2002 Ford Focus Fuel System Problems

CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY TO 3RD OR 4TH GEAR. ENGINE FUEL LIGHT WOULD APPEAR. *JS

IN TANK ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP FAILURE DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT FAILED AND CAUSED THE CAR TO STOP DEAD. FORTUNATELY THE DRIVER HAD NOT AS YET ENTERED THE MOVING TRAFFIC LANE! FORD KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS FUEL PUMP AND YET WOULD RATHER SPEND MILLIONS IN TV ADS THEN REPAIR OR REPLACE FAULTY SAFETY HAZARD ITEMS IN THEIR PRODUCTS! JUST TAKE A COUNT OF ALL THE AUTOS MADE BY FORD WITH THIS FAULTY FUEL PUMP AT AN AVERAGE DOLLAR COST ( SO FAR NO LOST OR CRIPPLED LIVES) OF $1000 PER AND DETERMINE THAT BY NOT RUNNING ONE PRIME TIME HALFTIME NATIONAL FOOTBALL GAME AD THEY COULD EASILY REPAIR ALL THOSE VEHICLES, HAVE A CLEAR CONSCIENCE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR PRODUCT USERS AND GAIN PRICELESS VALUE WORTH MAYBE 10 TIMES THE COST OF THE SINGLE AD? THEY DID IN FACT ALLEGEDLY ISSUE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR MY 2002 FORD FOCUS THAT STATED REPLACE ON FAILURE UP TO 100,000 MILES BUT ALAS THEY NOW DENY THIS. I ALSO WONDER WHY AN ELECTRIC ITEM WOULD BE SUBMERGED IN A FUEL CELL AND WONDER WHY THEY HAVE BEEN SO LUCKILY AS TO NOT HAVE ANY FUEL TANKS EXPLODE AS OF NOW? " MY POINT" DRIVING AN AUTO THAT MAY STOP RUNNING (WITHOUT WARNING) DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART SHOULD BE (AT THE VERY LEAST) REPAIRED AT COMPANY COST NOT PASSED ON THE OWNER WHO MAY HAVE ALREADY SURVIVED A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE WHEN THEIR CAR DIED AT 60 MPH WITH SEMI TRUCKS ALL AROUND? NOT OUR CASE BUT NEXT TO WORST CASE AFTER TANK EXPLOSION! JUST BECAUSE IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET IS NO EXCUSE TO NOT TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR. NO PART ON ANY MODERN AUTO (DUE TO NORMAL USE) SHOULD FAIL ( AS IF IT HAD A CLOCK BUILT IN) JUST PAST THE 60,000 MILE MARK EVEN IF IT TOOK 12 YEARS TO REACH THE MILES UNDER THE 36 MONTH 60,000 MILE SO CALLED FACTORY WARRANTY? *TR

BLEW THE FUSE FROM MY FUEL PUMP UPON START UP OF CAR, NEEDED FUSE REPLACED AND GOT THE CAR TO START. HOWEVER, THE FUSE WOULD CONTINUE TO BLOW, THEREFORE NEED NEW FUEL PUMP AND FILTER. TRIED TO REPLACE THE PUMP WITH AN AFTER MARKET PART AND IT WOULDN'T FIT PROPERLY, MEANING I NEED A NEW EXPENSIVE PUMP. *KB

CAR WAS RUNNING FUNNY FOR ABOUT A WEEK. LEAVING A STORE PARKING LOT. I PULLED OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AND CAR STARTED MISSING REAL BAD AND STALLED. WOULD NOT START BACK UP. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE GARAGE AND WAS TOLD AFTER THEY LOOKED AT IT THAT IT NEEDED A NEW FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM OR FUEL PUMP AND STUFF. ANOTHER KNOWN ISSUE BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY,BUT NOT FOR MY FORD FOCUS. THE GUY I PULLED OUT ON PROBABLY THOUGHT IDIOT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT WHERE THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE SIMILAR FAILURE RECURRED; ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE FUEL PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V482000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,728.

