2000 Ford Focus Powertrain & Transmission Problems

WHILE IN MOTION ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, DRIVING 70 MPH, MY 2000 FORD FOCUS (62,000 ORIG MILES) BEGAN DOWNSHIFTING; THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. REPLACEMENT OF THE NEUTRAL DRIVE SENSOR WAS COMPLETED. NOW, SIX MONTHS LATER SAME THING HAPPENING. DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH THE '00 FORD FOCUS BEGINS DOWNSHIFTING CAUSING A DECREASE IN SPEED AT AN ALARMING RATE, RPMS INCREASE, ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE.

WE PURCHASED A VEHICLE ON 09/03/2016 FROM GRASS VALLEY AUTO WHOLESALE BROKERS, GRASS VALLEY, CA. THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A TICKING NOISE AND SEEMED TO HAVE A POWER ISSUE, IT KEPT LOSING IT. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED THE LOT AND TOLD THEM. THEY SAID THEY HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND NOT TO WORRY. I DID. IT KEPT HAPPENING SPORADICALLY. I HAD A 3 MONTH/3K MILES WARRANTY. AFTER CALLING THE LOT AGAIN, I RELAYED THE SAME SYMPTOMS THE CAR WAS HAVING. I WANTED TO KNOW DID THEY THINK IF IT COULD BE A TRANSMISSION ISSUE, COULD BE, WAS THE ANSWER I GOT.. IN NOVEMBER I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO JR'S TRANSMISSION, CAME RECOMMENDED. THEY SERVICED THE TRANSMISSION, IT WAS GOOD. IT WAS STILL HAPPENING. TWO DAYS AGO, COMING OFF A STOPLIGHT, I PUT THE GAS DOWN AND IT MADE A LOUD KNOCK . I HOBBLED TO THE CORNER, APPROX 100 YARDS. IT WAS TOWED TO THE AUTO LOT SUGGESTED MECHANIC, WHO PROBABLY WORKED ON THE VEHICLE IN THE BEGINNING. HE TOLD ME IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. WHEN I CALLED GRASS VALLEY WHOLESALE AUTO BROKERS, THE OWNERS SON, WHO IS ALSO A SALESMAN THERE, TOLD ME WE WILL WORK SOMETHING OUT. MAYBE MY DAD COULD TAKE CARE OF HALF OF (REFERRING TO THE ANTICIPATED COST OF REPAIRS). TODAY, THE OWNER WOULD NOT TALK TO ME, NOR ANSWER THE PHONE. I LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE OWNERS SON. I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK. I SOUGHT OUT HELP TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE STRAIGHT AWAY FROM THE DEALER AND REPAIR BUT THE DEALER BRUSHED ME OFF. THAT WAS WHEN MY WARRANTY WAS IN EFFECT. NOW IM TWO WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY SHOULD HAD CHECKED THE VEHICLE WHEN I HAD ORIGINALLY WANTED ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. AS ACCORDING TO THE OWNER, HIS MECHANIC KNOWS HIS CARS INSIDE AND OUT. *TR

