2003 Ford Focus

MY 2003 FORD FOCUS HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRUNK LATCH FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. WHEN I GO TO CLOSE THE TRUNK IT DOES NOT SHUT. IT WILL SHUT IF I PULL ON THE SAFETY LATCH THEY HAVE IN CASE SOMEBODY GETS LOCKED IN THE TRUNK,HOWEVER EVEN WHEN IT CLOSES THAT WAY WHENEVER IT RAINS MY TRUNK WHEN I OPEN IT GETS ALL WET!I HAD A BUNCH OF CHRISTMAS PRESENTS IN THE BACK AND WHEN I OPENED THE TRUNK THEY WERE SOAKED! ALSO THE DOOR LATCHES SOMETIMES LOCK ON THEIR OWN. TWICE I HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT OF MY CAR. I NO LONGER EVER LEAVE MY CAR WITHOUT MY KEYS! *JB

STARTING APPROX. 7 MONTH'S AFTER I PURCHASED MY BRAND NEW 2003 FORD FOCUS FROM JACK BYRNE FORD IN MECANICVILLE, NY I STARTED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR STARTING (FEBURARY OF 2004). I WOULD PLACE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR. UPON TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION - NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. THE RADIO WOULD TURN ON AND SO WOULD THE HEAT BLOWERS AND I WOULD ALSO GET SOME DINGING. BUT, THE CAR FAILED TO START. I HAVE SINCE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP APPROX. 4 - 5 TIMES. EACH TIME I HAD GONE THROUGH AN EPISODE OF THE CAR NOT STARTING AND THEN WHEN IT FINALLY STARTED I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS I SHOULD HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY CAN SEE FIRST HAND - HOW THE IGNITION DOESN'T TURN OVER. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ABOUT 2 DOZEN TIMES. EACH TIME FORD WOULD RETURN THE CAR TO ME AND IT WOULD RUN FOR A COUPLE WEEKS PROBLEM FREE. THEN SURE ENOUGH IT WOULD START AGAIN. ANYHOW, THIS PAST WEEKEND I WAS AT A FRIENDS HOUSE WITH MY TWO CHILDREN - AGES 6 AND 3 MONTH'S. THE CAR WOULD NOT START. THANK GOD I WAS AT SOMEONE'S HOUSE AND I WASN'T STUCK OUT IN MY CAR IN DECEMBER IN THE COLD WITH MY CHILDREN!! I APPRECIATE THAT FORD WAS KIND ENOUGH TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE AND ATTEMPT TO MAKE A CORRECTION - BUT AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM I FEEL LIKE MORE SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. I MEAN I BOUGHT A NEW CAR SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THINGS LIKE THIS. I WOULD HATE TO FEEL LIKE I WOULDN'T EVER WANT TO OWN A FORD AGAIN. I THINK THEY NEED TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD WRITE A MORE AGGRESSIVE LETTER - BUT AT THE MOMENT THE CAR IS STARTING - SO I AM NOT FEELING HOSTILE!! PLEASE ASSIST.*JB

I BOUGHT FORD FOCUS 2003 AT 38,000 (CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED) FROM PREMIER FORD INC IN BROOKLYN, NY IN 5/04, HAD MASSIVE LEAKING OF WATER DURING AND AFTER RAIN A MONTH LATER IN 6/04. THIS WAS REPAIRED BY DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER 90 DAY WARRANTY. IT WAS FINE UNTIL THIS MONTH 12/05 AND IS NOW AGAIN SOAKING MY PASSENGER FLOOR WHEN IT RAINS OR SNOWS. I TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY CANNOT REPAIR IT - TAKE IT DOWN THE STREET WHERE THEY "ALWAYS TAKE IT FOR THIS PROBLEM ANYWAY". I CALLED FORD, THEY SAID IT MAY BE COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT THE DEALERSHIP NEEDS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD FOCUS' ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FROM MANY POSTINGS ONLINE I HAVE FOUND. IT SEEMS TO BE A STRUCTURAL DESIGN DEFECT IN THE DASH CAUSING MASSIVE FLOODING INTO THE CAR AND IF IT DOES GET INTO DRIVER FLOOR WOULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE YOUR FEET COULD SLIP OFF PETALS WHILE TRYING TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. *NM

PURCHASED THIS CAR IN 11-05 WITH 32600 MILES ON IT FROM CREDITABLE DEALER. 6 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE, CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO DEALER WHO HAD TO HAVE CAR TAKEN TO FORD DEALER TO HAVE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH REPLACED. DEALER TRIED TO LAY THE BLAME ON THE DRIVER AS "ABUSE" - IN 6 DAYS!!!! 2 DAYS AGO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON, BUT HAS SINCE GONE OUT. HAD I KNOWN WHAT I KNOW NOW ABOUT THIS FORD 2003 SVT, I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED IT. I AM AFRAID IT IS TURNING OUT TO BE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE AND LEMON (EVEN THOUGH STILL COVERED UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY) AND I WILL FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO HAVE FORD PAY FOR REPAIRS. *JB

KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION OF 2003 FOCUS. THE WHEEL IS NOW LOCKED AND I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR. I'M PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO GET THIS TOWED AND PAY $200-$300 DOLLARS TO GET IT FIXED FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE A SIMPLE PROBLEM AND I KNOW THIS HAPPENS TO MANY OTHER FOCUS OWNERS. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE I'M 6 MONTHS PREGNANT AND MY SAFETY IS AT ISSUE. *NM

FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE OF MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZTS STALLING AND SOMETIMES CUTTING OFF COMPLETELY. THIS HAPPENS UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND HAPPENS INFREQUENTLY. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE CAR CAN SHUT OFF WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL OUT ACROSS TRAFFIC OR WHILE IN FAST-MOVING TRAFFIC LANES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER WHERE THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM FIRST-HAND BUT BEEN UNABLE TO FIX IT. IT HAS BEEN THERE A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES, AND THIS ONE WITH BE THE FIFTH. EVERY TIME THEY HAVE SEEMED TO ISOLATE THE PROBLEM BUT IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO RESURFACE WITHIN 48 HOURS. SO FAR, THE DEALER HAS REPLACED: OXYGEN SENSOR, FUEL PUMP, FUEL MODULATOR, AND A TRANSMISSION SENSOR. JIFFY LUBE HAS ALSO REPLACED THE FUEL FILTER. ALTHOUGH NONE OF THESE PARTS HAVE BEEN COVERED BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, THE DEALER HAS BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO COMPENSATE ME FOR APPROXIMATELY THE LAST THREE REPAIRS FROM THEM. THE CAR IS STILL NOT FIXED AND I PLAN TO TAKE IT BACK TODAY. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THIS IS A CAR WITH 40,000 MILES ON IT AND RATED VERY GOOD BY CONSUMER REPORTS. I HAVE ALSO CHECKED SEVERAL ONLINE FORUMS AND PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE PURCHASED A "LEMON", BUT THE NC LAW DOES NOT APPLY SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN VIRGINIA. THE VIRGINIA LEMON LAW DOES NOT HELP EITHER BECAUSE IT APPLIES IF THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT THE DEALER IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED. I ALSO FEEL LIKE THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE PART OF A RECALL BUT FORD HAS FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM (THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2001 MODELS FOR THE SAME ISSUE). ANY HELP YOU COULD OFFER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *JB