A hot car, definitely worth it!
The radio is a piece of garbage.
The tape deck is terrible. It doesn't play at the right speed anymore.
The buttons are popping off of the radio.
The handling on the car is great!
I love the way it moves.
There is a lot of room in the cabin, but the seats are a bit uncomfortable at times.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th June, 2001
A serviceable commuter car
The adhesive which binds the rubber gaskets to the Focus' doors and windows has loosened.
The weather-stripping on right front door has loosened.
The car is fine for commuting about town, but doesn't handle well on the highway, not gripping the road strongly at speeds more than 65 miles per hour.
The handling and suspension are overrated. I miss the tightness and control I achieved with my 86 Honda Civic.
The car is lighter than I would wish, making Ford's highly touted A-frame small consolation.
The tires that came with the car were shoddy and narrow.
Visibility in the three-seater I tested was better than that of the SE sedan
The radio, however, is just fine. (Figures, huh?)
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 20th June, 2001
The car is cheap. I suppose that you get what you pay for
Several things have gone wrong with the car.
- I have had 3 recalls on the car.
- The car makes a noise in the transmission at low rpm's; sort of a grinding noise.
-If I go over a puddle a bit too fast water gets in the car and wets the carpet.
- The gas mileage could be better. For a small engine with not too much pep, I seem to waste a lot of gas.
- The air conditioning smells bad.
- The interior dash shakes at high speeds.
- The clutch slips and burns if I try to take off fast.
-T he most agravating issue of all is this one. After only having the car for a year and 27,000 miles on it, my CV-joints are going bad. I noticed the noise the other day in a parking garage. I had never noticed it before, but the echo of the parking garage's concrete walls allowed me to hear the very disturbing noise. I just can't wait to go back to the dealer and have to hassle with them and wait a week to get it fixed. To top it all off, will also have to ride around in a rental until my car gets fixed. I should have gone with something better.
The car in general is bad. Bad quality, bad company and bad reliability. I try to find the good qualities of the car; and there are some, but all the good qualities seem to be overwhelmed by and overshadowed by all the faults and disappointments.
The car responds nicely considering the low output of the engine. It is comfortable and spacious. The engine seems to be reliable; about the only thing in the car than can be considered so.
I really thought that this would be a change for Ford and their long line of unreliable cars. I seem to be wrong. Just like its ancestors' history, very unreliable.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 22nd May, 2001
3rd Jul 2001, 12:32
The review seems a little harsh. My heart goes out to you for having such bad luck with your car. I, too, have a 2000 Ford Focus LX and it runs great. I've brought my car in for the minor recalls, too, but the people at the dealership were quick and really nice about it all. I don't know where you drive mostly (freeways, side roads - during rush hour or when there is no traffic and such), but I'm in SoCal where traffic is horrible and I get some pretty good mileage with mine. Sorry you had such bad luck with your car, but I am very happy with mine and I hope your review doesn't discourage anyone out there from considering buying one.