Ford Focus Sedan

riswami

Provide some specifics about assembly problems. I have a 93 Escort Wagon (129k) and a 97 Taurus. No problems with either.

I take it you own a Mazda. I love it when people post and ask how much Mazda content is in a Ford product. First thing Ford controls Mazda, second their products are not superior.

The Focus is a good design and a good value. I personally feel when comparing to Toyota, Mazda, Honda and Nissian that the car holds it own. If you listen to some people the above mentioned brands never need repair. That's a bunch of bull!

tomcat630

I drive a Ford Contour, and I could care less what "know it all's" think. Drive what you like and never mind the mouthy "you should'a bought a....". MYOB!

Just like when you tell "know it all's" how much you paid, they alawys say, "My dog-sitter got one $50.00 cheaper."

Yes, Corollas are "highly rated" by CR, but do I care? NADA. I want to enjoy driving, not "fit in" with the "conformist consumer culture".

If, and when, I am ready to get a new car, I will buy what I want, not what I "should" get. Sure, some cars are reliable, but it's like the proverbial saying for dates, "they have a great personality!"

hiwaysanity

I only buy what people tell me to buy, and then I pay an extra $50 just to be sure! If I'm lucky, it will fit in with the conformist consumer culture. I just want to fit in!!!

dp12

It's been a while since I've driven a Focus... I'm really starting to miss all the fun...... my Protege is great reliable transportation, but it just aint quite as much FUN as that Focus was... the handling was so crisp I actually LOVED taking my life in my hands every time I stepped on the gas and the engine groaned "Awww, not again...ooohkaay, lettt''s go...." Dang...if I could have only taken it out on the country hills and curves where there are no other cars to worry about....

ilovemyfocus

Here are some reasons that helped me make my decision to by my zts.
After driving ALL the cars in the same size class I narrowed my selection to the Protege, Elantra, and Focus.
Notice that Corolla and Civic were not even in the running? I've owned a Toyota Tercel and loved that little car. I've also have owned a Civic and loved that car as well. But my needs were different this time. If I was single I probably would have bought another Civic. It just felt to cramped. I wasn't comfortable driving it. Since my commute is an hour long that is very important to me. I didn't like the styling of the Corolla and it to felt small inside. Plus my wife kept hitting her head getting out of the car. (she's 5'10")
I liked the Elantra for the features that you would get for the price, the 10 year warranty, the styling, and the way the drive felt. In the end I wasn't comfortable with the build quality. There are no dealers close to me and running to get the car fixed would be a pain 10 year warranty or not.
We had a bad experience on our first test drive with the Protege. We hate it when the salesman insists on going along for the test drive. We feel inhibited in our discussion of the car. However this was dealer policy and we had no choice. Our salesman had been wearing a bottle of cologne and my wife is allergic to fragrance. He had us go up a busy street and back down to the dealer. Top speed in traffic, 10 mph. I had to beg him to let me take it into a parking lot do do some turns and braking.
However I really wanted to give the Protege another chance. I drove a half hour to another dealer. Over all it is a great car bought there were a couple of things that I didn't like. The ride was mushy in turns and the cruise control lever was in an awkward spot. Believe it or not that was the thing that pushed me over the edge. The cruise control lever. Get in one and see. There is very little room between the lever and the steering wheel so my knuckles kept hitting it. The designers must have very small hands. My wife was also uncomfortable in the car although she was reluctant to say so because she knew that initially I really like the car.
After going on a second test drive with the Focus (different dealer, had a bad experience with the first one as well), the choice for us was clear. We love our focus.
Though let me add my disclaimer. Every one has different needs. Edmunds editors loved the Sentra. As soon as we sat in one we didn't like it. Toooo small.

ilovemyfocus

Sorry you had such a rough time shopping for a Focus. Whenever I walk into a dealership and a salesmen approaches a feel the hairs go up on the back of my neck. It is a shame that quite a few bad apples have spoiled our shopping experience. Fortunately for us knowledge is power and the internet has turned the tables around. Now when I walk into a dealer I have two pages of info. All the wholesale prices of the car and options, a list of all the features, and quotes from on-line dealers. I don't flaunt these pages but I do refer to them walk looking at the car. The salesman never gets to look at my info. 90% of the time I know more about the car than they do. It's great fun to be able to correct the salesman about what features come with the car and very disarming for them. I visited three dealers before deciding on which one I would use. I almost bought a car using driveoff.com. Driveoff gives you an instant quote for your car. You buy your car from a dealer but they have done the haggling for you.
Once I knew which car I wanted and the features, I figured out what would be a good price and called my salesman on the phone. It was a lot easier for me that way. He accepted 200 over invoice. I probably could have haggled more but I was happy with that price.
By the way. Though I liked my salesman (Rich, Freehold Ford, in case you live in Jersey). What is more important is the service department. Drive as far as you have to to buy your car but any ford dealer will service your car.

davidivey

Any comments on the comfort of the Focus leather seats?

dp12

Leather Seats? Hate 'em. Dealer had a ZTS I liked except for the leather seats. They were clammy. They were COLD. My butt slid all over 'em. As for long-term comfort, sorry. Didn't want to sit in them long enough for a test drive, much less any kind of a trip. Cloth seats are just fine. And they're $700 bucks cheaper too!!

cnollkamper

i have Leather seats in my ZTS, And i love them. Admittedly the quality isnt The best, but the car is under 19 grand, so i am very willing to accept that. the wear has been good, and the seams are fine. The color has stayed the same and spills wipe easily (But watch out for windex, it can do a number on leather if it spills and isnt wiped immediately) all in all i am very happy with the choice of leather.
Chris
proud 2k ZTS 5spd owner

auto31

I have a 2000 white ZTS with beige leather seating surfaces. I do not slip on the leather seating (I'm 105 pounds). In zero degrees Celsius weather the seats feel cold and clammy, but the car sure heats up fast (in five minutes it feels like a sauna). I have been wearing leather gloves to drive since December because the leather wrapped steering wheel feels icy in cold weather. I LOVE MY LEATHER SEATS. They look classy!

dblenickler

I own a 2000 Focus ZX3. I'm going to trade very soon. Some car history: I've owned two Mazda Protege's (one was a 323 actually), and an assortment of Nissans, Hondas and Subarus. The best value to date has been the 93 ProtegeLX w/ DOHC pkg that now has 160K plus miles. I grew up on Fords and Chevys that we don't want to talk about. I even owned a Honda 600 Sport Coupe in California in the 70's.
I have enjoyed the posts about Mazda versus Ford - but then I remember fordvschevy, honda versus ...BTW Hondas had Horrible quality problems when they were first imported but they were CHEAP. Back to NOW... The ZX3 is going to be a great car in the future-maybe I just got a (near) lemon. Less than 9K on the car in 13 mos.and it has had to have the steering rack replaceded and a NEW dashpod ( the entire instrument cluster) plus all the recalls ( I've lost count). SO why am I telling you all this?
My question to you folks... )...I can a 01 Focus with traction control, stability control and ABS for roughly $15.6K or I can get an 01 ZTS comparably equipped for about $16.7k, and yet I am seriously considering an 01 Protege ES. Why should I go for the ZTS ( or ZX3)?

cnollkamper

Both Choices are fine in my opinion, The Protege..especially the 2001 ES is a fine car..and very tempting with the upgrades this year. The Focus , which I own (ZTS 5speed) is a fantastic car. I have driven the Protege, and I like it, but it is not roomy enough up front..the windshield comes too close to my head, and i am 6ft 1inch..its hard to avoid. The driving dyanamics are great. But in that arena The Focus has the more refined feel..which is important in the horrible city streets i live in, and when needed it will carve corners quite nicely without making any fuss about it (better seat bolsters are needed here). So It all matters on your gut feelings my friend. Do you want more comfort or more sport?

lapwarren

We bought our 2001 Focus last September. Within a week it was back in the shop for an intermittent non-starting problem. I'd turn the key, the dash would light up, but the car wouldn't even try to start. After 10 days in the shop, trying to replicate the problem, they finally did; replaced a starter relay and found that a fuse wasn't seated correctly.

Now the same thing started happening again, three times in two days. The car is back in the dealership; the mechanic claims that the other problems were fixed, and he still can't even reproduce the problem. Has anyone else gone through this, who might be able to shed some light? Thanks - Lynne

hiwaysanity

betcha a buck it's either the starter transmission interlock, or an alarm interlock.

piglover

On Tuesday, I finally bought a Focus SE. In Nov. 1999 I rented one on two occasions and liked it. Loved the room in the trunk and the back seat had more room than a Corolla. The written reviews were pretty good. The day I bought the Focus, I wanted to see the Hyundai Elantra. You get a lot for the money and the 10 year/100,000 mi. powertrain warranty and 6yr/60,000 mi.warranty is very enticing. If I didn't get a Focus, I might have gotten this car.
I'm going to have the dealer put on mudflaps. Is it a good idea to get a bra to protect the front. I figure with the slope of the hood a bra would protect from flying pebbles. Or is the bra's main purpose to make the car look good? Any comments?
Louie

ccroke

Well everybody this is my last entry. I traded my Focus in on Monday for a Subaru Outback. The quality issues were TIRESOME. I do not regret my decision at all. Ford put out an excellent design. The quality issues are criminal however. Even the sales rep who sold me the car stated that the Taurus and Ford trucks are the only cars saving Ford. People are getting scared of the Focus and the Escape. In the year 2000, I would think cars would not suffer from quality issues as the Focus has. I am not bitter. Good luck with your cars. Shame on Ford!

krandall3

My husband and I recently purchased a 2000 Ford Focus. We had chose to buy a Focus because of the roominess, price, and supposed reliability of a Ford car. I have yet to really feel comfortable with the car. About a week after buying the car an exhaust/emissions light came on. The owners manual said it was probably just bad gas, and to run "quality" gas through the car for 3 fill-ups. We called our dealer when after that the light still did not go out, and they reset the light and said to bring it back in if we had further problems. Of course, a few weeks later we had the same problem with the light, but before we could take it in we had another problem. The key would only go halfway into the ignition. I was on the way to my parents house over a hundred miles away, traveling with my month old son. I had to call the roadside assistance and wait until the next day to have it towed to the local dealer. Luckily, I had a place to stay with some family in the area. The dealer then told me that it would take up to the next week to fix the car and that a rental car was NOT covered under my warranty. I was supposed to wait for up to 5 days for my car to be fixed. After my husband called the Ford Co. they called the dealer and arranged for a rental car. That was over a week ago and I am still driving that rental car. Please someone tell me your experiences, good or bad, or offer some advice, I am at a loss for what to do.

hkoenen2

Krandall3

Yes, I agree we all made a mistake when we purchased a Ford Focus and I will certainly not buy another Ford product. I have 2 more years till the warranty expires and with any luck can sell it at that time. I am currently waiting on three different parts that are on back order for my car and it has been in the shop for a total of 18 problems in the 14 months and 11000 miles I have had it. Ask any dealer service department and they will tell you that they are having a huge number of problems with the Focus and that parts are still hard to get for them.
But I guess I have been lucky so far none of my problems has left me stranded. Let's hope it stays that way.

mike348

I am under under the impression that the Focus is mechanically nearly identical to the Escort. Is this a good generalization?

I am considering the Focus because of my excellent experience with the Escort (135k miles, no troubles). Its hard to tell if the problems I am reading about here are because they sell so many Fords or if these cars are particularly trouble prone. Where can I get statistics on this stuff?

hotx3

Mistake?-I don't agree with hkoenen that we ALL feel it's a mistake, but Ford has learned a lesson or two about quality. It's been a good car for me (2000LX) other than the recalls.
I've been having the same problem with the engine light. Others traced it to a loose gas cap, but my engine has been running rough, especially when cold (live in Chicago). The first time, I switched gas stations, and the light eventually went out. This time, it's more persistent. Could it be something besides bad gas? Is this car more sensitive to gas than most? Is there crud in the injectors? Would a higher octane help? What's the dealer going to do when I take it in? (I've resisted because he's hinted that it will not be covered under warranty.)Any ideas from the mechanically inclined???
Mike - the engine is the same, and that's about it. The reviewers like the room and handling much better than the Escort. Most of the "Focus frustrated" crowd on this site bought 2000's, or just have a thing against Fords.

vadp

"...or just have a thing against Fords."
What thing? Ford produced another unreliable car is the only thing.
Don't waste your money. Check the lemon law statistics and judge for yourself.

hotx3

Could you be a little more specific? Where are these found?

vadp

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/ocp/lemreport/table.htm#cbtex

http://www.asktherep.com/ then go to the "score board"

http://www.carconsumers.com/2000.html

hotx3

Interesting website, but not as damning of Ford as your post would suggest. I take it you've been burned? For those who don't wander to those sites, Ford did worse than GM, but better than about five other makers. Both sites caution that these are not research quality numbers.
- Don

mike348

The New Jersey site is a good web site hosted by a state agency, which makes it credible. Its a little tough to get recent data because they roll a 10 year average.

Ask the rep only reports cases, does not factor in sales rates. Un-useable information.

The CARS site is hosted by an organization that claims to be the largest consumer organization. I've never heard of them before, but I have heard of Consumers Union and Consumer Reports.

I trust the Consumer Reports data. CR usually rates Ford average for quality problems.

If you want to know about a quality problem and a poor arbitration process, see the NJ site. If you want to know about reliability, see Consumer Reports.

zandor

The Focus is what we computer geeks like me would call a ".0" version. Ie- a major redesign. The first model year tends to have a lot more bugs. Just look at the recall lists. All those recall items & a lot more stuff they've found about from thier dealers doing warranty work will get fixed. Most of it's probably already been fixed for the 2001 models. The Focus may or may not be a top quality car once the bugs get worked out. About all we can really expect is that it's very unlikely that it won't improve in later model years.

Automakers rushing to get something out the door to meet a demand doesn't help matters any. Ford was likely in a particularly big rush to get the Escape and Focus to market. The Escape because it's a small SUV and Ford wanted a piece of that pie, and the Focus because they wanted to dump the slow selling Contour and wanted a replacement.

Other companies are guilty of this as well. Take the Mercedes-Benz ML320 for example. I've got a Consumer Reports magazine laying around showing it's first model year to have more problems than anything else in the magazine.
If I remember right, the ML320 was not only a new model but was also produced in a new plant in a country (USA) where MB had never built cars before.

Mike

krandall3

Thanks for all the info and your thoughts re. the Focus. Anyone know of a reliable web site with info on the lemon laws for Ca? To this day I am still cruising around in the rental car which is a Kia Sephia. Only thing good about it is that it is running.

vadp

http://www.lemon-car.com/calemonlaw.html

mrihs

I read that someone on the board was considering a Ford Focus, who currently owns an Escort. I was in the same boat you were. A few weeks ago, I bought a Ford Focus, and I'll tell you the reasons I did. (Please consider that I also looked at the Mazda Protege, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra GXE, Mitsubishi Mirage, and the Honda Civic).

One of my main concerns with the Focus was the recall issue. I extensively looked for people with problems with their 2001 Focuses, but noticed none. As with all cars, the first year of an automobile always has bugs, and should be avoided. Being the 2nd year in America for the Focus, there have been no reports as of yet.

Price (value) is another reason I bought a Focus. I admit that I, overall, preferred the look and drive of the Protege over the Focus. However, Ford gave me more goodies for less money. The Sentra was cheaper, with a GXE, but did not include a spoiler, or a 2.0 Liter engine, or fog lamps. The Focus SE Sports Package did.

Convenience was the final selling point. I could have gotten an Elantra for far less, but what if I do have a breakdown? What about parts? If an import breaks down, will they have the part right away? With Ford, I know they can get me the part much faster.

