2002 Ford Focus

DETAILS: THE CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED STALLING, HAD IT CHECKED AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A TIMING BELT AND TUNE UP. AFTER $1400 LATER AND STILL THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THE CAR WAS ONLY RUNNING ON 3 CYLINDERS AND WAS RECOMMENDED TO PUT AN ADDITIVE IN THE ENGINE TO TRY TO LOOSEN UP STUCK VALVES... STILL SAME PROBLEM . THEN TEARING THE ENGINE APART FOUND DAMAGE DONE TO # 4 CYLINDER . *TR

I OWN A 2002 FORD FOCUS AND I SIMPLY PARKED MY CAR AT THE GROCERY STORE, LOCKED MY CAR, AND WHEN I CAME BACK I COULD NOT TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION TO START THE CAR. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ITS HAPPEN WHERE I COMPLETELY FAILED TO TURN THE KEY. NOW MY CAR IS SITTING AT THE GROCERY STORE AND NOW I'M READING THAT I'M GOING TO POTENTIALLY PAY 200 TO 400 BUCKS TO GET THIS FIXED. THIS IS VERY, VERY UPSETTING. THANKS FORD FOR YOUR LOUSY IGNITION DESIGN. I'LL NEVER BUY A FORD AGAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE STEERING WHEEL LOOSENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING BEGAN TO WANDER AND FAILED TO RESPOND NORMALLY. IMMEDIATELY, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN CAUTIOUSLY TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY TIGHTENED THE ADJUSTMENT SCREW AND RE-TIGHTENED THE LOCK NUTS ON THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTIONS. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

2002 FORD FOCUS ZX3 FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING FAILURE...TOP 7" OF SPRING SNAPPED OFF MAKING THE CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. INCIDENT OCCURRED 1 BLOCK FROM HOUSE BUT NOT IMMEDIATELY INVESTIGATED UNTIL I FOUND BROKEN SPRING PIECE IN THE ROAD AFTER WORK. HIGHWAY TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A BAD CRASH DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL. I PURCHASED REPLACEMENT PARTS (FORD SVT SUSPENSION KIT 397-M-3000-ZX3) AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE BECAUSE I DO NOT TRUST THE REMAINING UNBROKEN SUSPENSION PARTS. CAR HAS ONLY ABOUT 50000 MILES AND IS NOT ABUSED. FAILURE APPEARS TO BE DUE TO EXTENDED FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION INSTEAD OF AN ISOLATED CATASTROPHIC EVENT. THERE IS OLD RUST ON THE SPRING BREAK POINT SURFACE ALONG WITH FATIGUE CRACK STYRATIONS INDICATING A LONG FAILURE TIME. POSSIBLE CAUSE WOULD BE SUB-STANDARD MATERIAL OR HEAT TREATMENT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN A VEHICLE OF THIS AGE AND MILEAGE. FORD WOULD HAVE HAD A HUGE LAWSUIT IF THIS FAILURE RESULTED IN MY INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

ON 3/12/09, WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 FORD FOCUS SE WAGON ON MAIN STREET (RI-3) IN ASHAWAY, RHODE ISLAND, AT ABOUT 35 MPH, HIT A SMALL BUMP WITH THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. A LOUD SCRAPING NOISE IMMEDIATELY ENSUED. WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHIN A FEW FEET. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT BOTH MOUNTING STUDS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ENGINE MOUNT FOR THE TRANSVERSELY MOUNTED ENGINE HAD BROKEN OFF ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO DROP DOWN ONTO THE PASSENGER SIDE DRIVE AXLE. THE CAR WAS FLATBED TOWED 5 MILES TO MY MECHANIC. HIS INSPECTION SHOWED THAT ONE OF THE STUDS HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR SOME TIME, WHILE THE SECOND SHOWED A FRESH BREAK. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF CORROSION, OR THAT THE STUDS HAD EVER BEEN REMOVED AND REPLACED. I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THIS FAILURE OCCURS, BUT THE TOW OPERATOR AND BOTH MECHANICS AT THE SHOP HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT THE CAR BECOMES INOPERABLE WITHOUT CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE. THE RESULT AT HIGHWAY SPEED COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE BROKEN STUDS WITH NEW FACTORY PARTS. I HAVE THE TWO BROKEN STUDS IN MY POSSESSION. *TR

I OWN A 2002 FORD FOCUS WITH 54000 MILES ON IT AND JUST LAST WEEK HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE CAR ACELERATED TO 30 MPH IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE INTO 3RD GEAR UNTIL YOU OUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE GAS. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER AND THEY HAD IT FOR 1 1/2 DAYS AND CAME BACK WITH AN " I THINK IT'S A RING IN THE TRANSMISSION, BUT NOT FOR SURE" THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME OVER $400 TO TAKE THE TRANSMISSION OUT TO SEE IF IT'S THIS RING!! AND IF IT'S NOT THIS RING THEY THINK IT IS THEN I'M OUT $400+. I ALSO FOUND A WEBSITE ( CAR COMPLAINTS.COM) AND NOTICED THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY FOCUS OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. OTHER FOCUS OWNERS ON THIS WEBSITE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR TRANSMISSION 2-3 TIMES BETWEEN 60,000-100,000 MILES BECAUSE FORD CONTINUES TO PUT THE SAME TRANSMISSION IN ALL THEIR FOCUS'. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY A RECALL HASN'T BEEN CALL OUT ON THIS CAR WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS. THIS IS A VERY BIG ISSUE AND I THINK IT NEEDS ATTENTION BEING THAT SO MANY FOCUS OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR