Ford Focus Sedan

xjx

Bought a 2001 Focus SE with Sport package last week. Got only 84 miles for the first 5 gallons of gas (in town), averaging 17 mpg. Is that normal? Will it be better later? Even my 85 nissan stanza can still get 22mpg in town now.

marshal1

I rented a Focus 4 door recently while on business in Seattle. Overall, I was impressed with this vehicle. For a compact car, it handled well, had a peppy engine and plenty of interior space. It also felt of much higher quality and workmanship over the Ford Escort which it apparently relaced. My only complaint is that the interior wind noise seemed particularly loud under normal highway driving conditions. Once Ford works the bug out and gets the recalls behind them, the Focus will be a winner.

frosty_00

Re: 422-425

Your owner's manual will have a section regarding lemon laws. Read it. Also see #144. I dealt with this on a Chrysler minivan and in that case you had to start the process within 18 months of purchase. I agree with fdthird, sounds like your real problem is with the quality of service, not the car.

Re: 426

I get 20 to 24 in town with 2.0 Zetec and automatic transmission. I wouldn't have too much confidence in the accuracy of mileage calculated on only 5 gallons. There's too much variation in how full you fill it each time. You can easily get 1/2 gallon variation. Run a couple of tanks of gas through it before getting too concerned.

focus879

While I didnt buy the car there, I've been taking my car to Courtesy Ford out ov convenience to work. So far, I've had it knocked out of alignment twice by them when it was in the shop for reasons completely unrelated to the alignment. The first time, they redid the alignment for no cost, but this time, they refuse to do it and they are telling me that it's out of alignment due to the tires. Now granted, my tires need to be replaced, however, they were bad when i brought the car into them and yet somehow, the car wasnt out of alignment till i got it back from them. so needless to say, it's still out of aligned now, and since they won't align it again and they refuse to admit that it was their fault, i am going to do the tires myself and not give them the business. and needless to say, my car will not go back to Courtesy, and i will make sure everybody i know is aware of the way they work. and thanks for the info about koerner too by the way, that was prob my next coice on where to take the car for the next problem i have with it....and it looks like its gonna have to go in soon, cause just this past weekend, the blinkers decided to not turn off on their own anymore.

piglover

I'm a happy owner of a Focus that I bought this past April. The only problem is the windshield washer reservoir leaks a little through the cover. For some reason the cover that is snapped down is not sealing the reservoir. I lined the inside of the cover with a foam self-stick weatherstripping which worked okay until now. Is there supposed to be a gasket inside the cover? Has anyone experienced this same problem?
Louie

alittle269

With all the negative posts about the Focus, I decided to post about my Focus.
I've had my new 2001 Focus ZTS (fully loaded) for a little over two weeks now. I've driven it almost 900 miles, and all I can say is that the car is AWESOME! It has a lot of pep to it, the stereo is great, the ride is smooth, and I love the look of it; as do all of my friends.
I have not had any problems with it at all, and the gas mileage is great (average is 28MPG in mixed northwest driving).
The only gripe I have with it is there was a small cut in the dash below the A/C controls when I got it, which is going to be replaced under warranty.
This is an awesome car, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a great small car with a lot to offer.

jnmartin

I was thinking about taking my car to Sam Dell Ford as it's closer to home, but a coworker is friends with the owner of Backus Ford. Have you heard anything about either of them??? I'm coming up on 15000 and want to avoid taking my car back to Koerner if I can.

randyt2

Manual or automatic?

kburcrof

Lease end 9/17/01

I've had it for 22 mos and it has been a great vehicle.

Test drove the S2 ZX3 today. The S2 is a little stiffer suspension and is an improvement. I can't wait for the SVT.

The vehicle has been great in rain, snow, sleet and sunshine. Sorry for the owners who have had problems with their vehicles.

alittle269

It's an automatic

mattereater

I bought a Ford Focus about 1 month back. I was thinking of taking it to the carwash, but I'm curious to know whether anyone had any problems or heard of any problems with the antenna in a car wash.

I know the antenna supposed to be flexible, and work in carwashes without any problems, but I'm wondering if thats indeed so.

Thanks.

randyt2

I have an automatic and I am getting a little over 25mpg, with about 80% highway driving. However, it is more than what I was getting 2 months ago. Also, at least with my former cars, I previously was able to get slightly higher than EPA rated mileage.

