2002 Ford Focus

OK SO I'VE HAD MY FORD FOCUS FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS NOW I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS LITTLE THING RECENTLY GOT STRUTS CHANGED IN FRONT AND BALL JOINTS BUSHINGS AND TIRES SO I KNEW IT WOULD NEED AN ALIGNMENT SO GOT THAT DONE NOW AT SPEEDS FROM 50-60 MPH THIS CAR STARTS FISHTAILING OUT OF CONTROL I DONT HAVE ALOT OF MONEY I AM NOT WORKIN AT PRESENT SO I CANT AFFORD TO TAKE MY USED CAR TO DEALER MUCH LESS TO ANOTHER AUTO SHOP. I TRAVEL 50 -70 MILES EACH DAY TO WORK AND I'M SCARED ITS GONNA FISHTAIL ME INTO A WRECK. MILEAGE 134000 APPLKE VALLEY CALIF.

THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR DRIVING THIS FOCUS IN THE SNOW, WE BOUGHT IT IN 2011. WE HAD A SNOW FALL ON 11/1/2012 AND WE TOOK THE CAR OUT FOR A DRIVE. ANY SPEED ABOVE 35 MPH AND THE REAR OF THE CAR FLOATS (WIGGLES) BACK AND FORTH UP TO A FOOT. IT IS COMPLETELY UNSTABLE ON SNOW OR ICE. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, AND FORD APPARENTLY KNOWS THE PROBLEM,: DEFECTIVE REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS, SINCE THEY DID A SILENT RECALL ON THESE IN 2006. NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS SINCE THERE ARE MANY MORE FOCUS OUT THERE LIKE OURS, AND FORD SHOULD HAVE TO RECALL AND REPLACE THE CONTROL ARMS ON ALL OF THESE UNITS FROM 2000-2004. I HAVE OVER 35 YEARS OF WINTER DRIVING EXPERIENCE AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE (EVEN THE OLD REAR WHEEL DRIVE MODELS) BEHAVE SO DANGEROUSLY ON SNOW AND ICE, EVEN WITH ALL SEASON TIRES ON IT. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY HAVE TO DO SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. HERE IS AN ATTACHED ARTICLE I FOUND ON LINE. OCTOBER 03, 2006 FORD MOTOR COMPANY TOLD DEALERS THAT THEY MAY NEED TO REPLACE THE REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS ON FORD FOCUS MODELS. THE MODELS INCLUDE: 2000 THROUGH 2004 FOCUS SEDAN, WAGON, ZX3 AND ZX5 SERIES. FORD WILL CHECK THE REAR CAMBER AND, IF POSSIBLE, MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT. IF AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE VEHICLE'S REAR CAMBER IS NECESSARY BEYOND THE NEGATIVE END OF SPECIFICATION, THEN THE DEALERSHIP WILL NEED TO SOURCE REPLACEMENT REAR UPPER CONTROL ARM(S)." THIS IS CONSIDERED A "SILENT RECALL" WHERE UPON FORD MAY NOT NOTIFY OWNERS OF THIS CONDITION. . *TR

THE IGNITION ON MY 2002 FORD FOCUS WILL NOT WORK AND MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE ALSO. THIS ISSUE WILL LEAVE YOU STRANDED AND UNABLE TO LEAVE YOUR CURRENT DESTINATION. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY IT IS UNRELIABLE. I WORK FOR A FIRE AND RESCUE AGENCY WHICH REQUIRES ME TO MAKE QUICK RESPONSE AND WITH THIS DEFECT I CANNOT. IMAGINE IF A FEMALE IS IN A DOMESTIC ISSUE AND NEED TO GET AWAY OR IS OUT SHOPPING LATE AND NEED TO LEAVE THE AREA SHE IS LEFT VULNERABLE AND ALONE WITH NO WAY OF LEAVING. THIS DEFECT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND THAT AFTER REPLACING THE DEFECTED PART YOU STILL WILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE BECAUSE OF POOR DESIGN. YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

DRIVING AND THE CAR STARTED TO MAKE NOISE WHEN THE WHEELS WERE TURNED. CHECKED THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND BELT, AND ADDED MORE POWER STEERING FLUID. THE PROBLEM STILL CONTINUED. THE POWER STEERING LINE WAS RUBBING ON THE FRAME OF THE CAR, AND RUB OPEN CAUSING A LEAK IN THE LINE. THIS STOPPED THE POWER STEERING FROM WORKING. WE TOOK THE LINE OUT, WITH A LOT OF EFFORT, AND TIME. THEN BOUGHT A NEW PART FOR $55 AND THEN HAD TO PUT IT IN. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOT GOT THE PART YET, BUT IT SEEMS AS IF PUTTING IT BACK IN WILL NOT BE EASY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE STEERING WHEEL LOOSENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING BEGAN TO WANDER AND FAILED TO RESPOND NORMALLY. IMMEDIATELY, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN CAUTIOUSLY TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY TIGHTENED THE ADJUSTMENT SCREW AND RE-TIGHTENED THE LOCK NUTS ON THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTIONS. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

IT WAS 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT IN FREEZING WEATHER WHEN I HAD GOTTEN INTO MY CAR THAT HAD BEEN SITTING ALL DAY.(WHICH I HAD STARTED WITH EASE 13 HOURS BEFORE) THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. I TRIED TURN THE KEY BACK AND FORTH FOR AN HOUR BEFORE MY BOYFRIEND'S MOM CAME TO PICK ME UP AT 1:00 IN THE MORNING. IF SHE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE FOR ME I WOULD HAVE HAD TO WALK 10 MILES IN DANGEROUS COLD TO GET HOME, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY ON ME FOR A CAB. I PAID $450 TO TOW THE CAR 4 MILES TO THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP AND REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER. THE PART IS UNDER A ONE YEAR WARRANTY. SINCE DECEMBER 20, 2008, MY IGNITION CYLINDER HAS NOT BEEN WORKING PROPERLY WITH MY KEY. I INSERT THE KEY AND I HAVE TO WIGGLE THE KEY TO TURN, INSERT, AND REMOVE IT FROM THE IGNITION. I WILL BE VISITING THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD IT REPLACED LAST YEAR THIS WEEK. AT LEAST THIS TIME IT SHOWED SIGNS OF MALFUNCTION PROBABILITY. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE. IF SOMEONE IS DRIVING THE CAR AND IT STALLS ON A RAILROAD TRACK (OR ANY OTHER HAZARDOUS LOCATION) AND CANNOT RESTART OR MOVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE IGNITION WON'T TURN. THERE COULD BE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES FOR THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS, AND OTHERS CLOSE BY. *TR