2003 Ford Focus

MY CAR WHEN FIRST BOUGHT ALWAYS MOANED AND GROANED UPON BRAKING. I BOUGHT MY CAR 9/14/2003. THE NEXT YEAR IN 5/22/04 THE ROTORS AND PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH ONLY 3,500 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER DID PAY FOR AFTER A RUN AROUND. I HAD TO WAIT A WEEK BEFORE BEING ABLE TO TAKE MY CAR IN AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR TO NOT DRIVE MY CAR. HERE I AM IN DECEMBER NOISE IS BACK AND ROTORS ARE ALL BUMPY AGAIN WITH ONLY 8,100 MILES ON IT. THE DEALERSHIP IS WORKING ON TAKING CARE OF IT BUT I AM GOING TO FILE A DISPUTE WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY .*AK

THE TEMPERATURE HAD BECOME COLDER AND THE ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT DEPRESS WITHOUT FORCE. THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR WHENEVER THE VEHICLE SAT OVERNIGHT OR FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE CONSUMER WOULD DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR UNTIL IT WOULD MOVE DOWNWARDS. THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD. IT WOULD TAKE 4-5 DEPRESSIONS UNTIL THE ACCELERATOR WOULD MOVE DOWNWARD. OTHER PROBLEMS WERE THE BRAKES SQUEALING AND THE VEHICLE SUFFERED FROM NOT STARTING AT TIMES, EITHER THE PANEL LIGHTS WOULD ENGAGE OR THE STARTER WOULD GRIND. *AK *SC

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS ZX5. BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW IN 1/2004. REAR BRAKES HAVE BEEN SQUEALING FOR 2 MONTHS NOW. I'VE TAKEN IT TO A FORD DEALER AND A BRAKE SHOP AND BOTH HAVE SAID THE BRAKES ARE FINE. NOW THERE IS A DEFINITE SPONGY FEEL IN THE PEDAL AND A LOUD CREAKING NOISE FROM THE BACK, AND FINALLY YESTERDAY WHEN I DEPRESSED THE PEDAL TO STOP, THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK AT ALL FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS. I NEARLY STRUCK A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN FRONT OF ME. *JB

BACK AT ABOUT 18000, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED. THEY WERE SQUEAKING AND HAD EXCESSIVE DUST ON RIMS. AT TIMES I WOULD GET A GRINDING NOISE. THEY SAID "ALL WAS FINE." I TOOK MY CAR BACK AGAIN WITH THE SAME ISSUES, AT ABOUT 20000 MILES AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED NEW BRAKES AND SINCE THE ROTORS WERE "SO THIN" THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALSO. I ASKED ABOUT THE SERVICE BULLITEN THAT IS OUT ON THIS ISSUE AND WAS TOLD THAT "FORD" WAS NOT GOING TO REPLACE THEM. I AM MAD BEYOND BELIEF THAT THERE IS A "BULLITEN" ON THIS ISSUE AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT. THIS NEW OF CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE THREW THE BRAKES THIS QUICK. THAT IS EXACTLEY WHAT I WAS TOLD ON MY INDEPENDENT EVALUATION. NOW I AM STUCK PAYING FOR THIS EVEN THOUGH FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK

I PURCHASED A 2003 FOCUS FROM A DEALER WHO HAD USED IT FOR A DEMONSTRATION VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS OBTAINED ON OR ABOUT MARCH OF 2004 WITH ABOUT 5,600 MILES. AT THE TIME THE BRAKES SEEMED FINE. TWO WEEKS AGO I HEARD A NOISE AT 16,800 MILES. WHEN I PULLED THE WHEELS TO INSPECT THE BRAKES, I FOUND THE INNER DISC PADS DOWN TO METAL AND THE OUTER PADS WITH ABOUT 1/8 - 1/4" REMAINING. THE ROTORS ARE SCORED ON BOTH SIDES. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? I HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH MY TAURUS. ANYONE ELSE HAVING THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS? I AM STARTING TO THINK THAT THERE IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM WITH FORD'S FRONT DISC BRAKES, OR THAT THE READ DRUMS ARE HOPELESSLY UNDER POWERED.*AK

2003 FORD FOCUS BRAKES ARE WEARING UNEVEN, RUBBING, AND SQUEEKING. THE FRONT ROTORS HAVE GROVES BEYOND ALLOWABLE LIMITS WHILE 40% OF PADS REMAIN. LOOKS AS IF THE FRONT PADS ARE EATING THE ROTORS. WHEN TAKEN TO FORD THEY SAY ITS NORMAL WEAR, WHAT A LIE.. THIS COULD CAUSE A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT, IM SURPRISED FORD HASNT LEARNED THEIR LESSON FROM PAST EXPERIENCE. SINCE FOR HAS REFUSED TO TAKE ACTION ON THEIR FAULTY BRAKES, THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT REALLY WISH YOU GUYS WOULD STEP FORWARD AND MAKE THEM BEFORE PEOPLE GET KILLED.*AK

EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR THE BRAKES HAVE SQUEAKED. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR THE FIRST SERVICE, I INFORMED THE MECHANIC OF MY CONCERN ABOUT THE SQUEAKING BRAKES AND THE OVERWHELMING AMOUNTOF BRAKE DUST ON MY WHEELS AND RIMS. AFTER THAT CHECK UP I WAS TOLD MY BRAKES WERE FINE AND I PLEADED WITH THE MECHANIC TO BE SURE AND AGAIN AND AGAIN HE TOLD ME EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THIS PAST SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 2004, JUST OVER 16,000 MILES, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND AGAIN COMPLAINED OF THE BRAKE DUST AND SQEAKING SOUND AND NOW GRINDING SOUND I HERE. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT I NEED NEW FRONT BRAKES METAL TO METAL PADS AND THE FRONT ROTORS MUST BE REPLACED!!!! THIS IS CRAZINESS AND I AM OUTRAGED!!!*AK

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER TOLD THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE AND THE PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB