I had a 3 month/3K miles warranty. After calling the lot again, I relayed the same symptoms the car was having. I wanted to know did they think if it could be a transmission issue, could be, was the answer I got.. in November I took the vehicle into jr's transmission, came recommended. They serviced the transmission, it was good. It was still happening. Two days ago, coming off a stoplight, I put the gas down and it made a loud knock. I hobbled to the corner, approx 100 yards. It was towed to the auto lot suggested mechanic, who probably worked on the vehicle in the beginning. He told me it needs a new engine. When I called grass valley wholesale auto brokers, the owners son, who is also a salesman there, told me we will work something out. Maybe my dad could take care of half of (referring to the anticipated cost of repairs). Today, the owner would not talk to me, nor answer the phone. I left a message with the owners son. I haven't heard back. I sought out help to remedy this issue straight away from the dealer and repair but the dealer brushed me off. That was when my warranty was in effect. Now im two weeks out of warranty. They should had checked the vehicle when I had originally wanted answers about what was causing it. As according to the owner, his mechanic knows his cars inside and out.

- Grass Valley, CA, USA

problem #43

Jan 152007

Focus

  • miles
Had to replace transmission, cost close to $2,800. After that was replaced I has a coil spring break over the tire which broke off into my tire and I went careening over a railroad track and I went into a ditch. Ford Motor Company replaced that after much protesting on my behalf. I paid out of pocket to have it towed to a dealership. I was never reimbursed for that. The issue I have had since then is that the car stalls for no apparent reason. I have replaced an O2 censor and battery, but this problem persists. It does not matter what speed I am going. The car acts as if it isn't getting fuel to the motor. Now, mechanics are saying I may need to replace the fuel pump which is expensive. I will finally be paying this car off next month. It feels like a disposable adventure. I read up on the recalls and feel this has to be a recall with the fuel system. I am afraid to go very far in this car because I don't know when or where it will stall. It has no real pattern. I tried going with a higher grade of fuel, used additives and it just keeps doing the same thing, please consider my complaint.

- Cleveland, TN, USA

problem #42

Sep 012005

Focus

  • 39,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The fuel pump in the consumer's 2000 Ford Focus failed at 39200 miles. The consumer was never informed of a recall regarding the fuel pump. The consumer stated within the first few months of owning the vehicle it needed a new transmission.

- King Of Prussia, PA, USA

problem #41

Dec 062005

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,856 miles
Rt front axel broke, car not drivable. Clicking noise noticed on left turns 60 miles previous. Boot cover over rt fnt bearing noted gaping hole, metal attachment ring off and detached. Axel broke as being delivered to dealer for repair/fix of boot cover. Cover had been inspected when tires replaced by dealer 750 miles previously and no noted defect.

- Montrose, SD, USA

problem #40

Aug 242005

(reported on)

Focus

  • miles
2000 Ford Focus transmission developed problems. The consumer stated the vehicle was stuck in second gear. The vehicle broke down 5 times due to transmission problems.

- Roebling, NJ, USA

problem #39

Jun 242005

Focus

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The consumer had numerous repairs performed on her 2000 Ford Focus. Recall campaign#02V288000 & 00V411000. Repairs that have taken place within one year: 14 new tires because of a problem with the wheels, engine, transmission jerking, re-wired, battery, overheating and muffler.

- Norcross, GA, USA

problem #38

Jun 252005

Focus 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 46,000 miles
1) at highway speed, abruptly shifts into low gear and deccelerates hard. Odometer displays "======", windshield wipers turn on. 2) engine abruptly stalls, with immediate loss of power steering and brakes. Again accompanied by other odd events. 3) no accident yet, but dangerous. 4) happens sporadically, getting more frequent.

- Aiea, HI, USA

problem #37

Jun 022003

Focus

  • miles
Consumer concerned about the amount of recalls on vehicle. The consumer had to replace the cable shifter when the vehicle was only 2 years old. The alternator had to be replaced, the door lock actuators, tires, sun roof control.

- Glen Burnie, MD, USA

problem #36

Nov 012004

Focus

  • miles
The vehicle's steering wheel came off twice while driving. Campaign id number : 02V289000. The consumer stated that she was almost killed three times while driving this vehicle. Transmission failed three times. The vehicle had been in an accident and the information was not given at time of purchase.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #35

Nov 152002

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 0 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1)we had trouble with right rear door lock stuttering nothing found to be wrong has only occured once since 2)transmission makes a whirring noise intermitenly when car is in reverse dealer found nothing wrong on both occasions 3)rear brakes on two occasions have made squeaking noises first time at 34950 km new shoe pads. Second time at 41346 km shoes and drums sanded 4mm left on shoes has squeaked on only one occasion since 4)front brakes done at 24450 km new pads and repaired two rotors. Second time at 41346 km pads shown to be at 6mm left

