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Comments
My Focus ZTS had a transmission pan leak at 10,000 miles. When I took it into the dealership to get it fixed, they made up a bunch of excuses not to fix it until my standard warranty had run out.
Then they were more than happy to fix it for me. In the meantime, they made up a bunch of make believe problems such as a thermometer leak just so they can charge me more money. Ford dealers are crooks.
Another problem that will probably make the recall list soon is the fuel pump on the Focus. Apparently the fuel pump for the earlier models will die when the tank gets to 1/4 full. Had to have that changed out for $600.
My engine also had an engine seal leak at 20,000 miles. This results in a pretty dirty engine with dried motor oil powder along the seal edge.
Then of course there are the standard recall problems such as the rear bearing wearing out and making a loud noise before the rear tires fall off.
Finally, there are the el cheapo components that I had to upgrade to make my Focus more satisfactory. They are the cheap wiper blades that start squeaking at 5000 miles, the organic brake pads that produce more dust than an Iraqi sandstorm (replacd that with semi-metallic pads), the OEM tires which really don't deserve the traction rating of 'A' (replaced with Firehawk SH's which really grip the road), the battery that died after 2.5 years of use (replaced with Motocraft MAX's) and the gasket along the edge of the front headlamps that crack due to wind resistance.
Well, there still are things I like about my car :-) The Focus ZTS does have good acceleration and the trunk it pretty darn big. I use it to haul larger loads that my new Honda Civic Hybrid can't. Plus the Focus's steering wheel feels pretty substantial in my hands.
I really hope Ford has fixed all these issues. For the people who plan to buy a Focus, please look out for these problems. Maybe you can even get the dealer to promise in writing that these will not be an issue. Or if you can't, buy the extended warranty.
Hope this list helps future Ford Focus buyers. I certainly won't be one again.
10k miles, 0 recalls, 0 problems.
Does that include Civic made in OH and Altimas made in TN??? And since when did 3 GM cars represent all of the US industry?
Most cliched saying in the car world. Go buy a VW or Isuzu and see how much "quality" they have, (not).
Where is is stated in a news source that the Focus has the "worst track record in history"?
Yea, sure!!!
Please educate yourself. There is a lot of info on the net.
Frankly, your statements are getting increasingly ridicoulous.
I think it's safe to say that you're not going to buy the Focus. Then what's the purpose of your uninformed statements?
If you really wanna learn more about the Focus and its pro's and con's then go to the Focus forums.
There are not too many owners left on the Edmunds Focus threads simply because the most of them have migrated to those forums.(the biggest one is more than 10,000 member strong).
Again what's the purpose of your statements here since you have no idea of what you're talking about?
No thanks, I would rather 'Focus' on something else...
LOL
Vocus
'Found On Road Dead'
I always thought that your arguments could be way more intelligent.
It's been too long since I read it, I can't find it now. I am going to look for it though.
Exactly.
It's been too long since the article's been published. (not several months).
It mostly talks about the FoMoCo launching mistakes during the 2000 Ford Focus sedan launch at the Michigan plant.
Have you looked at the calendar lately? What would that article proove one way or another for a person who's considering purchasing the 2002-2003 model?
Also I should add that not all the 2000 Foci were assembled at that plant. Only the sedans and wagons.
On the other hand the hatchbacks (Focus ZX3 and ZX5) were and are still being assembled in the Hermosillo, Mexico plant and weren't having as many build quality problems as the early sedans.
LOL.
Be prepared to abandon the Mazda brand.
The next Focus and the Protege replacement (plus a Volvo model) will be based on the same platform.
O horrors!!!!! LOL
For the record the next Protege/Focus/V40 will be mostly Mazda in design, using Mazda engines too. Not so with the Mazda6, which is using a Mazda engine in the 4-cylinder model and a modified Ford Duratech V6 in the 6-banger. An engine which already is causing a rash of posts on the "Mazda6 problems" discussion because of Check Engine Lights that won't stop coming on.
