2005 Ford Focus

AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE REAR WIRING HARNESS IN THE LIFTGATE HAS CAUSED THE REAR DEFROST, THE REAR WIPER AND THE HIGH-MOUNT REAR BRAKE LIGHT TO ALL FAIL, CONCURRENTLY. THE DEALERSHIP HAS COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ZX3 FORD FOCUS MODEL AND WAS AS RECALLED SERVICE ISSUE ON A PRIOR MODEL YEAR. IT WAS ALSO CAUTIONED BY THE TECH THAT FIRE COULD RESULT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANCE TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE ALIGNMENT AND ALL FOUR TIRES ON HIS VEHICLE. THE FRONT TIRES ARE WORN DOWN AND HAD TO REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED BOTH TIRES AGAIN AND REALIGNED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT SHE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 95,000.

FOR TWO WEEKS I HEARD AND FELT A SLIGHT POP IN THE FRONT DRIVERSIDE WHEEL WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND THEN WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AFTER GAINING SOME MOMENTUM. TOOK IT TO GET LOOKED AT BY MECHANIC AND ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE AREA IN QUESTION MYSELF. (CONTROL ARM, BALL JOINT, CV, SWAY LINK, STEERING ASSEMBLY AND STRUTS) WE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM NOR COULD WE RECREATE THE 'POP' WITH THE CAR ON THE LIFT. WAS SUGGESTED THAT I HAVE MY ENGINE MOUNT BUSHINGS REPLACED WHICH IS FAIRLY CHEAP AND EASY. WHILE WAITING FOR THE BUSHINGS TO ARRIVE MY BALL JOINT 'FAILED'. IT DID NOT BREAK, IT JUST SLIPPED OUT. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH ON SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL ROAD WHICH WAS FREE OF BUMPS, DIPS, ETC. SUDDENLY I HEAR A BANG, THE CAR JERKS AND TIRE SCREECHES. I THOUGHT IT MUST BE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM SO I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STEER IT ONTO THE SHOULDER. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE I SEE THE DRIVERSIDE WHEEL HAS UNATTACHED FROM THE BALL JOINT AND IS NOW KICKED OUT @ 90DEGREES. THE CV IS TORN FROM TRANSMISSION, STABILIZER LINK IS TWISTED, STRUT WAS BENT WAY BACK, TIRE HAS HOLE WORN IN IT, SLIGHT BODY DAMAGE. I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT I HAD NOT MADE IT O THE HIGHWAY YET. THE BALL JOINT WAS NOT BROKEN IN ANY WAY; IT HAD JUST SLIPPED FROM ITS CUFF. I NOW HAVE THE BALL JOINT AND BOLT THAT HOLDS IT TO THE SUSPENSION KNUCKLE AT HOME FOR MY OWN INSPECTION. THERE IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE HERE. THIS IS AN ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER MADE IT PAST THE DRAWING BOARD. BASICALLY, YOU HAVE BARELY 1/16" OF THE SIDE OF THE 1/2" BOLT EXPOSED TO A GROOVE FOR ROUGHLY 1/4". I MEASURED THESE WITH A PAIR OF HIGH GRADE CALIPERS AND WAS APPALLED, I WAS APPALLED WHEN I JUST LOOKED AT THE ASSEMBLY,BUT THOSE NUMBERS ARE WEAK. MY SISTER WAS IN A NEAR FATAL AUTO ACCIDENT LAST YEAR. IT WAS NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. SHE WAS IN A COMA. GUESS WHAT... SHE WAS DRIVING A FORD FOCUS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER IN 2005 BUT THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED TO HAVE DIAGNOSTICS PERFORMED AT THE LOCAL DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

2005 FORD FOCUS STATION WAGON REAR HATCH: THE WIRES THAT GO TO THE HATCH (NEAR THE TOP) ARE TOO SHORT AND SO WEAK THAT AFTER 26,000 MILES THE WIRES BROKE AND DUE TO THIS BREAK/SHORT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO OUT OF "PARK". THE BRAKE LIGHTS QUIT WORKING AND IT BLOWS ONE FUSE AFTER ANOTHER FUSE. DUE TO THE WIRES BEING SO SHORT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REPAIR THE BREAKS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FROM WHAT I SEE ON THE INTERNET. FORD SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THESE REPAIRS. *TR