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Comments
KicKMan1 is on to something: some people do have a genuine mileage problem - I'm one of them, and I don't drive an automatic. My 5 up gets about 19.5 mpg in mixed driving with the AC and 22 in mixed driving without. It seems to me that the mileage is not only low, but that the AC makes too big a difference. As much as I like the package, I feel I made a mistake buying the car, because if I had known about the mileage, I would probably have bought something else.
Unfortunately KicKMan1, I'm afraid Ford's going to point to the fine print and say "mileage varies - tough luck." When I wrote owner connection about the problem, I got back some idiotic boiler plate about car pooling or using public transit to save gas. However, I wish you luck and I'll watch the site. Let me know if I can be of any help.
Brakes :-|
Since our recent cold spell in the Houston area, until they warm up, my brakes have been squeaking when I come to a complete stop.
Exhaust (non)Tip :-)
I took a different approach to my exhaust pipe. Rather than decorating it, I decided to camouflage it (and the ugly muffler hanging out under the bumper). I masked it with newspaper and sprayed it with BB (high-heat black paint). It looks great (by not being obvious) and has held up well.
Etc.
The difference I've noticed between Ford and Honda (my last car was a 90 Integra) is that Ford cares only about moving units and doesn't give a **** about customer satisfaction - apparently they don't understand the relationship between customer satisfaction and repeat business. I really wish that Acura marketed a package like the Focus - then I'd have the best of both worlds. (Hondaphobes please spare me - notice that I bought the Focus, and for the record, I probably would have bought a WV Golf otherwise - the Civic just wasn't the package I wanted).
Later gang...
80 hwy./20city. not too shabby. suspension is soft but not at the expense of good road feel. soaks up bumps quite nicely,very stable in
the corners,especially good , given the tall profile.the ride i dig,the recalls, well lets say it may be a record setter.
Furthermore, please tell me where Ford "promises" 31mpg... Ford never promised that to me, never promised it to YOU, and never promised it to ANYBODY. Those numbers are arrived at by the EPA, not FORD, in controlled conditions and are considered to be an ideal. If you think that the number on the window when you buy the car is indicative of what you will get, then you didn't read the fine print, which is that MILEAGE WILL VARY depending upon conditions... For instance, if you drive like John Force you will get crappy mileage. If anything, the mileage numbers on the window are merely for comparison purposes, like the numbers hanging off of refrigerators and air conditioners at your local appliance store. Ford can report those numbers arrived at by an independent government agency in its' advertising, and that doesn't constitute a promise on their part that you will actually OBTAIN that mileage. Using your logic, you also won't be injured in a head-on crash since the Focus has a 5-star safety rating (arrived at in DOT testing) for the driver and front passenger, right? And owners of Jeep Cherokees can expect that they can drive on the roof of their homes, because THAT appears in Jeep advertisements, right?
Those who wonder how the EPA testing process works, and what it really means to YOU, may wish to go to the following website...
www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/info.shtml
And speaking of laying off the skinny pedal, you (kickman) might also want to lay off the condescending attitude you direct towards those who simply have the "bad" fortune to be getting good mileage. Just because I am happy with my car, I don't feel some strange need to "justify my purchase" by making up incorrect fuel mileage numbers to impress other other ZX3 owners, as you clearly are accusing people of. I also don't need to resort to name-calling, no matter how tame the name-calling happens to be. I can sit here and read all manner of complaints about the car, but neither I nor any of the rest of us needs to be personally attacked and accused of lying. "Denial", indeed.
But then... I'm a "know-it-all", right?
That having been said, I am intensely curious to see what the outcome of your meeting with the FoMoCo rep happens to be. I'd love to see what they have to say about this. Frankly, I'm amazed that they're even meeting with you based upon the nature of your claim.
Drive safely, everyone,
SHOV6
SHOV6, you said a mouth full!! I just wish people wouldnt frown so much on this car. It has its problems, but nothing major, and all hopefully will come to a better ending.
as for me, I am installing some racing style pedals for better foot grip. I guess you can figure it out that I like to drive fast. I need to take it easy, though I love to take this car through Turbo Canyon, lots of fun in California!!
Well off to work, Fun in the sun!!
I have to disagree with the assertion that I stand on the gas. I'm pushing 40; have a wife and two kids and no long look to get squirrelly in 3rd gear. My driving is, as I've indicated before, highway only and at speeds no greater than 65 mph (traffic won't allow it). That being said, there has to be a better explanation than revving the engine to achieve it's intended performance. I'm not looking to perform. It's a 2.0 liter engine, pulling around a 2k pound car. I got better mileage in my Mitsu Montero Sport.
