CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2002 Ford Focus 2.0L SOHC engine has a defect where the intake valve seat fails. The valve then falls into the cylinder, destroying the engine & most owner relationships with Ford in the process.
Very well maintained & garaged. In great shape over all. Was finally going out of town for the weekend. I drove 150 freeway miles, filled the tank, and while crossing an intersection toward the freeway on ramp, the tank fell down and one side was dragging on the ground. Very dangerous situation. Could have been fatal. I was so stressed I forgot to take a photo except of the 2 angel mechanics that fixed it for me on the spot. They spent 2 hours, jacked up the tank and re-secured it. One of the straps was bent a bit so they had to secure that one with a coat hanger and I drove very carefully home. Weekend ruined.
The front bolt holding the straps had come out, and they said it appeared it was bolted into the wrong hole to begin with; one with no threads! I was taking the car in for an oil change and some other things so they fixed it for free; just needed to bend back that one strap. They confirmed it appeared something was stripped out of one of the side holes (there were 3 holes, the one in the middle had the threads where the bolt should go). I have found a few other reports of this happening on a Focus.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Very well maintained & garaged. In great shape over all. Was finally going out of town for the weekend. I drove 150 freeway miles, filled the tank, and while crossing an intersection toward the freeway on ramp, the tank fell down and one side was dragging on the ground. Very dangerous situation. Could have been fatal. I was so stressed I forgot to take a photo except of the 2 angel mechanics that fixed it for me on the spot. They spent 2 hours, jacked up the tank and re-secured it. One of the straps was bent a bit so they had to secure that one with a coat hanger and I drove very carefully home. Weekend ruined.
The front bolt holding the straps had come out, and they said it appeared it was bolted into the wrong hole to begin with; one with no threads! I was taking the car in for an oil change and some other things so they fixed it for free; just needed to bend back that one strap. They confirmed it appeared something was stripped out of one of the side holes (there were 3 holes, the one in the middle had the threads where the bolt should go). I have found a few other reports of this happening on a Focus.
- jeje2, Farmington, MO, US