8th Sep 2009, 06:27

Original reviewer here... Well crash and burn on the Focus being reliable! Went to start it yesterday and it is DOA. It won't take a jump or anything, and is completely dead with no lights or anything else responding. So, with 8,000 miles on it now, it has to be dragged to the dealer and I am stranded missing a day of work. This is why it has been so long since I have owned an American car. I hate to say it, but imports are just plain better. I have NEVER been stranded in an import, let alone at 8,000 miles! I also had the TPMS system fail last week and it was telling me the tire pressure was low. Well that finally reset itself Friday and then it was dead on Saturday, so I am not sure if that has anything to do with it. I'll post again when it is fixed to let everyone know what happened to it.

9th Sep 2009, 08:28

Well, this is what happens when Microsoft gets involved in the auto industry... we get the same unreliable products we've become used to in the computer industry. It was the Sync system. It totally drained the battery to the point it wouldn't even take a jump. They had to upgrade the software in order to correct the issues it was having. I can't believe the system is designed to have any ability to cripple the car. It is a mistake to put too much of a computer interface into a car as they are such unreliable machines littered with problems. I can only hope this is an isolated incident and it will be okay form here on in. Time will tell! Maybe the next Ford generation will use MAC based hardware and software!

10th Sep 2009, 08:02

Okay, the next day here and the TPMS is on again, telling me the tire pressure is low. They are telling me it is unrelated to the SYNC issue, but I'll know for sure if the car isn't dead in three days again! This is really sad given the car only has now 8,500 miles on it. I have read stories countless times about unreliable cars that were in the shop more than they were at home and such. I was hoping I would never have one of those cars... but here we go!

Funny, the last time I had so much trouble was my last American car... a 1995 Olds. I really, really want to support the big 3, but I also really need to get to work every day in a car that isn't going to be dead or have any other issues preventing me from doing so! I have had issues with foreign cars, yes, but none at such a low mileage point. I also never had a total failure of any system on any of my foreign cars. I have had most of them too except Toyota. Maybe I should try a Toyota??

10th Sep 2009, 16:32

Don't bother trying to support the Big 3. When you buy a domestic, all you're doing is showing the company that your crazy enough to fall for the myth that they are producing better vehicles. Also, your Focus was made in Canada, NOT the USA like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. So you just helped out Canada by buying that Ford when you could've helped the factory workers at the AMERICAN Honda or Toyota plant. The Big 3 have to suffer, if they don't, their quality will never improve, and we'll be stuck with the same crap they've always built.

12th Sep 2009, 19:35

I agree with you 100%. I really bought the car because of the huge rebates and the payment incentives if I lose my job. I'll be going back to an import soon after the recession is really over and I am back on top of things. I hope that happens anyway!! Overall it is a nice driving car and if this Microsoft issue stays fixed I won't be unhappy with it. Time will tell. I will update as I go.

21st Sep 2009, 08:57

Okay, I can chalk up the TPMS as a dealer failure. They told me they checked and filled the tires and then the light came back on the next day. Well I finally checked them with a good gauge and they were all 7 - 10 pounds low. As soon as I filled them and they were all at 35 psi, the light went off!! Last time I take a dealer's word for doing what they say. The light was off when I picked the car up though, so not sure what they did.

Hopefully, this will be the last of the issues for a while!

7th Oct 2009, 14:56

"Also, your Focus was made in Canada, NOT the USA like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla."

I think the good people of Wayne Michigan (assembly point) would be offended if you call them Canadians. Also the country of origin for the engine and tranny are USA. Not sure what makes this "made in Canada" in your opinion. P.S. this info is straight off the dealer sticker.

9th Oct 2009, 09:13

Yes and the Ford Focus is made with 50% American parts content - So much for the argument to buy a domestic.

All cars are global now.

Please don't give me the 90% vs 10% argument, as it's old, it's tired, it's flawed.

13th Oct 2009, 09:51

Did you post on the wrong threads because I don't see anyone really arguing the point of domestic vs. import here. And what is the 90% vs. 10% argument? Guess it is so old I have never heard about it.

Yes, nearly all cars are global now, which is why I don't know why people continue to argue about the whole domestic import thing. Domestic cars would not survive without imports in this day and age.

27th Nov 2009, 19:03

"I hope you are kidding about the 104 payments!!"

I think the guy meant payments for REPAIRS. He was, after all, referring to a TOYOTA CAMRY.

28th Nov 2009, 12:42

"I think the guy meant payments for REPAIRS. He was, after all, referring to a TOYOTA CAMRY."

Or that he wasted his time financing a new Toyota when he could have gotten a slightly older Camry for much cheaper and had it run forever.

28th Nov 2009, 21:32

The 90% versus 10% argument (it really isn't "argument" so much as fact) is this:

It is a fact that 90% of ALL auto-related jobs in the U.S. are made possible by AMERICAN companies (i.e. Ford, GM and Chrysler). Only a mere 10% of such jobs are provided by ALL foreign companies COMBINED (including British, Swedish and German companies). This has been verified by hundreds of economists, university studies and is explained quite well in the CNN special on why we should buy American.

Many less informed people think that the fact that Ford outsourced the Fusion to be assembled in Mexico somehow invalidates these figures. Actually it REINFORCES them. This wise decision on Ford's part actually SAVED thousands of U.S. jobs by keeping Ford in the black financially during these hard economic times and helped them to turn a billion in PROFITS in the past year (which HELPS the employment of U.S. citizens through more jobs HERE). The 90% versus 10% facts still apply whether the Fusion is built in Mexico and the Camry is built in Kentucky or NOT. It makes no difference. Those are the hard and fast facts. Buying a Ford or GM benefits 90% of U.S. auto workers REGARDLESS of outsourcing (that is factored into the figures) and buying a Mercedes, Volvo, Honda or Range Rover only aids 10% of the people in the U.S. auto-related sector. It SHOULD be easy to understand: 90% good or 10% good. I prefer to help the 90% and support U.S. companies.

Another very important factor denied by import car companies and those who are not well informed on economics is this: Even jobs NOT RELATED to the automotive sector in ANY WAY are affected by people sending their money to other countries. Here is a good (and very personal) example:

In our area the decline in jobs related to the U.S. auto industry has drastically affected many other jobs. Shippers who rely on car companies have had to lay off workers. Suppliers have had to lay off workers. Retailers have had to lay off workers. Since these people have no income, they can't buy goods and services provided by those who have NOTHING to do with the car business whatsoever. I am a graphic artist and designer (about as far from the auto business as it gets). As a result of people sending their money to Japan our firm has lost 70% of our clients. Our entire staff has been furloughed until after December. That means we can't donate to the children's charity we normally spend $1000 to $3000 with every year. Some of those poor kids won't get gifts this year. The retailers we buy those gifts from will lose our money and have to lay off workers. The elderly handicapped lady we buy food for every Christmas will have to eat beans this year. Our hairdressers will lose income because neither my wife nor I can afford non-essential services such as haircuts and stylings now. All because people (unintentionally in most cases) stab their neighbors in the back by sending their money to Foreign companies rather than helping U.S.citizens.

Of course people involved in foreign (usually Japanese) auto businesses try to brush all this under the rug with silly (and UNTRUE) statements such as "The Fusion is made in MEXICO". (See notes above regarding this myth). Some have even say (and I'm not making this up, check the comments) "Let the 14,000,000 Americans lose their jobs". This kind of thinking is lacking in compassion at the least and downright dangerous at the worst. Many actually MAKE FUN of the concept of patriotism. I find this very sad and not a little disturbing.