I hope that my mpg will continue to get better.

jnmartin

The first time I went through a carwash, the attendant took my antenna off for me and told me as he handed it to me that it might have a problem when it went through. So, I kept taking it off. The most recent time I went through, I couldn't get the damn thing off, and neither could the attendant when asked. This one told me it would be okay because it was flexible, and I didn't have a problem. I could see it in the mirrors of the carwash as I moved forward and it did its job by bending back and coming back into an upright position. Seen no problems, but I still can't get it off.

seminole_kev

for that Ford Hacksaw. I'm sure there is a special one for the job. ;-)

Never had a problem with my antenna at the car wash. Should be fine.

randyt2

When I was car shopping I saw a Focus at the dealership without its antenna. Maybe they can give you a tip on how to remove it, and how to re-attach it so that it won't be hard to remove later.

richmeister

My antenna is too high for my car port, so I just take it off every night. It's very easy, all you have to do is unscrew it.

Overall, I'm NOT impressed with this car. I've had it about two months. It has 3300 miles on it, and it's been back to the d'ship 8 times now. I won't bore everybody with the details, but suffice to say that there are still two problems that have not been fixed (it's going back in again next week). The two lates problems are a noise from one of the front wheels when I hit any dip in the road (they are going to replace the strut?) and a highly annoying rattle from the passenger side that they have yet to isolate. I could go on and on about past problems, mostly minor, except the idle control valve that had to be replaced when it was 3 days old. It was revving uncontrolably. That was a major problem and really shook my confidence in the car. I've choosen not to make an issue of the crooked dashboard, which they would probably make worse if they tried to fix it.

I have an '01 ZTS, loaded, and also a 2000 Windstar. I'll never, ever, ever buy another Ford. EVER.

seminole_kev

Is the rattle from the passengers side a kind of a plasticy wind rattle? Like a sheet of paper rattling in the wind. If it is they may need to re-attach a plastic part in the wheel well. When I first got mine, it made that noise and it sounded like it was coming from the A-piller. Almost like the weather stripping around the windsheild was flapping. But, it wasn't. I think it was the plastic inside panel of the wheel well. Some other foci have had this problem. Takes about 5 seconds for the dealer to fix if that's the prob. The problem is finding a decent Ford dealership. I have a good one, so that makes it much nicer.

vocus

You never had problems with the Windstar yet? I have read in several publications of their reliability problems. If you have not had problems with that vehicle, then count your luck.

patkeith

Re: taking your Focus to a car wash -- the antenna is NOT the big worry. That's easily unscrewed then screwed back into place. (Also remember to have them tape down your rear wiper if you have a wagon like I do). The big problem is the automatic locks. The first time I took it through a car wash, the car locked up tight as it went through.

Remember to a) carry your spare power lock fob b) a spare key or c) take the fob off your key chain.

My car locks up every time, at every car wash I've been to. I take the power lock fob off my key chain, then just follow the car down the line and push unlock when the car hits the end of the line.

Ford REALLY needs to up the speed at which the automatic locks kick in (or maybe they already have?).

randyt2

I disagree that a ZTS automatic is peppy, what cars are you comparing it with?

I have some problems with my ZTS, but my dealer has fixed some of them. I am waiting on the rest until I make my conclusions. If these turn out to be the only problems, then it will be acceptable. This is the 2nd Ford that I've bought so far, and it may be the last.

xjx

My new Focus got a lot of rust on the front drive axle, the brake (except the disc), and some other parts. The salesman said it is normal. Is it normal? Thanks.

hocusfocus

I had a 2000 Focus ZTS that had an idling problem. It was bought July of 2000. You would think that problem would be gone by now. The car went 55 mph without touching the gas. I don't know what fixed it because the car was returned to the dealer and exchanged. ( One day old )
The engine would also race sitting in the driveway all by itself.

rmsabc

had to replace brakes at 15000 miles, front pads gone, cost 200 for repair
ford says do not cover repair after 12k

new brake pads are much thicker than original and brake dust is much better
any one else with this experience

malibu99

Hello

I'm not a focus owner but my sister in law was ( and still is). She had a 2000 Focus SE and this past weekend she was involved in a car crash where she was rear ended, pushed in to the oposite lane where she was hit on the passenger side and pushed to the driveway of her house ( she was stopped waiting to make a turn into her driveway when she was hit by a drunk driver ). Anyhoo, she was able to walk out of the car with only a minor bruise on her leg. I am a firm believer that the true crash tests are the ones people experience and the focus certainly is a VERY safe car. Just though that credit should be given where deserved and teh focus deserves it all around. Good luck everyone!

jnmartin

Did you have any problems with your brakes before 15,000 miles?

