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3.2

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
42,094 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2003 Ford Focus fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2003 Ford Focus Owner Comments

problem #4

May 202011

Focus 4-cyl

  • 57,375 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Having an ongoing stalling problem starting on 5/20/11. Situation usually happens in the afternoon after doing just a couple of local, short distance errands. The car will start but immediately stall after taking foot off the gas. Usually starts after waiting @ 45 minutes/amount of time it takes tow truck to arrive (towed 5X, 1 time was able to drive after 45 minutes). Replaced fuel filter, fuel pump, oxygen sensors (twice), fuel pump driver by regular mechanic. Has happened three times in past two weeks: Brought it to local Ford dealership to see if they can diagnose the problem. The latest time this has happened, after the fuel pump driver was replaced, I was able to do four errands before the stalling occurred. Also, I was able to put the car in drive by keeping one foot on the gas while the other foot was on the brake and continue moving until braking for a stop sign/traffic signal, at which point it would stall. Nine "stalls" later I made it home; an "improvement" over being stranded at the post office or the mall but certainly not acceptable. The dealership has called to say they think it is the fuel pump and want to replace it with a "genuine Ford part, " as opposed to aftermarket part my regular mechanic probably used. I hope this is the end of the "replacing parts" routine but am not optimistic due to other complaints I have read concerning this problem.

- Woodstock, CT, USA

problem #3

Aug 152010

Focus

  • 75,000 miles
Car stalls without warning when stopped at a stop light or when driving down the road at 40 miles per an hour. Car taken to shop a number times. No codes found in computer. Car passes electrical check. Spark plugs and fuel filter replaced., throttle body cleaned car stalled less often after air control motor replaced. Car has 75,000 miles on it and all scheduled maintenance has been performed as suggested by Ford.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #2

Apr 202005

Focus

  • miles
Car will miss a lot while driving at a constant speed on the highway, sometimes the motor speeds up rapidly, sounds like someone is stomping the gas pedal when I am not. The motor kind of jumps and sputters periodically for no apparent reason.

- Evington, VA, USA

problem #1

Sep 172004

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 36,000 miles
After having my vehicle for a few weeks whenever I would go to the gas station to fill it would refuse to start back up. At first it would take one or tow tries then it was taking up to 5 minutes. When I took it in for service I was told the car would not code and they could not duplicate the problem, therefore there was nothing they could do, but to have it towed back in if it did it again. It was fine for a couple of months and now it is doing it again. This weekend I was stranded for 30-40 minutes before my car would start again and I couldn't have it towed because I was in the middle of nowhere. I called dealership to inform them that it was happening again and I was told that if they can't duplicate the problem that there is nothing that they can do! spoke to a dealership in orlando and was told that it is probably the fuel sensor. Local dealership refuses to accept this as the problem.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

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