I knew the "promise" would wake you up. But rather than bore you with legalese (I work in the law field), I'll tell you that the product defect cases that I've litigated, have concluded that specific advertisements can indeed be construed as a promise. Ever notice why you don't see commercials about a car's specific performance anymore? It's because they often times can't back that up.
Anyway, no offense meant in my previous post. I just don't want others with the same problem to be discouraged from persuing a legitimate issue.
Have a nice one.
My car has not had any problems to speak of. I would think that ford has worked out the quality and manufacturing problems out by now.
Hope you enjoy your car!
the mileage.i have deliberately attempted to drive as efficiently as
possible and have never been able to top 29.5 mpg. i have a 5spd. im
ok with my current mpg but i had expected better. as you stated this is
only a 2.0 not an suv. are you aware of any studies done on the green
gas re-form. fuel in regards to performance? would mpg suffer from
use of this fuel? i live in the philly area and it is used year round. i
know it gives me a wicked headache at times. i understand some states have now banned the use of it. actually,i have heard it is being proven
to have harmful effects to local water supplies.
I wish I knew who was lieing, the dealer or the factory. Luckily I only have to do this crap every five years or so.
Despite the recalls (minor I'd say) this is a great little car. I'm amazed at the ride for a 2,500 pound scooter. And the handling is incredible once the thing takes a set in the corners. This is the first front driver I've every driven that feels like a rear wheel drive car in a fast corner (and I used to hunt backroads in my Mustang GT and spent most of the time coming around corners doorhandle first with the tires on fire). It still doesn't feel like 130 horse power to me....the engine just doesn't rev freely or something? Hopefully I can get the driveability problem cured. Then I'll be happy with my purchase. Happy motoring....Jeff
1st of all, it seems that some Foci are making 103-105 hp at the wheels and others are making 111-113hp at the wheels. I bet this can count for the differing MGP.
2nd of all, shift at 6000rpm for best performance. I now do this when I want speed and DAMN is it a rush, very nice!
Does anyone know if the shift knob from the Focus SE Sport sedan will fit our shifter??
Jimmy
"You make some good points, you still missed the reason behind the Focus. It's different, yet extremely competitive with the Civic -- no matter how you try to slice it. In this Honda-dominated market, it's refreshing to see a car company like Ford come along and challenge the top dog and with a product that is very capable. Hey, with the size of the Focus aftermarket growing in leaps and bounds, expect to see MUCH MORE of this platform in this mag."
Kickman, you can consider the hatchet buried, if indeed there ever WAS a hatchet. I was a little ornery the other night and didn't really mean to get so agressive in my response to your post, but it just came out wrong.
Jimmyfocus, I am not at all surprised to hear about the variances between individual cars, at least as far as HP is concerned. A few HP one way or the other is considered normal and within the "allowable" tolerances expected of a mass-produced car, which anyone who has a long history of reading car mags will attest. Magazine testers often wonder if the car they are testing is either a "ringer" or a "dud" based upon performance testing numbers that seem out of whack with the power/torque/weight/gearing/atmospheric conditions mix that existed on the day that they hooked up their fifth wheel... I don't think 5hp one way or the other is anything to get excited about, unless of course you are one of the unfortunates that ends up with something on the LOW end of the scale! Ford has had this issue arise before, as I recall they claimed the old Mustang 5.0 (really a 4.9, but who's counting?) made 225hp for a number of years, and then all of a sudden they claimed it made 205hp for the '93 (??) model year. They said something like "different testing procedures" were responsible for the downward change, even though the engine was exactly the same as it had been in previous years. MY guess is that it was right before they changed over to the 4.6 OHC engine and they wanted to say that the new engine was just as powerful as the old one, which by the way, it WASN'T.
Peterzan, it sounds like you are waaaay ahead of the game, mileage-wise. I am doing better than most here, but certainly not as well as you... And I do feel your pain when it comes to the straight-line performance of the car. Those that have read my prior posts or know what "SHOV6" stands for don't need to be told, but for those who DO, my old car was a 3300lb Taurus with a 5spd and a 220hp 3-liter six. The acceleration of the Focus simply can't compare... But... The MILEAGE does, disturbingly enough. I averaged 22-25 overall and 28-31 on the highway, depending upon the state of tune and the nature of the highway. The best I ever did was 33mpg, which corresponded to a 570 mile range on one tank with some left to spare. Please, people, don't ever try this with your Focus LOL!!! It is a little odd that 10 years of automotive engineering leaves us with a car that weighs 800lbs less, has an engine down a full liter of displacement, and is down 90hp on my old car... yet gets about the same mileage. Odd, indeed.