I'm happy to have provided the link, but I have much admiration for Ford and its products. We almost bought a Focus ZX5 for my wife last year when she decided to buy a Protege5 instead. I say this despite the fact that I used to own a 1994 Mazda B2300 pickup truck, a rebadged Ford Ranger, which I bought new and took to the shop routinely, at least once a month, for the five grueling years I had to keep it to get out of an upside-down credit situation. And I have the pile of Mazda service receipts to prove it. It didn't help that I heard a lot about bad Ford-built Mazda 626 transmissions while I chatted with my fellow waiting-room inmates during the numerous truck visits.
That said, I hear the Duratech version they've been using in the MPV minivan for the past two years is proving very reliable. There's hope for Ford yet.
Meade
P.S. Paul, you forgot "Fixed Or Repaired Daily."
In addition, the Focus' reliablity has rated consistently below average. On top of that, resale is affected because no one wants to be stuck with one of these things. 3 strikes, and you're out dude.
I don't thing that you really wanna claim that the proven engine block designed with an input from Yamaha and Cosworth are somehow causing that?
Okay, if a car is under federal investigation for having so many problems within TWO years (not one, which I could possibly overlook due to first year flaws), why would anyone even think about buying one?
Let see:
A Safety investigation is just that - an investigation.
A lot of them are being closed because of insufficient evidence or the the problem has been fixed by the manufacturer in the form of a recall.
1)ALLEGED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IN THE AREA OF THE BATTERY
Date Investigation Closed : November 13, 2002
2)FRONT SUSPENSION ALLEGEDLY COLLAPSES OR EXPERIENCES WHEEL SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING
Date Investigation Closed : February 19, 2003
3)ALLEGE REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURE WITH A POTENTIAL LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND/OR WHEEL SEPARATION
Date Investigation Closed : November 8, 2002
4)ALLEGED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER MAY OCCUR AT LOW SPEED OR HIGH SPEED
Date Investigation Closed : September 9, 2002
*5)ALLEGE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS MAY RESULT IN BURN INJURIES TO DRIVER AND/OR VEHICLE FIRE
Date Investigation Closed : September 18, 2002
Here are the only two open investigations left, one of which is a carbon copy of the previous closed investigation. So I don't know whats the deal with that.
6)ALLEGED DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS MAY RESULT IN BURN INJURIES TO DRIVER AND/OR VEHICLE FIRE
Date Investigation Closed : Open (see #5)
ALLEGE VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED DUE TO CONTAMINATION BLOCKING THE INTAKE MESH ON THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE, LOCATED IN THE FUEL TANK
Date Investigation Closed : Open
There are none!!!!
Does it mean that the Jetta is a very reliable car?
Hell no!!!! And you know that better than anybody else posting at this thread.
And even those few that have been closed have nothing to do with the infamous and o'so common Jetta problems - failing door window actuators and ignition coils. How come nobody investigates the real problems?
So much for investigations.
First, the Focus isn't the worst car in history. Earlier this year I was interviewed by a national newspaper about my experiences with my Focus. I had good comments about it and really had few problems. The actual article made me sound like I had tons of problems yet still liked the car (perhaps leaving the reader to assume I was insane or something). In addition, the reporter mentioned how the scope of the Focus recall problem was unheard of since the days of the Chevy Vega (or some old car like that). Of course he had no idea that the BMW X5 had 15 recalls in a two year span. No mention was made of that in the article.
And then you give Vocus advice on what he should buy. Only buy reliable cars, you say. Hey, that may work for you, but for some of us, other qualities are more important, like being fun to drive. I wont be caught dead owning a boring car, no matter how trouble free it is. Plenty of people share the same sentiments. If I enjoy driving my car, I will put up with the occasional minor problem or recall (seeing as how you can get your recall done the next time you get your oil changed - how about that? No added inconvenience!). Besides, at least Ford is willing to fix its mistakes.
And one last note. As has been said many times, the Focus was not designed in America. It is a Ford of Europe design, and only the sedan is built here in America. So lumping it into the American-designed is crap, American-built is not necessarily crap category fails.
Seriously, go buy you Elantra hatchback and enjoy your car. A Focus is not for you.
You are entitled to set your priorities however you like, just as others are entitled to set theirs differently.
:-)
No offense intended. Arguments break out around here frequently when people forget to include those kinds of statements. That is why I made that mostly tongue-in-cheek post.
Chill, please. If you want to discuss this with me any further, send me an email and I'll be glad to continue. This is not the place to do that.
