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Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part XIV
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Comments
designed retention cap.also known as a redundant nut.car to lift,mechanic grips tires end to end, no play,no wheel bearing problem.
end of inspection. service mgr. balks at loaner request. remind him
ford had confirmed loaner for initial 3 days. service mgr. agrees but
not over weekend. i balk, ask to see gm.service mgr. relents, i now have free loaner as long as it takes to get part.estimated time 5 to7
days. i had asked service mgr. why replace redundant nut? claims it is
not safe,potentially wheel could come off. possible but not probable.
why take the chance.? now driving a four door old foggy contour. auto
is boring, i miss my5spd. the focus has it all over the contour when it comes to soaking up bumps. the fun factor is missing from the contour.
however,the engine is way smoother as well as the trans in the contour.
pcleveland- sorry to hear about the scratches, hey who let the dogs out?fortunately, no scratches on my z , just the cars of recall.
bad recall!
I want to fix it, by unwrapping and extending it.
My question is:
Where is that receiver board located?
Some of you complaining about the short range of your remote, this should be the answer.
This forum's focus is the Zx3's quality and recalls. The Civic's forums are mainly talking about how the interior is cool, but the exterior is not so cool. It seems Honda has the correct priorities, even if their designers aren't brilliant.
The Focus is cheap, handles well, is useful, and seems funner. It also has a chance of losing a wheel, has a faulty gas gauge, and whatever else. Is the engine also buzzy at high revs? If so, that would mean less durability too.
The Civic is more expensive, handles less well, and has a real nice interior. It also will probably last 10 years with only minor problems like knobs falling off, some rust on the exhaust, and discolored dashboard. The engine revs at 6500 rpm as if it liked it (actually, it's due to the engine having a balance shaft).
Please tell me my conclusions are not correct, because i want a ZX3.
The focus has a GREAT interior in comparison. It actually has some style!
Oh, and the new civics will have their fair share of problems too, all new cars do, its just that everyone is on Fords back right now and every little thing they do gets noticed...
Listen, not everyone likes larger iron; I do. (It has nothing to do, really, with ease of getting into the back seats although with a family that's certainly an advantage.) In England where I now live (and, ahem, do research at Cambridge), folks routinely put 16 in. rims on this car to give it an even wider look. Looks great. I haven't driven one but those who put the wider tires on their ride seem to think it improves its accuracy--pretty important around here because the streets are so narrow.
Anyway, just stating preferences here folks! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is it not?
Bear in mind that most folks who post (in comparison to those who lurk - that is, who read without posting) are bringing up negative points for discussion because they are looking for help and support. There are loads of happy Focus drivers who are out there driving and not in here posting. This applies to most new car buyers, not just ZX3 owners.
What do others think?
carlady/host
MY car.
If you DO NOT have time and money to take care of the POSSIBLE problems that may arise with your ZX3 (I assume 01 so I say possible - you'll have sidestepped some of the probs with the 00's already by getting an 01) and you are frustrated easily - get the Honda. What it lacks in style (and it does lack in style - IMHO) makes up for a million year track record of reliability.
If you do not frustrate easily and have the time and money to take care of POSSIBLE problems that may arise in the 01 ZX3 - GET IT. The car ROCKS.
-----------------------------------------------
Some (sort of) relevant thoughts pertaining to this subject (posted in another Focus forum)
A few things about this forum -
Let's remember, these people posting here reflect
only a VERY SMALL portion of Focus owner's. And
the portion it does reflect, are those who are VERY
into their Foci...enthusiasts. Those who see the
Focus merely as a car - inexpensive and fun
transportation, are not nearly as likely to post
here with good or bad information. They bought
their car, they drive it, they deal with the
problems....
Now your enthusiast, of course, pays much more
attention to their car and is most likely to either
a. sing the praises or b. raise very valid
concerns about recalls performance etc.
And we all know in general, people in general are
more likely to complain than praise.
This is not to say these issues are not valid. I
am VERY concerned about the number of recalls on my
Z and bulletins on the nhtsa web site...Of course,
you do not have to be an "enthusiast" to realise
these are real problems.
But...I am just not ready to dismiss my love for
my Z. If the wheel falls off and/or anything else
really scary happens, sure, my opinion will
change...but this is the way I feel for now. It may
change, but I hope not.
