2002 Ford Focus

I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR FIVE YEARS AND AT ABOUT 180,000 MILES I NOTICED THAT MY REAR DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH. BOTH REAR DOORS STICK AND HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO OPEN. HOWEVER, AT ABOUT 180,000 MILES THE DOOR LATCH STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. I HAD TO WRAP THE SEAT BELT AROUND THE DOOR TO KEEP IT FROM OPENING WHILE DRIVING. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE I FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 2002 FORD FOCUS DOOR LATCHES. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP BUT WHEN THEY RAN MY VIN# THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. EVEN THOUGH I WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE THAT LED TO THE RECALL THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED. THEY REFERRED ME TO THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND AFTER SPENDING 45 MINUTES ON THE PHONE I WAS TOLD TO KEEP ME RECEIPTS IN CASE THEY ISSUE A RECALL IN THE FUTURE. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT FORD DIDN'T OFFER TO FIX MY CAR KNOWING THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON OTHER CARS THAT ARE THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR LATCH MALFUNCTIONED AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V030000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,804. *TR

VEHICLE RUNS FINE WHEN WE GO INTO SCHOOL/BUSINESS OR WHAT EVER WE PARK AND COME OUT AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT START, AFTER 1/2 HOUR TO AN HOUR THE VEHICLE STARTS AND NO PROBLEMS. IT TURNS OVER BUT DOES NOT FIRE. NEW BATTERY DID NOT CHANGE IT. TUNE UP BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC DID NOT FIX ISSUE, PLUG IT INTO A TEST MACHINE NO CODES GIVEN. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. ISSUE IS THAT A YOUNG LADY DRIVES THE VEHICLE, IF SHE IS STUCK IN THE WRONG PARKING LOT WHO KNOWS WHAT CAN HAPPEN. GOD FORBID. *TR

FORD DEALERSHIP IN WOODRUFF, WI REPLACED FRONT RIGHT DRIVE AXLE AND SEAL 4 TIMES BEFORE THEY GOT IT RIGHT AND THE LEAK STOPPED. THIS INITIAL LEAK WAS FOUND BY THE OWNER AFTER THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN FOR A FULL CHECK UPON PURCHASING INDICATING THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT INSPECT THE CAR AS THEY STATED AND WERE PAID TO DO. THE SAME DAY AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK FOR THE LAST TIME SHIFTING PROBLEMS BEGAN TO OCCUR AND I HAD TO REPLACE THE OVERDRIVE SOLENOID BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE. THIS SOLVED THAT PROBLEM BUT NOW THE CAR SHUDDERS BETWEEN 40-50 MPH AS IF IT IS SHIFTING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN GEARS. NOTHING SHOWS UP ON A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK, MAY BE EXPENSIVE TORQUE CONVERTER PROBLEM. A LARGE NUMBER OF POSTS ON THE INERNET SHOW TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND SOLENOIDS ARE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD FOCUS CARS AND UNFORTUNATELY SOME PEOPLE ARE LED TO BELIEVE THEY NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH THEY HAVE REPLACED PROBABLY DUE TO MISDIAGNOSIS AND AT A HUGE UNNECESSARY EXPENSE. *TR

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO OIL LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,312 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,312.

I OWN A 2002 FORD FOCUS ZX3 WITH A VERY LOW MILEAGE OF 45226. ON OCTOBER 12TH FRIDAY, I DROVE MY CAR TO THE UNIVERSITY, (~2 MILES FROM MY HOME) AND PARKED FOR A FEW MINUTES. THEN I STARTED DRIVING TOWARD THE COMMUTER PARKING LOT. HOWEVER, 30 SECONDS LATER, A HUGE ?CONTINUOUS KNOCKING? SOUND CAME OUT FROM THE ENGINE FOLLOWED BY WHITE SMOKE. THEN I SAW A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL SPILL, DOWN THE ROAD. SINCE I COULD NO LONGER DRIVE THE CAR, I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST GARAGE. THE MECHANIC CONCLUDED THAT ONE OF THE PISTON RODS HAVE BEEN BROKEN AND SPIKED THE ENGINE OIL SUMP. HE WAS CLUELESS ABOUT SEEING SUCH A MECHANICAL FAILURE FROM A LOW MILEAGE, WELL-MAINTAINED CAR. MOST SURPRISINGLY, THERE WERE THREE OTHER FORD FOCUS CARS WITH SIMILAR ENGINE FAILURES/DEFECTS. FOR A SMALL UNIVERSITY TOWN, FOUR CARS WITH SIMILAR DEFECTS IS NOT A NORMAL ISSUE. THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I HAD TO GO THROUGH A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THE CONTINUOUS KNOCKING AND WOBBLING THAT OCCURRED FOR A SPEED OF 18MPH, I COULD ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY, 55+ MPH. THERE HAS TO BE A DEFECT OR ELSE THIS WOULD HAVE NOT HAPPENED TO A WELL MAINTAINED CAR WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES, WHEEL ALIGNMENTS...ETC. *TR

THE DESIGN OF THE CUP HOLDERS IN THE FRONT SEAT, WITH THE BIG OPENING ON THE SIDES, IS A MAJOR FLAW. WHILE MAKING A TURN, WHETHER SHARP OR NORMAL, A DRINK CAN EASILY TIP OUT OF THE CUP HOLDER, AND FALL ONTO THE GROUND OF THE CAR. WHEN I MADE A RIGHT TURN, MY NORMAL SIZED WATER BOTTLE FLEW OUT OF THE CUP HOLDER, DUE TO THE OPENING, AND STARTED ROLLING AROUND ON THE GROUND. HAD I NOT PICKED UP THE BOTTLE, OR NOTICED IT FLEW OUT, IT COULD HAVE EASILY BECOME LODGED BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND / OR GAD PEDALS AND CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR