I bought my 2000 Ford Focus from a Ford dealer in 2003 with 34,000 miles on it. I absolutely loved the car until a couple of months ago. It began to chug and act like it was going to stall when I would slow down. It also gave me a problem if I tried to go faster than 40 mph. I took it to a mechanic who did a tune-up. Then, she had the same problem. A diagnostic was run and a service bulletin from the NTSB website showed up. It states the valves build carbon and have to be replaced. I was given an estimate of $1500+ to fix it. She offered to run it through a cleaning process to see if it would fix the problem. I did that twice since the engine light came back on within 9 miles of driving it after the first cleaning with the same exact problem happening. I would put the car in neutral to keep it from stalling in traffic. I then decided to get a second opinion since the two cleanings ($300+ per time) hadn't worked along with engine fuel additive given to me by the mechanic. The next mechanic confirmed the same problem. The service bulletin from the NTSB website for the sticking valve from carbon build-up needing the head replaced for $1500-$2000. I was told by this mechanic it was NOTHING I DID WRONG AND IT WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE PREVENTED. He told me it was a DESIGN DEFECT BY FORD WITH THE ENGINE. He also told me I should contact Ford and make them pay for it since it was their fault. I was told FORD RE-DESIGNED THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE DESIGN.

I was HOT!!!!!! I was just about to pay the car loan off in August and this is what was happening!! I contacted Ford Corporation through their website. I received an email asking me to call them. I called them on 6/22/07 at approximately 12:50 pm. I spoke with Joey about the problem. He said they (Ford) would look into the problem. I agreed to take the vehicle to a close Ford dealership in Fort Wayne, Indiana to be looked at for the problem. The dealership looked at the car on 6/26/07. At 8:40 am they called to confirm the same problem as the other two mechanics-sticking valve-need head replaced at $2000-$2500. I called the Ford Customer Service line to tell them what I had found out from their own mechanic. The woman I spoke with told me Ford had made a decision already about my complaint. Ford had decided not to help me since my car had 85,000 miles on it with no warranty. Ford had made the decision BEFORE I paid THEIR mechanic $84.00 to tell me the same thing I already knew from two other mechanics!!!

I began research to see what I could do about the problem. I filed a complaint on the NTSB website also requesting a recall for the problem be considered. I filed a complaint with the BBB for the "Lemon Law" to see if I qualified. I don't know if I do or not.... we'll see.

I received a phone call from Ford on 7/09/07 at work. The customer service representative explained when a complaint is filed with the Better Business Bureau, it is their (Ford) policy to contact the individual to see if Ford can resolve the issue. I told him the problem and what I expected Ford to do was pay for the repair. I was told he would call me the next day 7/10/07 with an answer. I told him I would call him. I asked him to please not call me at work. He agreed. At around 11:00 am I received a call at work from Joel with Ford about my car. I told him I couldn't talk until my break. We agreed he would call me back in fifteen minutes on my break. Joel called me and proceeded to tell me the following: Joel said he spoke with the Ford dealership that looked at my car. Joel said the mechanic said carbon was on the valve because the vehicle sat and I didn't drive it for a period of time. Joel also told me I didn't qualify for the NTSB service bulletin (the Ford mechanic stated the car had the same error as the other two mechanics which is the NTSB service bulletin); the car had 85,000 miles on it so they wouldn't help me because it was over 75,000 miles; the zone manager for the Ford dealership stated I didn't buy the car from them so they didn't have to help me and they decline to help me with the problem.

Simply put: I ended the conversation with Joel at Ford by saying I wasn't going to drop this and that I wasn't going to go away. I stated it isn't right for Ford to MAKE MONEY on repairs to an engine with THEIR DESIGN DEFECT. I told him the conversation was done and goodbye.

I have only owned this car a month and a half. When I bought it I was so happy with the economy and the style. Worked out great. Then I have electrical problems and heating problems... to top it off I am driving off the NYS I90 and then the car cuts out as I am exiting the thruway. Just like that!! No warning lights ... nothing.. I took it to the dealer to see if it could be repleaced.. THE ONLY WAY FORD WILL REPLACE NO CHARGE IS IF THE CODES COME UP? Even the dealer knew what was wrong with it defore they looked at it!!

I read all these problems and they all seem like what I had... Stalling on the interstate, on hills and just about every place that is hell... I know ford sucks on recalls but I had baught two junk yard fuel pumps on day and none of them worked so then I called my local ford dealer and come to find out there is a recall on the pump... I guess theres a computer glitch that causes the pump to stop... It cost me nothing but a headache... PEOPLE PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL FORD DEALER ON THIS IT WILL SAVE ALOT OF TIME....