Sport Compact Car... I didnt' know they had branched out and away from practically being an arm of Honda Motor Co. I'd purchased an issue of that mag way back when I had my Jetta and needed the magazine for the ads (most of those Honda performance shops sell VW stuff as well), but I didn't figure they'd "stoop" to the level of doing articles on FORDS. Go figure... Maybe I'll look it over.
Anyhoo, gotta run. Work beckons!
SHOV6
I'm ignorant about the re-form. fuel. We don't use it here in Minn. (at least I don't think we do).
I'd also have to agree with Peterzen in that these are great little cars.
Just wish it used "little" gas.
Bygones, absolutely. Life's too short otherwise.
SHOV6
www.epa.gov/otaq/rfg.htm
Have fun...
SHOV6
for the service advisor. guess what? he cant read! you probably already
knew that anyway. heres the deal, please do not do the trim recall, i
only am bringing this car in for state inspection and emissions only.
also, the hood cable and latch were in, yo! wheres the little handle to
pull? backorder! the trim was replaced, butcher job! also, they did
some kind of reprogramming of engine codes. ill cut it short here, they
are still rubbing their ears. im not mad,im smiling.im not mad,im smiling......im .........
Please help..what should i do?....i'll be taking it to the dealer on monday...has anybody had this problem before? And who can i write to be able to get a new ZX3?
thank you ...pls response.
Just topped off today after a 280-mile hwy trip and 30 miles of in-town driving... Stop, go, stop, go, accelerate hard, etc. 310 miles and 10.1 gallons with a lot of extra squirting when the pump had finished... Maybe an extra 8/10 gal. on top of what the pump figured was "full". So, at worst, I did just over 30mpg. The trip was up the bulk of the Taconic St. Pkwy in NY, which is twisty-turny and uphill/downhill through the Catskill Mountains and the foothills of the Adirondacks later, so it was pretty hilly. I reckon it could do another 1 or 2mpg if it was flat... This is at 1225 miles on the odo, by the way.
Dang, this IS a cool little car. I guess I should count myself as lucky that I didn't go for the 2000 model, though, from the look of things.
SHOV6
Anyone know anything more about this. Link to a page with more info??
Can one read it online? What's the URL?
Thanks,
Mike
www.nhtsa.gov/ncap/cars/2000Cmpt.html
What you will find is that the Focus received 5/5 stars for head-on for both front seats, 4/5 stars for front seat side impact, and 1/5 stars for REAR seat side impact. Keep in mind that all these ratings are not absolute, they are only comparable across cars of equivalent weight... And as I recall that means +/- 400lbs. So... One could reasonably expect that a 1-star rating in the rear seat for a compact car is much, MUCH worse than a 3-star rating in the rear seat for something like a Ford Crown Vic (not that that car actually did receive 3 stars, it is just for the sake of argument).
I guess the lesson here is to stay out of the back seat...
SHOV6
SHOV6
Could it be possible that the ZX3 report is so new that it doesn't appear on the NHTSA web site, but it appears in a printed version of CR?
Anyone know anything more about this?
til next time
Kevin
I'm new to this board and hope you might be able to help. My 2000 ZX3 starts vibrating once I hit about 45 MPH and does so more annoyingly above 60 MPH. I've taken it to the dealer three times where they've unbalanced my wheels, rebalanced them, and finally told me they wasn't any problem. Yet my car still vibrates. My service advisor told me I simply wasn't used to driving a small car (even though I drove an 11 year old Nissan before this car) and that the vibration, which he didn't feel, was the small engine working. But why do I feel my engine working under my seat as well as under my feet?
Any way, I was wondering if this shaking is part of anyone else's ZX3 driving experience, or if anyone has had a similar problem that's been successfully resolved. I like my car, but this experience has been disheartening.
Thanks, Maria
I was surprised to see that Ford has added rear seat head restraints to the 2001 model. I remember this being a journalist's complaint since the euro focus has the restraints.
I was reading the manual and noticed that there is a cassette radio offered that has jacks for a CD changer....does anyone have this? It's very strange that it's in the manual. I would rather have a CD changer and a single cassette. The manual also says that the single CD model (the one I assumed shipped with all US Foci) is CD changer capable. Does anyone have this setup??
hve reported the good with the bad for the past year.it seems as though the majority are in agreement that the zx3 is a fine ride with some
issues to be worked out.its long term reliability is in question however.
many owners have experienced many problems in common. some are
minor,some potentially dangerous.so,as one passes a 1k without a hitch
they have reached a new milestone.i am disappointed about some of the
cheap parts that were sourced but im certain ford is paying dearly with
all the recalls and loss of customer confidence and loyalty of their future products. they only have themselves to blame.too bad because the
focus is agreat idea they has yet to be fully realized. despite what i have
just said, i always find the zx3 to be a remarkable driving experience .
