2003 Ford Focus Engine

FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE OF MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZTS STALLING AND SOMETIMES CUTTING OFF COMPLETELY. THIS HAPPENS UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND HAPPENS INFREQUENTLY. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE CAR CAN SHUT OFF WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL OUT ACROSS TRAFFIC OR WHILE IN FAST-MOVING TRAFFIC LANES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER WHERE THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM FIRST-HAND BUT BEEN UNABLE TO FIX IT. IT HAS BEEN THERE A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES, AND THIS ONE WITH BE THE FIFTH. EVERY TIME THEY HAVE SEEMED TO ISOLATE THE PROBLEM BUT IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO RESURFACE WITHIN 48 HOURS. SO FAR, THE DEALER HAS REPLACED: OXYGEN SENSOR, FUEL PUMP, FUEL MODULATOR, AND A TRANSMISSION SENSOR. JIFFY LUBE HAS ALSO REPLACED THE FUEL FILTER. ALTHOUGH NONE OF THESE PARTS HAVE BEEN COVERED BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, THE DEALER HAS BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO COMPENSATE ME FOR APPROXIMATELY THE LAST THREE REPAIRS FROM THEM. THE CAR IS STILL NOT FIXED AND I PLAN TO TAKE IT BACK TODAY. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THIS IS A CAR WITH 40,000 MILES ON IT AND RATED VERY GOOD BY CONSUMER REPORTS. I HAVE ALSO CHECKED SEVERAL ONLINE FORUMS AND PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE PURCHASED A "LEMON", BUT THE NC LAW DOES NOT APPLY SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN VIRGINIA. THE VIRGINIA LEMON LAW DOES NOT HELP EITHER BECAUSE IT APPLIES IF THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT THE DEALER IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED. I ALSO FEEL LIKE THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE PART OF A RECALL BUT FORD HAS FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM (THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2001 MODELS FOR THE SAME ISSUE). ANY HELP YOU COULD OFFER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *JB

THE CAR HESITATES WHILE AT SPEEDS ABOVE 40 MPH. APPEARS TO SHUT DOWN AND RESTART. THE CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND NOT REPAIRED. *NM

DT: CALLER'S VEHICLE HAD A DEFECTIVE EGR TUBE. THE WELDING CAME OFF, AND THE FUMES GOT INTO THE VEHICLE. DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. CALLER WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR ITS REPLACEMENT. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK UPDATED 1/16/2007 - *NM

I WAS SITTING IN DRIVER'S SIDE OF 2003 FORD FOCUE, CAR WAS TURNED ON AND PARKED. CAR SHUT OFF BY ITSELF AND I THEN SMELLED SMOKE. I OPENED HOOD AND THERE WAS A FIRE ON REAR-SIDE OF ENGINE - NO SIGN OF ANY OIL SPILLAGE..

VEHICLE HAD FUMES COMING IN. IT SMELLED AS IF SOMETHING WAS BURNING. DEALER CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIND ANY DEFECTS.*AK CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING STILL SMELL BURNING INSIDE, IT IS PRETTY SCARY AND WISH SOMETHING WOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. *BP

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB

CAR INTERMITTENTLY STALLS WHILE DRIVING. SO FAR, ALL INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED AND WHILE BRAKE WAS BEING USED. HAVE BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP SERVICE TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM (HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIRS 4 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE IN NOVEMBER 2003). THE FIRST TIME, TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. BATTERY, BATTERY CABLES, ALTERNATOR AND CONTROL MODULE WERE ALL REPLACED. ENGINE STALLED TWICE IN ONE DAY A FEW WEEKS AFTER THIS REPAIR. SECOND SERVICE VISIT, TECHNICIAN WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM, SO CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME. NOW I'M JUST WAITING AND WONDERING WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME THE NEXT TIME THE CAR STALLS, SINCE I LOSE 90% OF MY POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WHEN IT HAPPENS. I FEEL LIKE A SHOULD PUT A GIANT SIGN ON THE BACK OF MY CAR, WARNING DRIVERS TO KEEP THEIR DISTANCE AS THIS CAR CAN SUDDENLY STALL AT ANY TIME. *AK

