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Ford Focus

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The Focus is a nice-looking little car. And it replaced the truly execrable Escort. There, we said something good about it. Unfortunately, for way too many owners, that about exhausts the list of compliments. The Focus has so far set a record for safety recalls (would you believe 10?) and it may just be getting started.

Ford Focus • Fires • Brakes • Ignition • Stalling, Sputtering • Transmission • Water Leaks • Everything! News • Ford Focuses On Improvement At Detroit Auto Show • Another Recall: Back Door May Come Open • Ford To Replace Focus Fuel Modules • Feds Probe Focus Fires • Focus Setting Recall Record • Focus Recall (Oct. 2000)

It's unfortunate for everyone when an economy car has this many problems. It's especially rough on the poor customers, who presumably are on tight budgets and unable to pour time and money into keeping their supposed economy car running.

Here are a few of the more recent complaints:

Kathy of Teaneck, NJ March 10, 2010

After reading about the ignition on the Ford Focus I too am having the same problem on my 2003 Focus. I got into it and tried to start and my key wouldn't turn. I am so grateful to AAA, however now I have to leave the key in the ignition until I can have it repaired.

Vicky of Lafayette, IN March 4, 2010

we have a 2006 Ford Focus and the key is currently stuck in the ignition - so far it is still driveable - but it sounds like this is an on going issue for Ford - I see complaints going back to 2000 models

Danielle of San Antonio , TX March 3, 2010

In December of 2008 I purchased a used 2003 Ford Focus hatchback with 29,000 miles on it. Around June of 2009 my car had ignition lock. The whole key compartment had to be replaced 394 to fix warranty didn't cover that.

Recently late February of 2010, I'm driving to Austin from San Antonio and the car is delaying hard before it changes gears. The engine light comes on! As far as car maintenance I'm always on top that schedule so, I'm like what could it be? The problem was the transmission, one of the cylinders is messed up. Another 386 to fix and now that I did my research I learned that these are common problems with Ford focus. The first "common issue " which was the ignition lock that happened in June of 2009 cost me 394. The second problem happened on February of 2010 that cost me 386. A total of 780 on common problems

Steven of Shrewsbury, NJ February 24, 2010

I own a 2001 ford focus. My wife was driving it the other day and the motor mount grenaded and the engine dropped out. Luckiliy she was going at a low rate of speed and no one rear ended her. Had she been at highway speed with our young son in the car it could have been tragic. So far, it has an estimated cost of 600.00 plus towing. That estimate is priliminary depending on if the mechanic finds any engine damge.

louise of sunderland, MA February 19, 2010

2003 ford focus ignition. The key will not turn in the ignition which after a little research this is a very common problem in this vehicle. There has been at least 116 complaints on one website. This ISSUE needs to be addressed. Cannot use the car without spending 200-400 on this and it will happen again according to several owners.

Mrs. of Preston, CT February 11, 2010

I had the bad experience of owning a 2000 Ford Focus and literally having to replace its engine while my husband was serving in the U.S Army in Afghanistan. I had extra danger pay sent to me and my son whom has a heart problem so all I could think of was put another engine in the car. You do not think about complaining to the car company.

In 06 I spent for a second hand engine to be put in locally around 3000. When my son and I went to Fort Lewis Washington to be with my husband we bought a 2004 Ford Explorer to drive back to Connecticut upon my husband being medically discharged. It ran fine, we drove it back 3000 miles from Washington state to Connecticut. To be fair it ran beautifully, no trouble at all. Well at around 60-70,000 miles we were going to drive my son to Boston General Hospital for a checkup. When we were less than half a mile down the road at a stop light the car started shaking upon stepping on the gas pedal! It had been fine! Not a sound to even make us think it had any problems.

We thankfully pulled into a gas station and it stalled.It was started again the engine light came on. It stalled. I had it towed to the Ford place, it had done miner things on it. Replace the spark plugs, coil, it was goi8ng higher on the cost. I said stop. Had it towed to the garage in town who had put the engine in the Ford Focus a couple years earlier. They could not believe it, again! They had heard of Explorers conking out at 70-75,000 miles also.