I took delivery 6/24/00 I now have over 11,000
miles on my Focus. 120 commuter miles daily plus a
few summer road trips.
I have had only 1 problem. My brakes were
squeaking, the dealer changed the pads. Then
Normal noises only. Then the I was getting a
vibration, the rotors were warping...they
resurfaced...I am going in for an oil change this
weekend and will have them check the brakes one
more time before 12,000 so it'll still be covered
under warrenty. If I have to replace my brakes in
another 6 months, I will not be a happy camper, but
we'll see.
Until then...I am a hopeful happy driver!
_______________________________________________
#556 of 567: Silly TBS... (zgrrrl) Fri 13 Oct '00 (09:42 AM)
If you have ever looked at the bulletins some ARE
really dumb just as silyboy said...
People are reporting their radio gets louder when
they accelerate AND the radio can stay on even when
the car is shut off.
These are both FEATURES not problems with the
Focus factory stereo. They are listed in the
manual. The stereo can play up to an hour w/o
turning on the car and the stereo can be set to
raise the volume when you accelerate to compensate
for the added wind noise that comes with faster
speed. This function can be turned off IF YOU READ
THE MANUEL.
So, these are just some of the silly things that
wind up as bulletins...
Not to take away from the serious ones of course!
The 3-door and 5-door Focus have exactly THE SAME dimensions.
Please provide some evidence to prove me wrong.
Here is a link to the French website.
"Empattement" is wheelbase in French.
As you see all of the models have the same wheelbase.
And please don't tell us that any manufacturer today will make changes to the platform in order to move from 3 to 5 door body.
http://www.wawawoum.com/magazine/980903/ford/focus/dim.htm
focus, good and bad, and i'm beginning to have
doubts.
If you scan back through this topic, you'll find that most of the negative posts are made by a small number of people who post many times. This format gives you very could information about what could go wrong with a ZX3, but is not much help in guessing how likely something is to go wrong.
Also, you must be clear in your mind what the alternative is. One poster pointed out that his Lexus had more recalls than the Focus. Another poster replied that this was irrelevant because Ford should concentrate on its own shortcomings without worrying about other manufacturers. There may be some merit to this second view, but from the perspective of a car shopper it is obviously wrong. It won't help you to avoid the Focus because seems unreliable, and then buy something even less reliable! So I would suggest that you look into the recall records of your alternative purchases to assess reliability.
Of course, that is hard to do if your alternative purchase is also a new model, such as the Honda. Like everyone else, I would assume that the Honda would have fewer problems than the Ford. But the plain fact is that no one knows how reliable the new Civic will be, because no one can predict the future. Remember that Honda benefits from a strong placebo effect; it is expected to be reliable, and so it is perceived that way. For example, although I suggested that Honda was more reliable than Ford, I didn't bother to check the recall record of the 1st year of the previous Civic model before saying so - I'm sure I'm not alone in that regard.
For the record, here is my ZX3 experience (2000MY August build, auto transmission):
1) I have never had a leak, engine noise, fuel gauge failure, or other mechanical problem.
2) I have never got less than 31 MPG (but I haven't yet run through a tank in pure city driving - I expect lower then.)
3) The person who thought of splitting the folding rear seat back without splitting the folding bench must have been dropped on his head when he was little. But they're supposed to have fixed this for 2001.
4) I have had to run the A/C when the outside temperature seemed cool enough not to need it. In this situation, I had to run A/C but mix in some warm air so it wouldn't be too cold!
radvlik
my post about that seems a little harsh and I do apologize. That was originally posted in regards to someone in another forum who mentioned ALL the bulletins out on the Focus. My point was not all of them are serious - rather - they reflect new owners getting used to a new model car and all it's bells and whistles ...
You're plain wrong here.
The Focus is a brand new platform, not the new Civic which is replacing many generations of that model.
It's pretty easy to assume that the Civic's reliability will be on par with the outgoing model, if not better.
In contrast the Focus has no reliability record (or bad record so far).
Lets hope that the long term reliability will be okay.
