2002 Ford Focus

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE INSERTED THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, IT LOCKED AND DID NOT ALLOW THE CONSUMER TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER DID HAVE THE CYLINDER LOCK REPLACED IN THE IGNITION. THIS DID REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS SPECIFIC PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, AND THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE CONSUMER DID HAVE TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR.*AK

CAR IS STALLING AND DYING WHEN STOPPED. WILL NOT IDLE PROPERLY. HAVE REPLACE BOTH SPARK PLUGS AND PLUG WIRES EVEN THOUGH ONLY HAVE 36K MILES ON THE CAR. ONLY THING DIAGNOSTIC TEST SHOW IS THE FUEL IS TOO LEAN. I AM ASSUMING THAT I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER SINCE FORD WILL NOT INCLUDE THE 2002 MODELS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS EARLIER MODELS. *JB

BATTERY CABLE FAILURE IDENTICAL TO THOSE RECALLED IN 2000-2001 FORD FOCUS (02V288000) IN A VEHICLE MANUFACTURED VERY EARLY IN 2002 MODEL YEAR. FAILURE INITIALLY CAUSED ENGINE TO MISS WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING IT TO LURCH SEVERELY WITH A LOUD 'BANG'. DEALER (BERGE FORD, MESA, AZ, 8/05/2005) HAD VEHICLE 3 DAYS, FOUND NO PROBLEM. VEHICLE BECAME INCAPACITATED 8/24/2005, CABLE WAS REPLACED AT DEALER (HOLMES-TUTTLE FORD, TUCSON, AZ, $500 BATTERY CABLE!), BUT NOT RETURNED TO US. *JB

R.E. FORD FOCUS 2002 FUEL PUMP FAILURE [XXX] I WAS SITTING IN THE CAR WITH THE ENGINE IDLING WAITING TO PICK MY WIFE UP FROM WORK AT AROUND 5PM CST. AS SHE APPROACHED I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE VEHICLE SO SHE COULD DRIVE. UP TO THIS POINT WE HAVE LOVED OUR FOCUS BECAUSE IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN RELIABLE. WHEN SHE STARTED UP THE ENGINE, IT STARTED TO SHAKE. THE SHAKING BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND THEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER. SHE TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED A MINUTE AND THEN RESTARTED. THE SHAKING CONTINUED AT A LESSER INTENSITY SO SHE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. ABOUT 25 FEET LATER, IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY OFFICE BUILDING ACCESS ROAD, THE ENGINE STALLED. SHE TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE TO NO AVAIL. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING ANY FUEL. WE HAD A 1/4 OF A TANK. WE CHECK THE FUEL PUMP FUSE AND TRIED THE FUEL PUMP RESET SWITCH. THINKING THAT THE FUEL TANK INDICATOR MIGHT BE DEFECTIVE AND THAT THE CAR MIGHT BE OUT OF FUEL, MY WIFE HAD A CO-WORKER DRIVER HER TO A LOCAL GAS STATION TO GET GAS. ADDING GAS DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE FUEL TANK INDICATOR SHOWED THE ADDED FUEL. WHEN NONE OF THE QUICK FIXES WORKED, WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO APPLE VALLEY FORD IN APPLE VALLEY MINNESOTA FOR SERVICING. THEY IDENTIFIED THE FUEL PUMP AS THE CAUSE AND BECAUSE IT IS NOT COVERED BY THE 2000/2001 FOCUS "EXTENDED WARRANTY" FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, WE WILL HAVE TO PAY AROUND $600 TO REPAIR THE CAR. I AM FURIOUS ABOUT THE COST BUT MORE SO ABOUT THE DANGEROUS AND UNTENABLE SITUATION THIS DEFECT PUTS MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF MY LOVED ONES. HOW COULD THE 2002 NOT BE INCLUDED? AFTER RESEARCH INTO THIS ISSUE, I AM ANGRY THAT OUR LIVES ARE NOT CONSIDER IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO FORD OR TO THE NHTSA. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE ENGINE HAD STALLED ON THE FREEWAY. THERE ARE PLENTY OF RECENT COMPLAINTS ONLINE BY OTHER 2002 FOCUS CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR FUEL PUMPS MULTIPLE TIMES. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUAN

THE SPEEDOMETER CONSISTENTLY WILL DROP TO ZERO WHILE DRIVING IN ALL TYPES OF CONDITIONS (HIGH SPEED TO LOW SPEED). THE ODOMETER WILL NOT MOVE WHILE THE SPEEDOMETER IS AT ZERO AND OFTEN WILL BLANK OUT. AN OBVIOUS SOUND DIFFERENCE IN THE RADIO IS ALSO NOTED WHEN THIS ALL OCCURS. BROUGHT IT INTO TEAM FORD TWO TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM AND ALL THEY DID WAS REPLACE THE SPEED SENSOR WHICH DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS AND I WOULD BASICALLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES AT ANY TIME THE IGNITION WILL NOT TURN IN HIS DAUGHTER'S VEHICLE. IF THE KEY WILL NOT TURN THE IGNITION THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THE CONTACT STATES HE HAS HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE SERVICE DEALER EXTRACTED AND REPLACED THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE PART IN THE FORD FOCUS AND IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HAPPENED ALL THE TIME. THE CONSUMER ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL, AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID NO, BUT HE SHOULD CALL NHTSA AND FILE A SAFETY COMPLAINT. THE CONSUMER FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT WISHED TO FILE A SAFETY COMPLAINT REGARDING THE REAR DOOR LATCH THAT HAD AN ACTIVE RECALL. BUT THE CONTACT WAS GOING TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED ON AUGUST, FRIDAY 26, 2005. THE CONTACT STATED SHE HAD PROBLEMS WITH REAR DOORS SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WARNED MANUFACTURER IF RECALL REPAIRS WERE NOT DONE SHE WILL SUE FORD AND NHTSA. *AK