I also owned an Escort for eleven years. The car was great. I had very few problems with it. It had 106,000 miles. I traded it in, and got a couple hundred dollars more for the trade-in at the Ford dealer than the other dealers were willing to offer for the car.

I would suggest you shop around, and really think it over. If this is your first new car purchase (like mine), you're likely to have to pay higher APR. Take that into account, too. If it's your second new car purchase, the imports may offer a better APR, and a better deal.

Good luck!

vadp

http://www.autonews.com/html/main/stories/pjones129.htm

cnollkamper

I have had a good experience overall with my 2000 ZTS. The Engine and running condition overall is flawless. The Only troubles I have had are ongoing and relate to the brakes...just noise and warped rotors (but otherwise VERY effective) . The rest of the car is great, I have to say that I also owned a 1999 Escort ZX2, And it was actually better as far as Overall quality is concerned but it was in the market for years before i got one. Also In my opinion the Websites referenced above are not very good resources for anything...and as a side note to GM loyalists and anyone else..The GM companies should be added together and compared to Ford, as Ford sells more under that nameplate..and GM has a few more that are spread out under Pontiac Buick Cadillac Chevy GMC Olsdmobile Saturn (if you want to get technical
) add them all up...and thats a little more like it.

vadp

" Also In my opinion the Websites referenced above are not very good resources for anything..."

schmide10

... are pretty useless, and they even admit it...

----------

http://www.asktherep.com/ says: "I thought this information would be interesting. Please don't ask me to give you specifics on any name plates.. I don't have time to track that information. Keep in mind.. this is unscientific and shouldn't represent the overall quality of these products." <--- this site was a particularaly humorous example of 'worthwhile information'...

--

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/ocp/lemreport/table.htm#cbtex says: "This measure, taken alone, can be misleading, and the Lemon Law Unit cautions citizens not to conclude that a high number of complaints equals greater frequency of lemons. It would be reasonable to expect that a manufacturer which sells significantly more cars than another would have more complaints filed against it than would the company to which it was being compared....General Motors and Ford fell somewhere in the middle. General Motors had one complaint for every 1,406 new cars registered and Ford had one for every 1,037."

---

And the carconsumers site just links to a bunch of other sites, including consumer reports...

As always, let the buyer beware... that means in the case of watching out for the manufacturers, salespersons, and jaded persons...

schmide10

... are pretty useless, and they even admit it...

----------

http://www.asktherep.com/ says: "I thought this information would be interesting. Please don't ask me to give you specifics on any name plates.. I don't have time to track that information. Keep in mind.. this is unscientific and shouldn't represent the overall quality of these products." <--- this site was a particularaly humorous example of 'worthwhile information'...

--

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/ocp/lemreport/table.htm#cbtex says: "This measure, taken alone, can be misleading, and the Lemon Law Unit cautions citizens not to conclude that a high number of complaints equals greater frequency of lemons. It would be reasonable to expect that a manufacturer which sells significantly more cars than another would have more complaints filed against it than would the company to which it was being compared....General Motors and Ford fell somewhere in the middle. General Motors had one complaint for every 1,406 new cars registered and Ford had one for every 1,037."

---

And the carconsumers site just links to a bunch of other sites, including consumer reports...

As always, let the buyer beware... that means in the case of watching out for the manufacturers, salespersons, and jaded persons...

vadp

It seems you never heard about the liability disclaimers.

jnmartin

I remember seeing a posting that had tips for keeping the trim black when waxing. Am looking for a prevention technique and/or one that helps if there is already a problem. My service guy told me that once wax gets on the trim, it will never come off and won't be black again.

cnollkamper

Its not true,you can keep your trim black.
1. BE CAREFUL! You can avoid getting wax on the trim and windshield washer nozzles by using a smaller applicator and more care.
2. If you do get some, I use Mothers "Back to Black"
It works well, its cheap and is available at most decent auto parts stores.
3. I didnt mention above that you should scrub the trim a little if you did get wax on it, to loosen the particles on cause it to fall if easier . Toothbrushes are great for this.
4. Somewhere a while back i saw someone talking about Peanut butter as a remedy. I dont know how this works.
5.Another recommendation is Black Magic, in the Thick Silicone version (not the spray for tires) I have had good results with this too.

jnmartin

thanks for the advice on the trim, I too can not fathom why someone would put peanut butter on their car.... but to each his own.

