2004 Ford Focus

AT 40,000+ MILES MY 2004 NEEDS TO HAVE THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED: COST-$130.25 + TAX AND $94 LABOR. THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE IN THE SERVICE CENTER HAS HAD HIS FORD FOCUS THROTTLE BODY REPLACED 3X WITH 40,000 MILES. I AM TOLD THE PART IS BEING RE-DESIGNED. THE REASON I AM AWARE OF IT IS THAT SOMEONE CALLED IN ON CAR TALK ABOUT THE SAME CONCERN AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT. AT 58 MILES AN HOUR I NOTICE THE HESITATION. THE SERVICE CENTER SEEMS TO HAVE TWO VOICES--ONE TO HAVE IT FIXED AND THE OTHER TO LEAVE IT BE UNTIL IT GETS WORSE. IS THIS PART GENERALLY NOT DESIGNED PROPERLY BECAUSE OF THE BRASS AND PLASTIC INTERFACE? HOW DANGEROUS IT IT NOT TO GET THIS ITEM FIXED IMMEDIATELY. IS THE DESIGN FLAWED?THE PART NUMBER TO BE REPLACED IS: 3S4Z 9E926 AC: BODY ASY CARBUR EP. *NM

ON OCTOBER 26, 2006 AT 8:00 AM I TRIED TO START MY VEHICLE AND THE IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE PERSON SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE AN IGNITION LOCK AND HE SAID HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE REPAIR. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD NO TOWING SERVICE. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DEALERSHIP WAS APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES AWAY, I INSTEAD HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE DOWN THE ROAD. THE GARAGE INSTALLED A NEW LOCK CYLINDER. I WAS LATE FOR WORK AND HAD TO BUM A RIDE TO PICK MY CAR UP AFTER WORK. THE GARAGE CHARGED ME FOR 2 AND 1/2 HOURS OF WORK, THE TOWING AND THE PART, THE TOTAL BEING $308.62. ALL THIS ON A CAR ONLY 2 AND 1/2 YEARS OLD. AFTER THE REPAIR WAS DONE I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BECAUSE I DID NOT BRING IT TO THEM. I WROTE TO FORD HEADQUARTERS AND THEY AGAIN REFUSED TO PAY FOR IT. *NM

2004 FOCUS BELT TENSIONER BROKE AND BATTERY FAILED. *TS THE FRONT DOOR HAD TO BE ALIGNED AND THE DOOR SEAL WAS REPLACED. THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD TO BE RE-ROUTED DUE TO THE CABLE BINDING. THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED. THE LEFT REAR MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT LENS AND RIGHT SIDE CV AXLE WAS REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING ERRATICALLY. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN, AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR UNTIL THE ENGINE REVVED UP PAST 6000 RPM. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SERVO PISTONS. THE TRANSMISSION WAS EVENTUALLY REPAIRED. THE BATTERY FAILED 5 TIMES. *JB

08/15/06 I PURCHASED USED 2004 FORD FOCUS. 10/24/06 CAR DIES ON ME WHILE DRIVING. IT DIES AND AN "EXCLAMATION POINT" INDICATOR COMES ON IN THE DASH. THIS IS A VERY ABRUPT HALT WHENEVER IT DIES. IT ALMOST FEELS AS THOUGH SOMEONE HITS YOU FROM BEHIND. TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THEY REPLACED THE TR SENSOR FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. 11/06/06 PICKED CAR UP AND ON THE WAY HOME IT DIED ON ME TWICE. TOOK CAR BACK TO THE DEALER. THIS TIME THEY SAY THAT THEY FOUND WIRES THAT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CHEWED BY AN ANIMAL. THEY REPLACED THESE WIRES AND THE CAR HAS NOT DIED AGAIN SINCE. **THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO HAVE YOUR CAR JUST DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY WHILE DRIVING. *JB

I PURCHASED A 2004 FORD FOCUS A YEAR AGO AND THE IGNITION CYLINDER IS GOING OUT. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED PLACES SEVERAL TIMES IN THE COLD BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO MANY FORD FOCUS OWNERS. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THIS ITEM SOON AT THE COST TO ME OF $250. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS SINCE MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES. I HAVE HAD TO JIGGLE THE KEY SO MUCH MY HAND HURTS. *NM

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR ON MY FORD FOCUS. THEY SLOWLY STOPPED WORKING AND THEN THE HOLE UNIT WENT OUT ON MY 2 YEAR OLD CAR. THERE IS SHOWING A RECALL FOR 2003 TO 2005 FORD FOCUS WIPER MOTORS BUT SOME HOW MY CAR IS NOT ON THAT RECALL. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED YET BECAUSE MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER THE WIPER MOTOR . THIS IS AN ON GOING ISSUE AND A SAFETY ISSUE THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE TO FIX... THIS IS WHY WE PAY SO MUCH MONEY FOR THESE CARS. *NM

I HAVE HAD MY 2004 FORD FOCUS FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS, AND I HAD BOUGHTEN IT USED. IT HAS RUN VERY WELL WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL UP UNTIL RECENTLY. I HAVE GONE TO START MY CAR, AND THE KEY WOULD GET STUCK AND NOT TURN OVER AND THE WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE CAR WOULD START AND RUN FINE. YESTERDAY IT TOOK ME ALMOST 2 HOURS TO TURN THE KEY OVER TO GET MY CAR TO START. TODAY I CALLED A FORD DEALERSHIP, BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT I NEED A NEW IGNITION. *NM

IGNITION CYLINDER FAILED TO TURN DURING START UP. KEY WOULD BOTTOM OUT IN CYLINDER AS REQUIRED, BUT UPON ATTEMPTING TO ROTATE IN ANY DIRECTION THE KEY WOULD NOT MOVE. COULD NOT GET KEY TO ROTATE AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO DO SO OVER A 12 HOUR PERIOD. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND TALKING WITH THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE REP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, IT SEEMS THIS PROBLEM IS VERY PREVALENT WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL FROM ITS INCEPTION IN 2000. THE PARTICULAR FAILED IGNITION CYLINDER INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE LISTED HAS HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES IN THE PAST, BUT EACH TIME RESOLVED THE PROBLEM WITHIN MINUTES. NOT THIS TIME. IT HAD TO BE REPAIRED THROUGH DESTRUCTIVE DISASSEMBLY, IE THE CYLINDER LOCK NEEDED TO BE DRILLED AND REPLACED. *NM

DEAR SIR, DURING A NORMAL RIDE THE STEERING WAS BLOCKED-OUT. I WAS CLOSE TO A CRASH. CAR IS A FORD FOCUS C-MAX, AND HAS ELECTRIC STEERING SYSTEM. TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR CARS AROUND 30000 KM (MINE IS 50000 KM) AND FORD RECOMMEND "NOT TO USE THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM BECAUSE THE ERROR APPEAR MORE OFTEN". WHEN MY CAR HAD THIS PROBLEM FORD JUST RESET THE COMPUTER AND THEY SAID CAR IS OK NOW. I ASK IF THE PROBLEM WILL APPEAR AGAIN, AND ANSWER WAS "IF IT APPEAR WE WILL CHANGE THE MODULE" . USUAL AFTER SUCH ISSUE YOU HAVE NOT THE SECOND CHANCE TO CHANGE IT, AND AFTER CRASH IS IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY THE ERROR. I HAVE PAPERS PRINTED FROM FORD COMPUTER WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ERROR. *JB