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Ford Focus Hatchback ZX3 - Part XIV
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Hasn't been a month yet and I have 4000 miles on the car. Still very happy with my purchase.
Now I've just read all the posts here, and it seems like many people are unhappy with their purchase of a Focus, many recalls, etc.
Would people recommend I get a different car instead, like the Civic?
Have the problems with the 2000 Focus been fixed in the 2001 models? Does anyone know?
I would highly suggest the focus zx3. I ordered a 2001 and am loving it. So far I have not encountered any real problems. At first my chair would squeek a little bit but I haven't noticed it in a week, probably had to wear some of the springs in. This car was definetyl a wise decision. Before I ordered it I too was nervous about it, with all of the recalls and such but my nerves have been settled with my purchase. One thing I noticed now is that I'm driving a whole lot more, I used to just drive to get to places now when I need a break from something I just pop into my car and drive. I love this car and I think that if you purchase one you'll have the same feelings.
I am happy with my ZX3 and would recommend it over a Civic. Remember that Honda discontinued the Civic hatchback for the U.S. in 2001 - you will need to look for a 2000 Civic if you want a hatchback. I hope Ford has fixed the problems with the Focus for the 2001 model year, but only time will tell.
can anyone confirm this?
"You got a bad battery. It happens"
Yep. That's the "official" reasoning.
And I know "it happens" but I remember someone posting here about the very same thing - having it replaced shortly after she purchased the car.
Normal? Who knows...
I got remote? door locks that are not remote.
Not the greatest mile/per/gallon nor litre?
Squeeky brake drums.
Blind spots galore.
An engine that surges/pauses/hesitates....
Can't find the seat belt.
Under acceleration when steering off center vibrates.
Shifter does not wish to engage at times.
Left window edge molding came up with window.
Brake pad residue on front rims soon after washing.
Recalls known by dealer but not sent any recall.
_______________________________________________
Pros?
Handles great.
Stereo is nice.
Manno is this thing a pig or what?
Okay, i gave her the test yesterday...FAILED!
Red light.......me and a Windstar Van....GO
I'm not racing i am driving by sound and shift at around 4,000 (heck that's both US and CDN).
By the end of the (===========) median the van has me.
New Volks again (Suburban city trust me it's light to light and i only rate the ones that were clear )
Volks wanted to race.....not in this town.
Ahhhhhh my third Toyota corolla and been following this woman for about twenty clicks...the road opens for passing lane and.......
I kept up:(
This car has no life.
Why?
What's with this number? I paid CAD $20K loaded, auto. Are you including tax? (For those of you unfamiliar with my icy northern homeland, our swinging sales taxes are 7% federal + variable provincial = 15% where I live.)
door locks that are not remote.
Not the greatest mile/per/gallon nor litre?
Blind spots galore.
I have to agree with all this. I often resort to the "chin trick" for the remote. And you can add the split back / non-split bench issue.
Squeeky brake drums.
An engine that surges/pauses/hesitates....
Under acceleration when steering off center vibrates.
I've been lucky enough to escape these problems.
Can't find the seat belt.
Brake pad residue on front rims soon after washing.
The feelings these complaints evoke in me are too puny to do justice to "love" or "hate".
I'm amazed that you've had trouble beating a minivan off the line. I guess you should've got auto - I've never had trouble that way. Passing on a 2-lane, on the other hand, is not the ZX3's strong suit.
While waiting I went into the showroom to look at the new '01 red Zx3 with fancy 'skirts' all around looking cool and a motorized sunroof. They also had the center arm rest installed.
I was really tempted to trade in right then and there.:>) Maybe next year.
are of a positive nature concerning the zx3.you
have to go back to the beginning and read the whole
story.in this forum there are many who have tried to give an honest assessment of their likes, dis-
likes and recent frustration of recalls and timely
delivery of parts.it can be reasonably assumed that
most are delighted with the z overall,however there
are others who have issues that need to be addressed and resolved.its the service after the delivery that makes the difference.no question,the
z is a price/performance leader,the real question is will it be reliable for the long term.right now,
it seems suspect.im upset about the recalls and inconvenience of same.i still enjoy the ride.
if you drive with your windows up. That sound could be clearly heard at the normal take off next to a wall on a relatively quiet street. Under this condition you can hear every sound, your car emits, bouncing back to you.
The most obvious one is the knocking/tapping like sound at idle.
It's always there during the cold start up.
Start up your engine on the cold morning, lower your window and listen. You should hear a tapping
like sound through the regular cold engine noise.
And I'm not talking about the normal noise produced by meshing in gears. That tapping is very much pronounced. Pronounced enough to be noticed by any non-car person.
Now press your clutch pedal. Tapping/knocking
should go away. Release the pedal - it's back.
After the car/drivetrain completely warms up this knocking becoming more of intermitting nature. If it's not there I can induce it by quickly pressing/releasing the clutch pedal several times.
This is exactly a type of the noise you can induce by slightly moving the shifter within the gate at idle in neutral, like if you're trying to engage a gear without pressing on the clutch pedal.
If you followed those procedures and can't hear any strange noises, lucky you - your car doesn't have it.
Oh, the only Honda I've ever been able to negotiate was a used one. That's why I would not by a new Honda. Same for Toyota. In the part of NYS where I live they will not negotiate, and there is a lack of dealers. Seems like the Honda and Toyota dealers we have here have a attitude.
Pat
"If it moves ahead and the wheels are not falling off-it's all right" That philosophy makes Ford looking really sloppy.
It's not a third world here (where that kind of attitude could work) and Ford does have very high aspirations.
Modern car should do a lot more than just move ahead.
