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.
I own a 2001 Ford Focus ztech. My car was stalling at random in the middle of driving and finally wouldnt start at all. I took it to a dealership. They said my battery cables were melted, so they replaced them, rerouted them, along with my clips, etc. They couldn't figure out why my cables would be like that and said that is probably why my car doesn't start all the time, but they couldn't be positive so they recommended that I replace my starter as well. They charged me $998. This also happened to me in previous years. I went to the vehicle recall site and see that Ford started a recall in 2003 on this very same problem. Why didn't I receive recall information on my car? I've stalled before in the middle of traffic last year for the same problem and had my battery replaced. This happens too much. I have small children's safety to worry about. What bothers me in addition to that is that the Ford dealership that I used should have noticed this recall and related it to my vehicle's problem. I feel this is a terrible safety issue, and I can't afford to keep getting new batteries/cables and starters. Also, my key keeps getting stuck in the ignition, and Ford won't do anything about that either, even though my dealer said it's a very common problem with this product. They said it would cost me at least $400 to fix it. I've already gotten stuck at a store twice. It just works when it wants to.
I was driving my 2001 Ford Focus in the left lane of a 2 lane highway at about 40 mph when I turned the ac on and the car just stopped. I took it to a garage and they told me I needed a new compressor which would cost 1000 dollars..I found a garage that would do it for less using a used one...my problem was this would happen every time I turned the air or the defroster on. I was afraid I would cause an accident..and am still afraid today when I drive it far..wondering if it will stall out at high speed again and cause me to have an accident. I also have had problems with the key jamming and not turning and my newest problem is I stopped for gas and when I tried to start it all I got was a clicking sound..
This complaint is in response to help another person in electrical complaints. The flicker you have with your 2001 Focus is supposedly a ground issue to the chassis. It appears to have fixed my problem with the instruments and headlights and anything electrical flickering sporadically. The fix is pretty cheap under 20 bucks and you could do it yourself if you are somewhat mechanical. As for my complaint. For a car to be in the top 10 for a few years and a great economy car this is not the car with an answer. I have such replaced 2 alternators under warranty, 3 batteries before I fixed my ground problem. Replaced pvc valve 2 times, radiator, trunk release actuator, numerous headlights and fog lights, radiator and hoses that were busted from overheating, couple of belts, driver door lock, something with the gas tank I think to be a fuel pump. All of this with 30K on the car. Since then I have only replaced tires and rims on the car at 130K I decided to replace any part after warranty with aftermarket gear. So now the car has a cold air intake, svt engine, aem on board computer to adjust with laptop, nitrous, aftermarket hella lights, new paint job, new dash indiglo lights, new stereo speakers, interior. So after all this I guess I should have just bought a Lexus and called it a day. The car now runs great and has not had a single part failure since.
Electrical system seems to be shorting out. Interior lamps flash and flicker. Side mirrors work sporadically. Headlamps flash and flicker on occasion. Nothing has been done to correct this due to lack of funds.
Went so sears auto center at 9570 South West freeway houston Texas 77074. For a tire change they charge $156 and also told me that my car rotors were broken and need shoe/pad to be replaced. And car not to be driven. Total amount $571. Called next morning to cancel work because I decided to take to dealer Ford. But that time car wasn't fixed yet cause they told me to pay first but I didn't have a credit card with me that night so I left it there and took bus. They charge 271. Next morning for some shoe/pad which I took my car the the regular mechanic and they told me that sears did not change anything on my car. So I pay that many my car is still not fixed. I have to drive my car because I don't have another way to move. So please help me to to get my money back or to get my car fixed.
- Houston, TX, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
2001 Ford Focus experiencing problems with the front brakes, fuel pump, battery, sway bars and tires. 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.
Dt. the consumers vehicle would hesitate, surge and lose power and then shut off. After letting the vehicle sit for awhile the consumer was able to restart the vehicle. There were times when the consumer attempted to apply the accelerator and the vehicle would not go pass 60- 70 mph, when the consumer experienced this, the front of the vehicle would vibrate.