im not giving it up,im riding out the storm.
fdanna... The rear head restraints come as a part of the side-impact airbag package. No other ZX3's have them, but perhaps some of the 4-doors have them. Furthermore, the cassette radio mentioned in the manual is found in the lesser models of the 4-doors and the wagons. The same manual is supplied to all Focii, thus the inclusion of the operation of the cassette stereo (the ZX3 is only available with the CD player, of course). I, too, noticed the inclusion of a CD changer capability with the in-dash CD player, but I wonder, "what's the point?" If you have one in the dash, don't spend the money on a CD changer, even if it's available. After having experience with two different brands of CD changer, I can tell you that they do a number on CD's... Scratches galore, courtesy of the transport mechanism. Stick with the in-dash player and be happy.
mdriver... It's mostly a response to all the posters here that have had bad experiences with THEIR ZX3's. Posting a "so far so good" message is simply to ward off the evil Focus Demons.
SHOV6
Does anyone now where I can purchase some hyper white, or plasma blue bulbs for my head lights???
I saw a sedan with them, and a zx3 the other day, but when I went to the dealer they said they didnt carry it? any help would be helpful?
I am so happy that I got good mpg, I new it wouldnt let me down. Now I feel bad for the people that are having crappy mileage! Well I wish i could help you all, but I cant! OOHh well I guess I am off, type to you guys later!!
OOh and keep on driving!! Happy times!!
KonaFocus
I remember a long time back people writing about the way the windshield washer fluid seems to just disappear. I've noticed the reason why mine does.
When I come to a stop, especially on a downhill incline, I've noticed fluid coming from underneath the left front corner of the vehicle. I knew that there shouldn't be any liquid coming from there, and upon inspection noticed that the inside front of the wheel well was covered with windshield washer fluid.
So I figure the cap isn't sealing tight enough to keep fluid from running out, if it's filled too high. Now I don't fill it as much, although I can never be sure exactly how much fluid is in the system at one time because I can't see the reservoir. I've only noticed this since the winter driving and I've been using the washer fluid more often. I don't think alot comes out at one time, but after repeated stops, this could be a reason for the premature? loss of fluid.
One other thing is that the cap seems to be awfully hard to pry off in order to put fluid in. Does anyone else have this problem? Is the cap the same on the new 2001 models too?(I assume the design is the same).
Maybe it's hard to pry off because my fingers are arthritic (or maybe I'm just getting old:). I guess I can't blame that on the car.
Charlie
it's been awhile since i was here...i'm one of the owners of the first edition focus zx3. i know that with any problems i come across i can rely on you guys. i hope none of you had this experience... when i stepped on my gas i was surprised that my tachometer when all the way to passed 4000 rpm without changing gear then i notice that my speedometer was not working then the mulfunction light went on, to top it off,the digital mileage counter went blank. it was like that for 2 miles then when it did changed gear the car will jerk. But after that 2 miles everything started working again. unfortunately, the mileage meter did not go back to zero. Not until today thesame problem occured but this time it's permanent, moreover beside the speedometer not working the gear does not change either. The rpm just kept going up while pressing the gas pedal...it felt like the car is having a hard time speeding since the gear is stationary to first or second (i'm not sure which one). i'm so mad..this car just turned a year old on january 3 2000. with 20,000 miles.
Please help..what should i do?....i'll be taking it to the dealer on monday...has anybody had this problem before? And who can i write to be able to get a new ZX3?
thank you ...pls response.
JAMER85, my advice is to do what you are doing, take the car in for a look see.
I guess I didn't make myself clear in my first post. There are two issues with the washer reservoir. The tightness of the seal and the clip that holds the cap down.
In my case, I think the seal is not real tight and that is how the washer fluid comes out when I really fill it to its limit.
The matter about the cap being too tight... I didn't explain that when I try to unclip the cap, the whole unit twists (rotates) so I need two hands to undo the cap. The seal around the top still doesn't completely stop the fluid from leaking out. And I also mentioned that my hands aren't as strong as they used to be, so the cap is hard enough to come off without it rotating too. I failed to mention that part.
Anyway, I don't plan on filling it so high, because if the fluid level is down a bit, then it doesn't leak over the top.
Sorry for not explaining more the first time. And I just wondered if anyone else had the problem, since it had been mentioned hundreds of posts back (months ago) that someone questioned the amount of fluid that they had to use and where was it disappearing.
Charlie
I still like the car, but NO MORE FORDS for me.