I've been complaining about my brakes since January and asking them to look at them (at least 4 times) and they kept telling me that they were fine. That was before 12,000 and I'll be at 15,000 by next week. I get the feeling that they're going to tell me that they will need to be replaced now - since the warranty is up. So, I wanted to know if you had experienced a similar situation. Thanks.

focus 879 - what dealer did you buy/take your focus.

portsnhdriver

This was my first new car so maybe my expectations were too high. But I've had so many problems with the thing that I'll never buy another Ford of any kind.

It's a 2000 ZTS manual. There were 4 safety recalls, some for issues that they had on the 1999 Focus, from what I understand. The power steering fluid keeps leaking all over the place, even though we've taken it in TWICE to have that fixed. There's that creepy papery-sounding rattle that others have mentioned. The brakes squeak and rattle in the rain. The front end makes a horrible crunching sound every time I go over a bump in the road. There's a piece of plastic hanging down from the front of the car kind of under the bumper... no idea where that came from, and whether or not I'm supposed to be able to see all the internals of the car when I look under it now. I get nowhere near the mileage they claimed on their spec sheet (maybe I'm a really bad driver).

All I can say is that our second car is a 1990 Honda Civic hatchback, and we've *never* had a major repair on it, or have anything go wrong with it. No funny noises even. There are almost 400,000 kms on it, and it's more reliable than this new car.

I'm reading the Honda boards to see if the Civic Sedans are any good... gonna ditch this Focus! VERY disappointing.

richmeister

I have similar problems with my 2001 ZTS, the most annoying of which is the crunching sound from the front end when I hit dips in the road. It's been at the 'ship for the last three days on that problem alone! Also in for an annoying rattle from the passenger side, which they can't seem to hear. Evidently I have bionic ears, dispite having been to numerous Aerosmith and Grateful Dead concerts. I've had many, many other problems too, which started the second day I had the car (uncontrollable revving due to faulty idle valve). The whole dashboad is in crooked, which FOR NOW I'm willing to overlook as it's probaly impossible to fix anyway. This is my fourth (two '93 Tauruses and a 2000 Windstar LX) and last Ford. I'm going back to VW's. At least they are fun to drive in between breakdowns.

digiturbo

Hi,
It looks like Focus doesn't have much reputation left. However, my buddy has the 2000 fucus(24K) never has a single problem with the car.(besides those recalls) That's why I consider a focus
One of the dealer in Raleigh-Durham offers $1500 rebate (not include $200 doc fee). Let's say the ZTS's MSRP : 15540
15540- 1500 = $ 14040
invoice:=$14672

So, it's about $600 below invoice. Does this make a depreciation sense at all. How low should the price be? I will greatly appreciated any input.
Thank you
B

bos34

To digiturbo

I bought my 2001 ZTS three months ago, also with $1500 dealer rebate. I sensed it should be $200 lower, but I failed because it's the only ZTS left in stock with the features I need, and I couldn't find another one around my area.

So far I've driven more than 3000 miles, and except for the small fuel tank, everything else about this car is very good. I think you should go for it and try to make a $200 lower deal.

Good luck.

plts03

Just brought home a new-to-us 2000 Focus SE sedan and have a few questions (sorry if they've been covered before):

How do you disable or delay the automatic locking feature? I have a handicapped son and he was locked in the car when we got home, the car does not have the remote on the key ring.

Must I go to a Ford dealer for additional keys?

Which side of the dome light cover pops out to allow replacement of the bulb?

Thanks in advance.

xjx

The front wheels (Alloy wheels) of my new Focus SE get dirty very quickly by the dust from the brake pad. I paid attention to other cars (new or old) and seldom see similar problem. Do people clean their wheels on daily basis?

I also notice the pads are very close to the disc (I see no seams there) when parked. Is that a normal situation?

Thanks.

dtownfb

The dealer will love you if you pay that much for the car. I'm assuming the rebate is from the factory (Ford) If it is, You should agree on a price closer to invoice and then subtract the rebnate. Thae rebate money has nothing to do with the dealer. If it is cash incentive, then you have to factor that into the price. I know Ford is having cash back on the Focus. You may want to check if this rebate is from the factory or cash incentive to the dealer.

hurriken

I bought a 2001 Focus for my wife in Set. 2000. We like the way the car looks, drives, and is comfortable. But we've had some problems.

First, my wife was making a turn and the car just died. The car re started right away so we blew it off. One month later, same thing, this time I drove to where she was and it re started no aparant problem. A few days later it died in the garage and had to be towed to the dealer. Turned out the the connector pins on the computer were loose. The Computer had to be replaced. It took ten days to get a new one, a nightmare.

Then, in April the fuel pump went out and had to be towed again. They replaced it on warranty.

