2003 Ford Focus

MY 2003 FORD FOCUS SE STARTED TO SHAKE, PULL HARD TO THE RIGHT STARTING AROUND 50 MPH, TAKES BUMPS HARD AND BACK-END SWAYS. IT ONLY HAS 36,000 MILES ON IT. DEALER SAYS THE LEFT REAR KNUCKLE ASSEMBLY AND WHEEL BEARING NEED TO BE REPLACED, THAT IT WAS "BENT" AND I MUST'VE HIT SOMETHING WITH IT. THIS IS JUST NOT TRUE. 2000 FOCUS HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. I THINK A BOLT CAME LOOSE, WEAKENING THE ASSEMBLY AND ALLOWING IT TO BEND THROUGH NORMAL USE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS ZX3. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH ON 04/17/2007 A RAINY DAY THE DRIVER HIT A PUDDLE AND WATER WAS TRAPPED INSIDE THE SPORT INTAKE SYSTEM WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE OWNERS 60 DAY WARRANTY HAS NOT EXPIRED. HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY $6,000 TO REPAIR THE ENGINE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 34760. *AK

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS THAT I BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND DROVE OFF THE LOT WITH 60 MILES ON IT. NOT LONG AFTER WE PURCHASED THE CAR, IT STARTED TO ACT AS THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING WHEN CHANGING GEARS. WE HAVE ALWAYS KEPT UP ON THE RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE AND NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO WE WERE DRIVING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT ON A BUSY STREET THANK GOODNESS, WHEN THE CAR SHIFTED VERY HARD AS WE SLOWED DOWN FOR A STOP SIGN. WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO BEGIN DRIVING AGAIN, THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. WE PROMPTLY TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR NEARLY 3 WEEKS. THEY HAVE PULLED THE TRANSMISSION OUT TO REBUILD IT TWICE AND HAVE STILL NOT FOUND WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANICS HAVE EVEN TAKEN IT OVER TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY CANNOT FIGURE IT OUT. I NOW HAVE A 4 YEAR OLD CAR WITH 53000 MILES ON IT THAT DOES NOT RUN. IF THAT HAD HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY A CAR BEHIND US. THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION OR THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. IF THIS CAR EVER ACTUALLY GETS FIXED, I WILL CERTAINLY NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT AS THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR IS UNRELIABLE AND THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN IT WILL SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING AGAIN. *TR

TL*- CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE 2003 FORD FOCUS LX HE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE CONTACT PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIRE COULD HAVE STARTED FROM SOME FAULTY WIRE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE CONTACT COULD PROVIDE PICTURES IF NEEDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE BOTH 54,000.*AK

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOR FOCUS WITH A CURRENT AND FAILURE ODOMETER READING OF 38,000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH UNDER DRY CONDITIONS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. BUT, WHEN SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST HER WITH THIS PROBLEM. WHEN THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE AT DEALER FOR SERVICE THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLE MELTED, CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHT TO FAIL. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING A 65 MPH THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL THE VEHICLE OVER. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART FOR AN HOUR. THE VEHICLE HAD LOST POWER FOUR TIMES. THERE WAS A WARNING LIGHT, BUT THE CONTACT WAS NOT ABLE TO REMEMBER WHICH ONE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,000. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. *AK

A FORD FOCUS WAGON 2003. WHEN I TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE THE IGNITION SWITCH CYLINDER LOCKEDE, WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN WHEN INSERTED IN THE LOCK & ICOULD NOT TURN ON THE CAR. THE VEHICLEWAS JUST OVER THREE YEARS OLD. *AK THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TWO DAYS IN A ROW. CALLED FORD & THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL. I SEARCHED GOOGLE FOR ''FORD FOCUS IGNITION LOCKS''. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING RESULTS COPIED FROM THIS GOOGLE SEARCH ''RESULTS 1 - 10 OF ABOUT 455,000 FOR FORD FOCUS IGNITION LOCKS . (0.39 SECONDS)''. I WAS CONCERNED THAT A FAULTY IGNITION WOULD BE USED IF FORD REPLACED IT SO I CALLED A LOCAL LOCKSMITH. THE OWNER WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM & HAS REPLACED A NUMBER OF FORD VEHICLE IGNITION LOCKS. I HAD THE LOCKSMITH REPLACED MY FOCUS IGNITION. THE COST WAS $240.75. I AM 59 YEARS OLD. MY FAMILY HAS OWNED NUMEROUS CARS & TRUCKS. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE AN IGNITION KEY SWITCH IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE ESPECIALLY ONE JUST OVER THREE YEARS OLD. IRONICALLY TO ADD TO MY FRUSTRATION, I JUST PAID OFF THE 36 MONTH CAR LOAN ON THIS FOCUS. ALSO, SENT A LETTER TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM TO ATTN: ALAN MULALLY, PRESIDENT & CEO PLUS CC'ED TO WILLIAM CLAY FORD, JR., EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN & NHTSA HEADQUARTERS, 400 SEVENTH STREET, SW, WASHINGTON, DC 20590 (SENDING VIA MAIL & EMAIL TO NHTSA)