The manual on cd usually goes for $20-30.
http://search.ebaymotors.com/search/search.dll?query=ford+shop+manual&siteid=100&s_partnerid=2&categorymap=0&ebaytag1=ebayreg&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&SortOrder=%5Ba%5D&maxRecordsPerPage=30&skip=90
Think answers to both your questions have came up there. Seems to me the manual on CD is more of a service manual and the price is a bit higher. Somebody did a aftermarket alarm system which was priced much more reasonable than the dealers system and ended up being the same system. You will have to "search" to find the posts as I do not remember the dates. If you plan on doing your own maintenance, the CD might be worth it, otherwise I think it is overkill. I would make sure it has all the wiring diagrams in it before I would buy it.
Good luck, Pat
(happy with my ZX3, after 19,000 miles of no problem driving.) (well except for the bad puppy)
2000 or 2001 Ford Car Shop Manual which contains all of the Ford cars for that model year.
As I understand there is no manual exclusively dedicated to the Focus.
I state again - there is no difference.
Here is a link to the U.K. site.
Check yourself
http://www.ford.co.uk/fo2/index3.html
The Focus is the best selling car in the world!
Interesting article about the Focus this Sunday in our local paper.
In essence Ford is after the younger crowd because there are 80 million of them. It is the top selling auto to Americans 25 and under.
25 percent of the Focus sales are to the 18-25 year old market. That explains the special models, like the Sony edition, and the latest, the 'Street Edition'which includes body trim, special alloy wheels, and a high performance European suspension tuning.
I think it is a no brainer.
Then you have to Enter, then press "see" then "cars," then Focus, then I told it I wanted the non-Shockwave edition, then it brought up the focus pages. The little round icons to the right hand side of the photo of the car will link you to various stats and features. THe one that says "free space" when you hover on it is the one that gave the stats I listed here. (It is a little bit of a pain but no direct link)
I'm sure you must be right about the actual platform and wheelbase, but can't they still do stuff with the body above it? Looks like it, and if so I guess RObwalls is right.
I was impressed enough with this car that I ordered my own ZX3. It should take about 6 to 8 weeks.
If you push the recirculate button with the fan off, no air should come in through the vents.
Yes, but the point was to get cool air through the vents! Here's the situation:
1) It's cool outside (say 55-60F)
2) But it's warm in in the car - sun beating in
3) So you turn recirculate off and turn on the fan
Presto! Warm air gushes out. Get it?
It seems that there is a mistake somewhere.
The shockwave inhanced page gives the identical dimensions for the 3 and 5 doors unlike the non-shockwave one.
The French link I provided earlier also gives the
4152 mm length number for the BOTH models.
SPRAY AWAY and just wipe off the plastic.
One coat horizontal keeping an overlap and one coat vertical doing the same! DONE
As someone posted earlier this cocktail of whatever it is seems less harmfull than what i tried years ago.
Trust me on this one.
And i do really love my ZX-3! I know i post problems but i have more respect for this automobile every day!
Only one color to buy though....
This is a great forum and i have learnt some.
_____________________________________________
whyford? heck if you drive a ZX-3 for a few months you'll know why. It's not as bad as we make it to be. Guess it's easier to find faults than to say what most of us here feel.
_____________________________________________
I think this car has the handling of cars in a higher snack bracket.
This is my FIRSTfront wheel driver and i tend to compare it with more expensive vehicles i have owned.
______________________________________________
Recalls?
I think my car is in there but as i said i got hold of the tire and shook.....Zip play.
Heck like many posters on this forum i build machinery and would know a bearing problem.
And before all you Engineer type folks jump on me for saying that.......Ford recalled before there was any mishaps.
Tint your windows..Buy a Neon if ya want fast
Honda? Honda is an engine.
I respect Honda. What are they getting outta an engine...2 litre.......
Hats off to Honda for waking up America?
Mergers and Aq?
OPEC rules.
Bagged auto worker.
Sedan's length is 4362 mm, not the five door.
The sedans trunk adds some length to it.
Therefore I repeat again that the 3 and 5 doors are of equal length.
makes one appreciate all the thoughtful touches in regards to dash layout. the seats are horrible,especially rear seating. the cd sound is subpar and no leather -wrapped steering wheel.it does have the v6
power. it would be nice to see that duratec in the z. as zgrrl correctly
pointed out,the majority here are enthusiasts who are very fond of our purchase,however there are real issues that exist that need to be addressed. its one thing for a vehicle to be recalled,its how one is treat-
ed before during and after the process. if you let them give you a snowjob,they will. if you like the car,by all means buy it. its a great
ride. the following parts are what have caused problems for me ,
a spring, nut , striker bolt + horn. nothing complex about these parts
but an integral part of an assembly.heres my main beef, according to
my dealership, one has to bring recall vehicle for wheel bearing in-
spection or they will pay for tow. no wheel play, no problem. this is
reasonable. however, they claim there has been a revision to the redundant nut and all focus wil need it replaced.having known that, why
couldnt they pre-order some parts in ? they already know they have to replace them before you get there.
