2007 Ford Focus

I OWN A 2007 FORD FOCUS WITH 45K MILES ON IT. AROUND 42K MILES I BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR WHEN I NEED TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY SUCH AS MERGING ONTO AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WOULD BEGIN TO ACCELERATE BUT ONCE IT REACHED 3RD GEAR THE CAR WOULD JERK AND START REVVING VERY LOUD BUT BE STUCK AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. INITIALLY IT WAS OCCASIONAL AND WOULD NOT BE VERY BAD TO OVERCOME, SIMPLY RELEASE THE GAS PEDAL FOR A WHILE THEN IT'D FIX ITSELF. BUT IT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE TO THE POINT WHERE I CANNOT GET THE CAR OVER 30 MPH DUE TO THIS ISSUE NO MATTER HOW SLOWLY OR FAST I ACCELERATE. THE CAR WILL REV VERY LOUD USUALLY AT 3K+ RPM, BUT WILL NOT ACCELERATE. I HAVE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WHENEVER I CAN; TURN THE CAR OFF AND TRY AGAIN. IT TURNS OUT IT IS AN ISSUE WITH THE ALTERNATOR OF THIS CAR PARTICULARLY THE 2007 MODEL. I RESEARCHED IT AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN THE SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR CAR ARE ENCOUNTERING THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. AND HAVE BEEN GIVEN A HARD TIME BY THE DEALERS WHEN IT CAME TO GETTING ANSWERS AND HELP. ITS BECOME OBVIOUS THAT THIS MUST BE A DEFECT WITH THIS CAR. AND IT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED FORMALLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. WHILE THE UNOCCUPIED VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW GLASS EXPLODED WITH AN EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED NO IMPACT OR FORCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDOW GLASS SHATTERED THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

IN 2007, I PURCHASED MY NEW FORD FOCUS BASED ON THE RECOMMENDED RATING IN CONSUMER REPORTS. DID YOU KNOW THAT WHEN THE A/C OF THE FOCUS STOPS FUNCTIONING, SO DOES THE AUTO? I AM NOT MECHANICALLY INCLINED. I DON'T KNOW IF MOST OR ALL AUTOS ARE BUILT THIS WAY. IF SO, BASED ON THE DIFFICULTIES I HAVE HAD JUST TO FIND OUT THIS FACT ABOUT FOCUS, AND THE $1,400 EXPENSE I INCURRED FIXING PROBLEMS, I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THIS FACT CLEARLY STATED IN ANY RATINGS DISCUSSION, IN BOLD FONTS. MY CAR HAD BEEN MAINTAINED AT THE DEALER EVERY 3,000 MILES, HAS ONLY 42,000 MILES ON IT, WITHOUT ACCIDENTS, TICKETS, VIOLATIONS. FOREMOST, THE A/C SHOULD HAVE LASTED MUCH LONGER. I AM NOT SURE THAT THE RECOMMENDED RATING WAS WARRANTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START THEREFORE HE REPLACED THE BATTERY. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE RADIO, AIR CONDITIONING AND ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES FAILED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT WHILE DRIVING, THE FAILURE RECURRED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE DEALER DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 29,000.

THE FORD FOCUS EATS TIRES LIKE CRAZY. I HAVE OWNED MY 2007 FOCUS FOR THREE YEARS NOW. I HAVE TO PUT NEW TIRES ON IT EVERY 16,000 MILES BECAUSE THE REAR TIRES ARE CUPPING. I'VE HAD THE ALIGNMENT/SHOCKS/SUSPENSION LOOKED AT AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY ARE FINE. I HAVE HEARD MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR FOCUS. I ASKED FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU LOOKED INTO THIS ISSUE, AS I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY FRUSTRATED DRIVERS OUT THERE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH 5,000 MILES ON IT. SHE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MAKES A NOISE WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED BUT THE NOISE WAS STILL PRESENT. THE VEHICLE ALSO BEGAN PULLING TO THE RIGHT AT SPEEDS OF 35 MPH OR HIGHER. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH OR HIGHER THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIMMY BACK AND FORTH. ALL FOUR OF THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVEN TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A SET OF TIRES WOULD ONLY LAST ABOUT 10,000 MILES. A FORD SALES PERSON TOLD THE OWNER THAT THE VEHICLE PROBABLY " FELL OFF OF THE TRUCK" AND MIGHT HAVE A BENT FRAME. THE FAILURE HAD BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER TIME. FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL NOT BUY THE VEHICLE BACK SINCE IT HAD OVER 60,000 MILES ON IT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

