This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
So many problems don't know where to start, ok lets talk about the doors. We bought the car new in 2001 and almost immediately started experiencing difficulties. The trunk wouldn't latch and the door light would be on or it would latch but wouldn't come open we complained to the dealer they would "adjust"it. However, the problem would be back in a day or two, and it was getting worse. The doors started to jam, and fly open while moving. Took it to the dealer and they told us to call Ford company complaint line and they said it was a mileage problem, and they explicitly said they would not help. We have called the dealer and the Ford Motor Co. Many times and they are no longer helping, even though the mechanic at the dealer said the doors had internal damage. Please understand this has been an on-going problem and the last time our 9 yr.old would have fallen out of the car had he not been wearing his seatbelt. Oh, yes then there is the seatbelts, brake lines, door knobs, brake rotors, fuel pump, wheel bearings the list goes on we have a lemon please contact us to help.
Rear doors very difficult to get to stay closed. When slammed, they do not latch shut. On one occasion, it took over 30 minutes slamming the doors before they finally stayed shut.
The rear driverside door of my 2001 Ford Focus SE began to not work. I noticed the door was ajar while driving down the road. I pulled over to close it and it woudl not close. It continued to bounce open. I took it to a Ford dealership. They explained to me that the latch was broken and needed to be replaced for $204. I used the door maybe two times a week. The mechanic then proceeded to tell me that the latches on the Focus are not working correctly. He said they rust out to the point of not working. Of course I'm a little peeved. I bought my first brand new car and the door lock rusts out after three years! I've owned 10 year-old cars and never had a problem. I think it's a defect of Ford and they should cover the cost. I'm just thankful, no one had to ride in my back seat and have the lock fail.
Consumer was unable to open both rear doors, and the frontal driver's door from the outside. To unlock the doors consumer had to go through the passenger's front door and unlock it from the inside. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection.
After completing my shopping, I returned to my car. Opened my rear left door to put down my bags. Come to close the door, but it would not shut and after trying for 40 minutes, the door finally latched shut. Tried to remedy the problem at home...but was faced with the same problem, this time it took even longer to shut. Since the summer, I have not opened the door. Came online to check for a recall/defect.
- Dearborn, MI, USA
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Consumer was not able to lock or unlock both rear doors from the inside nor outside of the vehicle. Consumer had to hold the door with two loose cords. Dealerships indicated to the consumer the latch mechanism broke.
2001-Ford Focus, drivers side rear door lock is difficult to open after being unlocked. I have not taken the car back to dealer to have it fixed yet due to the expense.
After opening the right rear door at a store I drove out of the parking lot before the door came open and the door light came on. After parking again I was not able to close the door, the latch seemed to be stuck in the open position. Opening the handle, moving the latch fork back and forth did not allow the door to close. After using a screw driver to pry the latch stamping it returned and latched the door closed. I have not opened the door since.
While driving, the door opened constantly. Also, the plastic door handles were loose. The left door would not stay shut and the locks on the inside would work intermittently.
The consumer stated the two back doors on the vehicle has a defective lock and the door will not stay locked and shut. The owner took the vehicle to the dealer and was told there was nothing they could do because it was past the warranty period and that the vehicle should have been looked at earlier to prevent the problem. The rear drivers side passenger door was the original problem, three weeks later the other rear door latch/lock displayed the same problem.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Belle Center , OH, USA