I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE DECEMBER OF 2003 AND IT HAS BEEN A VERY LARGE MONEY PIT. THIS TIME THE CAR JUST STOPPED RUNNING. I HAD TAKEN IT TO AUTOZONE AND THEY TOLD ME IT NEED AN EGR SENSOR OR HOSING FOR IT. WHEN I WAS TURNING AT A LIGHT THE CAR JUST STOPPED RUNNING WHEN I HAD JUST TURNED ONTO A MAIN HIGHWAY. THERE HAS BEEN MAJOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH IT SINCE DAY ONE. THIS CAR HAS HAD 5 CLUTCHES IN IT AND I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THAT ALL IN ITSELF BECAUSE A CAR SHOULD NEVER NEED THAT MANY CLUTCHES WITHIN 100,000 MILES. THAT IS RIDICULOUS AND VERY EXPENSIVE AND I HAVE GOTTEN NO WHERE WITH THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE OTHER 2000 FORD FOCUS'S WITH THE SAME ISSUE. MY ONE HEAD LIGHT IS NOT RIGHT IT NEVER HAS BEEN THERE IS CORROSION ON THE INSIDE OF THE HEADLAMP. THE REAR DOOR LATCH DOES NOT WORK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR ALSO DOES NOT LATCH CORRECTLY AND NO LONGER LOCKS AT ALL. THE TRUNK LATCH IS NOT RIGHT EITHER. IT WILL NOT ALWAYS UNLATCH AND THEN CLOSE AGAIN. IT OFTEN REQUIRES SEVERAL MORE TIMES OF PUSHING THE TRUNK RELEASE AND IT WILL FINALLY UNLOCK AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. I HAVE PUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO THIS LEMON. I HAVE ALL THE REPAIR PAPERWORK, IT HAS A BRAND NEW BREAKING SYSTEM, BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION, BRAND NEW ENGINE, BRAND NEW CLUTCH, BATTERY. WE HAVE REPLACED EVERYTHING IN THIS CAR AND HERE WE GO AGAIN....THIS CAR HAS SAT MORE THAN IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN!!! I HONESTLY FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE MONEY WE SPENT ON BUYING THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS AND IS STILL A LEMON SINCE DAY ONE...... *JS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY AAA TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY NONFUNCTIONAL AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT ASSIST DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 19,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD, SHIFTED OUT OF SECOND GEAR, AND ROLLED BACK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON BOTH FLAT AND INCLINED SURFACES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CONTROL MODULE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,141 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,241.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PUBLIC PARKING AREA, ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT THE FRONT END OF THE PARKED VEHICLE CAUSING IT TO BE MOVED TEN FEET ONTO THE ROAD. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE MOVED ON ITS OWN HITTING ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO A LOCAL INDEPENDENT BODY SHOP FOR BODY WORK. THERE WERE NO FURTHER EXAMINATION OR REPAIRS MADE.*AK

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING OUR 2000 FORD FOCUS ZTS AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL FELL COMPLETELY OFF. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I SEE THAT THERE WAS A LIMITED TIME RECALL FOR THIS ITEM, HOWEVER WE ARE 2ND OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE I AM ASSUMING THE ORIGINAL OWNERS DID NOT HAVE THIS FIXED. HOWEVER, WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP IN 2001 BEFORE THE RECALL EXPIRED AND THEY ALSO DID NOT HAVE THE FAULTY CLUTCH REPLACED. CALLED FORD TODAY AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. FORTUNATELY MY HUSBAND WAS NOT INJURED AND NO ONE ELSE WAS INJURED EITHER. HOWEVER, THIS COULD HAVE LED TO A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. WE ARE NOW HAVING TO PAY TO HAVE THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY REPLACED AS WELL AS THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER. TOTAL $650.00. *JB

RT FRONT AXEL BROKE, CAR NOT DRIVABLE. CLICKING NOISE NOTICED ON LEFT TURNS 60 MILES PREVIOUS. BOOT COVER OVER RT FNT BEARING NOTED GAPING HOLE, METAL ATTACHMENT RING OFF AND DETACHED. AXEL BROKE AS BEING DELIVERED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR/FIX OF BOOT COVER. COVER HAD BEEN INSPECTED WHEN TIRES REPLACED BY DEALER 750 MILES PREVIOUSLY AND NO NOTED DEFECT. *NM

1) AT HIGHWAY SPEED, ABRUPTLY SHIFTS INTO LOW GEAR AND DECCELERATES HARD. ODOMETER DISPLAYS "======", WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN ON. 2) ENGINE ABRUPTLY STALLS, WITH IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. AGAIN ACCOMPANIED BY OTHER ODD EVENTS. 3) NO ACCIDENT YET, BUT DANGEROUS. 4) HAPPENS SPORADICALLY, GETTING MORE FREQUENT.

