Ford Focus Sedan

nyfocus

Where are you guys finding information on the new 2.3L engine? I’ve gone to the Ford website, MSN AUTOS, Cars and Driver, Motor Trend and can’t find a thing. I can find nothing in the car specifications, road test reviews or news articles. Finally, I went to the website of a California dealer and searched the inventory. I found 1 car with the PZEV engine. I sure hope the extra 20 hp significantly helps acceleration because fuel economy took a hit – it’s rated at 24/30 mpg. While it’s not a gas guzzler, it is towards the bottom of the economy class. In fact, some mid-size cars (Accord for example) are almost as thrifty

vadp

It doesn't sound right to me.

vadp

http://www.fleet-central.com/af/passnews_c.cfm?rank=1793

pat

Sorry, I had to remove a couple of posts -- it is fine to link articles, but you can't just copy and paste them.

Thanks for your understanding.

nyfocus

http://www.glendaleford.com/pages/present/flm/notlocalized/search- inventory/dosearch.asp?configfile=/Config/FLM/1033/inventory/Sear- chNew_SVT.xml&orgid=3860&isford=-1&islincoln=0&is- mercury=0&year=2003&make=Ford&vehicletype=Car&mod- el=Focus&bodystyle=&resultperpage=20&orderby=MNFENGIN- EDESC,DESC;VIN,DESC&xsl=SearchResultsNew.xsl&parmed=0

I hope this link works. If not, go to the Ford website, do a dealer lookup for Los Angleas California. Click on Glendale Ford, do a inventory search. Out of the 75 Focuses that are listed, there is 1 with the new engine. You may have to sort by engine to get it to the top of the list. From there you can enlarge the window sticker.

I realize Ford is selling this car for clean air reasons, not fuel economy. I just wonder if the lower rating will turn off some people. It's not out of line if you are looking at Jetta, Sentras, or Proteges, but it is easily a cut below Honda & Toyota

focus090

a little worse gas mileage wouldnt turn most people off, whne they see the price, what the car comes with....its overall package, it wouldnt be that big of an issue. i couldnt see it hindering my decision.

syalb318

it's about time to ditch the SPI.

alantpool

Vocus, the product that I picked up is called Body Guard and it is made by Trimbrite (actually it is made by a company out of Canda) and it cost $15.95 + tax...I only wish it was warm enough to apply, I scrapped my bumper loading suitcases.

I have had my 2002 XZ3 since July of 02. Just in the past 25 days I have had 2 chips in my windshield, and one has cracked the entire length of my windshield (luckily it is near the bottom of the window). I was wondering if anyone else out there has had problems with chipped/cracked windshields?

Thanks
al

vadp

The most of the modern cars windshields crack easily when hit by a small stone at the freeway speeds.
Also some windshields can be glued in place incorrectly and experience a stress crack as a result of the quickly changing ambient temps.

reallybob

A couple months back I was driving 45 mph down a highway here in Washington state. It was dark and raining... Suddenly out of the blue... CRACK!!! A car on the other side of the road threw a rock at me. Left two small dings near the lower corner of the drivers side of the windshield. By the time I got home, about 10 miles later, one of the dings had grown a leg an inch or so long. That evening when I was heading for work I noticed that that leg had grown to about 6", heading directly "northeast", towards the top of the steering wheel.

That next morning I called my insurance. The agent directed me to a couple windshield "stores". I took the car in, paid my $100.00 deductable and received a "generic" windshield. I was so upset I nearly pooped myself.

Dang! For a $100.00 ya should receive a Ford product, dang it!

See ya!

bd26

I own a Focus Wagon(SE Sport) 2002, and overall proved quite satisfactory, except these little Bugs, which the Dealer has looked over but continue the main one being:
- The hood release will jam at below zero temperatures.The delaer blames this on the cable linking the release and the latch on the hood.They lubricated this, but it still seems to Jam. Freakin annoying when you've got to put some windshield washer fluid in the car.

ifontaine

Earlier (much), I had posted that I had just purchased an '00 SE with Comfort and Sport. Well, I totaled it last week. Great safety cell. I wasn't going very fast, but the way that the seat was built with the headrests at the right height, and the telescoping steering wheel, kept me safe from harm.