Lakiesha of Los Angeles, CA February 11, 2010

My first round of problems with my 2001 ford focus bought brand new off the lot with less than 10 miles on it , was the stalling of the vehicle and loss of power and stuttering within the first few months of having it whenever i went around a curve etc. this was taken care of under warranty after this happening to me on the highway too many times, and in my last trimester of a complicated pregnancy in which the pregnancy prior resulted in the still birth of my baby, this frightened me cause i thought i would be struck from the back on the freeway and killed! imagine going from 60 mph to putt-ing all the way down to barely moving with no warning at all!(totally enough to give you a heart attack. as well as when the baby was born i had my new born to travel around - with the risk of being hit from the back ............

My next circus of events with this vehicle is the wheel bearings & rotors needing to be replaced in 2 years (huh)are they serious, and i mean to the point of my wheel shaking and vibrating horribly on a fairly new car? also the brakes constantly giving me problems...

To my next string of problems that i never really paid much attention to @ first, until my key wouldnt turn over @ all, having to play with and fiddle back and forth with the key to be able to turn it in the ignition, then one day myself and 2 young kids get back in the car and try to start up and the key wont go all the way in the ignition let alone turn it over, when i called the dealer Hollywood ford in calif. let them know what was happening he didnt even have to give it much thought or research to find out, just instatntly he informed that i have to replace the ignition cause its broke?(huh) after reading all these testimonies to the same types of problems its now clear how the service tech new what to tell me immediatly, because this is a problem that obviously needs to be corrected with these cars, and the consumers are paying dearly and unfairly for it.

To date this has happened to me twice just again today, my daughter and i have been to the Dr. office cause she is sick, the pharmacy, gas co, grocery store and when we got back in the car (wouldn't u know) the vehicle ignition would "not" turn. i called triple A and the tech comes out to see if he can get it to turn and he of course couldn't and informed me that this is a very common problem that most of ford focus and some other models of ford do encounter and that the ignition would have to be replaced, (again)????? after getting a locksmith to qoute me cost of fixing, an alarming 345.00 Wow_ who can afford to keep taking lost like this while Ford continues to profit & gain. I am completely taken by all of this, what can be done to correct and reimburse these issues?

Jacqueline of Roswell, GA February 11, 2010

On Dec. 21, 2009, the ignition cylinder jammed on my 2001 Ford Focus,(which had at the time only 36,320 miles),leaving me stranded. I had to have it towed to the dealership where they drilled out the tab and installed a new key cylinder. I have since found out that this happens with frequency in 2000-2003 cars, often multiple times, even after repairs. So they must be replacing these cylinders with more of the same faulty cylinders.

California has started a class action law suit - there should be a total recall! The cost to me was time from work (both mine and my husband's) our insurance company (USAA) had to pay for the tow, and we paid the dealership (Alpharetta Ford Dealership at Mansell Road in Alpharetta, GA) 427.84.

Robert of Langley, WA February 10, 2010

My 2000 Focus had the ignition switch problem too. Car had to be towed and repaired. I sent a letter to Ford and never received a reply.

Ebonie of Charleston, SC February 9, 2010

I have been having trouble with my 2002 Ford Focus since I purchased it. First my radio stoped working, then my check engine light came on and has been on almost nonstop for the past few years. I take very good care of my car and now I'm being told by a non Ford mechanic that my transmission needs to be built. This is after I had the Ford dealer check my car and tell me the only thing that needed to be done was replace a PCV hose and battery cables for over 1000.

After reading many blogs about this car I see that many people are having the same issues with the transmission that I am and I just wanted to make sure that it was reported because it appears to be an issue with the transmission that Ford placed in the car. I am constantly going to the mechanic for this car and each mechanic I go to tells me that the repairs they do will definitely fix my car and take care of the check engine light. I had Ford replace the thermostat and gasket in my car with a guarantee that that would fix my car.

Needless to say it didn't when I took my car back they had a whole new list of problems that were guaranteed to fix my car. I have spent 1000s on repairs on this car in the last few years alone and nothing seems to fix the problem. I was just told today, 2/9/10, that my transmission needs to be rebuilt for 1200 and this will take care of the check engine light and the shifting of gears that the car just started doing last week.

However, I am a little leery about this because every single repair I have had was to fix the car and check engine light issue, but it never does. Now I'm faced with paying over 1000 again for a car repair and I'm worried that I will be right back in the shop in a few months with the same issues. I'm at a point where I don't know what to do.

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