Comments: 1-15, 16
The first issue I had with my Focus was after having it one week the fuel gauge failed showing that I was on empty. The car had just been filled up the day before so I know it was full. The gauge read E and the light was on. I called the dealer immediately and they said to bring it in, but to run all the gas out before I show up. Of course I had time to spend doing this so I didn't make it to the dealer for a week. They said this has happened with other Focus's and that if it happens again bring it in again. Forget that.
After the gas gauge issue I received 2 recalls in the mail. This was 6 months after buying the car. I brought it to the dealer to be fixed by the end of the day and 2 days later they finally had it done. Not even a loaner car was offered to me. Apparently they had many Focus's in that day for recalls and they ran out of parts. The two recalls were the windshield needing to be shaved down and rear passenger wheel piece replaced. If this wheel was not fixed it could cause the wheel to fall off and a accident to occur. Go figure.
About a year and a half later I had an issue with the paint on the passenger side door. We knocked the door with our fence and a huge piece of paint fell off. I don't believe that paint should just fall off when hitting it slightly. I contacted the dealer who contacted his general manager. Unfortunately they couldn't do anything about it since my warranty had just run out 2,000 miles before this occurred. Still to this day I have a big piece of paint missing from my passenger door. Hopefully this deters any future Ford buyers from getting a Focus.
And still more to go. Two years later my ignition went out which I spent over $200.00 to replace and missed a 1/2 a days work waiting to drive my car. The same week the regulator for my driver side electric window went out causing the window to not work and be stuck down until I had it fixed. This cost me $380.00. This also had to be in the shop for 2 days and no loaner car was offered. I hope some day these become recall issue's so I can be reimbursed.
Well my last issue was mailed to me just 2 days ago from Ford. Apparently a front coil spring is fracturing due to corrosion and may cause your call to lean to one side. You can only have this fixed if the coil has failed so I figure any day now I will be bringing my car to Ford to be fixed.
If I had know how faulty the 2000 Ford Focus was going to be I would never have bought it. I suggest to anyone never by a Ford because as you know the actually meaning of FORD is found on road dead and other lovely saying.
Good Luck to all of you who have already bought your Ford.
I own a 2002 Ford Focus and love it to death. Despite what ford haters have to say about the Focus, it's quite the nifty car. My focus hasn't had one problem since I bought it. Some people have to consider the fact that there is always a bad car in a bunch and, also that the 2000 Focus was the first year it came out. They can't expect all the 'bugs' to be worked out yet. My focus is my second favorite car next to my 2001 Mercury Cougar. My mother is a mechanic and she knows that the Focus is a great car. Not to mention that the Focus is one of the worlds best selling subcompact sedans! top that off Dodge!!!
This car gets 35mpg and you hate it!?
I agree with the original entry. My 2000 Ford Focus SE is a piece of junk. Dropping a value seat at 86,000 on ANY car is unacceptable.
I have owned many Ford products and have family members who work at Ford. My last car, a Ford Ranger, was a wonderful vehicle. In an attempt to find a car with better gas mileage, I bought a Focus.
My story is similar to other people who have contributed to this page. I have had many problems with my 2000 Ford Focus. In addition to all the recalls noted earlier, I have had to replace the ignition. I was told by three different locksmiths that they had received a number of calls about ignitions being jammed that same week. I also have had difficulty with the transmission allowing the gear shifter to move from setting to setting with the slightest touch.
Now, my car is running very roughly and the engine light is flashing on and off. What's next? It's time to junk this car and find something more reliable. Perhaps it is time to look at other makers. Congratulations Ford, you have lost a customer.
I recently bought a 2000 Focus and I LOVE my car. My husband is a mechanic and has never had many Focus' in his shop. There is one thing though. The gas mileage isn't all it is cracked up to be. I wish I got 35 miles to the gallon instead of 23 or so.
Hello. I'm writing from Mexico. I own a 2000 Focus SE. Yes, I agree with some information that you give, but in general my car has been working in an excellent way. The regular maintenance is obvious, but, here in Mexico you can't trust on the dealers because the service sometimes is not the correct one, so you need to take care of use the best products for your car, like synthetic oil and good quality filters. Is necessary to mention that the recalls never appeared here. Or maybe I never knew about one. My car has 17 wheels and a lot of after-market equipment and I only have excellent comments of it.