THE DRIVER SIDE REAR ELECTRIC WINDOW OF MY 2003 FORD FOCUS LS HAS MALFUNCTIONED & FAILED TO RESPOND TO SWITCH CONTROL. MOTOR FUNCTION SEEMED TO STILL BE INTACT BUT THE WINDOW DIDN'T RESPOND TO THE ELECTRICAL SWITCH ON THE DOOR PANEL. THIS RESULTED IN THE WINDOW BEING STUCK IN A HALF DOWN POSITION BUT COULD BE PULLED BACK UP MANUALLY WITH LITTLE RESISTANCE. 1 WEEK LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WINDOW EXHIBITED THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS. AFTER CALLING A FEW LOCAL DEALERSHIPS/REPAIR SHOPS, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE WINDOW(S) HAD PROBABLY COME "OFF TRACK" BUT THEY COULD NOT BE CERTAIN WITHOUT INSPECTION. I RECEIVED AN ESTIMATE OF $200 JUST TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM, THE ESTIMATE DID NOT INCLUDE ANY ADDITIONAL FEE'S THAT MAY INCUR THEREAFTER. I CONTACTED TRIUMPH AUTO GLASS TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT THIS IS A VERY FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FOCUS MODEL & THAT HE HAS RAN INTO THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES IN RECENT MONTHS. HE WASN'T ABLE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT THE TIME, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AS HE HAD RAN ACROSS IT NUMEROUS TIMES. HE STATED THAT BOTH REGULATORS FOR THE WINDOW MOTOR'S HAD FAILED & ESTIMATED THE REPAIR COST TO BETWEEN $500-$600.00 ! I WAS NOT ABLE TO AFFORD THAT EXPENDITURE AT THIS TIME & OPTED TO GLUE BOTH BACK WINDOWS SHUT IN THE UP POSITION. SO NOW I HAVE ESSENTIALLY NO REAR WINDOWS (AT LEAST WINDOWS THAT FUNCTION) & THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE CARPET & UPHOLSTERY FROM THE ELEMENTS. NOT TO MENTION THE FEAR OF POSSIBLY HAVING THE CAR BROKEN INTO OR STOLEN. I DID WISH TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AS IT SEEMS TO BE QUITE FREQUENT. I HAVE CHECKED YOUR SITE & SEVERAL OTHERS FOR THE FORD FOCUS & WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY RECALLS OR BULLETINS FOR THIS PROBLEM. BUT IT'S A BIG PROBLEM & A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY FORD AND I AM OBVIOUSLY NOT THE ONLY ONE AFFECTED BY THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE. THANK YOU FOR TIME AND ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. SINCERELY, MARK WILLIAMS

THE KEY STUCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 2003 FOCUS PZEV. WHEN IT FINALLY RELEASED IT WOULD NO LONGER TURN. I HAD THE VEIHICLE TOWED BY AAA AND HAD A AAA LOCKSMITH COME TO REPAIR THE IGNITION WHICH I WAS TOLD IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY WARRENTY, AT A COST OF $300. THE LOCKSMITH SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE FOCUS. ONE MONTH LATER THE LOCKSMITH HAD TO COME BACK OUT TO REPAIR IT AGAIN. A YEAR LATER I MUST TURN THE KEY BACK A NOTCH TO REMOVE IT FROM THE IGNITION. IT WILL COST ME ANOTHER $300 TO HAVE THE REPAIR REPEATED. THE LOCKSMITH SAYS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE PART ITSELF AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.