3rd May 2003, 12:33

I am the one who posted the original post.

Since my post, the car has had MORE recalls and even worst mechanical problems. The passenger foot well flooded again for ANOTHER reason and the same day it was going to the dealer for the leak the ignition lock tumblers broke, not allowing the key to start the car. The tow truck guy said this was the 5th Focus he had seen like this.

17th Jun 2003, 06:46

The same thing happened with my focus. The ignition broke and I was unable to start my car. It was a mess, but it's fixed now and seems to be working pretty well.

18th Jul 2003, 23:12

Fix or repair daily. Will they ever get past that?. My ignition key would not work, tow truck driver said tumbler broke. Already had the bearings fixed, from recall. This thing is falling apart and its only 2.8 years old.

16th Sep 2003, 17:39

I see many complaints about the ignition system, such as the key sticks or will not turn in the lock. The cost of repair seems to fall between 400 and 500 dollars. Before returning to the dealer who will replace before repair, try another option... a locksmith. It works and is somewhat cheaper!

8th Sep 2004, 12:44

Thankfully I haven't experienced the locking up of the ignition, YET! Rather, I do agree with the leaks and the unknown wind noises. I have to wipe down my dash after early morning dew. I get a whistling noise from my front windshield (upper passenger side) at any speed above 40mph. The rear wiper seems to be a PART-TIME worker.

Sorry to hear about how badly the car is in other countries. That just makes the rest of us HARD WORKING AMERICANS ashamed of how our quality reflects back upon us.

21st Sep 2004, 09:06

I have to say that I have actually had great luck with my Focus, despite all of the reviews claiming the 2000 Focus is a bad car. I bought mine used just this year and it has been such a good car for me. I have no recalls on it and it has not given me any problems at all. The funny thing is, is that I hear a lot of people claim VW's are not good cars and they have a lot of problems, but Fords are good cars. Just wanted to put in my input since I seem to have gotten a good Focus.

31st Oct 2004, 08:55

I have a 2003 ford focus with 40.000 miles and the ignition is stuck and will not turn just like the others. This problem should be addressed by the ford people, it is definitly a defect that needs to be corrected.

29th Jan 2005, 16:09

To all the people who are having problems with their Ford Focus, you know what they say, a squeaky wheel gets the oil. Send your complaints to the Ford Motor Company at Ford.com. The more people who do this, the better the chance that they will do a recall. Come on people.

11th Feb 2005, 21:36

I personally believed the Euro Focus was manufactured with much better parts that will actually meet the engineer's spec, not like our North America Ford's sub contractor that aren't using as high quality material as they were in Europe, that is probably the main reason for this vehicle to fail in Ford's home land (I'd say right in their face).

As for my story, I had my recalls done right away whenever I received the letters. Worst thing happened to me is my ignition coil failed on me right when we had the big black out, dealership charged $500 dollars for repair. Fine! and done! Out comes the car...

Now, my intermediate axle shaft bearing (half shaft bearing) is making a loud noise, CALLED two dealerships in around my area and they all wanted to charge me for the whole axle shaft. I told them there is a TSB (technical Service Bulletin number 03-15-11-AA) issued on that matter and they still tried to tell me I have to replace the whole shaft. Wrote to Ford of Canada and complaint and their response is " their dealerships are not regulated by Ford and they're all independently owned, they cannot interfere with this matter". As far as my concern, the local dealerships are trying to rip owners off and I'm stuck!

Never again will I ever buy a Ford or Ford related product (i.e. Mazda, Jaguar, Lincoln, Volvo and Rover).

3rd Nov 2005, 16:42

I am the original poster again. Just thought I would add that I sold the Focus (at a GREAT loss - this car screws you in every way possible) and leased a Scion xB.

Like the Focus, the Scion was a first year model (2004). UNLIKE the Focus, the Scion has only had a few minor problems in the 30K miles I've driven it, and certainly nothing as dramatic as 20 recalls and water coming inside!

It just proves to me that, yet again, buying an American car is always a crapshoot (read virtually any American car review and you will ALWAYS read good and bad stories, NOTHING consistent), yet buying a Toyota or Honda is a much better bet.

No car is perfect, but today I don't wake up every morning regretting my car choice as I did for two years with the Focus.

26th Jul 2006, 02:12

I bought my 2000 Ford Focus in January of 2006, (70,000kms) and up until July of this year I have had a great time driving, washing and listening to the CD player. This is the newest car I have ever owned and I felt so proud to drive it. Until.

I was driving for a few hours on a highway doing around a 100kms. I slowed down for a vehicle ahead of me and once I tried to accelerate my car chugged and sputtered. The hesitation felt like the car might stall. I managed to get home to my garage and park it. I let it sit for a while afraid to even know what might be wrong, as it still was not paid for completely. My brother helped me to change out the fuel filter and the air filter to start. We sliced open the old fuel filter to see if it was dirty and found it to be quite clean, as was the air filter. We took the car out for a test drive and the hesitation would not happen. Problem solved? Again I was brave and drove it on another two hour trip. No problems. Then on the way home from the two hour trip again a small hesitation, but only once and then it was fine.

I also have noticed considerable wear on the back drivers tire, and after reading some of the postings about back wheels falling off I am really starting to get scared. I wonder if recalls for free include second hand vehicles with no warranty?

28th Apr 2008, 17:10

I purchased a Ford Focus 2004 ZTS in 2006 with 31K. Things I have noticed was the sound of wind still entering the car when I was driving; even though the windows were up. Lights flickering when the car was idle... either in the driveway of my home or at a stop light. It seems also that it had an impact on the stereo system as well. Not being able to recall the CD's in the player, or just turning it off. I thought these things were minor. Really, I didn't have the time to get them checked out; but what has really gotten my attention... (just 2 days ago) I was pulling out of the driveway at work, and as I completed the turn the wheels weren't moving anymore, but the engine was still working. I lost total power to the wheels. If I shift the gear to reverse the engine just revs, but nothing happens. When I shift the gear to drive... it does the same. I will be getting a quote on how much it will cost to fix whatever the problem may be! I have read the blogs of other Ford focus owners, and no one has yet to write about this problem. I will stay in touch with my findings. I feel bad because I liked the car, but now I will probably get a car from another manufacturer all together.