DENIS

This car, which my parents bought for me less than a year ago, has been giving me nothing but problems. But the most recent and worst problem has been my car stalling while I am driving. It doesn't do it all the time, and when I tell the mechanics the problems I am having, they say there is nothing wrong. I don't know how the mechanic can drive my car for 2 hours straight and not have problems, but the day i get it back, it acts up again. This is really starting to piss me off. The trips home that usually take me 4 hours, now take me around 7 because of the constant stop-go of my trip due to this problem.

I've seen this complaint noted in a few different areas here. When I accelerate I have no power. The car just slugs along. It's very dangerous when your turning and there's oncoming traffic. I dealt with it for a while because it would just come and go (which is actually more dangerous than relying on sluggish take offs). When I took it to the dealer I learned that the valves in the Focus aren't the right size, maybe not all the valves but enough to make a difference. Basically what happens it that the valves get all clogged and sticky, resulting in the no power then a blast of go, then back to slugging about. Not sure if it's a defect or what but the only way to get it fixed correctly is to replace the valves in the engine. Roughly $800 if I remember the estimate correctly. I went with the cheap way out and got the fluids flushed with some cleaning agents they had. They said it wasn't a for sure fix and I'd eventually have to replace the valves.

Well over a year later and that problem hasn't resurfaced to it's full annoyance. If I do feel it getting a bit clogged I take some jet fuel additive stuff and run it through a tank or maybe two until it clears. And don't be afraid to floor it ;)

Good luck! I know the Focus has problems but what car doesn't.

I bought my first car with my money for college. I chose a Ford Focus, because it was cheap - not realizing what a pain it would be.

The first problem I noticed was at an intersection near my home. When the light turned green, I tried to cross the intersection, but the car would not accelerate past 15 mph. Finally, after about 10 seconds, there was a surge of power and the car got to the other side right before the light turned red.

I immediately took the car in to be inspected. (The car's Fuel Distributor had already been replaced by the recall). The dealership had the car for a week, but could not duplicate the problem. My dad experienced this hesitation problem as he drove it home from the dealership. Since then I have taken it in several times to no avail.

In case Ford ever reads these complaints, I'd like to state that this IS a SAFETY related DEFECT. It is not simply an undesired inconvenience.

BOTTOM LINE: Don't get a Ford. I have found their customer service to be terrible and their mechanics incompetent.

My 2000 Ford Focus has only 61,500 miles. First the springs broke. Then "check engine" kept showing and quits working at stops. I e-mailed Ford Company. they said I need to call to deal with the problem but the representative I talked to said I should take it to a mechanic (know that). Diagnosis said cylinder #2 & 3 are not working. Cost: $500. Can you believe a car with only 61,500 miles quits working already. I think Ford cars are terrible. years before I had a Mercury Tracer and it too quit working at 71,000 miles. No wonder Ford Motor Company is doing so bad in the market!!!!

My car slowed down and then completely cut out on I-17 in Phoenix. I took it back to the dealership and I was told that there was no problem. Two weeks later it cut out on the 101 in Phoenix, my family could have been killed. I pulled on the shoulder and it took 4 starts and stops to get it back home. I found out from the web that there is a recall on Fords due to improper Fuel Delivery Systems. I took it to the Ford Dealer and they Replaced the entire system. I only had to pay $80 for a new filter. The car works fine now. Please check your recalls for your car. My car had a total of 14 recalls and you have 10 years from the original purchase to report these. I just bought my car 3 months ago, but it is 6 years old.

My car sputters, and either flirts with stalling or completely stalls out on the road... a real safety hazard. I had it into the dealer in Battle Creek at least twice for the same symptoms... the second time for a recall on the fuel system. They would not refund me the money from the previous job even though it was for the exact same symptoms. The symptoms have been prevailing for three years now, no repair has straightened it out. It seems to run better in dry cold weather... it is at its worst during changes in the weather pattern or humid heat.

The first time i noticed it i was traveling on I40 to wilmington and my car would not respond to me pressing the gas, the check engine light began flashing and i had to pull over. I stopped for awhile and check to see what was going on but nothing visibly was wrong. This continued my entire trip. Once i was a able i got it checked out and the only thing that comes up on the reader is that i have a emissions leak. I replaced the spark plugs wires and fuel filter but this only aleviated some of the problem it still continues to stall out and i dont knw what to do. It should be called a F*CK US... And what sucks even more is I just finished paying for it this month.

was driving my car when all of a sudden the car started to idle really bad, all the dash instrument lights came on, lost steering, then it would not accelerate, had to coast off to the side of the road trying not to get into an accident. the engine stopped, after a few minutes it started up and I was able to drive it a little more, played that game until I finally got the car home. This has happened before but not this bad, I gave the car a good tune up, replaced all the plug wires and plugs, all filters including the fuel filter, it helped temporarly