2004 Ford Focus

NOTICED HYDRAULIC BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER WHICH IS MOUNTED BEHIND THE CLUTCH PEDAL UNDER DASH. CLUTCH SYSTEM SHARES BRAKE FLUID WITH BRAKE SYSTEM. FLUID DRIPS ON CLUTCH PEDAL AND FLOOR CREATING A VERY SLICK SURFACE AND DROP IN FLUID LEVEL IN BRAKE RESERVOIR. THIS CREATES A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE IN MY OPINION. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD FOCUS MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS. THE ONLY REMEDY WAS TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER. ALSO NEEDED TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH PEDAL RUBBER FOOT PAD WHICH HAD DISINTEGRATED FROM EXPOSURE TO THE BRAKE FLUID. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE BRAKE SHOE MATERIAL SEPARATING FROM THE SHOE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE WHEEL LOCKING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 1/26/09 *CN UPDATED 01/26/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE TIRES WOBBLED AND FLAMES ERUPTED FROM THE REAR TIRES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE TIRE BEARING. THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. RECENTLY, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED AN IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND SMOKE ERUPTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 55-70 MPH, THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL BOTH BEGAN TO SHAKE. WHEN THE SPEED IS BELOW 55 MPH, THE SHAKING WILL STOP OR DECREASE. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT HEARD METAL ON METAL FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE FINE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,019 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,759. UPDATED 01/02/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SQUEAKED AND VIBRATED AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE. THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS REPLACED, DUE TO IT BEING BROKEN. THE SHIFTER SQUEAKED. THE RIMS WERE BENT AND THE TIRES WERE OUT OF BALANCE. UPDATED*JB

ONE MONTH AGO I NEEDED TO HAVE BRAKES REPLACED, AND ASSUMED THAT BECAUSE THE LIGHT CAME ON THIS WAS AN INDICATOR. AFTER BRAKES WERE REPLACED, BRAKE FLUID WAS STILL DISAPPEARING. I ALSO FOUND A DRIP ON MY PEDAL FROM SOMEWHERE UNDER THE DASH, AFTER MY FOOT SLIPPED ON THE CLUTCH FROM SLICK BRAKE FLUID, AND NEARLY WRECKED MY CAR ON I-70 WHEN I NEEDED TO SHIFT INTO A LOWER GEAR AFTER MY FOOT SLID RIGHT OFF THE PEDAL. TURNS OUT THE MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING. MY CAR IS ONLY 3.5 YEARS OLD, AND ONLY HAS 41,000 MILES ON IT TOTAL. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO MECHANIC, IT IS A FORD MANUFACTURED ONLY PART, AND WITH PARTS AND LABOR IS COSTING ME $450+ TO REPAIR THIS ON A RELATIVELY NEW CAR NOT EVEN PAID FOR YET. STILL NOT A SAFE SITUATION WHEN YOU CAN'T KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE PEDAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES BEGAN TO SQUEAK. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS NEEDING NEW FRONT ROTORS AND MADE THE REPAIR. ONE MONTH LATER, THE BRAKES BEGAN SQUEAKING AGAIN. A PIECE OF THE FRONT ROTOR FELL OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. A LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS AGAIN. THE POWERTRAIN, PURCHASE DATE, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 23,400 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS ZTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE DEALER CHANGED THE BRAKE PADS. UPON LEAVING THE DEALER THE FAILURE RECURRED. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE CONTACT HAD TO RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THEN DEPRESSED IT AGAIN FOR THE VEHICLE TO RESPOND PROPERLY. WEATHER AND SPEED WERE NOT FACTORS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 41,500. *AK

I HAD MY CAR IN THE GARAGE FOR A FUEL PROBLEM WHICH WAS SOLVED BY A COMPUTER UPDATE AND WHILE IT WAS THERE, I HAD THE DEALER DO AN OIL CHANGE. FOR SOME REASON THEY CHECKED THE BRAKES AND FOUND THAT MY LEFT FRONT BRAKES WHERE GONE. THEY REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS AND PADS AND I TOLD THEM TO PUT THE OLD PARTS IN MY CAR. UPON MY OWN INSPECTION OF THE OLD PARTS, 3 OF THE PADS STILL HAD ABOUT 1/4 INCH OF PAD LEFT WHILE THE INNER DRIVER SIDE PAD HAD NOTHING LEFT TO IT. THE DRIVER SIDE ROTOR ALSO HAD SIGNIFICANT WEAR TO IT WHILE THE PASSENGER SIDE STILL LOOKED AND FELT FINE. *NM