2005 Ford Focus

I WAS DRIVING WITHOUT ANY WARNING A POP SOUND AND MY CLUTCH WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEARS. I HAD TO FORCE IT INTO SECOND GEAR ALL THE WAY HOME. TOTAL OF 3 FAILURES APPROX. 1 MONTH APART FINAL RESULT ON MY THIRD TRIP FOR REPAIRS ENDED WITH ME UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME WHICH CAUSED ME REAR ENDING THE BACK OF A TRUCK. I DAMAGED THE FRONT OF MY CAR. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR MY CAR BOTH ENGINE AND BODY I STILL HAVE NO CAR. MY CAR HAS 1,200 MILES ON IT. 2005 FORD FOCUS BOUGHT BRAND NEW FROM DEALERSHIP AND UNABLE TO GO ANYWHERE IN IT. I DON'T HAVE THE OLD PARTS. THE LADY TOLD ME THAT SHE WOULD CHECK INTO IT TO SEE IF THE DAMAGES WOULD BE COVERED BY THEM. CONSIDERING THE ACCIDENT WOULD NOT OF HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE IF THEY WOULD OF FIXED MY CAR RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. EITHER WAY SHE CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW THEY WEREN'T GOING TO COVER IT. *TR

I PURCHASED MY USED VEHICLE IN 06/08 AND IMMEDIATELY THERE WERE ISSUES WITH THE TIRES. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE "ONE BAD TIRE". IN ORDER TO KEEP ALL THE TIRES IN GOOD AND EQUAL CONDITION I PURCHASED THREE MORE. OVER THE PAST 10 MONTHS IT HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES FOR "ALIGNMENT ISSUES" AND TO A PRIVATE ALIGNMENT SHOP FOR THE SAME ISSUE. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ONLINE HAS INDICATED THAT THERE IS A "KNOWN ISSUE" WITH THE FORD FOCUS THAT ALLOWS A "GENEROUS" SPREAD FOR ALIGNMENT SPECS. AS LONG AS IT CAN BE ALIGNED WITHIN FORD'S SPECS IT IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE, HOWEVER THE TIRES CONTINUE TO WEAR UNEVENLY CAUSING VIBRATION AND INCORRECT TREAD WEAR. I WAS TOLD BY FORD TODAY THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE "NUMBER IS" BUT THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO DO NOTHING UNTIL THAT "MAGIC NUMBER" IS REACHED. EVIDENTLY THEY HAVE ALSO ISSUED A "SILENT RECALL" THAT ALLOWS ONLY THOSE VEHICLES THAT CANNOT BE ADJUSTED TO THEIR "GENEROUS" SPECS TO BE REPAIRED. THIS IS NOT ONLY A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO TIRE WEAR BUT AFFECTS TRACKING IN SNOW AND WATER WHICH ALSO HEIGHTENS RISK. *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR 2005 FORD FOCUS ZX4 SES BRAND NEW IN FEBRUARY 2005. SINCE THE DATE OF PURCHASE WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR TIRES 5 TIMES, TWO OF THE 5 TIMES WE REPLACED THE WHOLE SET. THE ORIGINAL FACTORY TIRES ON THE REAR OF VEHICLE (YOKOHAMA 205/50/ZR16) WERE BALD AT 11,000 MILES. AT THAT TIME WE REPLACED THEM WITH 4 NEW YOKOHAMA TIRES. SIX MONTHS LATER, WE HAD TO BUY ANOTHER COMPLETE SET OF TIRES (MICHELIN/205/55/R16) BECAUSE THE TIRES IN THE REAR WERE CUPPING AND WEARING IN A DIAGONAL CROSS PATTERN. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FORD BOTH TIMES AND THEY DENIED THAT THERE WAS ANY FACTORY DEFECTS ON THE VEHICLE. FORD CLAIMED IT MUST BE AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE, WE PAID $79.99 FOR A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT, AND EVEN HAD THE FRONT END CHECKED, AS WELL AS SHOCKS AND STRUTS, AND FORD CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES 3 MORE TIMES, JUST LAST WEEK BUYING TWO NEW TIRES FOR THE REAR. WE REPLACED TIRES ON 7/13/2006 (16,463 MILES), THEN ON 7/6/2007 (25,926 MILES), THEN ON 1/16/2009 (43, 556 MILES). ALL OF THE TIRES PURCHASED HAD 80,000-85,000 MILE WARRANTIES ON THEM. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES, AND CLEARLY OUR VEHICLE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. REFERENCE OIB-NHTSA, TSB #19064. FORD SHOULD BE FORCED TO FIX THE DEFECTS WITH THESE VEHICLES, AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMERS WHO PURCHASED THEM IN GOOD FAITH. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO INVEST $3,000 IN COSTS FOR TIRES IN 3.25 YEARS. *TR