What we all need to remember is that civil and respectful discourse is a requirement in the Town Hall.
My email address is in my profile.
I laugh when I read the back cover of my April 2003 Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue.
For only $12 a person can receive a report by fax or mail that includes all the New car pricing data provided FREE by Edmunds. For just an additional $10 a person can obtain detailed pricing on a Trade-in.
Again, Edmunds provides that information FREE.
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/editorial/imho/index.cfm/act/o- pinion07
BTW, I was gonna mention ConsumerReports info svcs in my earlier post, but i wasn't sure if it was allowed. It's safe to say that CR seems to charge for EVERYTHING. And everyone takes CR's word as gospel truth. Sheesh. In that light, Edmunds is a huge bargain.
Buggy.... pleassseeee!!! LOL!!!!
It just screams BIASED.
They want you to think of their U.S.-built vehicles as economically equivalent to true-blue American cars. And they have worked diligently through advertising and media relations to create and cement that perception.
Don't you see it? Who were lobbying for inacting the American Automobile Labeling Act? Not the Japanese.
The domestics got their way in creating a "litmus test" for the "unsuspecting" or ignorant in their view consumer.
Read the act. It clearly states that the labels are specifying the percentage value of the U.S./Canadian parts content of each vehicle, the country where the vehicle was asembled, and the countries of origin of its engine and transmission.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/regrev/evaluate/809208.html
Where does it mention sales and marketing expense?
And if the Japanese do fulsify the labels, don't you think that the Agency that was created for the whole purpose of exposing the Japanese content in the transplant's product would be all over them?
Take a look at the Agency's goals: Congress passed the American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA) to help consumers in the selection of new vehicles... And to increase consumer awareness and ultimately affect purchase decisions... Enough said.
Also reread your statement, please: Here's a (long overdue) link that lends some credence to my earlier assertion that a foreign-brand car built in the U.S. isn't really "domestic" and has very little real domestic content, save the actual assembly...Blah, blah, blah...
Little content??????
70 - 85 percentage points???
Even if you'd agree with the author's fictional allegation and substract 20-30%!!!!!! for sales and marketing it's still over a half.
Buggy, get your facts straight. You obviously have some kind of agenda in trying to destroy the Foci reputation.
And if you wanna do that then stick to facts rather than fiction because your arguments and accusations won't fly in the light of ill supported assertions.
However, on the cheapest models they will probably find some way to make the 110hp engine standard or something.
Seems to be about a yr or so wait, for the rest of the country..........but perhaps it might be slightly sooner. Ford desperately needs PZEV Focus sales to offset new upcoming fuel economy standards for its trucks............truthfully, I don't see the Focus PZEV as much faster than the current Zetec. Sure, it has more hp and torque. But its exhaust system is also much more restricted and modified, to reach those low emissions. I predict 0-60 in 8.5 seconds or so; a second or so quicker than the Zetec and a half-second quicker than the 6.
In addition, I dispute your assertion that the cat is more or less restrictive based on where it is located in relation to exhaust ports. The exhaust gases must pass through the cat no matter its location, are you saying that hotter gases have more trouble going through a catalytic converter, which is little more than a tube with a bunch of honeycomb-type structures in it coated with catalysts?
But, as an example of Fords penny pinching, we are seeing the 2.3 duratec rather than the 2.0 duratec, which with a few modifications - most notably variable valve timing can produce the numbers the 2.3 PZEV currently produces but bump the Focus into the 40s for gas mileage. However, this would be more expensive and US customers aren't as demanding, so Ford sticks with the cheaper "no replacement for displacement" route in the USA while it sends all of its 2.0 duratecs to Europe where people truly care about fuel efficiency. Of course, Ford still isn't at full manufacturing capacity for their duratec engines yet, so we may still see the 2.0 duratec on these shores in the near future. Also, you have to admit that the Focus is going from 130 HP to 150 HP with the same fuel mileage - not at all something to complain about.
As for the performance aspects of the duratec, it does indeed breathe better than the SVT. Performance shops have already been using the duratec in racing applications and are already seeing around 250 HP out of naturally aspirated duratecs on pump gas and stock blocks. The future is indeed very bright for this engine line.
http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?Breaking%20in- %20a%20Diesel%20Engine