NEEDED TO HAVE THE CLUTCH REPLACED WITH ONLY 37,340 MILES ON THE CAR. NOTICED BURNING SMELL COMING FROM CAR ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER WHEN STOPPING ON HILLS. IT SEEMED THAT HAVING THE AIR CONDITIONER ON, STOPPING ON A HILL, AND THEN DRIVING OUT OF 1ST GEAR FOR SOME REASON BURNS OUT THE CLUTCH. SO THE CLUTCH WORE OUT AND I HAD IT REPLACED AT A COST OF $924.96. WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE WAY I DRIVE. I'VE BEEN DRIVING CARS FOR 34 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO REPLACE A CLUTCH. SEEMS TO ME THERE IS SOME KIND OF DEFECT; CLUTCHES SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED SO SOON. HOW DO I PREVENT THE SAME THING FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE? *NM

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS WITH 22,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO REPLACE TWO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED 9 MONTHS AGO WITH ABOUT 18,000 MILES. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED LAST WEEK. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER TO PAY $129.00 OR TRADE THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. SHE REFUSED TO PAY THE $129.00 AND SHE DID NOT WANT TO TRADE IN THE VEHICLE IN FOR ANOTHER FORD. SHE SENT AN E-MAIL TO FORD. AS OF RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN HER E-MAIL. THE DEALERSHIP PROVIDED HER WITH A RENTAL CAR. HOWEVER ,THEY TOLD HER THAT IF SHE DID NOT COME AND PICKUP CAR SHE WILL HAVE TO START PAYING FOR THE RENTAL CAR. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ON AUGUST 22, 2005 ,AND THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED RECALL REPAIRS THAT SHE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT SHE KNEW HER CAR WAS A LEMON. HOWEVER, SHE BROUGHT HER CAR IN TOO LATE. *AK

ON THE AFTERNOON OF 9/29/2004 I ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE OUT OF A DRIVEWAY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE. A LOUD CLANK NOISE HAD OCCURED SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE WHEN DRIVING FORWARD INTO THE DRIVEWAY. I HAD THE VECHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE I WAS TOLD THIS 4 YEAR OLD CAR WITH ONLY 32000 MILES REQUIRED A NEW OR REBUILT TRANSMISSION. AFTER READING THE OTHER SEIZED TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS THAT RESULTED IN CRASHES, I FEEL VERY LUCKY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ON CITY LIMITS CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN NHTSA RECALL 00V303000. PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE REAR WHEEL HUB RETAINING NUTS CAN LOOSEN AND ALLOW THE LEFT REAR WHEEL AND BRAKE DRUM ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION JUST SUDDENLY WENT ON OUR VEHICLE WITH 41000. THIS OCCURRED DURING NORMAL DRIVING. *AK

WHILE SHIFTING GEARS TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO UNLOCK THE TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACING. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO EXCESSIVE CONTAMINATION METAL PIECES IN THE PLANETARY FLUID OIL TRANSMISSION.*MR *JB

I OWN A 2000 FORD FOCUS 2000 SE 4 DR SEDAN. IT WAS BOUGHT AS NEW CAR 11/1999 AND CURRENTLY HAS 39500 CAREFULLY DRIVEN MILES. EARLIER THIS AUTUMN AN AMBER DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS DRIVING. AT FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO DECODE ITS MEANING FROM VEHICLE'S MANUAL, I LEARNED IT WAS THE 'AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE/COOLING' WARNING LIGHT ON ZTEC EQUIPPED MODELS (LIKE MINE). I TOOK IT TO LINCOLN MERCURY DEAL (WHERE I HAVE HAD MY FOCUS REPAIRED OFTEN): 'BARON LINCOLN MERCURY' IN FLUSHING, NEW YORK WHERE THEY PERFORMED A COMPUTERIZED CHECK OF SYMPTOMS. I WAS TOLD SERVICE WRITER THERE WERE 'CODES' WHICH INDICATED SOLENOID AND GEAR RATIO PROBLEMS IN 2ND AND 4TH. I WASN'T SURE WHAT ALL THAT MEANT BUT SEEMED LIKE GOOD IDEA TO TAKE ADVICE AND SCHEDULE ANOTHER MORE DETAILED INSPECTION FOR POSSIBLE REPAIRS; THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY WAS AROUND 10 DAYS FROM THAT DAY AND I TOOK IT. I SHOULD MENTION THAT THE LIGHT HAD NOT CONTINUED TO REMAIN 'ON' FOLLOWING THE 1ST TIME. I TOOK MY CAR TO BARON ON A SATURDAY MORNING AND ON MONDAY FOLLOWING IT, I SAW SAME LIGHT TO COME 'ON. THAT DAY I CALLED LOCAL AAMCO DEALER AND AGREED TO HAVE CAR LOOKED AT THERE THE NEXT MORNING WHERE THEIR COMPUTER FOUND SAME THING. I AGREED TO LET AAMCO OPEN UP TRANSMISSION FOR DIAGNOSTIC WORK-UP AND THAT AFTERNOON WAS TOLD THAT NEEDED REPAIRS TOTALLING APPROXIMATELY $2700. I AGREED TO LET AAMCO PERFORM WORK AFTER HAVING FIRST CONTACTED THE SAME SERVICE WRITER AT BARON LINCOLN-MERCURY WHO INFORMED ME THAT THEY VERY SELDOM DID TRANSMISSION WORK AND THAT IF THEY DID IT'D COST AROUND $2700. SINCE AAMCO'S SPECIALTY IS TRANSMISSIONS, IT MADE SENSE TO PROCEED. I AM A TWO TIME FORD CUSTOMER ('96 AND '2000) AND WON'T PERMIT THE IDEA OF BUYING ANOTHER TO CROSS MY MIND. *LA

