2003 Ford Focus

THE DRIVER SIDE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE IS NOT WORKING. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND LASTED A FEW DAYS THEN SOMEHOW STARTED WORKING AGAIN BUT NOW IT IS BACK. WHEN I TRY TO PULL IT OPEN IT IS AS IF THERE IS NOTHING ATTACHED TO THE OTHER SIDE. I PULL IT OUT AND IT STAYS OUT AND LOOSE. WE HAVE HAD A RECALL ON THIS SAME VEHICLE FOR THE REAR DOORS HAVING THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE EXCEPT WE HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR DOORS, ONLY THE FRONT. MY DEALER SAYS THEY CAN FIX THE REAR DOORS FOR FREE BUT I WILL BE CHARGED FOR THE FRONT. I FIND THIS FUNNY BECAUSE FORD IS WILLING TO WORK ON MY DOORS THAT WORK FINE FOR FREE BUT WON'T DO ANYTHING FOR THE BROKEN AND HAZARDOUS DOORS. CAN WE PLEASE UPDATE THIS RECALL TO AFFECT ALL THE DOORS ON THE 2003 FORD FOCUS BEFORE WE HAVE DRIVERS ROLLING OUT OF THEIR CARS? *TR

THIS VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LEMON.AT 4,900 MILES 5 DISC CD PLAYER HAD TO BE REPLACED. AT 15,000 MILES THE VEHICLE BEGAN LEAKING COOLANT AND HAD TO HAVE THE RADIATOR REPLACED, LUCKILY IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AT 22,000 THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ALTERNATOR BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT CRANK. AT 24,000 MILES THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WOULD NOT EVEN TURN OVER SO THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED. 26,000 THE CENTER CONSOLE BROKE OF HINGES. 27,356 MILES THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN OVER THE STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED.32,000 MILES THE AIR CONDITIONER WENT OUT. 36,000 MILES ALTERNATOR WENT OUT AGAIN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.38,000 MILES COMPLICATIONS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER AGAIN. HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL 54,000 THEN EVERYTHING SPIRALED OUT OF CONTROL. THE WATER PUMP WENT OUT, THE PUMP HOUSING WAS LEAKING. THE STARTER COIL WAS BAD A FEW FUSES HAD BLOWN THAT I HADN'T KNOW ABOUT. I HAD A FULL TUNE UP, SPARKPLUGS AND NEW WIRES AND ALSO PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY. 61,000 THE WINDOW LEVER TO ROLL WINDOWS UP ON PASSENGER SIDE COMPLETELY BROKE OFF, THE DOOR HANDLE ON PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE BECAME VERY STIFF AND HAD TO BE AGGRESSIVELY OPENED UNTIL THE PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE BROKE AND DOES NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUT. 68,000 MILES WATERPUMP ADAPTER CRACKED AND SPRAYED ANTIFREEZE EVERYWHERE. 72,000 LIGHT OIL LEAK FROM THE TOP OF THE ENGINE, COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE SPARK PLUG COMPARTMENT AND ONLY DAYS LATER THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT. SO THIS LITTLE PROBLEMATIC BABY IS PARKED IN MY GARAGE WITH ONLY 73,263 MILES ON IT BECAUSE I CUT HER OFF AT NEARLY $4K IN REPAIRS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT BESIDES SEND IT TO THE JUNK YARD BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO SALE IT AND PAWN THIS MONEY CONSUMING VEHICLE OFF ON SOMEONE ELSE. FORD SHOULD JUST BUY IT BACK FROM ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TRUNK LATCH FAILED TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY AND THE IGNITION FAILED; HOWEVER THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I HAVE BEEN IN THE WRECKER BUSINESS FOR 20 YEARS, THIS BEING THE SECOND FORD FOCUS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THIS YEAR. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT PERFORM ADEQUATELY WHEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH, THEREFORE PUTTING THE PASSENGERS AT RISK OF SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE MENTIONED ABOVE LOST CONTROL, AND SLID SIDEWAYS INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC RESULTING IN AN IMPACT TO THE PASSENGER DOOR AND RESULTED IN A FATALITY OF THE DRIVER..THE AREA OF PROTECTION SURROUNDING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT IS INADEQUATE IN THAT IT DOES NOT PROVIDE SAFETY UPON IMPACT. THIS BEING THE SECOND FOCUS TOWED RECENTLY, IT HAS BECOME APARENT TO ME THAT THESE LIGHT WEIGNT VEHICLES PROPOSE A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE PUBLIC AND SHOULD BE RE-EXAMINED. *TR