Anyway on to the good news:
My 2000 Ford Focus (purchased 11/09/99) had a shade over 63,000 miles and probably on average had it's oil changed every 8-10,000 miles. I know, shame on me. I had to deal with the recalls, and they were a pain, but at least I got some free touch up paint, free coffee travel mug, and a free calculator out of the deal!! I had two warranty issues, both came after the original warranty had run out. Fortunately I had the foresight to purchase the ESP. The first one was my doorlocks. My key fobs stopped working. The second one was that I could not get my Key all the way into the ignition cylinder. Both fixed within 24 hours with a free rental, no problems.
Other than that, absolutely no problems mechanically with the car. I loved that car, and will be sad to see it go. In fact, I'm replacing with an '02 ZTW wagon. I said it before, and I'll say it again. This car is the most fun to drive with comfort features period. I drove the Corolla (junk), Civic (great car, too bleh on performance), Protege, and Protege5 (fantastic, but not as comfortable ride as the Focus).

I love it.

regfootball

do you live in a state where you could get/try the Pzev 2.3litre mazda 6 engine?

randyrhodes

Hi Everyone,

I own a 2001 Focus SE with Sport/Comfort Group and Automatic. I was having a problem with brake noise. The dealer claims there is a TSB to replace the rear shoes with an updated set. Well let me tell you, the new shoes are even worse. Squealing all the time when hitting the brakes. Anyone else have this issue? I have 24,000 miles and love the car except the brakes.

Have a great day,
Randy

vocus

The only way to stop the squealing is to replace the brake pads with aftermarket ones that aren't as cheaply made as the OEM ones. A couple of people on this board have had that problem, and aftermarket pads/rotors have always solved it.

randyrhodes

Hi Everyone,

My brake problem is finally solved (knock on wood). This is the 6th time to a Ford dealer. This time I tried a different one in Plainfield,CT. The service manager told me my rear brakes have never been serviced nor the drums ever taken off. All other service attempts(from 2 other dealers) claimed "cleaned rear shoes", "replaced rear shoes per TSB", or my favorite "can't duplicate problem". Central Ford fixed my Focus, here is what they did:
Resurfaced drums,replaced shoes,and adjusted.
Resurfaced rotors,replaced pads.

I am a happy camper and not even a peep in the morning, better than new.

Have a pleasent weekend,
Randy

fdthird

As Randy found out, I contend that many "problem cars" are really just cars with problems that are taken to "problem dealers". A bad dealer just makes a bad situation worse.

The car companies have got to find some way to really police the people who represent them to the public.

willie340

i have a 2001 focus se/zetec engine.in the summer with the A/C on i could be driving and all of a sudden the engine would stall. it's like no gas gets to it.this would happen at any speed.i would pull over ,open the hood to cool the engine for a while.i noticed there is a silver round shaped disk on the back left hand side with black hoses attached to it.this was very very hot.once the engine and that silver disk cooled off ,the car would start again and i could drive it again,but i had to turn off the A/C.anyone have any thoughts on that or have had this happen to them?and what is that silver disk ,gas filter?. thanks in advance.

vocus

I saw a 2000 Focus SE Sport auto sedan in one of those car ad things on sale for $4995. It didn't list the mileage of it, but I was wondering what that meant for resale of the brand. Also, I saw an 02 ZX3 with auto, and an 02 ZX5 with auto, both with less than 4K miles on them, for $10,500 and $10,900, respectively.

ryster

There have been so many reports of stalling in the Ford Focus that the US Government has been investigating the problem for several months now. There could, at some point, be a recall to fix the problem if it is deemed to require such an extreme measure.

I have never really heard what is causing the stalling problem, just that it has been reported by owners of '00-'02 Zetec "Foci". My '02 ZX5 has never stalled. It has threatened to, but never has.

ryster

A Focus is not a car to buy if you are concerned about resale. Like most domestic small cars, they do not hold their value as well as import branded rivals. Plus, with rebates running as high as $3,500 at times, that just further drags down the resale value of the cars. The best aspects of the Focus are that it is fun to drive, very well equipped at a reasonable price, and cheap to own and operate. If you decide to purchase a used one check its history carefully and make sure it has had all recalls performed.