VEHICLE IDLES ROUGHLY. ENGINE SKIPS , AND THE FRONT END SHAKES.*AK

PURCHASED 2003 FORD FOCUS IN SEPTEMBER, 2003. THERE WAS NOT EVEN 3,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT 2 BLOCKS TO THE STORE ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2004, WENT INTO THE STORE TO GET ONE ITEM AND ONLY IN THE STORE 5 MINUTES, CAME OUT AND MY CAR WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR.*AK

2003 FORD FOCUS ZX3 PZEV ENGINE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. ALL THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE DASH (SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, TACHOMETER, OIL PRESSURE, ETC.) BECOME INOPERATIVE. MUST BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, PUT IT IN PARK, AND TURN THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION BEFORE CAR CAN BE RESTARTED. PROBLEM BEGAN WITH LESS THAN 500 MILES ON THE CAR. IN THE THREE MONTHS I'VE OWNED THE CAR IT HAS STALLED AT LEAST 20 TIMES. HAVE HAD IT TO TWO DIFFERENT FORD SERVICE CENTERS A COMBINED TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP WHILE THEY WAIT FOR A SPECIAL FORD TECHNICIAN TO COME AND TRY AND DETERMINE WHAT IS WRONG. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT AFTER SHIFTING VEHICLE INTO REVERSE AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE STALLED. DEALERSHIP WASN'T ABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *LA

CONSUMER NOTICED AFTER DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL TO MERGE ON TO FREEWAY VEHICLE STARTED HESITATING AND SHIFTED INTO FULL THROTTLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *LA

WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

ENGINE CUTS OUT WHILE DRIVING FOR NO APPARENT REASONS AND WITH NO WARNING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, HEAVY BLACK SMOKE AND FLAMES CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED TO INDICATE THERE WAS ANY KIND OF PROBLEM. *NLM

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO FORD. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH WATER IN VEHICLE'S ENGINE.*MR CONSUMER DROVE OVER A PUDDLE AND VEHICLE WAS SPLASHED ON BY ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE OPPOSITE LANE. APPROX. 50 FEET FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE CUT OFF AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE NEXT MORNING SOMEONE FROM THE SERVICE DEPT. STATED THE ENGINE WAS FLOODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT $5000. THIS WASN'T COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER WOULDN'T OFFER A RENTAL VEHICLE SO THE CONSUMER FELT HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE THE WORK DONE. AN INDEPENDENT COURT CERTIFIED AUTO EXPERT STATED IN HIS OPINION THERE WAS A DESIGN DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS INCAPABLE OF BEING DRIVEN THROUGH PUDDLES DUE TO LOW AIR INTAKE. *PH *JB THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC

MY 2000 FORD FOCUS WITH 70080 MILES SUFFERED ENGINE FAILUE WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE ENGINE WILL NOT REMAIN RUNNING UNLESS THE ACCELLERATOR PEDAL IS HELD OFF OF IDLE. THE ENGINE WILL NOT CRANK AND STAY AT IDLE WITHOUT OPERATOR INTERVENTION. *AK THE UNIT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM SERVICE PENDING REPAIR. THERE IS A RUMBLING SOUND FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES (+-0.5" AT 3 HERTZ) WHEN AT 55MPH AND ABOVE.

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. *AK

VEHICLE REPEATEDLY STALLS OR RUNS COARSE WHEN COLD. VEHICLE MISSES REPEATEDLY. THIS HAS NOW OCCURED 7 TIMES IN TWO WEEKS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT MY 2003 FORD FOCUS STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER 3 TRIES THE CAR FINALLY RESTARTED AND I DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THEY SAID THE MASS AIR FLOW SYSTEM WAS BAD AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 1500 MILES ON IT AND IS LESS THAN 2 MONTHS OLD. *JB

THE VEHICLE STALLED, WHICH CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOSE SLIGHT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.*JB