I try to keep an open mind about who is reliable and who is not. So Ford gets a fair chance against Honda in my view. Well my father has engine problems with his late Tempo, and I am reading about Focus wheel bearings being recalled, a big problem. In contrast, my family's Honda Civic 98 has no big problems - at 90 mph. At the road course track, this little Civic can brake as hard as it can from 90+mph over and over again, resulting only in brake fade. I drove it home w/o worries. No warped rotors, only smoking brake pads - amazing. A closer look and the only "damage" was half-worn brake pads.
Of course I don't expect the ZX3 to perform like this, because it is cheaper. But I wish that its brake rotors would last longer, like ZGrrrl wants. Ford's excessive cost-cutting is to blame.
So I want to punish Ford's cost-cutters by not buying the car. However, the Focus's design team deserves my vote. What a quandry.
Oh well. I can tolerate the annoying things and excessive wear/tear, if I cause it (get used to unusual CD player features, buy aftermarket upgraded brakes). And hopefully Ford has fixed the major problems by the time I make the purchase. So when the new, more powerful engine comes out, I will buy a ZX3!
I like Rainforest Green, it reminds me of British Racing Green.
Thanks for your responses, PD01, Zgrrl, carlady, and others.
The ZX3 would be my undisputed choice if it had the build quality of the other top names. I would pay extra for it.
Zgrrl, I hope I am not saying your words in the future,
"If I have to replace my brakes in another 6 months, I will not be a happy camper... Until then, I am a hopeful happy driver!"
-Otto
They are:
1. The knock at idle:
It might be the throw out bearing. I have no idea. I have had a new clutch, pressure plate and slave already!
2. Moisture in both headlights
I think they have to be replaced! That's 400 dollars out of Ford's pocket.
3. Squeak in Shifter
Just 1st and 2nd gear. The other gears are squeak free. Must be a lubrication issue
4. Rattle in B-Pillar
Minor, but annoying
5. Broken air vent Bezzle
Minor, but annoying issue again. Why it broken or how it broke is beyond me
6. Recall
Not a big deal to me.
The only good news is that the mechanics agree that there is a problem with the transmission/clutch. The other issues are minor compared to this knocking problem. Performance is greatly reduced too.
I hope all of you have better luck with your Focus than me. I have had nothing, but bad luck and it is a very frustrating experience to own a car that is always at the shop. I think my Focus has been in the shop more than all my other cars combined in the last 15 years.
My colleagues also make a lot of jokes about my Focus. I have to laugh with them, but I assure you, nobody in my office is going to be buying a Focus anytime soon.
I am fulfilling zgrrrls point about the same few people venting about their Focus, but I hope I express some advice to some owners to listen to their new car carefully and to have problems attended without delay.
I have a free Ford Focus Rental by the way. Interestingly enough, it runs perfectly. I wish it was mine!
I think my car is a lemon. I am in no way telling people that the Focus is not a good car. It is a good car. I just have a bad example.
Take Care,
ND
3 door 5 door
Length 4152 mm 4152 mm
Width 1699 mm 1699 mm
Height 1430 mm 1430 mm
In fact they have a drawing of a 5 door and a 3 door superimposed on each other. They are the same size!
If someone disagrees with facts than I admire the person's confidence in himself.
ND
I try to keep an open mind about who is reliable and who is not. So Ford gets a fair chance against Honda in my view. Well my father has engine problems with his late Tempo, and I am reading about Focus wheel bearings being recalled, a big problem. In contrast, my family's Honda Civic 98 has no big problems - at 90 mph. At the road course track, this little Civic can brake as hard as it can from 90+mph over and over again, resulting only in brake fade. I drove it home w/o worries. No warped rotors, only smoking brake pads - amazing. A closer look and the only "damage" was half-worn brake pads.