ON MARCH 17, 2011, MY 2002 FORD FOCUS SUDDENLY STALLED OUT AS I WAS ACCELERATING UPHILL, TURNING RIGHT ON A RAMP TO ENTER A BUSY HIGHWAY. FUEL TANK WAS ABOUT . I RESTARTED THE ENGINE A COUPLE TIMES, BUT IT STALLED OUT AGAIN AFTER A FEW SECONDS. IT WAS POTENTIALLY A DANGEROUS SITUATION, BUT LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO ROLL THE CAR BACK DOWNHILL TO A SAFER LOCATION. (LATER I LEARNED THAT AN IDENTICAL SCENARIO IS DESCRIBED IN FORD DEALER LETTER 03N01, IN WHICH FORD AGREES TO REPLACE FUEL DELIVERY MODULES FOR 2000 AND 2001 MODELS, BUT NOT 2002.) I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A FORD DEALER, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO LOOK AT IT TILL THE NEXT MORNING, AT WHICH TIME THE CAR STARTED FINE. FORD RAN MANY TESTS, INCLUDING ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL, TOOK IT OUT FOR 3 ' 4 TEST DRIVES AND COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. THEY CHARGED $150 FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC LABOR. THIS CAR HAS DONE THIS EVERY YEAR NOW FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. SIMILAR, BUT NOT IDENTICAL, STALLS OCCURRED ON MARCH 16, 2009, MARCH 10, 2010 AND MARCH 17, 2010. EACH TIME, I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED. LOCATIONS WERE DIFFERENT, SO IT WAS ALWAYS A DIFFERENT SHOP. NONE OF THEM WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT RIGHT AWAY, AND BY THE TIME THEY LOOKED AT IT THE NEXT DAY, THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, EACH ONE CHARGED ABOUT $150 LABOR. THOSE 3 INCIDENTS ALSO REQUIRED A NEW 15 AMP FUSE FOR THE FUEL PUMP, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THE REPEATED UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO RESTART THE CAR AFTER IT STALLED. THIS YEAR, I STOPPED TRYING TO RESTART AFTER 4 UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS. THE FUSE DID NOT BLOW THIS YEAR. IN BETWEEN THESE STALLOUTS, USUALLY EXACTLY ONE YEAR APART, THE ENGINE HAS STARTED AND RUN SMOOTHLY, WITH NO INDICATION OF PROBLEMS. EACH TIME A STALL HAS HAPPENED, THE CAR HAS WORKED FINE THE NEXT DAY, WITHOUT ANY ADDITION OF FUEL. THIS INDICATES THAT IT IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE QUALITY OR QUANTITY OF FUEL IN THE TANK. THE ONLY EXPLANATION THAT I CAN SEE FOR THESE UNPREDICTABLE FAILURES IS A DEFECT IN THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRES ON TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP STARTED TO MELT. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SURGE FORWARD AND STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MELTING WIRES WERE CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 154,000.

2002 FORD FOCUS. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR TOWING AND REPAIR EXPENSES RELATED TO PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF UNDER RECALL. *TGW THE CONSUMER MENTIONED RECALL #03V482000 THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED.

FUEL PUMP IN MY 2002 FORD FOCUS FAILED SUDDENLY AS I WAS MERGING ONTO A 50MPH HIGHWAY IN JANUARY 2010. THE CAR JUST LITERALLY DIED, WITHOUT WARNING. FUEL INTAKE STOPPED AND SO DID THE CAR. I WAS LUCKY IT WAS EARLY ON A SUNDAY MORNING AND TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT. IF I HAD BEEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THIS SUDDEN FAILURE WOULD HAVE POSED A GRAVE SAFETY RISK. THE REPAIR COST $700. FORD REFUSED TO COVER ANY OF IT. IN A SEARCH OF INTERNET ARTICLES AND YOUR WEB SITE, I FOUND THIS FUEL PUMP FAILURE TO BE A WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM IN 2000 - 2002 FORD FOCUS'. I AM CONCERNED THAT THEY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE PUMP WITH AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE ORIGINAL PUMP, EXPOSING ME TO CONTINUED DANGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,804. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000. UPDATED 6/8/11 *CN THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE STALLING WAS DUE TO A CLOGGED FUEL PUMP. UPDATED 06/15/11

THE CAR STARTED TO PUTT PUTT AND THEN IT STALLED OUT I HAD A HAFL OF TANK OF GAS WHEN I HAD TO GET THIS TOWED COME TO FINE OUT THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTER WAS CLOGGED. *TR

2002 FORD FOCUS EXHIBITS ENGINE HESITATION WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS BELOW 1/4 FULL. THERE ARE ACCELERATION PROBLEMS AND THE CAR HAS COMPLETELY LOST POWER ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS BEGAN TO HAPPEN WITH 80,000KM ON THE CAR AND NOW ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH ONLY 1/4 TANK OF GAS. COMPLAINTS TO FORD ABOUT HOW THIS IS THE EXACT SAME CONDITION THAT CAUSED THEM TO ISSUE A RECALL ON 2000 AND 2001 FOCUSES (03N01) HAVE NOT RESULTED IN ANY OFFER TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP FOR FREE. *TR

FUEL PUMP STARTED TO CAUSE CAR TO STUTTER, STALL, COMPLETELY DIE. HAS STALLED OUT ON INTERSTATE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY AFTERNOON 4-LANE TRAFFIC; BOTH TIMES BARELY MAKING IT OF TRAFFIC AND BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC W/CHILDREN IN THE CAR! CAR MANUFACTURE DATE IS 09/01 IN MEXICO. HAD FUEL PUMP REPLACE AND HAS FAILED BOTH TIMES, COST IS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME! ALREADY PAID OVER$1000 FOR PARTS AND LABOR! NO RECALLS ON THIS CAR REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM OR THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKING UP!!! I HAVE SEEN MORE AND MORE OF THESE 2 PROBLEMS WITH THE EARLY FORD FOCUS, WHY HASN'T SOMETHING BEEN DONE YET??????? *TR