- Vancouver, UN, USA

problem #34

Sep 152003

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 72,000 miles
At 148 miles told Ford there was a problem with trans, did not believe road tested fro 2 miles and had car for day and a half. Said they designed trans to slip. I continued to drive it in that condition and repeatedly called customer service back and questioned dealers about slip and they said it was designed that way. To say the least trans replaced. Trim and other items falling off car and frod would not replace. More brake jobs than you can shake a stick at. Just got done putting $600 into it when engine threw rod and now has to be replaced for a cost of $3,700. Ford made a bad car nd they know it, but will leave us Focus owners out to hang.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #33

Jun 152002

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 13,600 miles
Purchased Ford Focus SE in may of 2002 with 13,260 miles. We did not buy the extended warranty because we could not afford. Soon after bringing the car home, we noticed the tire was very wobbly, and the brakes were squeaking--took it to the Ford dealer and they told us these cars are notorious for brake noise, as for the tire nothing is wrong-the service dept. Test drove and didn't notice a thing. Have taken it in several other times after that for wobbly tire-still same answer nothing is wrong. Have taken the car in for several recalls. Key was stuck in ignition and had to be towed to dealership-but the next time my teenaged daughter drove the car the steering wheel was stuck when she was turning at an intersection-had it towed again, there was a piece of material (from them fixing the ignition problem) that was stuck in the steering column. Our latest episode with this car is our trip from wa-Virginia. The car was fine on the way there, except for the wobble in the tire in which we had the tires rotated yet again. But on our way back we started experiencing sputtering and surging of the car, we would pull off the side of the road every 20 miles (thinking it was from the hot weather), we would get another 20 miles in and same thing until finally we drove through Chicago, il and it was worse, so we pulled off the highway and on to an on ramp--walked across the highway to use a business's telephone to call for a tow truck. They found us a tow truck but unfortunately it wasn't a king cab, so our insurance co., called us a cab. The tow truck took us to the nearest Ford dealer--the car however seemed to running fine, so we decided to drive some more. We got about 15 miles down the road and sputtering again, so we called for another tow--and in the meantime we called Firestone, we drove it there, the serviceman drove the car and felt what it was doing and said he didn't need to hook it up to engine diagnostic that it was the transmission.

- Bremerton, WA, USA

problem #32

Aug 152003

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,000 miles
Started experiencing problems with the vehicle after purchase. Suddenly in August, all power systems/computer type items began to fail -- power locks, trunk release. Then, car began (and still does) to sputter and shake when stopped/idle until it would shutdown. Also, the radio/cd player would shut off. Checked for tsbs for the vehicle model & year and found at least 15. When I took the car to the dealer (world Ford sandy springs) we were told that they are technical service bulletins and that we would have to pay to have the car repaired. Only official Ford recall notices, not even ntsa recall notices, would be honored. On top of this, we would be expected to pay $90 per complaint batch (the tsb list was batched in to 3 main areas)for diagnostic purposes and if any of the complaints were related to a recall, the $90 would be refunded as applicable. I expressed that if Ford issued a tsb and the ntsa issued a recall notice, then I should not have to pay to have the car worked on.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #31

Sep 152003

Focus

  • Manual transmission
  • 0 miles
Let's see, where shall I begin. Within month or two of purchase of 2000 Focus sedan it was back in the shop for the front a panel trim. It took 3 times to finally get that right. Also less than 5 months after purchase, windshield had to be replaced due to a stress fracture (was a 1-1.5 hairline crack which appeared in windshield). The windshield has since been replaced again. While adjusting the rear-view mirror the windshield cracked around the base, apparently from slight pressure of mirror. And just recently, August 2003, I've noticed water drops flying up from above the dashboard. Not sure if windshield is leaking around the bottom base or maybe a.C. haven't had it checked yet, but it will be in the shop this week for other problems I haven't mentioned yet. It was in shop in late 2001 or early 2002 for throttle problems. While the car was sitting still the engine would race between 2.5 and 3000 rpms. Fortunately I never used the cruise control during that time. Late 2002 the trunk lock mechanism apparently broke preventing the trunk from shutting properly. It wouldn't latch at all. I have yet to have the wiper motor cover recall fixed. And on different occasions the fuel gauge has read empty, no matter how much fuel you have in the tank. And just when you think nothing else can go wrong, it happens. Me and my wife were shopping this morning on labor day Saturday. We got in the car and I went to start it. My key somehow would not go into the ignition completely, no matter how hard I tried. We eventually call our triple aaa insurance and arrange for a locksmith to come and take a look. He looks at it a second and declares what we fear the worst. Our Focus is the 7th Focus this month he has seen with the same problem. He said that the ignition would have to be replaced by Ford. I believe that this should be a recall. I will never buy another Ford.