STEP-DAUGHTERS TOOK A LOAN FOR THE LOW MILEAGE ECONOMY CAR TO COMMUTE TO COLLEGE AND PART-TIME JOB. STARTING HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY. REPLACED IT. WIFE TRIED TO TAKE IT TO THE MARKET AT DUSK WHILE HER DAUGHTER WAS AWAY JUST TO KEEP THE CAR FROM SITTING. FOUR MILES DOWN THE TWO LANE THE ELECTRICS STARTED FAILING. CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT CRANK. SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST PART WAY ONTO A SIDE ROAD. AS IT GOT DARK SHE SAT AND WAITED EXPOSED TO TRAFFIC ON A 50 MPH ROAD WITH NO SHOULDERS ON A CURVE. LUCKILY SHE WAS OUT OF THE CELL PHONE DEAD SPOT. I BLOCKED THE SIDE ROAD WITH MY TRUCK SO I COULD HOOK UP CABLES. STARTED CAR. CHECKED WITH METER. ONLY BATTERY VOLTAGE. SAT FOR 15 MINUTES WITH CABLES CONNECTED TO CHARGE UP THE BATTERY. SENT WIFE HOME IN THE DARK RUNNING FLASHERS AND HOPED FOR NO DEER CROSSING. PULLED ALTERNATOR WHICH IS JUST ABOUT AS HARD TO GET OUT IS IT COULD BE ABLE TO BE ( I WORK ON EQUIPMENT FOR A LIVING). TOOK ALTERNATOR TO TEST MACHINE. IT FAILED. REBUILT ALTERNATOR IS OVER $200 AND I WOULD RATHER NOT PUT A REBUILT IN A LOW MILEAGE LATE MODEL, ESPECIALLY SINCE ITS SO HARD TO GET IN AND OUT. THEN AGAIN MAYBE THEY ARE FINDING THE FAULT DURING THE REBUILD AND UPGRADING THE FAILED COMPONENT. FORD AND THE OTHERS BUILD CARS WITH COMPONENTS THAT THEY PURCHASE. SOMETIMES THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH A BATCH OF COMPONENTS. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THEIR REPUTATION AND BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THAT THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO PROTECT THE CUSTOMER THEY ISSUE A LETTER AND FIX THE PROBLEM. IF THERE ARE 20 PEOPLE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO COMPLAIN HERE THERE ARE HUNDREDS MORE AND ENOUGH OF THESE HAVE HAPPENED UNDER WARRANTY THAT FORD IS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE BEST OF THE BIG THREE IS NOT LIVING UP TO ITS STANDING IN THIS CASE AND THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IN A LOW END CAR BRINGS UP RECOLLECTIONS OF THE EXPLODING PINTOS. PROBABLY NOT A LOT OF FOLKS WITH ACCESS TO EXPENSIVE LEGAL ASSISTANCE DRIVING THE FOCUS. *TR

THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY ON MY 2007 FORD FOCUS SE THAT HAS 27,783 MILES ARE DEAD. I TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTAINED ON TIME. BROUGHT THE CAR IN TODAY FOR OIL CHANGE AND 30,000 MILE REQUIRED INSPECTION AND MAINTAINED. I DROVE THE CAR ABOUT 40 MILES ROUND-TRIP AND STOPPED AT THE LIBRARY. I TRIED STARTING THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT TURN ON. ALL THAT HAPPENED WAS THE OIL LIGHT WENT ON BUT THE CAR MADE NO SOUNDS AND ENGINE WAS NOT EVEN TRYING TO TURN OVER. HAD CAR TOWED BACK TO DEALER AND AFTER AN HOUR WAS TOLD THAT THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE BOTH DEAD. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THIS COULD OCCUR FORM THE DEALER AND THE CAR ACTED PERFECTLY FINE. THE ONLY REASON I KNEW ANYTHING WAS WRONG WAS BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T START. THE NIGHT MANAGER AT THE FORD DEALER SAID THAT DUE TO THE ALTERNATOR FAILING THE CAR RAN ON 12VOLTS OF POWER FROM THE BATTERY AND NOW THE BATTERY IS DEAD AND CANNOT BE RECHARGED. HE ALSO SAID THAT YES, THE ALTERNATOR DOES GO OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND THAT IT IS COMMON TO NOT KNOW IT HAD DIED UNTIL THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPS WORKING. THE CAR WARRANTY EXPIRED 3 MONTHS AGO IN APRIL AND THE DEALER EXPECTS $645 TO REPAIR THE ISSUE. I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE FIXED BY FORD. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH TONIGHT, AND LEARNED THAT IT IS COMMON FOR FORD FOCUS CAR TO HAVE THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY DIE AT ABOUT 3 YEARS OF AGE. I WAS DRIVING DURING RUSH HOUR ON SEVERAL EXPRESSWAYS TODAY, HAD THE ALTERNATOR DIED 10 MINUTES SOONER, I COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD OR SERIOUSLY INJURED IN A CAR CRASH. 1. NO WARNING BEFORE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY DIED. CAR WAS PARKED AND WOULD NOT TURN ON. CAR WAS AT DEALER TODAY FOR 30,000 OIL CHANGE/ MAINTENANCE CAR HAS LESS THAN 28,000 MILES. 2. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE ALTERNATOR OR BATTERY HAS DIED. 3. DEALER SAID THE CAR NEEDS NEW ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. WOULD NOT OFFER ANY DISCOUNT FOR REPAIR. *TR