WHILE APPLYING THE CLUTCH PEDAL AT 35 MPH, THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO ENGAGE THE CLUTCH TO SHIFT INTO THE NEXT GEAR. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE MAIN ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL PIN BROKE IN HALF. *JB

I HAVE A 2000 FOCUS. I EXPERIANCE HESITATION WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS ABOUT 1/4TH FULL, IT DIED ONCE WHILE TURNING AROUND AN OFFRAMP CLOVERLEAF. ALSO WHEN COMING TO STOPS IT IDLES ROUGH. WHEN STARTING AND WAITING WHILE IN OR OUT OF GEAR, IDLING IS ROUGH. TURNING CORNERS I OCCASIONALY GET CREEKS FROM THE FRONT AND REAR. SOMETIMES I HEAR THUMPS FROM THE REAR WHEN RIDING OVER BUMPS ON OCCASION. I HEAR AND FEEL A GROWL WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING REGARDLESS OF BEING IN OR OUT OF GEAR OR IN OR OUT OF MOTION. IT FEELS MORE PROMINENT WHEN THE TEMP. IS BELOW 60 DEGREES. I CAN FEEL IT VIBRATING IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE TURNING AND IT SEEMS TO STOP WHILE TURNING LEFT BUT CONTINUES WHEN THE STEERING REACHES CENTER. WHILE GOING UP OR DOWN INCLINES OR SMALL DEPRESSIONS IN THE ROAD IT BECOMES EVEN MORE NOTICEABLE AND YOU CAN FEEL IT IN THE FLOOR. THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR LOCK SOMETIMES CLICKS IN AND OUT OF THE LOCK POSTION ERRATICALLY WHEN THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON IS DEPRESSED. THIS HANDLE IS ALSO EXTREMELY TOUGH TO OPEN. SOMETIMES POWER IS LOST TO THE RADIO, I REMOVE THE DETACHABLE ANITI-THEFT PIECE AND REPLACE IT, SOMETIMES IT WORKS, SOMETIMES I NEED TO DO IT NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE THE RADIO WILL TURN BACK ON. I HAD EXPERIANCED WARPED ROTORS ON THE FRONT WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT I SWITCHED THEM WITH SLOTTED ROTORS SO I NO LONGER HAVE THIS PROBLEM. MY REAR BRAKE DRUMS ARE STOCK (BUT THE PASDS ARE NOT) AND THEY SQUEAL QUITE FREQUENTLY, POSSIBLY DUE TO EXCESSIVE DUST. I HAD NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES THE POWER WINDOW CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK FOR WINDOWS OTHER THAN THE DRIVERS. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED IN ABOUT A YEAR OR 2. I HAVE JUST RECENTLY EXPERIENCED WATER IN THE PASSENGER WELL. LAST, OCCASIONALLY THE TRANSMISSION WILL HESITATE WHILE DRIVING. IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL, BUT MORE LIKE IT WAS A HUMAN WITH A CLUTHC OUT A BIT WHO CANNOT MAKE UP THEIR MIND ABOUT WHAT GEAR TO USE.