2006 Ford Focus

I PURCHASED 2006 FORD FOCUS ZX3 IN MAY OF 2006. IT WAS A BRAND NEW CAR WITH ONLY 8 MILES ON IT. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR IT WAS VERY LOUD AND ROUGH. I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS NEW AND NEEDED SOME TIME TO BE DRIVEN. AFTER THREE AND HALF YEARS NOTHING HAS CHANGED. I CALLED FORD COMPANYAND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO FORD DEALER. (I TOOK IT TO FORD DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I ALSO STATED THAT IT STOPS SHIFTING INTO 4TH GEAR AND WILL NOT SHIFT UP IF I HAVE TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY. THE DEALER INFO: FORD BREDEMANN 2038 WAUKEGAN ROAD GLENVIEW, IL 60025 (847) 510-5585). I LEFT THE CAR FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND WHEN I CAME TO PICK IT UP I WAS TOLD THAT ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION WERE ON GOOD CONDITION. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED LIKE TIRES..ETC.. HOWEVER, I HAVE HAD INSTANCES ON THE ROAD WHERE I ALMOST COULD HAVE ENDED UP KILLED JUST BECAUSE THE CAR WONT ACCELERATE. IT HAPPENED TO ME ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. 2ND PROBLEM IS STEERING WHEEL. IT IS SO STIFF THAT ITS HARD TO TURN IT LEFT AND RIGHT. I FEEL LIKE IT IS SO UNSAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE THIS CAR..NOT JUST UNSAFE FOR ME BUT FOR OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD WAS WELL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DETECTED TWO OF THE FOUR ENGINE MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. THE MECHANIC REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THE FAILURE SHOULD NOT OCCURRED ON A FOUR YEAR OLD VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 131,000.

ON THE 19TH OF APRIL, MY VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY. ON THE 20TH OF APRIL, THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO ATTAIN NORMAL DRIVING SPEEDS; TOP SPEED WAS AROUND 20 MPH. AS A RESULT, WE CHOSE TO RETURN HOME IMMEDIATELY AND TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. ON THE 21ST, AROUND 10:15 A.M., I BEGAN TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES, THE ENGINE BEGAN CUTTING OUT COMPLETELY AND THERE WAS A STRANGE ODOR. I GOT THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND PULLED INTO AN ADJACENT PARKING LOT. I PARKED THE VEHICLE AND SHUT IT OFF. I FOUND A NEARBY STORE FROM WHICH I COULD CALL HOME. WHEN I STEPPED BACK OUTSIDE I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE VEHICLE DUE TO SMOKE. I RETURNED TO THE STORE AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911. BY THE TIME I STEPPED BACK OUTSIDE, THERE WERE VISIBLE FLAMES. POLICE AND FIRE RESPONDED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS. *TR

I'VE HAD MY 2006 FOCUS ST FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. SINCE I BOUGHT MY CAR I HAVE HAD TO HAVE 3 DIFFERENT ENGINES PUT IN IT. THE ORIGINAL MOTOR THREW A PISTON ROD DOWN THE BOTTOM OF MY ENGINE AND OUT. THEY SAID IT WAS POOR CASTING ON THE CRANKSHAFT. THIS WAS AT ABOUT 4,000 MILES. THEN AT ABOUT 15,000 MILES IT DID THE SAME THING ONLY THIS TIME I CAUGHT IT BEFORE IT BLEW. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAD TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE ...AGAIN. WHAT HAPPENED IS MY ROD BEARINGS WENT OUT WHICH IS MOST LIKELY WHAT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME, CAUSING MY ENGINE TO COMPLETELY THROW A PISTON ROD. NOW I AM ON MY 3RD ENGINE AND HOPING THAT THIS ONE STICKS. THE MECHANICS ARE VERY PUZZLED WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THEY HAVE RUN ALL THE DIAGNOSTICS TO PROVE I HAVEN'T BEEN RACING AND I GET REGULAR OIL CHANGES THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP. FORD IS TRYING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. GOOD NEWS IS 2 MORE TIMES IT'S A LEMON. BAD NEWS IS I HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH MISSED TIME AT WORK AND THE INCONVENIENCE OF IT ALL. BEWARE BUT, THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A REGULAR OCCURRENCE AMONG FOCUS OWNERS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S VENTING SYSTEM BLEW WHITE FLAKES AND DUST INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHEN THE HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WAS ACTIVATED. THE FIRST TIME THE INCIDENT OCCURRED THE HEATER WAS ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CLEANED INSIDE THE VENTING SYSTEM BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE WHITE FLAKES CONTINUED BLOWING THROUGH THE VENTS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT A CLEANING AGENT THAT MAY HAVE BEEN USED TO CLEAN METAL KNOWN AS SOLDERING FLUX MAY BE THE CAUSE OF WHITE FLAKES COMING FROM THE VENTS. THE EVAPORATOR COIL HOUSING WAS REPLACED ON 04/07/06. THE EVAPORATOR COIL HOUSING WAS CLEANED ON 04/21/06. THE VEHICLE VENTING SYSTEM WAS CLEANED AGAIN ON 05/23/06, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THIS CAUSING A RESPIRATORY PROBLEM.