2002 Ford Focus

I OWN A 2002 FORD FOCUS WITH 54000 MILES ON IT AND JUST LAST WEEK HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE CAR ACELERATED TO 30 MPH IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE INTO 3RD GEAR UNTIL YOU OUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE GAS. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER AND THEY HAD IT FOR 1 1/2 DAYS AND CAME BACK WITH AN " I THINK IT'S A RING IN THE TRANSMISSION, BUT NOT FOR SURE" THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME OVER $400 TO TAKE THE TRANSMISSION OUT TO SEE IF IT'S THIS RING!! AND IF IT'S NOT THIS RING THEY THINK IT IS THEN I'M OUT $400+. I ALSO FOUND A WEBSITE ( CAR COMPLAINTS.COM) AND NOTICED THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY FOCUS OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. OTHER FOCUS OWNERS ON THIS WEBSITE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR TRANSMISSION 2-3 TIMES BETWEEN 60,000-100,000 MILES BECAUSE FORD CONTINUES TO PUT THE SAME TRANSMISSION IN ALL THEIR FOCUS'. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY A RECALL HASN'T BEEN CALL OUT ON THIS CAR WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS. THIS IS A VERY BIG ISSUE AND I THINK IT NEEDS ATTENTION BEING THAT SO MANY FOCUS OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS ZX3. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN MOVING VERY SLOWLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE DIAGNOSTIC INDICATED FAILURE AT THE TRANSMISSION MAIN CONTROL BODY VALVE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MAIN CONTROL VALVE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 53,000. UPDATED 09/25/08 *BF UPDATED 09/26/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE IN THREE WEEKS. HE ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO RUN FOR OVER AN HOUR; HOWEVER, THE GEAR WOULD STILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE CAN ONLY BE DRIVEN IF AN EMERGENCY BUTTON IS ENGAGED, WHICH ALSO DOES NOT ALLOW THE GEAR TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS ELECTRICAL AND A WIRE THAT CONNECTS TO THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN MAY OF 2007 WITH A 1,000 MILE OR 30 DAY WARRANTY. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS UNKNOWN AND THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,332 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,302.

'02 FORD FOCUS ZX5 HAS SHOWN CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH IGNITION. FIRST, THE KEY WOULD GET STUCK AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 'P'. THEN, THE KEY WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THIS OCCURRED WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY, AND IT IS NOW STUCK PERMANENTLY. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN IT TO GET FIXED, BUT BASED ON PHONE INQUIRIES TO REPAIR SHOPS IT WILL COST ME ANYWHERE FROM $200-500 TO GET IT FIXED. *TR

CLUTCH ASSEMBLY HAS A LEAK OF FLUID INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR (DOWN THE CLUTCH ARMATURE TO THE CLUTCH PAD AND TO FLOOR MAT, IF SIGNIFICANT LEAKAGE) WHICH HAS A) CAUSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL PAD TO BECOME SLIPPERY AND FALL OFF DUE TO THE FLUID SEEPING BEHIND THE PAD [AFTER MARKET REPLACEMENTS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO RELATIVE YOUTH OF CAR, THEREFORE NECESSITATING SERVICE AT DEALER], B) CAUSES THE BRAKE LIGHT TO COME ON SPORADICALLY DUE TO A DROP IN BRAKE FLUID (CLUTCH HYDRAULICS SHARE A RESERVOIR WITH BRAKE SYSTEM), ALTHOUGH NO FINDING OF CORRESPONDING BRAKE TROUBLE CAN BE MADE [PROBLEM TEMPORARILY DISAPPEARS WHEN FLUID LEVEL TOPPED OFF] AND C) CAUSES SPORADIC CLUTCH "SOFTENING" AND DECREASED EFFECTIVENESS. ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF BOTH DEALER AND INDEPENDENT SERVICE PROVIDERS SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NONE CAN FIND A FAULT WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM AS INDICATED BY THE ERROR LIGHT AND THEREFORE NONE INDICATE THAT A TROUBLE EXISTS. THE LEAK IS NOT OBVIOUS UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND THE PROBLEM DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BRAKING POWER (UNLESS LEFT TOO LONG AND BRAKE FLUID LEVELS DROP SIGNIFICANTLY). UNABLE TO LOCATE PRECISE LOCATION OF LEAK (SUSPECT EITHER RESERVOIR OR SOME ASSOCIATED LINE TO CLUTCH HYDRAULICS) OR TO DETERMINE WHY ONLY CLUTCH SYSTEM APPEARS TO BE IMPACTED. 1) NO NOTICEABLE/KNOWN EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE; UNCERTAIN HOW LONG CONDITION EXISTED PRIOR TO INITIAL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM 2) SEE FAILURE AND CONSEQUENCES NOTED ABOVE 3) NO CORRECTION IN PLACE YET AS DEALER SERVICE DOES NOT YET ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM AND DID NOT "FIND" PROBLEM AT RECENT 60K SERVICE WORK-UP (INCLUDED TOTAL SYSTEMS CHECK AND FULL BRAKE INSPECTION WITH FLUID TOP OFFS) PROBLEM WITH BRAKE LIGHT FIRING MANIFEST APPROXIMATELY EVERY TWO WEEKS (SINCE FIRST NOTED IN NOVEMBER 2006) DUE TO FLUID LOSS, PARTICULARLY WHEN TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW 30 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. ISSUE IS "RESOLVED" BY ADDING BRAKE FLUID TO RESERVOIR. *JB