2002 Ford Focus

I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY OF FORD FOCUS OWNERS OF THEIR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR IGNITION KEY GETTING STUCK OR NOT TURNING. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW, WHERE I HAVE BEEN LEFT STRANDED AT NIGHT OR IN HARSH WEATHER CONDITIONS. I BELIEVE THAT SINCE THIS SI NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WITH A FEW VEHICLES AND ALSO CONSIDERING THE IMPLICATIONS IF VEHICLES NOT STARTING BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO REQUEST TO FORD COMPANY, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DESIGN FLAWS IN THE IGNITION SYSTEM. *TR

MY IGNITION SWITCH ON THE 2003 FOCUS WAGON, LOCKED UP. A TOW TRUCK DRIVER, HIT IT TO RELEASE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR, AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $338.00. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL FOR YEARS ACCORDING TO WEB BLOGS. I SPOKE TO FORD AND THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME, AND STATED THIS WAS NOT A RECALL ISSUE. WE HAVE 4 FOCUS IN THE FAMILY. OUR 2002 HAD THE SAME PROBLEM -BUT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AND MUST BE ADDRESSED AS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

CONTINUAL OIL LEAKAGE FROM THE LOWER ENGINE BLOCK OF A 2002 FORD FOCUS 5 DOOR HATCHBACK. THIS RESULTS FROM AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM, PER MY FIRESTONE SERVICE PERSON. THE RIGHT SIDE CV AXLE MOUNTING BRACKETT IS ATTACHED TO THE LOWER CRANKCASE, AND THE AXLE TORQUE HAS OVER THE 73,000 MILES WE HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE CRACKED THE LOWER CRANK-CASE. WHEN THERE IS PRESSURE ON THE ENGINE, THE CRACK OPENS AND OIL LEAKS. I HAVE SEEN THE CRACK WITH MY OWN EYES. ACCORDING TO THE TECHNICIANS, IF THIS IS THE CASE WITH THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE ENGINEERING, THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHER INSTANCES OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING. *TR

1. TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ENGINE DIED I NOTICED IT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, LIKE A SPUTTERING. THEN IT WOULD GO AWAY AND THE CAR WOULD DRIVE FINE. THE CAR HAD A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK AND SO I CONTINUED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS AT THE RIGHT LEVELS. 2. THE DAY WHEN THE ENGINE DIED IT HAD BEEN RUNNING NORMALLY. I HAD STOPPED AT THE STORE. WHEN I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND TURNED IT ON THE ENGINE MADE A POPPING NOISE AND THEN THE ENGINE "TURNED OVER" AND STARTED MAKING A THWAPING NOISE, LIKE CARDBOARD IN CONTACT WITH A FAN BLADE. AFTER TOWING IT TO A MECHANIC (IT WOULDN'T START, IT KEPT MAKING THUD-ISH THWAPING NOISES), WHO HAD WORKED FOR FORD PREVIOUSLY, HE SAID THAT THE 4TH PISTON HAD BROKE AND WAS GRINDING ON THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE BLOCK (HE HAD TAKEN A LOOK AT THE TIMING BELT - OK- AND WAS TESTING THE GEARS THAT THE TIMING BELT ATTACHED TO. 3 TURNED WITH THE RIGHT TORQUE BUT THE FINAL ONE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE BLOCK DIDN'T TURN UNLESS TORQUE GREATER THAN WHAT WAS NORMALLY NEEDED WAS APPLIED. WHEN IT TURNED THERE WAS A THWAP SOUND INSIDE THE ENGINE). WHAT MADE ME WONDER IS HE SAID THAT THIS ALWAYS HAPPENED WITH THIS MODEL ON THE SINGLE OVERHEAD CAM ENGINES AT AROUND 90 TO 120 THOUSAND MILES. HE SAID THAT HE REPAIRED NUMEROUS SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH THIS TYPE OF ENGINE, EVEN GUARANTEEING THAT OPENING UP THE ENGINE WOULD SHOW THAT THE 4TH PISTON (FARTHEST ON THE RIGHT FACING THE FRONT) BROKE. I HATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD GOTTEN ON THE FREEWAY AND THE PISTON HAD BROKE. 3. THE COST TO REPLACE WITH A NEW OEM ENGINE WAS MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE CAR IF I WERE TO PERSONALLY SELL IT (BASED ON KELLY BLUE BOOK) AND SO WAS THE COST FOR A USED ENGINE ($1200 WAS THE LOWEST, COMPARED TO THE DUEL OVERHEAD CAM ENGINES FOR THE FOCUS WHICH I FOUND USED FOR $500. SEEMS THE DEMAND FOR THAT STYLE ENGINE IS HIGH). I HAVE NOT REPAIRED IT. I AM CONSIDERING SELLING IT TO A SCRAP YARD. *TR

WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE ABOUT 10PM WHEN I WAS DONE GOT INTO MY CAR AND THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN. I SAT THERE TRYING FOR A LONG TIME AND NOTHING. IT WAS OBVIOUS THE IGNITION WAS LOCKED UP. GOT MY CAR TOWED THE NEXT MORNING TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP, WHICH DID NOT OPEN UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. THEY FINALLY WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AND SAID THE IGNITION TUMBLER HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST FOR THAT IS $453.00. I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I AM ALREADY ON A TIGHT BUDGET AND THERE WAS NO EVENT THAT LED UP TO THE IGNITION DEFECT. *TR

THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR CRASHES, HOWEVER MY SPEEDOMETER READING STOPS WORKING AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW FAST I AM GOING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS MY ODOMETER STOPS WORKING TOO. SINCE THE ODOMETER STOPS WORKING, THIS GIVES A FALSE READING ON HOW FAR I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING. IN OTHER WORDS IF THE ODOMETER STOPS AT 500 MILES AND THEN IT STARTS WORKING TEN MILES LATER, IT PICKS UP AT 500. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE TRUE READING IS ANYMORE. I HAVE HAD SO MANY MALFUNCTIONS THAT I DO NO KNOW THE TRUE READINGS OF MY ODOMETER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIVE ROUGHLY. THE CONTACT LOOKED AT THE TRIP ODOMETER AND IT DISPLAYED ALL ZEROS. THE CONTACT PRESSED THE TRIP ODOMETER BUTTON AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY AGAIN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE DPFE SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE DPFE SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR AT THAT TIME. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,773 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,300. UPDATED 4/2/08 *CN UPDATED 04/02/08 *TR