Of course I don't expect the ZX3 to perform like this, because it is cheaper. But I wish that its brake rotors would last longer, like ZGrrrl wants. Ford's excessive cost-cutting is to blame.
So I want to punish Ford's cost-cutters by not buying the car. However, the Focus's design team deserves my vote. What a quandry.
Oh well. I can tolerate the annoying things and excessive wear/tear, if I cause it (get used to unusual CD player features, buy aftermarket upgraded brakes). And hopefully Ford has fixed the major problems by the time I make the purchase. So when the new, more powerful engine comes out, I will buy a ZX3!
I like Rainforest Green, it reminds me of British Racing Green.
Thanks for your responses, PD01, Zgrrl, carlady, and others.
The ZX3 would be my undisputed choice if it had the build quality of the other top names. I would pay extra for it.
Zgrrl, I hope I am not saying your words in the future,
"If I have to replace my brakes in another 6 months, I will not be a happy camper... Until then, I am a hopeful happy driver!"
-Otto
I will get the 5-speed. Any complaints? Is the knocking problem bad? I hear it's the clutch. Does it prevent you from accelerating at full throttle (it chatters)?
-Otto
Jimmy
Heres an update on my great and essentially PROBLEM FREE red ZX3 5spd:
Have had the car since May 25. I now have over 12000 miles, which comes to over 85 miles per day (ssso much for 36000 warranty...). As a note, Im an observant Jew, which means I dont drive on Saturdays or holidays (a total of 8 non-driving days in Oct.)
I probably have 50% highway (I drive during non rush times) and 50% in the local streeets in Essex and Sussex coun ties of NJ (lots of lights, lots of steep hills). Im getting about 26-28 mpg, depending on the week and whether Im in a speed-limit mood or not.
My only long-distance highway so far has been New Brunswick to Providence RI (I95 NJ to RI). I got 32mpg on that one.
My gearshift sqeaked for a day from 1st to 2nd, and stopped.
Every now and then, I have to restart the car after filling up in order to get the fuel guage to read.
Heres an interesting one. If you have not done so yet, check your tire pressure (when cold). When I did, I was surprised to find that they were all filled to 25PSI. the sticker in the car says 32PSI. This was how I received it from the dealer. A little strange...
For my third oil change (I do it myself every 3 to 4 thou), I finally managed to reach the filter from the top.
Luggage space is great. I was able to fit four peoples' tho days worth of holiday clothes in the trunk without blocking my vision.
I am going to call about the recall tomorrow, though I have not had any noises (I crank down the windows and turn off the radio every now and then just to check)
- Gooch
2. Bad gasoline mileage 23-26mpg. 3. Transmission noise (I have the 5 speed).
The car drive great, is comfortable and looks cool. I did not test drive the automatic, but if I were to buy again, I would probably go with the auto.
Took my car in this evening for the recall. Dealer indicated that it will be ready by Tuesday.
Please keep the comments about the FOCUS coming--good or bad because we buyers, and potential buyers are better off being well informed. If the tire issues with the Explorer
had been discussed in their forum, the tire problem would probably been surfaced earlier.
This type of forum is great for giving consumers and customers great feedback on consumer goods. It is imperative that we welcome both the good and negative comments about our auto. Just tell it like it is. If the product is defective, the manufacturer will get the message i.e. slower sales. If the product delivers what the customer is looking for, the manufacturer will see it in its sales.
Keep up the good work on this site.
Thanks
Follow the leader he's IN a Honda!
So owners, what mileage are you getting?
MiniZX3: Gee...I know Ford's marketing to the "younger" crowd...you're 30-something, and I'm actually, well...40-something!! Hope that's ok...'cause I ain't gonna' give it up for a Buick!!!
Next, if you want to go buy a Civic go ahead. I think you will be disappointed...numbers talk. What is the best selling car on this planet? Hmmm. Ok go buy that Civic.
hey Silver Bullet...I told Christian (ed. of Edmunds) because they had the wrong tire size in an article and he fixed it. He still has that the brakes are 4 wheel disc. Actually he has a pic of a rear wheel up close and you can see the DRUM. I was like umm HELLO there it is! Your article is wrong...PLEASE FIX. But no it still says disc. You can't believe everything you read people. Remember that. Don't take ANY magazine's word for granted.