MY 2002 FORD FOCUS ZTS SUDDENLY STALLED IN HEAVY, FAST MOVING TRAFFIC. I HAD TO WRESTLE THE CAR TO THE CURB WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME AVOIDING TRAFFIC. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THE FUEL PUMP HAS FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. TOTAL COST ESTIMATE IS NEARLY $800. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN 2001 AND 2000 MODELS AND THIS PART IS EVEN COVERED IN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THOSE YEARS. HOWEVER, THE 2002 IS NOT COVERED. I THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE A SAFELY CONCERN FOR FORD BUT I THINK THEY ARE DOING THE BARE MINIMUM. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD AGAIN. NO WONDER THEY ARE HAVING SUCH DIFFICULT TIMES AT FORD! *TR

2002 FORD FOCUS BOUGHT THE END OF MARCH 2009, NOW SITS IN DRIVEWAY, BECAUSE FORD WILL NOT FIX FUEL DELIVERY MODULE FAILURE, BECAUSE OF VIN# NOT ON LIST AS BEING ONE OF THE 671000 UNITS AFFECTED. THE CAR IS DOING THE SAME THING AS ALL THE OTHER 671000 THAT WERE AFFECTED, SURGING, LOSS OF POWER, STALLING, HESITATION. WE WERE GOING DOWN THE ROAD, CHANGED LANES AND IT STARTED DOING THIS, NOW I HAVE HAD 3 MECHANICS WORK ON THIS CAR, NO HELP REPLACED FUEL PUMP, BATTERY, FUEL FILTER ETC, NO LUCK. IT STARTS WHEN IT WANTS WILL RUN THEN IT STARTS LOSING POWER, STALLS. WE DID EXPECT PROBLEMS WITH USED CAR, BUT NOT ONE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN A RECALL AND FIXED. IF ACCIDENT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM FORD WILL BE AT FAULT. *TR

FAULTY IGNITION CYLINDER LOCK, FAILS WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD IT REPLACED 12/15/07 AND IT IS NOW DEFECTIVE AGAIN ON 4/6/09. I HAD IT FIXED LAST TIME FOR $200, BUT IT CAN COST UP TO $400. HOW THIS ISN'T A SAFETY ISSUE IS BEYOND ME. THEN AGAIN THE PINTO'S EXPLODING GAS TANK WASN'T DEEMED A "SAFETY ISSUE" BY FORD, EITHER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY FAILED AND SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START, BUT THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE SENDER AND FUEL PUMP FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $540. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO CURRENT RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMP; THEREFORE, NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE MADE. UPDATED 01-26-09 *BFTHE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,600 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,700. UPDATED 01/26/09. *JB

I PURCHASED A USED 2002 FORD FOCUS IN FL. WHILE DRIVING IT TO MY HOME IN TN, I EXPERIENCED STALLING AT HWY SPEEDS. I CHANGED THE FUEL FILTER AND CONTINUED ON MY TRIP. IT STALLED AGAIN AND WOULDN'T RESTART. I HAD IT TOWED TO A FORD DEALER THAT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. I REPLACED THEM BOTH. THE CAR STARTED AND I BEGAN MY TRAVEL BACK HOME. UPON MY RETURN HOME, WHEN I WOULD UTILIZE THE CAR, I WOULD EXPERIENCE STALLING UNDER VARYING CONDITIONS. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO COULD NOT FIND THAT PROBLEM, BUT DID REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT. TYPICALLY THE CAR WOULD RUN FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THE STALLING WOULD BEGIN. I COULD USUALLY ALLOW THE ENGINE TO COOL FOR APPROXIMATELY 20-30 MINUTES AND THE CAR WOULD START. I COULD DRIVE FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD STALL AGAIN. MY LATEST EXPERIENCE HAPPENED AT HWY SPEEDS. AFTER 30 MINUTES OF TRAVEL THE CAR STALLED AND HAS NOT RESTARTED SINCE. I CONTACTED FORD WHO INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THEIR "RECALL (S)" DUE TO WHERE IT WAS ASSEMBLED. I FIND IT VERY "COINCIDENTAL" THAT MY CAR IS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT PROBLEMS THAT THE "RECALLED" CARS EXPERIENCED. IS THERE A COURSE ON ACTION THAT I SHOULD TAKE? *TR

I DRIVE A 2002 FORD FOCUS WAGON, MILEAGE 85,578. TWO DAYS AGO I HAD TROUBLE STARTING IT. I DID GET IT STARTED BUT EVERYTIME I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR THE ENGINE STALL. THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WARNING PRIOR TO THIS OR DURING THE EVENT. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR HOME, BUT HAD TO RESTART IT EACH TIME I HAD TO STOP. THE NEXT MORNING IT DROVE FINE BUT I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A FUEL PUMP FAILURE AND IT COST ME OVER A $1000 FOR REPAIR. (PARTS LISTER WERE SENDER, GASKET, KIT, TUBE, GASKET, FILTER). IN RESEARCHING RECALLS I FOUND THAT MODEL YEARS 2000-2001 WERE HAVING THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEMS AND A RECALL WAS DETERMINED FOR THIS. I DO NORMAL DRIVING - 70% HIGHWAY, 30% IN TOWN. MY CAR IS JUST OVER 5 YEARS OLD, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR SHOULD CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP TO FAIL. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS SOME KIND OF DEFECT IN THE ORIGINAL PART OR ASSEMBLY. *TR