willie340

i have a germain brochere of the focus.it has 6 engine choices,1.4L 16v zetec 75hp;1.6L 16v zetec 100hp;1.8L 16v zetec 115hp;2.0L 16v zetec 130hp;and two 1.8L endura-di-turbodiesel 75hp and 90hp.it also shows a 4 door hatchback,and the sport model has a very interesting front end and grill.they call them focus futura,focus ghia,focus trend,focus ambiente.they say they are very popular over there

hault

I have a 2000 w/zetec 25,000 miles. Brakes redone was only problem so far. I heard one solution for stalling was a part called a DPFE. A new supplier part is made by Motorola. Ask your dealer if they are familiar with this. The other solution I have heard is bad news. Something about flaking inside fuel tank clogging fuel filter and fuel lines. Good luck to those experiencing stalling.

fdthird

My son's 2001 Focus SE has been a great car in the 2 years he's had it but started a couple of weeks ago having a door locking problem. Really its a door closing problem. The right rear door will not latch. After a lot of slamming and frustration he can get it to latch (he hopes...doesn't open it now) but otherwise it just closes but the lock tumbler doesn't seem to lock on the bar on the car side.

Anyone else had this problem?? He's out in Calf for a couple of months and really doesn;t want to start messing with Ford Dealers out there.

Thanks

tiredofmanual

Is his car still under warranty (it's a 2001 so unless he drives a lot it should be)?

That is a safety issue and he should have zero problems getting it fixed right away by his closest Ford dealer. Can you imagine the lawsuit against the dealer if they deny or give him the run-around on the warranty work and a day later someone falls out of the car? I'm sure the service manager can.

timh3

I go to park my 2002 ZTS and put it in park and turned off the engine.. but then I had to move the car to park the car in a better position and now the button on the automatic shifter will not depress and I can not get it out of park. Has this happened to anyone? Does anybody have a suggestion of what I can do so I can at least get it to the dealership with having to call a tow truck.

vocus

You might try turning the ignition key part way between LOCK and ON. This will probably release the interlock on the transmission, and let you shift it to neutral and start the car. Sounds like your interlock is messed up. If you can't get it out of Park, have it towed to the dealer. This will make your car more of a 'priority' to work on anyway.

willie340

i was told when i purchased the focus that if you remove the black plug next to the shifter,you can release the transmission by pushing down with a metal rod .come to think of it ,did ford know they would have problems with the transmission so they supplied a means to correct it ourselves?

zizi

All aut trans have this feature not only the focus

dinu01

My Protege doesn't. So far I haven't had to use this "feature", so it's all good.

Dinu

dinu01

Just curious, since I like the ZX3 and ZX5...

Dinu

tisbe3

So what do you guys think about this new Focus PZEV? Looks pretty good on paper - about 150 hp / 150 ft-lbs.

regfootball

any tested times on it yet?

a6chris

Ok, I own a 2002 LX Premium 4spd Auto sedan. Overall it has been a fantastic car and am really enjoying it. However, the small things are becoming annoying.
    When I first purchased the vehicle, within 2 days I noticed it had small pull to the right. Took it back in and had the front end aligned under warranty. Within a week, I discovered a "shhh....shhh...shhh" sound coming from the rear on the driver's side. Took it back and had the rear driver's side wheel bearing replaced. About 4 months later, it is making a strong vibration at highway speeds (70-80MPH) and also a loud humming noise coming from the passenger side front wheel area. Even with the window's rolled down or up and the stereo practically blasted you could not drown out the noise. Took it in to the Dealer. They suspected it to be a wheel out of balance. Got the tires balanced and rotated and it went away.
    Now it's back. With a few new items! As you approach 50MPH a loud whine comes from the passenger side wheel area. And again on the freeway between 70-80 MPH it vibrates. I've also noted that you can be driving on a perfectly flat piece of highway with no wind and it will pull to the passenger side. But only at freeway speeds.
    I've read about problems with the front suspension failing while driving. Could this be signs of that happening? Considering I've only driven roughly 3k miles since I last rotated and balanced the tires they should not be out of balance already. I've only got another 15k miles before the warranty expires so I want to resolve this issue QUICKLY! Has anyone else had this problem? If so what is or is there even a solution?

syalb318

owned an '02 4dr se. vibrates at 75 mph after the first month. dealer balanced all four wheels took care of it. 16k miles later, heard squeaky noise when making right turns. dealer replaced a set of front end bushings at no charge. the advisor said it was a service bulletin. but the invoice did not show the service bulletin info.

