2002 Ford Focus

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY BRAKE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON AND IT FELT LIKE MY BACK END WAS FISHTAILING. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED AAA. AS AAA WAS TOWING MY VEHICLE, THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL CAME OFF. THE WHEEL COULD NOT BE LOCATED AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE DID NOT CAUSE ANY ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES TO OTHER VEHICLES. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR WHEEL BEARING HAD FAILED AND THE REPAIR BILL WAS IN EXCESS OF $2,900, INCLUDING THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED TO THE REAR SPINDLE, CONTROL ARM AND SUSPENSION. MY VEHICLE IS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE PREVIOUS 2 MODEL YEARS WERE RECALLED FOR REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. *NM

IN LATE OCTOBER 2006 I TOOK MY 2002 FORD FOCUS FOR VIBRATION/GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END. FORD WALKER IN CLEARWATER, FLORIDA SAID THAT MY ENGINE/TRANS. MOUNT WERE WORKING PROPERLY. FORD KEPT MY CAR FOR 1 WEEK AND I STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO FORD THE VERY NEXT DAY BECAUSE OF THE SAME PROBLEM. AGAIN THEIR SERVICE MANAGER AND REGIONAL MANAGERS TOLD ME THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. FORD CHARGED ME $100 FOR MY DEDUCTIBLE AND DIDN'T FIXED MY PROBLEM. I THEN TOOK MY CAR TO ANOTHER PLACE WHERE THEY REPLACED MY RIGHT SIDE ENGINE MOUNT WHICH WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN. THE VERY SAME PIECE FORD WALKER LIED TO ME STATING IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. *JB

MY 2002 FORD FOCUS SE WAGON HAS HAD INNUMERABLE PROBLEMS. FIRSTLY..MELTING BATTERY CABLES DUE TO POOR AND FAULTY WIRING THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN EXPLOSION OF THE BATTERY HAD I NOT HAD TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED ALONG WITH PURCHASE OF TWO NEW BATTERIES THANKS TO THE MELTING BATTERY CABLES CAUSING A SHORT IN THE SYSTEM. IT SUBSEQUENTLY KILLED THE ALTERNATOR WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT ALSO SUBSEQUENTLY KILLED THE THERMOSTAT AND THE SOLENOID SWITCH WHICH CAUSED OVERHEATING AND DYING PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. MOST RECENTLY THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARING WENT OUT AND WAS CAUSING DRIVING PROBLEMS UNABLE TO CONTROL CAR. NOW MORE RECENTLY, IT HAD TO HAVE A FAULTY TIE ROD PLACED WHICH NEARLY CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. AND AS OF LAST FRIDAY, ITS BACK IN THE SHOP AGAIN THIS TIME FOR ENGINE STALLING AT 65 MILES PER HOUR WHICH NEARLY CAUSED YET ANOTHER ACCIDENT BECAUSE I WAS PASSING ANOTHER CAR AND MINE SUDDENLY BEGAN VIBRATING SO BAD AND THEN LOST POWER AND I HAD TO STRUGGLE MY WAY TO THE MEDIAN. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS AND FORD REFUSES TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE PAID OUT NEARLY 2000.00 ON ALL THESE PROBLEMS WHICH WERE SIMILAR TO ISSUES ALREADY RECALLED AND YES I AM MAD. I HAVE CALLED FORD AND COMPLAINED BUT TO NO AVAIL. *JB

1. I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 FORD FOCUS WAGON BACK FROM A CAMPING TRIP AND I WAS GOING ABOUT 60 MPH ON THE FREEWAY 2. ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A "CRACK"/"BANG" FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR, DRIVERS SIDE, THE CAR CONTINUED WITHOUT JOLTING/SWERVING (I.E. NO AFFECT TO THE DRIVING OF THE VEHICLE), HOWEVER, AFTER ANOTHER FEW MILES THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL WAS MAKING A HIGH PITCHED SOUND, PLUS CRACKING, PLUS SOME JOLTING AS THE BEARING REALIGNED ITSELF AT TIMES. I STOPPED THE CAR AND THE HEAT FROM THE WHEEL WAS INCREDIBLE, ONE COULD HAVE FRIED AN EGG ON IT (THIS WHEEL WAS MUCH HOTTER THAN THE OTHERS). UNFORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED ON A STRETCH OF ROAD WHERE THERE ARE NO TOWNS, NO CELL PHONE SIGNAL, ETC, I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO A TOWN, MAX OF 40 MPH ON A 60 MPH STRETCH OF ROAD, I HAD A BABY IN THE CAR AND WAS SCARRED THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HER. IN THE TOWN, I LEFT THE CAR, HAD TO CALL A FRIEND TO DRIVE ME HOME. I MUST SAY IT WAS THE MOST UNPLEASANT FEELING IN THE WORLD. IN ADDITION, THIS HAPPENED ON A SATURDAY NIGHT, WHERE ALL CAR SHOPS ARE CLOSED! 3. REPAIR SHOPS OPEN TOMORROW, THE REPAIR IS YET TO TAKE PLACE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD, AT 45 MPH, THE SUSPENSION FAILED, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO BEND ON IMPACT WITH THE ROAD. THE BENT WHEEL AND ALL SHOCKS WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT OF A SERVICE BULLETIN CONCERNING THE SUSPENSION DIRECTING THE DEALER TO REPLACE SPRINGS ONLY IF BROKEN. WHEN THE MANUFACTURE WAS CONTACTED, REPLACEMENT SPRINGS WERE OFFERED AT COST.

THE FRONT RIGHT BEARING AND SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. THE BEARING WAS FROZEN AND THE SPRING WAS POPPED OUT SO FAR IT ALMOST POPPED THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE. THE CAR IS A 2002 FORD FOCUS - NOT THAT OLD TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS CORRODE AND ALMOST CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I DIDN'T SEE A RECALL ON ANY OF THE PARTS FOR MY CAR OR ANYTHING SUGGESTING SHIELDS SHOULD BE INSTALLED SO THAT IF THE SPRINGS POP AT A HIGH SPEED AT LEAST IT WON'T PUNCTURE THE TIRE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL ON THE PARTS OR HAVE THE NHTSA REQUIRE THAT SHIELDS BE INSTALLED. I SPENT $578 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM - REPLACED FRONT RIGHT STRUT, MOUNT AND BEARING, SPRING, AND ALIGNMENT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARINGS CAME LOOSE. THE VEHICLE PHYSICALLY FELT AS THOUGH THERE WAS A FLAT TIRE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND PARKED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP PERSONNEL REPLACED THE REAR SPINDLE ASSEMBLY, THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARINGS, AS WELL AS THE HUB AND DRUM OF THE SUSPENSION. *NM THE CONTACT'S MECHANIC CALLED FORD BEFOREHE DID WORK ON VEHICLE. IT WAS A METAL TO METAL SOUND. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN DEADLY. HOWEVER, CONTACT WAS IN RIGHT SLOW LANE AN DWAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER DRIVING ON BUMPY ROAD CONDITIONS A CLANKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THE SWAY BAR LINK WORE OUT, AND THE TIE ROD ENDS CRACKED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE SWAY BAR LINK AND FRONT TIE ROD ENDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER. *AK UPDATED 2/7/2006 - *NM