2006 Ford Focus

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY DOES NOT KICK INTO GEARS WHEN ACCELERATING. I WENT TO GET ON THE HIGH WAY,(SPEED LIMIT 65MPH), GOT UP TO 55 AND THE TRANSMISSION JUST STARTED REVVING AS IF I WAS LOCKED IN NEUTRAL, ALMOST CAUSED 2 ACCIDENTS FROM MOVING TRAFFIC, AS MY CAR WAS DRIVING CONSIDERABLY SLOWER THAN THE REST GOING THE SPEED LIMIT). VERY DANGEROUS AND VERY SCARY. PULLED OFF AT NEXT EXIT(WAS CONSIDERABLY CLOSE). CAR WOULD THEN NOT GO OVER 25 MPH. IT'S LIKE IT WOULD NOT SWITCH INTO THE NEXT GEAR. HAD TO CALL A TOW. FORD GARAGE SAYS TRANNY DEFINITELY HAS PROBLEMS AND NEEDS REBUILT/REPLACED. IT HAD HAPPENED A FEW TIMES BEFORE WHERE I WOULD GO TO ACCELERATE AND WOULD GET STUCK IN ONE GEAR, BUT AFTER A FEW SECONDS WOULD FINALLY KICK INTO GEAR - WHEN IT DID FINALLY KICK INTO GEAR, IT WAS A STRONG JERK AS IF I PUNCHED THE GAS. AFTER LOOKING AROUND ONLINE, APPARENTLY MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME YR MAKE MODEL HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. *TR

RE: 2006 FORD FOCUS ZX4 - IN MARCH 2011, AS I WAS DRIVING HOME UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG THAT IS LOCATED IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT, DID NOT HIT A POTHOLE, RUN OVER ANYTHING, OR STOP SUDDENLY. THE DEPLOYMENT CAUSED TEMPORARY HEARING LOSS IN MY LEFT EAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND BRUISING TO MY BACK/SHOULDER AREA FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG ALSO CRACKED A SECTION OF THE INSIDE OF MY CAR THAT HOUSES THE SEATBELT. WHEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, IT ALSO RIPPED APART THE UPHOLSTERY ON THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT, SINCE THAT'S WHERE IT WAS LOCATED. THE NOISE AND JOLT OF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING CAUSED ME TO SWERVE ON THE ROAD, BUT LUCKILY I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. THE WARRANTY ON MY CAR IS EXPIRED AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE AIRBAG OR REPAIR THE DRIVER'S SEAT, SO NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. *TR

WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, OUR FORD FOCUS STARTED MAKING A THUMPING NOISE WHICH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A SLIGHT VIBRATION OF THE CAR. AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF THIS, I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER TO GET THE TIRES RE-BALANCED AND ROTATED. AFTER A ROAD TEST (I WENT ALONG), THE DEALER SAID THAT BOTH REAR TIRES WERE 'CUPPED' AND THAT REBALANCING AND ROTATING WOULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS OK. THE TIRES HAVE ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON THEM, AND ARE THE SECOND SET ON A CAR THAT HAS JUST ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE TIRES ARE WEARING OUT FASTER THAN EXPECTED FOR THE GOOD QUALITY TIRES THAT I PUT ON TO REPLACE THE FACTORY ORIGINALS (WHICH WORE OUT EARLY). THE THUMPING IS NOISY, BUT I AM WORRIED ABOUT LOSS OF CONTROL IF THINGS GET WORSE WHEN ON A LONG TRIP, OR IF THE TIRES FAIL DUE TO THE STRESS OF THE 'CUPPING'. FROM CHECKING THE INTERNET, OTHER FOCUS OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM (OVER A NUMBER OF MODEL YEARS), IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE REAR OF THIS CAR WHICH CAUSES EXCESSIVE AND RAPID TIRE WEAR LEADING TO THE 'CUPPING' AND RESULTANT NOISE AND (I AM GUESSING) BOUNCING ON THE ROAD. I EXPECT THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME SORT OF REPAIR THAT COULD REMEDY THE PROBLEM BEFORE THERE ARE ACCIDENTS. BUYING NEW TIRES EVERY 20,000 MILES IS NOT THE SOLUTION. *TR