I'll look at the local auto parts stores this weekend. thanks again.

cnollkamper

You are very welcome.
8-)

dcsupporter1

I don't really like the Focus. I think it is an ugly car. I would rather get Chrysler's Neon R/T.

vocus

To buy a car solely on looks is not a smart thing to do. You should also consider price, safety, performance, and reliability. While the Neon R/T will outpower any Focus, it's not as reliable as the Focus is. While neither one is the reliability king respectively, I would trust the Focus over a Neon. My roommate has a 2000 Neon ES with 23.5K on it, and it's been in the shop 10 different times, with something else different each and every time.

Once the Focus gets the bugs worked out, it will be a great choice (is it happening yet with the 2001s?). But until then, I would have to say to look elsewhere for cheap, reliable wheels.

mervay2

I have read with interest in this forum about several people having problem with water leaking into the right front passenger floor. I was hoping My Focus would be and exception. Wrong. After a hard nights rain I jumped in the car and found 1 1/2" of water. I called the Ford dealer and they said it was a known problem and to date they hace been successful in correcting it. I take it in tomorrow. Hope the fix works! Other than this problem I have had 7500 troublefree miles. I like the car a lot.

fdthird

You know, if you read this and other forums you really think the Focus is a rotten car. The percentage of complaints far out weighs those who praise the car.

My problem with this thinking is that Ford sold over 200,000 2000 Focus and it would seem to me that there must be a large percentage of folks out there who love their Focus and never say anything on these boards.

It always seems that when someone hates something (a car, a movie, a tv show, a radio host) they are very vocal and let all know their feelings. People who like things never seem to write letters. Remember the silent majority???

FDIII

hiwaysanity

It's Ford that screwed me, and so far they haven't lured me back.

phowell1

My 2001 is exellent except for the gas mileage which is the only reason I bought the car in the first place. I am getting 18 to 20 in town and the most on a trip25. That is terrible for a small car like this. I have the regular engine not the ztec. It was rated at 27 AND 33 MPG

piglover

I just purchased a Ford Focus SE and have been offered an extended warranty of 6 years/75000 miles for $880. I drive about 6000 miles a year. The Ford Basic warranty brochure looks comprehensive (engine, transmission, electrical, front wheel drive, air conditioning, brakes, rear wheel drive, front suspension and steering) of course normal wear and tear is not included. If I can get this coverage for $800 is it worth it? After all it does give one peace of mind.
Louie

fdthird

Louie,

Like the car, these warranties have a MSRP and then a real world price. They too are negotiable.

piglover

The manual for the 2001 Focus says the vehicle is designed to use 87 octane fuel, and nothing lower and not to be concerned if the engine knocks lightly. Does anyone see any problem with using 89 octane every so often; or is it better to stick with one grade of gas?
Louie

tboner1965

Here is the scoop on octane, it is a measure of a fuels RESISTANCE to ignition. So a higher octane fuel is harder to burn and contains less energy than a lower octane fuel.

Unless you have an engine that is designed to run on high octane, or experience severe knocking or pinging, you probably don't need to use a higher grade fuel.

Too much high octane fuel can result in more carbon deposits in your engine.

So, if it were my car, I would run it on the lowest octane fuel that it can safely burn.

Cheers,

TB

bobby32

Hi louie: With reference to an extended warranty, is your $880.00 offer for the premiumcare or the extracare policy? The extracare has less coverage, so you should read each policy. Remember that it is not what they tell you they cover, but what is not covered that is important.Both plans have a $100.00 deductible. The list prices for the plans are $1225.00 for the premiumcare and $1020.00 for the extracare, so you are getting a discount on one of them. Let me know how you decide. P>S> the ford extended warranty must be used at Ford only. BOB