2003 Ford Focus

I ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS BEFORE THE PROBLEMS STARTED I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T CHANGE GEAR, THEY SAY THIS IS NORMAL. ALSO, THE WINDSHIELD WAS NEVER SEALED IN THEY TOLD ME THAT IT COULD BE FIXED. THE FRONT WHEELS CLICK WHEN DRIVEN. THE BRAKES WENT OUT QUICK. THE BACK HUBS ARE SEALED FROM RUST. AND NOW I CAN'T EVEN GET MY DISABLED CHILD TO THE DOCTORS BECAUSE THE IGNITION HAS GONE COMPLETELY OUT. THE LOCKSMITH SAID I WAS LUCKY I WAS PARKED. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 ZTS WITH A 5 SPEED. AFTER DRIVING ROUGHLY 40 MILES NONSTOP WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS 85 AND ABOVE, THE FIRST TIME I PUSH THE CLUTCH PEDAL IN THE PEDAL IS REALLY STIFF, LIKE A SUPER DUPER HEAVE DUTY CLUTCH. BY THE 2ND OR 3D TIME I PRESS IT IN IT'S NORMAL AGAIN. THE CAR SHIFT FINE.. JUST HAS THIS REALLY STIFF PEDAL FOR 1 OR TWO PUSHES AFTER AN 40 MILE TRIP IN HOT TEMPERATURES. FORD AGREED, AFTER A TON OF COMPLAINING, TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER, BUT IT NEVER HELPED. THE CAR HAS 35,000 AND 95% OF THOSE MILES ARE ON THE INTERSTATE SO THERE "SHOULD BE" NEXT TO NO WEAR ON THE CLUTCH ITSELF. THIS STARTED HAPPENING AT ABOUT 28,000 MILES. NOW THAT THE TEMPERATURES HAVE FALLEN BACK TO MID 70'S FOR DAYTIME HI'S THE PROBLEM IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. *NM

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN DRIVER BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN, APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD. DRIVER HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES. DRIVER HAS TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN TO A STOP. *AK THE VEHICLE ALSO JERKED WENT THE CONSUMER REACHED SPEEDS OF 55 MPH AND HIGHER. *JB

DT: CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE REAR DOOR ON THE WAGON DID NOT CLOSE PROPERLY AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT GO ALL THE WAY DOWN WHEN TURNING THEM OFF. DEALER WAS WORKING ON THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO, DEALER WILL TAKE CARE OF THE DOOR AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP FOR TRANSMISSION. *AK

VEHICLE, A 2003 FORD FOCUS W/ 20,000 MILES, BECAME DISABLED DUE TO COMPLETE FAILURE OF CLUTCH TO REENGAGE WHEN I SHIFTED - ROLLED TO STOP IN EVENING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 66 IN FAIRFAX, VIRGIINIA. CAR HAD PREVOUS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH CLUTCH NOT ENGAGING AND WAS RETURNED FROM DEALER TWO DAYS EARLIER, FEBRUARY 2, SAYING THE CLUTCH WAS "PERFORMING OK AT THIS TIME NPF." I COULD NOT MANEUVER FROM THE TRAVEL LANE AND CALLED 911. A VIRGINA STATE POLCIE CAR WAS DISPATCHED AND PULLED UP BEHIND ME TO PREVENT A REAR END COLLOSION UNTIL THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. DEALER THEN PRONOUNCED THAT THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY "WORE OUT" AND CHARGED $1,840 FOR A COMPLETE REPALCEMENT OF THE PRESSURE PLATE, CLUTCH PLATES AND FLY WHEEL. THEY DID NOT RETAIN PARTS (AS I HAD REQUESTED) AND DENIED ANY WARRANTY COVERAGE. *AK

BUY THE CAR IN LIVINGSTON MONTANA 09-28-2002 THE VIN [XXX] THE CAR HAD ONLY LIKE 20 MILES WE DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. WE WENT ON VACATION THAT SUMMER WE HAD A BLOW OUT ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE. WE CALLED THE FORD COMPANY IN LIVINGSTON ,MONTANA WE WERE IN ID SO THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANY THING FOR US. WE HAD TO DRIVE TO THE NEXT TOWN ABOUT 14 MILES BACK . WE GOT BACK WE TOOK IT TO FORD COMPANY. THE CAR WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT AND SHAKING REALLY BAD AND THE TRUNK WILL NOT LOCK (IT WILL NOT LOCK IF WE PUSH THE BUTTON ) WE DO NOT USE THE TRUNK STILL ,THE CLUTCH POPS OUT THEM TOLD US TO DOUBLE CLUTCH AND IT ( STILL POPS OUT WENT YOU BACK UP SOMETIMES). WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THEY ,THEM ON 09-24-2003 THEY HAD THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS ALMOST I HAVE A LISTED OF THING WANT WAS WRONG AN STILL WRONG WITH THE CAR ,WE TOLD THEM WE WANT AN NEW CAR BUT THEY STILL WOULD NOT GIVE US ONE OR WOULD NOT WORK WITH US , THEM SAID I'M SORRY BUT WE COULD NOT DO THAT. I KNOW YOU FOLKS HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH THE CAR BUT I CAN NOT DO ANYTHING. I WAS MAD AN STILL WE BOUGHT ABOUT FOUR SETS OF TIRES FOR THAT CAR . THE CAR WAS ONLY HAS 48003 MILES, WE HAD MANY OUTS ,WE HAD A BACK BLOW AGAIN IN NOV- 2004 . MY WIFE WILL NOT DRIVE IT MUCH BECAUSE SHE IS SCARED OF IT. IT PULLS YOU ALL OVER THE ROAD IN THE BAD WEATHER WE LIVED IN WHITEHALL , MONTANA VERY SMALL TOWN IF WE WANT TO GO SHOPPING YOU HAVE TO DRIVE 20 MINS PLUS AWAY, SHE WAITS ON THE WEEKENDS TO TAKE MY CAR. SHE ONLY DRIVES THE CAR TO TAKE OUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WHICH IS A MILE THERE AND BACK. PLEASE HELP US A GET DIFFERENT CAR. THAT MY WIFE WILL NOT BE SCARED OF. *NM UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS

THE CONSUMER HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKE DRUMS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE REAR DRUM BRAKE PADS WERE DEFECTIVE, PARTS AND COMPOUND WERE MISSING, TRIM UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN WAS MISSING, THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING IN FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD GEAR, AND THE IGNITION WAS DAMAGED. *SC *JB