THE TRUNK LIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON WHEN TRUNK WAS OPENED (REPLACING THE BULB DIDN'T HELP). LATER, THE 'DOOR OPEN' DASH LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE ELECTRIC TRUNK OPEN BUTTON SOMETIMES WOULD NOT OPEN TRUNK. A BIT OF TROUBLESHOOTING WITH A VOM AT THE TRUNK LIGHT POINTED TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM (A VOLTAGE DROP WHEN A NEW BULB WAS PLACED IN THE TRUNK LIGHT SOCKET). TURNS OUT THAT THE WIRING BUNDLE (CONTAINING SIX INDIVIDUAL MULTISTRAND WIRE LINES) HAD FIVE OF THE WIRES LINES FATIGUED APART , BREAKING THE FIVE CIRCUITS. THE WIRE LINES WERE SOMETIMES MAKING INTERMITTENT CONTACT WHEN THE TRUNK WAS OPENED AND CLOSED, NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE MATCHING WIRE LINE. I COULD HEAR NOISE AS THE WIRES WERE MOVED PAST EACH OTHER (NOT SURE IF THIS WAS JUST PHYSICAL SCRATCHING OR, WORSE, ELECTRICAL SPARKING). SINCE I SOMETIMES CARRY A GASOLINE CONTAINER IN THE TRUNK (LAWNMOWER GAS CONTAINER RETURNING FROM GAS STATION), I FEEL THAT THE DESIGN OF THIS WIRING TO THE TRUNK IS FAULTY AND COULD LEAD TO A FIRE UNDER THE RIGHT (AND NOT UNCOMMON) CIRCUMSTANCES. AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FORD MOTOR CO., A REPAIR WAS MADE (I PARTIALLY PAID FOR THE REPAIR) WHERE THE WIRING WAS REPLACED. I AM NOT SURE IF THE REPAIR WILL BE ANY SAFER THAN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN; HENCE THIS COMPLAINT WITH THE HOPE THAT A SAFER DESIGN (E.G., ONE WITHOUT SUCH A TIGHT RADIUS OF BEND) COULD DEVELOPED AND RETROFITTED INTO THIS CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 60 MPH HE NOTICED THAT HE WAS LOOSING PRESSURE ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE AND THE TWO REAR TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE VALVE STEMS DUE DETERIORATION. THE VALVE STEM INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT EXHIBITED A POPPING SOUND WHILE ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SEAT TRACK WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT TRACK WAS NOT REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT COULD MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD WHILE DRIVING AND COULD CAUSE INJURY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

I HAVE A 2006 FORD FOCUS WITH APROX 65,000 MILEAGE. RECENTLY, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON OCCASIONALLY, MORE OFTEN AND FOR MORE LENGTHY PERIODS MORE RECENTLY. IT SEEMS TO MATCH THE ISSUES OF NEW FORD PICKUP TRUCK RECALL IN WHICH AIRBAGS DEPLOY WITHOUT NOTICE OR CAUSE - RESULTING APPARENTLY FROM FRAYED/SHORTED SENSOR WIRES - PRECEDED BY ILLUMINATION OF AIRBAG DASHBOARD INDICATOR, AS OCCURS IN MY 2006 FORD FOCUS. IS THERE CAUSE FOR CONCERN WITH MY FAMILY'S USE OF THIS CAR? THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS VX3 COUPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLES DON'T WORK WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR HER TO EXIT OR ENTER THE VEHICLE UNLESS SHE PUSHED ON THE DOOR FOR A FEW MINUTES. SHE REPLACED THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE, BUT IT MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR HAD IT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000.

2006 FORD FOCUS ST. DRIVER SIDE SEAT BACK HAS BROKEN/CRACKED DURING NORMAL OPERATION. REACHING FOR CHANGE IN POCKET TO GO THROUGH A TOLL BOOTH, SEAT BACK FRAME BROKE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE CAUSING DRIVER TO LURCH BACK TOWARD BACK SEAT AND TEMPORARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSES TO ASSIST IN REPAIRS. SEAT BACK SHOULD NEVER BREAK AS IT IS THE ONLY PROTECTION A PASSENGER HAS IN THE EVENT OF A REAR END COLLISION. SEAT BACK HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *TR

KEY WOULD NOT REMOVE FROM IGNITION. AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT LOCKING WHEN IN PARK. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PUSH IN THE SAFETY BUTTON FOR IT TO GO INTO GEAR. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE TO ME SINCE MANY FOCUS OWNERS HAVE SIMPLY GONE TO LEAVING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AFTER IT STICKS THERE AND FIND OUT THE COST FROM THE DEALER TO FIX. *TR