MY 2005 FORD FOCUS WHICH I BOUGHT NEW OFF THE DEALERSHIP NOW HAS 100000 MILES ON IT. WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, WHILE DRIVING, THE BACK END FISHTAILS BACK AND FORTH AS IF IT IS BEING HIT BY A STRONG WIND. AS SOON AS I TOLD A REPAIR SHOP THIS THEY IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD MANY OTHER FOCUS OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING. THE REAR CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NEED TO BE EVER CHANGED ON A VEHICLE. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT WHEN THEY ORDER A NEW ONE FROM FORD, THE NEW ONE SENT IS MUCH STRONGER AND BULKIER WHICH TELLS THEM THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT. THE REPAIR BILL FOR THIS IS OVER $1200! THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS YOU FEEL YOU ARE LOOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AT ANY TIME. UPON HEARING THIS, I CONTACTED MY PARENTS WHO ALSO HAVE A FORD FOCUS AND THEY SAID THAT THOUGH THEY HAVE ONLY HALF THE NUMBER OF MILES ON THEIR VEHICLE IT IS ALSO A 2005 MODEL AND IT HAS STARTED TO DO THIS ALSO TO THEM BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK, IF IT WAS JUST BAD ROADS OR WHAT. VERY DANGEROUS AND FORD HAS NO RESPONSE TO MY QUESTIONS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THERE WERE LOUD NOISES OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE DISENGAGED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE SUSPENSION, REAR WHEEL BEARING; HOWEVER, THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE AND ON BACK ORDER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 56,319. UPDATED 02/02/09. *LJ UPDATED 02/03/09. *JB

WHERE DO I BEGIN? I'VE HAD ALMOST ALL OF THE ISSUES/COMPLAINTS ALREADY FILED HERE FROM THE DOME/AIRBAG LIGHTS GOING OFF FOR NO REASON, THE KEY GETTING STUCK OR THE CAR STALLING IN NOT STARTING, DISRESPECT/UNPROFESSIONAL FROM FORD REPAIR STAFF OR CALLING FORD CORPORATE, AND THE MOST FAMOUS FOCUS MOMENT OF ALL, WHEN THE CAR SHAKES AT SPEEDS OF 50 OR ABOVE ON HIGHWAYS. O FORD!, HOW YOU'VE SCREWED US ALL!!!!!!! *TR

VEHICLE WILL NOT STAY ALIGNED. DURING THE 62,325 MILES I OWNED THE CAR I WENT THROUGH 3 SETS OF HIGH QUALITY TIRES AND 7 ALIGNMENTS. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THIS HAPPENS A LOT, FORD DENIES ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS BUT TIRE SHOPS AND CAR OWNERS WILL TELL YOU DIFFERENT. I PUT ABOUT 25K MILES A YEAR ON A CAR, SOMEONE THAT PUTS 10K WOULD NT NOTICE THIS PROBLEM AS OFTEN. *TR

REAR END IS CONTINUOUSLY OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING SCALLOPING TO THE REARS OF TWO SETS OF TIRES. FORD DEALERSHIP AND FORD HEADQUARTERS REFUSE TO TAKE ANY ACTION, EXPLAINING IT IS MY "TOUGH LUCK" AND THAT I NEED TO PURCHASE NEW TIRES AND CONTINUE TO PAY ONCE TO TWICE A YEAR FOR ALIGNMENT IF TIRES HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN DESTROYED. MANY OTHER MECHANICS I TALK TO SAY THE FOCUS IS NOTORIOUS FOR REAR END ALIGNMENT, BUT FORD WILL NOT MAKE ANY EFFORT TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION OR TAKE CONCILIATORY ACTION. *NM

THIS IS ABOUT A 2005 FORD FOCUS ZX3, BOUGHT NEW WITH 8 MILES ON THE CAR. DRIVING ALONG @ 65 MPH & ACCORDING TO WITNESSES IN BACK OF CAR, THE DRIVER-SIDE FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF OF THE CAR. THE CAR THEN FISH-TAILED THEN STARTED FLIPPING FRONT END TO BACK END 5 TO 7 TIMES FOR A GOOD 100 TO 150 FEET ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND BECAUSE OF A SEAT BELT THERE WAS ONLY MINOR INJURIES. *NM