A few days later the Check engine' light came on so I followed procedure in the book and ended up taking it back to the dealer where they found the sensor was bad.

THEN..... The radio volume would fluctuate up and down so they sent the radio away and fixed that.

Since the end of April we have had no problems. We really do like the car but I'm a little worried about the computer after the warranty runs out.

hurriken

Yesterday I wrote that post about no problems since April! Today my wife goes out to start the car and it won't start it just turns over. So I went out to see what was going on and I hear what sounds like someone is pouring water on the floor! Gasoline is just gushing out from somewhere over the gas tank! I'm flabbergasted. I have a 1987 toyota van conversion that is a rust bucket and needs an oilpan gasket, but as much oil as it eats it never left me stranded since I bought it. We were desperately trying to replace it. Maybe I'm dumping the wrong car?

fdthird

I've seen several posts about locking keys in Foci at car washes but don't understand.

My son's 2001 will only lock the doors once on every start cycle.

Start the car, drive to car wash, the doors lock, get to car wash, open doors, they vacuum, drive car onto track, put in neutral, get out... at the end of the line they open door, put in drive and drive out.

What are they doing to get the doors to lock while the car is going though the wash?? Are they turning off the engine and then starting it again??

FDIII

randyrhodes

Yesterday I traded in my 1998 Escort SE for a new 2001 Focus 4dr SE with the Sport and Comfort group. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! I was rear-ended in 1999 while driving a company service van ao I am left with back trouble. It was always painful to drive the Escort after that. I am glad to say, I have NO BACK PAIN driving the Focus and I am 6'2".What a great car.I am so happy!
73
Randy

lar5

Is anyone else having this problem?

My 2000 Focus ZTS wheel covers are covered with brake dust constantly - even right after I wash the car. I had a brake job at 17,000 miles. My car is in the shop AGAIN for the ANOTHER brake job at 31,000 miles. I have driven for more than 25 years and have consistently averaged between 25,000 and 30,000 miles between brake jobs. NEVER have the brakes needed to be replaced every 15,000 miles. My dealer had told me there is nothing wrong with the brakes and it must be "driver characteristics". I put a lot of miles on my car so I'm looking at a brake job every 10 months. That ludicrous!!

kirbstoy

I've got less than 1K miles on my new ZTS, leather, 5-speed but here are some observations: 1) the car needs about 150-160 HP. 2) It should have a 16 Gal. fuel tank. 3) the room is incredible for a car that gets over 30 mpg. The seats are easy to get into and out of. 4) the stereo/DC is amazing... best I've ever had 5) build quality was very good but I do have the rattle accurately described in posting # 443 - thanks for the information. Will write again with more miles on the car. So far, its been great!

drew_

rmsabc

dealer told me to call ford customer 800 number
they said so one is complaining about brake pads
told hem to look at edmunds
they said did not know anything and could not take my complaint down,

800 number said I should have saved brake pads

they were very unfriendly and did not care

I have driven for 30 years and never had brake pads wear out so quickly

also does anyone have rear drums rusted out

dealer said this is normal and cant do anything

rear drums were rusty after 4 months

hugo1966

I have had my Focus DX Sedan (automatic) for 7 months. I like it less and less each day, even though I have had no major problems - yet. I am especially disappointed with the acceleration and handling. My old 95 Escort had twice the acceleration and road feel. Merging onto an Interstate at 70 mph is not fun. I also feel that the car is top heavy and acts as if it is gong to tip in some curves. Gas mileage continues to low. I also don't understand the set-up of the wipers. The passengers side has much more coverage and there is a drip that is left to run down in front of the driver. Finally I received a surprise when I went to have the oil changed. The car takes 5W20 oil which is hard to find. I was not at the dealer and was told that there is a $10.00 surcharge for that grade of oil. A basic oil change is almost $40.00 The only real plus is that the interior is larger than any other small car out there. My family and I previously owned 6 Escorts and I would take any of them back for this car. Next car will be a Honda or Toyota, soon!

kostema

getting 20-22 on the highway...automatic SE wagon...700 miles...This is way off the EPA mark of 31...dealer says not to bring in on poor mileage until 3500 miles...Any feedback out there???...Will this mileage get better over time???...

We backed out of 2 new Focus car deals because we found paint/dent problems...finally bought one and then found paint/dent problems on the rear door...the dealer is going to fix in their body shop...I 'm beginning to doubt that you can get a "clean" new Focus wagon...scary quality control???...

However.....we like everything else about the wagon...headroom, legroom, handling, air,
radio, seat comfort, panel layout...road noise picks up at about 85, but not bad at all...Took a 600 mi trip this past weekend and enjoyed it...And we're kind of picky about comfort/feel; pair of 55 year old -kids finally out of college - empty nesters...wanted something good on highway and good in town for road trips...