- Candler, NC, USA

problem #30

Mar 152003

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,000 miles
I now have a problem with the transmission. The mechanic thinks it is a filter or switch that keeps the oil level in the transmission when turning right. My car shuts off when I make right turns. I have spent way too much money and still owe on this car..frankly I would like to turn it in! has lot of repair needs too much money. I had all of the recall work done also

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #29

Jul 152003

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 31,000 miles
Nov 2002 took to dealer the car was purchased from, told them it was sluggish and gas guage didn't always register. I thought at that time it was maybe the transmission. I was told nothing wrong, could not duplicate problem. Took to neighborhood dealer for the same problem replaced fuel filter. Had all this work before warranty expired in Feb 2003. Never notified about possible fuel pump. June 27th started car and engine died. It then wouldn't start again for about 30 minutes. I took it immediately to my neighborhood Ford dealership. Who told me it was the fuel pump and strongly suggest not to drive the car until repair. So the car was left there for repairs. After listen to the service people at the dealership, it came to my attention this was a common problem. I started to invesigate this myself and find 67 cases listed on the NHTSA website. The common statement was that the while driving at any speed and without prior warning vehicle dies out. On car hitting a park vehicle and several near misses on the highway. 2000 Ford Focus engine sputters and then stalls at high speeds. My concern is that I have heard and read hundred if not thousands of these fuel pump failures and after many nice but ineffective answers from Ford I feel that someone will be injured seriously or die to these faulty and possibly dangerous fuel systems. My dealership previously worked on this telling me fuel filter and I feel know well it was more and like the fuel pump. It seem that the gas guage not registering is a clear sign of problems with the fuel pump.

- Casa Grande, AZ, USA

problem #28

Apr 152003

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 32,655 miles
I purchased a 2000 Focus SE on June 5, 2001 with 23,000 miles. I was told that I would be covered under the original factory warranty 3yr./36,000.I also purchased an extended warranty from the api company at the cost of $1,069 to cover 6yr./60,000.I thought I'd be protected. Wrong ! the vehicle always had horrendous brake dust but the worst was yet to come. In December 2002, my husband and I were in the process of moving and began to notice a rough idle. Well, it's cold in buffalo, NY so we thought it just needed more time to warm up. By early March we experienced stalling problems and the check engine light was on. After stalling at 45mph we had enough. The car was taken to basil Ford. With only 32,000 miles on it we were informed that the cylinder head was cracked and the original warranty ran out on 1/29/03. Ford wanted about $1,700 to replace it. Well, we thought if Ford wouldn't cover the repair that the api extended warranty would. Another error in judgment ! api said there was carbon in the cylinder and they wouldn't cover. Finally, after threats to leave the car at the dealer or seek legal advice to remedy, basil replaced the cylinder head for $400. Who ever heard of a cracked head at 32,000 miles ? we had only put about 10,000 miles on it ! also the keyless entry on the driver door would only work on occasion and the key never did work on the trunk (told the lock needed replacement) which we would have to pay for if we wanted fixed. Since the inspection was coming up in June 2003 and the brakes and rotors would probably need replacement just like all Focus's do, we traded in the car to avoid the money trap. That car was the worst hunk of junk I've ever heard of! I paid $10,500 for the car in June 2001 with 23,000 miles on it and had a hard time getting $5,000 as a trade with 33,000 miles in May 2003 ! it was the biggest rip off of my life also I lost out when I cashed in the worthless api warranty.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #27

Oct 152002

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 35,000 miles
Car is only 2yrs,8mo. Have currently expended over $4000 on repairs. Problem with seals allowing fumes in car from other vehicles running beside mine. The noise and wind shear level is very unsatisfactory. Squeal noise and thumping feeling from pressing on brake pedal. Hesitation on accelerating into traffic flow. Poor quality on parts and workmanship from manufacturer

- Killeen, TX, USA

problem #26

Mar 152003

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,000 miles
The brakes have been looked at three time because of noise and it's been serviced several times. It's in service right now and has been there for two weeks. I don't know if they are working on it or if they are repairing other things or what. I haven't had heat throughout the coldest part of the winter. The seat belts don't work and the paint is peeling. The car has locked up not letting me start the engine twice, then just out of the blue it decided to start. I tried to turn in and the car dealer at Ford said he wouldn't touch it, didn't want it. We bought it Aug. 9 2000-Ford credit, simple interest 6.5 --first payment September $456.99 a month they say we owe too much to trade in "?"this made no since. Now I know what's been going on. My husband has been out to sea usnavy for almost a year and I'm scared to drive it I'm a nervous wreck about this car and I don't know what to do. There has been is so many recalls on this car I don't know if they have fixed them or not

- Oak Harbor, WA, USA

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