buggywhip

OK, here's the situation. I might need a new car in the next few months. Here in MA, there are TREMENDOUS deals on the Focus. On carsdirect, I see them for $12k or so, with a/c and cd. And the new ULEV engine (now standard on all Focuses in MA) is far more powerful than the Zetec. In fact, it's a detuned version of the Mazda6 mill, 148hp............but should I jump? I mean, I've read huge horror stories about Focus reliability here at Edmunds (which is, I believe, the PREMIER auto resource anywhere). These stories are not episodic; they're constant and recurring..........so what should I do?

vocus

Think if the troubles you might have are worth it to get a good price. FYI, Proteges are going for pretty good prices too, although they aren't as powerful as the 148hp Foci. They are rated significantly higher in reliability though, according to CR...

tiredofmanual

That's PZEV not ULEV.

And what "constant and recurring" problems are you referring to? The brakes? Yes, the brakes tend to wear out early but that problem is solved by replacing them with quality aftermarket equipment instead of the same old OEM stuff that will wear out quickly again. Recalls? That was an issue with the first model year Focus, not the current ones.

Take a test drive and inspect the fit and finish. If you like the way the car drives and there aren't any glaring problems that you can see then I don't see why you should have any reservations on buying it.

buggywhip

Well, 'tiredofmanual' is basically correct; the Focus recalls have mainly been confined to earlier Focus years. And to be fair, some of the recalls involve a ridiculously small number of cars. But what about the safety investigations? Those seem far more serious, and some include 2002 models. See: http://www.autosafety.org/pressreleases/FordFocus.htm

A simple test drive can provide little indication of true fit and finish and it surely cannot predict major mechanical flaws. Jaguars from the 1980s drove beautifully, esp. during test drives. But the electrical systems were notoriously unreliable and a test drive would never reveal it. Would that a test drive could be so revealing!!...........the Focus brakes are the least of my worries. Brakes on FWD compacts rarely last long anyway, regardless of make. I read Honda posts where Accord brake pads are claimed to have lasted 80k miles or more. It's nonsense.

vadp

...Edmunds which is, I believe, the PREMIER auto resource anywhere.

Don't kid yourself, man.
There're other, more comprehensive and narrowly targeted sources. (And CR is not being one of them).
Have you heard of google?
Sorry I can't give you any specific web addresses.
My posts get deleted when I reffer to the competing boards.

lngtonge18

Actually, it's not nonsense. My mom's 92 Accord went over 90k on the original front brake pads, and they were replaced before the wear sensor kicked in. Granted, she did a lot of highway driving, but it was still impressive. I think Honda puts unusually thick brake pads on their cars and make them a bit hard, as seen by her car's average stopping distance. Another impressive thing was the fact that all the brake light bulbs except the center stop light lasted until the car was totalled at 184k. I have seen so many Ford Taurus and Chevy Malibus with burnt out brake lights that it's become pathetic. One of the headlights was orignal too, with the other going out around 160k. I'd like to know who made those bulbs because their quality was amazing.

As for your decision process, you can find amazing deals on the Elantra too, and get more equipment, similar performance, and slightly better fuel economy. Have you checked those out? They don't have the glaring defects the Focus has suffered, and have a better warranty. Consumer Reports also just put Hyundai in a tie for second place with Honda in initial quality.

vadp

Consumer Reports also just put Hyundai in a tie for second place with Honda in initial quality

Yea, Consumer Reports...;)
There is a thread on Edmunds dedicated to this very topic...

logic1 "Hyundai: Consumer Reports loves them!" Mar 27, 2003 8:58pm

Also, check out this article titled "Is Consumer Reports Biased?". A very interesting read:

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=4733&sid=19- - 2&n=156

tiredofmanual

It seems as though you are looking for justification for choosing not to buy a Focus. So just don't do it. You are going to spend your entire time driving the car just waiting for it to explode on you. Mentioning NHTSA investigations (you know they open dozens of investigations a month, right?) and linking to the Center for Auto Safety (which is a lobby group founded by Ralph Nader) and then afraid that a Focus will act like a mid 80's Jaguar. Crazy. Just buy a Corolla and enjoy the numbing experience.