Admit I'm getting a bit concerned about brakes after reading this board...

kostema

getting 20-22 on the highway...automatic SE wagon...700 miles...This is way off the EPA mark of 31...dealer says not to bring in on poor mileage until 3500 miles...Any feedback out there???...Will this mileage get better over time???...

We backed out of 2 new Focus car deals because we found paint/dent problems...finally bought one and then found paint/dent problems on the rear door...the dealer is going to fix in their body shop...I 'm beginning to doubt that you can get a "clean" new Focus wagon...scary quality control???...

However.....we like everything else about the wagon...headroom, legroom, handling, air,
radio, seat comfort, panel layout...road noise picks up at about 85, but not bad at all...Took a 600 mi trip this past weekend and enjoyed it...And we're kind of picky about comfort/feel; pair of 55 year old -kids finally out of college - empty nesters...wanted something good on highway and good in town for road trips...

Admit I'm getting a bit concerned about brakes after reading this board...

fdthird

1 - Enjoy the car

2 - Don't read the board

snowman

It is wise to wait until at least 3500 mile to observe gas milage. Your car's engine is still in break-in period. And if you keep driving with that speed you will never see 31 mpg rate. That rate is produced by 55 mph.
I think majority of dents are caused by transportation process from factory to dealership.
Nothing to do with QC.

phowell1

My focus now has 10,000 miles and runs okay mileage is still not whats advertised, brakes are now a problem. Took it in today due to trunk not shutting good the mechanics laughed and said you bought the worst mistake ford made since the Edsil or Pinto he took his hand and twisted the trunk to line it up and it twisted like paper what poor quality metal he said that the brake problems is terrible and that it keeps many of their mechanics busy replacing rotors and brakes . He said the cars run good, poor mileage for the engine, poor build quality and workman ship and he said some of the most cost cutting parts he has ever seen FORD use. I guess I should have listened and bought a Japan made car but I learned an expensive lesson next one will be Subaru or Toyota maybe even a honda

xjx

Yes, the fuel economy sucks. I am only getting 19mpg in town after about 1000 miles (SE, Zetec, Auto). Haven't got chance to try on highway, though. Hope it will be better later, but who knows.

I am not sure what kind of brake problem people are talking about. On my car, I can always hear a sort of grinding sound right before the car reaches a complete stop when applying brake and at the very beginning when I release the brake. I don't know if it is a problem.

iltr

We have a 2001 ZX3 with the 16 inch wheel package and 50 series tires. Can't fine the sticker on the door frame as the owners manual says. What is the factory recommended pressure? Running 30 PSI now.

freddok

Hi...

I recently had to depend upon a 2000 Ford Focus SE rental car while my 2000 Pontiac Sunfire coupe was in the body shop having the results of a sideswipe repaired. I had replaced my well-worn '93 Escort with my Sunfire due to the financing and incentives I was offered, even though I later learned it has a bad reputation.

I had considered a Focus but was glad that I bought what I did. I was even more glad after driving the rental Focus around about 1,000 miles. Believe it or not, I think Ford could have done much better with the Focus.

The Focus' interior was nice, but I found the small gas tank to be a bother, its pickup and perforance (it had a stock 2.0 liter) to be worse than either the 2.2 liter in my Sunfire or the 1.9 liter in my previous car, a '93 Ford Escort LX that was bought new and never gave any me any serious problems, and was traded with 140K on it.

I found the gas mileage in the Focus to be horrible. I estimated about 20-22 MPG city versus about 25-26 MPG city in both my Sunfire and my old Escort. I also didn't like the "tinny" feel of the doors when I closed them; both my current and old cars felt more "solid."

If Ford improved the Focus or brought back a reliable small car like my Escort, I would give more consideration to that model after my Sunfire sees its day in a few years. I felt for a newly developed car, Ford could have done better with the Focus than it really did.

Fred K.

randyrhodes

Greetings Everyone,
Here is my one week report. I now have 500 miles on my new 2001 Focus SE/Sport/Comfort/Auto/ABS/. I love this car, and still have no added back pain while behind the wheel as compared to the '98 Escort. Yes, I have the brake dust in the front just like every other car with this brake setup(fronts always work harder)(just wash the darn wheels once in a while). I have noticed a rough idle on occasion and is going to be checked out at the dealer on Monday morning. It is peppy enough for me, it's no Viper, but what do you all expect out of a 4 cylinder car of this type??? I look forward to many years with this fine car of British heritage.

73 to you all,
Randy