On Saturday 5/14/2005 the engine compartment of my well maintained Ford Focus SE, 2001, (equipped with a zentec engine), caught on fire in a fashion similar to those described by numerous owners in the following web sites: www.geocities.com/archangel_jjn/www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_focus_fires.html. the damages occurred to my Focus are close to those graphically described in the pictures of the second web site. The fact that this occurred on a parking lot a block away from a fire station prevented further damage to the passenger compartment. But had this occurred on my house's covered garage, the whole house had burned. What happened to my car is similar to the situation described in the NHTSA 02V288000 campaign. But my vehicle was manufactured on August 2003, and therefore does not qualify to the voluntary Ford recall to deal with this situation. As you can see in the referred web sites, this is he same situation reported by other owners. I have reported this case to my insurance company, allstate, claim number 179019215. The adjuster is Mr. Ruben romero @ 800 733-8910 X4385. As allstate suggested, I also contacted Ford. Yesterday, I was informed by allstate that my accident resulted in a total lost. On Monday 5/16/2005, I contacted Mr. Mccluster, from the tipton Ford dealership, who photographed my pictures from the fire. He assured me that he was going to log the incident into the system and ask me to contact Ford at 866 436-7332. When I called that number, the same day, I talked to andrew, employer number 3176. He gave the claim number 0422761365 and indicated that Ford was going to contact on two days. I am still waiting for the call. In my opinion Ford did not fully fixed the causes of the NHTSA 02V288000 campaign and that was the reason for my car's fire. Thus, Ford should solve the problem in all Focus vehicles suffering from this problem and it also must be held accountable for all property damage.
On Saturday 5/14/2005 the engine compartment of my well maintained Ford Focus SE, 2001, (equipped with a zentec engine), got fire in a fashion similar to that described by numerous owners in the following web sites: www.geocities.com/archangel_jjn/www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_focus_fires.html the damages occurred to my Focus are close to those graphically described in the pictures of the second web site. The fact that this occurred on a parking lot a block away from a fire station prevented further damage to the passenger compartment. But had this occurred on my house's covered garage, the whole house had burned. What happened to my car is similar to the situation described in the NHTSA 02V288000 campaign. But my vehicle was manufactured on August 2003, and therefore does not qualify to the voluntary Ford recall to deal with this situation. As you can see in the referred web sites, this is he same situation reported by other owners. I have reported this case to my insurance company, allstate, claim number 179019215. The adjuster is Mr. Ruben romero @ 800 733-8910 X4385. As allstate suggested, I also contacted Ford. Yesterday, I was informed by allstate that my accident resulted in a total lost. On Monday 5/16/2005, I contacted Mr. Mccluster, from the tipton Ford dealership, who photographed my pictures from the fire. He assured me that he was going to log the incident into the systema and ask me to contact Ford at 866 436-7332. When I called that number, the same day, I talked to andrew, employer number 3176. He gave the claim number 0422761365 and indicated that Ford was going to contact on two days. I am still waiting for the call. In my opinion Ford did not fully fixed the causes of the NHTSA 02V288000 campaign and that was the reason for my car's fire. Thus, Ford should solve the problem in all Focus vehicles suffering from this problem and it also must be held accountable for all property damage.
2001 Ford Focus ignition cylinder broke, problems with the tire equipment, engine light illuminated and the sway bar bushing needs to be replaced. 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.
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. 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.
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. www.theautochannel.com/F/mania/repair/news.html?mania.
The first problem that I started to have with my 2001 Ford Focus began less than a year after I bought it. The left rear window went out first, then about a week later the right rear window went out. I think the gears were faultily manufactured. When at a Ford dealership for a recall, I was told I would have to pay about $350 per window to fix the problem, money I do not have because I have to save up to fix another problem with this car. The second problem is concerning the electrical system. Everything in my car powered by electricity flickers on and off. When I try to roll up my remaining windows or turn on the A/C, the radio will go static, the headlights flicker, the ABS light pops on, etc. I have talked to numerous Focus owners who have had similar problems. They have been told by Ford dealers that it is this or that and paid a lot of money to fix the problems, but the problems never went away. I am just waiting for my ignition to go out, that is another common problem I have heard of with this lemon of a car. The Ford focuses need to be recalled, we should all get our money back! how many people is Ford going to rip off and kill before they are finally held accountable" I cannot afford to fix all the problems I am having and will have in the future, especially since my warranty was conveniently up just a month before I started having these problems. I would like to be E-mailed back with some information on what I can do. Can I declare this car a lemon and make them buy it back from me" I have corresponded with Ford via E-mail and it has gotten me nowhere. Please help us!!!
The left rear door would intermittently open when making a turn while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the left rear door actuator. The right rear and front locks were inoperative as well. The doors would not unlock by remote or key insertion. The doors had to be manually opened from within the vehicle. The radio had an internal defect.
When driving at an undetermined speed, the consumer heard a popping noise coming from the rear driver's seat. The consumer noticed that, the instrument panel lights would flick on and off. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection.
Gauges in dash along with the rest of the electrical system cuts in & out while driving. Now, car will not start but displays same problems while attempting to start vehicle.
While driving at 45 mph, the vehicle stalled. The driver tried to restart the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. The vehicle was taken to the dealership and the mechanic could not determine the problem.
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.
On separate occasions when consumer attempted to start vehicle it failed to start. Vehicle has been towed to the dealer, and dealer replaced various computer components.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Pearland, TX, USA