Focus could set a new standard in quality and performance. Unfortunately it still needs some substantial tweaking.
I hope that your war will not turn into the fight against the "wind-mills".
Good luck.
You got it right. I was expecting more from Ford.
Thanks for the support.
pcleveland2,
I'll be a good boy: no more complaining and name calling.
Promise.
Gotta go.
I have driven BMW's and a German Focus with this feature and it is most noticable in evasive driving or situations like autocrossing. In normal driving conditions you'll never know it's there except that it costs a lot and you do get 4 wheel disc brakes with it. There are more parts, so more chances for things to go wrong but the system is basic and uses the ABS and traction control. I have not driven a north American version but did order my FocusZX3 with this option.
For other people in this group...
Has anyone had any allergy symptoms they think might be related to the fabric or foam used in the seats? A Visteon factory had to reassign workers due to allergic reaction to materials used in Focus seats. I'm curious about this, there was no mention of which seats only Focus seats.
cg
noise. it is real and you are right,it shouldnt
exist.i have the same symptoms you have described.
i am deliberately keeping my mileage low.i am pres-
ently leaving the option open to trading my car.
i am also disappointed with ford.i,also give weight
to how i had to work to purchase this car.my time
alive however,cant be measured in dollars.if you have the will and determination, get the ford district rep involved.presently,i am taking one recall at a time and documenting every contact with
the dealer and ford customer service. who i talk to, what was said,what was promised, parts delay,
completed work and so on.you can get what you want,
but it requires patience and resolve. sometimes at my age, i have little patience,i want it done yesterday.remember,you know more about your car and
the problems you are experiencing.they are legitimate and in no way unreasonable.by the way,most of the baby boomers here have parents with the same
values regarding hard work + money.their sacrifices
have made a better world for all of us.i try hard to never forget it.by the way,i think i know who that anonymous
Well, I will follow your advise and try the District Rep route.
Thanks.
Similar backgrounds and overall expectations from "the promise land" must have a lot to do with it.
I also agree with the comments from other veterans (s.bullet, zx3beast)
Take it this way:
It's only a car.
Car made by a big company.
That big company is building it's cars without much attention to detail and with a van-like finish quality(totally different than VW).
Focus is a first car from Ford that was going to change that unfocused image.
There will be next generation of focuses, hopefully with a different engine/transmission set.
And if you can wait till 2002 or so, trade in for that model.
That's what I'm planning to do.
My dream Focus would be zx3 based, with smoother,more fuel efficient and more powerful engine 150hp.
I like the automatics(hate the traffic)but I'm praying for a more modern automatic transmission (5-speed auto,programmable more sporty when needed)
I like current ZX3 a lot, but I also can't stand sloppiness and a lack of attention to detail that Ford is showing (very American way, sad but true)
Size over Skill
Power over Finesse
...still love America, zx3,and almost forgot ....my wife-to-be too, good night.
Other possible choices: Sentra SE, Golf, Jetta.
Yeah, I know the Focus isn't exactly a Dodge Ram, and I'm not looking for anything that defines masculinity. But as to Focus/female: All in my head?
Maybe the reason the body shop guy is seeing so many women is because they are getting in more accidents than men? Sorry ladies.:>)
That will be the dumbest reason not to buy a car. Male, Female, who knows?
The new Beetle is conicedered a "Girl-car" along with the Celica by the General public and from seeing whose driving them... Meanwhile, the Jetta is pretty much a guys car from what ive seen.
I gotta ask this and get some scathing flame mail from VADP or some other Honda non-freak. What is so great about the Civic? If you look at at 90% of the super hot/cool Civic's out there in magazines and whatnot, the first thing they do is drop in a 1.8l Integra engine...... That is insane.
I have 10K on my Focus now. It seems to be running fine. I get 29-31 mpg. Much better after not using the air conditioner for a few weeks.
I haven't been paying much attention whether it is tapping or not at idle. I can say that it is much better after the slave, clutch and pressure plate replacement. I recommend to Vadp to talk to the district manager in his area or the manager of a dealership to get his problem fixed. Talk to them as often as it takes, but never get mad. This works. This is what I do. Just go over and see them.
People may be correct that this 'knocking at idle' is a mechanical noise and will not shorten the life of the component. My contention is that it should not be present. This is a newly designed car and it should not have a flaw of this nature.
I would definitely follow VADP advice on how to check to see if you have it in your 5 spd focus. Essentially, with your fan off and windows shut, start your car and listen for this tapping noise when warming up. Drive to where ever you are going and when you are parked, (After it is warmed up), push on the clutch a few times and while all pedals are off the clutch, listen and see if you can hear a tap (Remember have your heater fan off). If you have it, go see your dealer. Demand that they call the Technical People at Ford on a fix. The more people who do this will expedite a repair.
The tapping sound is easy to hear because it is not a typical mechanical noise. It is separate from the normal whirring of the engine.
I no longer have the 'tractor sound'. I think this is because I have a new pressure plate. I believe this is the case after talking to a friend of mine who knows about cars.
I still recommend the Focus to my friends, but only the automatic.
ND
Over all Satisfaction: 1-10
Fun to Drive: 1-10
Quality of Build: 1-10
DesigN: 1-10
Engine/Transmission: 1-10
Value: 1-10
Remember we are all going to get a recall regarding our A-Pillar redesign in a few weeks. So prepare yourself. I am going to get the a-pillar fixed when I take my car in for an oil change. I am not going to make a special trip to get this trim piece fixed.
So far after 10,000 miles on my RF green z, I have paid 60 dollars out of pocket for my car. This is the cost of 2 oil changes.
I have had a lot of hassles, but still Ford has been good to me. They have never questioned any of my requests for repair.
ND