2002 Ford Focus

APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS AGO, WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE (~65 MILES PER HOUR), A COOLING SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON (2002 FORD FOCUS, MANUAL TRANSMISSION, 46,000 MILES), AND INSTANTANEOUSLY, THE CAR STALLED. IT ALMOST THREW ME INTO THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAR RECOVERED AND DID NOT DIE, AND I WAS ABLE TO GET TO WHERE I WAS GOING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN (~20 MILES PER HOUR). I BROUGHT IT TO PEP BOYS, WHO COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. IT STALLED AND DIED TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM PEP BOYS, SO I BROUGHT IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK ON ANY RECALLS BECAUSE I HAVE NOTICED THAT MANY FOCUSES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THEY CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS DEFINITELY THE THERMOSTAT , THERMOSTAT HOUSING ASSEMBLY AND O RING, AND I NEEDED AN OIL CHANGE (WHICH WAS DONE AT PEP BOYS ONE WEEK EARLIER). THEY WANTED $1100.00 TO FIX IT, SO I TOOK MY CAR HOME. TODAY, I DROVE IT TO A MECHANIC, AND IT KILLED TWICE, AND STALLED THREE TIMES (DRIVING NO MORE THAN 30 MPH). THE HAZARD LIGHT CAME ON BY ITSELF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE MECHANIC JUST CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THE FUEL PUMP IS BAD, AND THAT IS WHAT WAS CAUSING THE STALLING. IT IS A SHAME THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THIS CAR, AND NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN DONE ON THE 2002 FORD FOCUS FOR FAULTY FUEL PUMPS. *TR

ENGINE STALLS THEN TURNS OFF. I GIVE IT GAS AND IT SEEMS TO GET WORSE. IDLES DOWN TO ZERO AND TURNS OFF. I HAVE TO WAIT A COUPLE OF MINUTES, THEN IT WILL RUN. IT USUALLY WILL KEEP HAPPENING EVERY FEW MILES UNTIL I STOP FOR SEVERAL HOURS. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE/EXPRESSWAY, TOO DANGEROUS WHEN IT STALLS AT 75MPH. *TR

WHEN I PUT MY KEY IN THE IGNITION, IT DOESN'T TURN. I GOT STUCK WHILE SHOPPING AND HAD TO HAVE A LOCKSMITH COME OUT. HE INFORMED ME THAT MY KEY WAS FINE, BUT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS THE PROBLEM AND THAT HE HAS RESPONDED TO MANY OF THE SAME CALLS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE 2002 FORD FOCUS. HE SUGGESTED THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF RESPONSES. SO I CALLED A FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY THEN INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF THE SAME CALLS, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL IN EFFECT. THE MAN I SPOKE TO GAVE ME THE FORD 800 NUMBER TO CALL AND ISSUE A COMPLAINT, WHICH I DID. NOW I HAVE TO UNFORTUNATELY GO SPEND $300 PLUS DOLLARS ON REPAIRING MY IGNITION SWITCH EVEN THOUGH FORD IS AWARE OF THE FAULTY PART. PLEASE RECALL 2002 FORD FOCUS IGNITION SWITCHES! *TR

I NEVER EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH MY IGNITION CYLINDER, NO SEMI LOCKING, NO GLITCHES NOTHING, THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN I GO TO START MY CAR TO LEAVE THE GROCERY STORE AND THE KEY WON'T TURN. SO I HAD TO WAIT 3 HOURS WITH MY 87 YEAR OLD GRANDFATHER IN A FREEZING CAR WITH NO HEATER (CAUSE THE KEY WONT BUDGE) OF A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT FOR A LOCKSMITH TO COME AND FIX AND THEN TO PAY HIM $400. MY COMPLAINT IS NOT THE WAIT, BUT THAT THIS FROM WHAT I READ IS A PROBLEM OCCURRING IN THESE FORD FOCUS FAULTY IGNITION. IF THIS WHERE SOMETHING THAT ONLY HAPPENED TO ME, THEN THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY PROBLEM, BUT ITS NOT. SO NOW WE ARE OUT $400 BECAUSE OF CHEAP MERCHANDISE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND REPLACED FOR FREE BECAUSE TOO MANY PEOPLE BEFORE ME HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM FURTHER AND LET GET A RECALL GOING SO NO ONE ELSE HAS TO BEAR THIS BURDEN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONCERN OF THIS MATTER. SINCERELY MADELEINE MELLOTT *TR

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.

IN 2006, I HAD PURCHASED A USED 2002 FORD FOCUS SE. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER MY PURCHASE, MY RIGHT REAR POWER WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP USING THE POWER BUTTON. ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER, THE LEFT REAR POWER WINDOW ALSO STOPPED WORKING AND STAYED DOWN. THE WINDOWS HAD TO BE PROPPED UP WITH TAPE AND DOOR STOPPER WEDGED IN ORDER FOR THE WINDOWS TO STAY UP. WHEN FINALLY TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, THE MECHANIC SAID BOTH POWER WINDOW MOTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $400 EACH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 10-15 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HAD TO PUT THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR INTO THE PARK POSITION TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 103,800 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,900. UPDATED 02-14-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED TO A FORD DEALER THE PREVIOUS OWNER INSTALLED DECORATIVE OVERLAYS TO GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS. UPDATED 02/14/08 *TR

'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