buggywhip

'tiredofmanual', you're absolutely correct. The CAS is, I think, an extremely paranoid and bombastic organization. The group considers flaking bumper paint a 'safety issue'!! A few hundred examples of a certain car (out of millions sold) will have a small electrical glitch and the CAS will paint it as a safety catastrophe. And my opinion of Nader is not worth repeating..........the long-term test of the Focus here at Edmunds was encouraging. It held up well. I like Edmunds b/c they do long-term tests of relatively pedestrian vehicles; the vehicles we're likely to buy. That's responsible, focused journalism.........the Elantra sounds promising too. But I really prefer a hatchback, like the Focus. In my opinion, all the disadvantages of owning a small car disappear when that hatch opens and the rear seat goes down. You can fit a spinet piano in there!

tiredofmanual

Now we're getting somewhere! In my opinion the ZX3 is a great deal. Back when I bought my Focus, the ZX3 was better optioned than the LX sedan and cheaper too. I assume it is still that way.

I really don't think that there are any safety/reliability issues that should preclude you from buying a Focus. Will it be 100% trouble-free? No. Will the driving enjoyment and price make up for that? Well, you need to figure that out. This was why I suggested you take a test drive.

The Focus driving dynamics are completely different than any other car in it's class. The fact that Ford of Europe designed it in Germany is apparent. It's a fun car to drive and handles very well. The rear suspension design includes a small amount of passive rear steering that can make the rear of the car feel a little like it is wandering over bad roads even though it is firmly planted and you are fully in control. You really do have to drive one to know what I'm talking about. Of course, Car & Driver likes the car so much that it has been named one of the 10 best cars every single year it has been sold in the US. That's creeping into BMW territory, and with the lower powered Focus. You are getting a much more powerful car with the added bonus of it being extremely friendly to the environment.

spidermonkey

My wife and I bit the bullet and bought a Focus wagon in December. We were leaning toward a Civic, but we're now expecting our first child so we decided to look at wagons. I love the way the Focus drives, the layout of the wagon is great, and the price was super low.

Of course I was worried about the Focus reliability reports, but there is evidence that things are not as bad as they seem (For the new Foci anyway). First, the European version has been very reliable. That helps to rule out some fundamental design flaw. Ford losses a lot of money and goodwill on recalls, so I have faith that the new model year cars do not have those problems. I read a Wall Street Journal article about how Ford hired outside consultants to concentrate on the infamous brake problem. Plus, I've read articles from the Detroit press about Ford and their Unions working together to improve the Focus plant (I think it's in Wayne, Michigan. I don't know about the Mexican plant). These actions have resulted in new suppliers, and improving scores from J.D. Power for the Focus.

So, while I don't expect my Focus to be trouble free, I do think it will be decent. My wife and I have enjoyed ours so far.

BTW: I've rented an Elantra before, and while I was pleasantly surprised by the car, I like the Focus better.

buggywhip

The Elantra is a heckuva deal for the money. And truthfully, I think it looks less "econobox" than the Focus hback, though I prefer the hback utility. (The Focus sedan is far more stately.)...........but I would never buy a Korean upper-entry-level car. It's caused some controversy before when I said it, but I'm convinced that Korean entry-level cars are merely Japanese cars from 7-10 yrs ago. I assert that South Korea buys the older technology, adds some upscale styling, loads the resulting cars with lotsa features, then quasi-dumps them on our shores at unfairly low prices. How else do you explain a car with power-everything AND side airbags for barely $12.5k???..........that's why the Focus is such an important auto. It's an upper-entry-level American car and it needs our support. The Cavalier is a hopeless dinosaur, cramped and noisy. The Neon has a bad rep, perhaps undeserved. Only the Focus, with its superior design and dynamics, and multiple itinerations, can compete against the Elantra.

vocus

The Focus' powertrain warranty is now 100K miles like the Elantra's, so that should make your decision easier. The basic warranty is almost half as much though.

Also, Edmunds did a long-term test of an Elantra stick as well, and they really liked the car alot.

lngtonge18

One word....cheap labor. Although the stronger American dollar plays a part as well. I don't think Hyundai is being unfair in their pricing. It's simple economics at work. Nothing wrong with a little competition to keep the Americans on their toes

buggywhip

Competition is fine, IF it's a level playing field. If "simple economics" always ruled, then every car co. in the US would relocate to Mexico. There comes a breaking point when US labor cannot compete with cheap foreign labor.