2000 Ford Focus from North America - Comments

Electrical harness has burned out! Front brakes make scrubbing noise that can't be fixed, A/C blows hot air out of the blue for no reason.

They need to send these things back to where they got them cause they are the biggest piece of crap that has ever rolled outta Detroit!

I am the owner of a 2000 Ford Focus SE model. This car has been a headache ever since we drove it off the lot.

The most annoying and frustrating complaint I have is the constant brake noise. This car produces a loud screeching noise about 90% of the time we press on the brakes. Several times and several dealers have been sought to fix this problem, but none have been successful. The dealer where I purchased this car explained to me that the Environmental Protection Agency, beginning in the year 2000, requires ALL car manufacturers to use brake pads without asbestos in them and that this is normal in all new automobiles. Now, this to me is a most lame excuse. I do not hear any Volkswagens, Chryslers, Explorers, BMW's, Mercede's or any other makes or models out there producing brake noise!

Other complaints include the constant recalls (there have been about 5 already), the cab at times fills with engine odor. There are other complaints I have, but I will not list them all. I just cringe when I hear the Ford motto, "Quality is job 1", after owning such a mediocre vehicle.

Date: April 30, 2003

Baltimore, MD.

My best friend was just in an accident with her Ford Focus over the weekend. She has made numerous attempts to get someone to check out the brakes. The dealership could never find a problem with them. There has been several occasions were she could not stop the car and finally she has an accident. Letters have been written to Mr. Ford himself and no response has ever been received.

As for me personally, I used to own a Ford Focus until my brakes failed causing the car to crash into another car and totaling it. After my insurance paid Ford Motor Credit (FMC) for the value of the car. Which wasn't much because the brakes had failed several times resulting in two prior accidents. I still owed them over $5,000 still leaving a monthly car payment of $389 per month. Even though the car wasn't the best it gave me transportation to an excellent paying job. I had to quit that job because without a car I wouldn't be able to get there. I had to change daycare providers because I was no longer able to afford or get to the one I had at the time. I was left with a job, near a bus route, making $1000 less per month with a daycare provider that was more expensive. Being a single mother of two, I have never been able to purchase another car while still paying such a high car payment on new my low income. Then the constant phone calls started from FMC asking me when am I going to make a payment. They didn't want to offer to break the payments down for me be cause I still owed over $5,000. Even after I explained to them that it was their faulty brake system that caused the accidents. Sending them what I could when I could still wasn't enough for them. Calls kept coming in asking for more money. My mortgage payments feel behind and my finances were in shambles. After more than a year I am just getting back on track, but I can't get a car because the Ford Focus slow payments are on my credit report along with my delinquent mortgage payments. I have to save up to buy a car in full because no creditors are even will to take a chance with me. This may take another year.

The sole purpose in getting the Ford Focus was to get my children off of the dangerous city bus stops late at night. At the age of 4 my daughter has seen people shooting drugs in their arms on the bus. There was an incident were a drive by shooting occurred on the bus stop we normally stand on in the evenings. The final straw was when a drunk driver struck a Baltimore family waiting on the bus stop. Four children were killed on that sad day. I saw the Ford Focus as a chance to give my children a chance to get away from all of that. Now I am still left on public transportation again dealing with the drug addicts and dealers. Never knowing when we may get shot or run down just waiting for the next bus. I hope my story can help some one out there. There has to be a reason why my children are still suffering.