THE LEFT REAR DOOR DOESN'T LATCH PROPERLY, CAUSING THE DOOR TO FLY OPEN ON IT'S OWN. THANK GOODNESS KIDS WERE NOT IN THE CAR WHEN THIS OCCURRED. SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE DOOR WILL NOT LATCH AND IS NOW TETHERED WITH ROPE AND CAN'T BE USED. FORD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE A CURRENT RECALL NOTICE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V030000 FORD CLAIMS THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED. THE ISSUE FOR MY VEHICLE IS THAT IT WAS PURCHASED IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN 2003 AND REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN FEB OF 2005 WHEN THE RECALL CAME OUT. (IT IS NOW REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF NY WHERE IT HAS BEEN SINCE 2006. IF THE RECALL CAME OUT ONE YEAR LATER, MY CAR WOULD BE COVERED?) COVERED OR NOT, FORD KNOWS THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE. A REMEDY WOULD BE TO RE-ISSUE THE RECALL AGAIN SO THAT IT COVERS ANY 2003 FOCUS AS I AM CERTAIN THAT MY CAR IS NOT THE ONLY CAR SOLD IN A STATE NOT COVERED, BUT THAT HAS SINCE RELOCATED TO A STATE WHERE CORROSION CAN OCCUR DUE TO SALT AND WINTER CONDITIONS (UNBEKNOWNST TO CONSUMERS). I AM LUCKY THAT MY KIDS WERE NOT HURT, BUT SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT NOT BE AS LUCKY. *TR

UPON OPENING, THREE HARD CLICKS ARE HEARD - AND LOCK OPENS ON OCCASION. OFTEN REFUSING TO LATCH AND ON MANY OCCASIONS, I AM UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR. IT APPEARS TO BE AS STATED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V030000 I HAVE SPOKEN WITH DEALER AND FORD ON MANY OCCASIONS THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND THEY INSIST THIS CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE CAMPAIGN AND REFUSE TO INSPECT, OR VIEW, OR ASSESS. *TR

I OWN A 2003 FORD FOCUS AND BACK IN FEBRUARY 2006 I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A RECALL TO FIX DOOR HINGES THAT BECOME HARD TO OPEN OR ACTUALLY BREAK. THEY COMPLETED THE WORK. AS I WAS DRIVING THE OTHER DAY MY REAR PASSENGER DOOR JUST SWUNG OPEN AND THE DOOR WILL NO LONGER LATCH. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID SINCE THEY PUT SOME GREASE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON MY DOOR BACK IN 2006 (THEY NEVER PUT A NEW LATCH ON THE CAR) THAT I AM OUT OF LUCK AND HAVE TO PAY THE $336 MYSELF TO FIX THE LATCH THAT I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE. TWO OF MY OTHER THREE DOORS ARE GETTING HARD TO OPEN AND I FEEL IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY COMPLETELY BREAK ALSO. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND THANK GOD ONE OF THEM WAS NOT IN THE BACK SEAT THE DAY THE CAR DOOR JUST DECIDED TO SWING OPEN. *TR

THE CAR HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE LOCKS FOR A WHILE NOW. WE CAN NOT PUT THE KEY INTO THE DOOR TO UNLOCK IT BECAUSE IT WONT ALWAYS WORK. THE HANDLE ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR HAS BROKE ONCE AND WAS REPLACED. NOW THE KEY FOR THE IGNITION WILL NOT TURN TO START THE CAR. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE KEY TO TURN TO START THE CAR. *TR