I have had a number of small problems with my 2000 Focus SE. I find that it has a great engine, but the parts around it are a problem. Yes, I broke a coil spring after only one year. Also had the brake pads disintegrate on me. In a recent discussion I found out from the wife of a dealer that the 2000 is known as a lemon. So the question is, do I buy a new Focus or a VW Wagon for $10,000 more?
I'm sorry, but I have to agree that the 2000 Focus has problems. I was "bought out" by Ford from a bad Windstar. This car was supposed to give me confidence in the Ford product. Honestly, there has yet to be a year that I haven't had a problem that cost me 500 or more every year since the warranty ran out. And this despite regular maintenance. The bad ignition, I have to admit, really grates on my nerves as I too was told by locksmiths AND MY LOCAL DEALER!!! that it is an all too common problem in the 2000 Focus. Yes, to the person who posted earlier, I DO acknowledge it was a first year vehicle. My problem is Ford's lack of action in handling the "bugs" they didn't work out of the vehicle. Basically, as soon as the warranty was done, so was their concern about the product despite obviously common complaints on this vehicle. Confidence in the Ford product? Not here, not until they start standing by their product, admitting the problems it has and taking some action besides ignoring it.
While it was a "first year" model in America it was really a THIRD year model since it had been in Europe for a while.
That's why I recommended a friend buy it - it had proven reliability.
But, no, of course not. It's built in North America so we have to have the worst quality ever. My friend's car had 20 recalls and was in the shop at least 10 times. It had so many things happen to that wouldn't' have even been acceptable in 2000 much less 1980 that I will never recommend anyone buy a Ford again.
Fix Or Repair Daily. It's been their motto for decades and they still strive to maintain it.
While it was a "first year" model in America, it was really a THIRD year model since it had been in Europe for a while.
That's why I recommended a friend buy it - it had proven reliability.
But, no, of course not. It's built in North America so we have to have the worst quality ever. My friend's car had 20 recalls and was in the shop at least 10 times. It had so many things happen to that wouldn't' have even been acceptable in 2000 much less 1980 that I will never recommend anyone buy a Ford again.
Fix Or Repair Daily. It's been their motto for decades and they still strive to maintain it.
I think the car needs more power. I'm not sure why, but with my luck the rear tires popped the first day I bought it. it's a 2000 but runs like an 85. the ignition went out at 27k and the water pumped actually didn't go out until 78k. I wish I never bought the car, I should have got a civic, or something like it. the automatic windows are not working and a simple pot hole on the freeway caused my whole exhaust to fall off at only about 75mph. good luck to those with a focus.
To the above poster complaining about "Ford Haters": We don't hate Fords in general, we just hate the fact our 2000 Focuses were built EXTREMELY poorly. It isn't a question of "a bad car in the batch"...it's a question of the entire 2000 year being built like crap.
I AGREE! I own a 2000 ford focus SE SOHC and it is the biggest piece of junk I have ever owned! My radio intermittently shuts off, my trunk lid doesn't latch right, my rear door latches just had to be replaced, my catalytic converter clogged up and had to be replaced, my car makes this awful loud vibrating sound when I first start it after it has sat and it gets a little quieter as I go buts is still vibrating. It does this especially when I turn right and if I go up a hill, when I come up to the top and all the pressure lets off the car it stops, but as soon as I start to come back down the dip it vibrates again. It is very annoying and I cannot stand to hear the vibrating anymore I think I would rather pay more for a better car because if I had known it I wouldn't have given two cents for the dang thing! my husband is a mechanic and he cannot even figure it out he said to just drive it yeah sure just drive it so it can break down, I took it to the ford dealer to get my door latch fixed because of recall and I told them it was a big piece of crap and if I had another car Id just give it back to them, of course they just laughed about it...
Sure, there are some legitimate gripes about the 2000 Focus. I too had the ignition seize up on me. The locksmith that fixed mine had just gotten done with a Toyota Corolla, Dodge Neon, and a couple Hondas he said. That was most irritating. I had a vibration at about 85k miles when the engine was cold, turns out it needed new motor mounts. Everything else about the car works great. My Focus has been more reliable than others that have posted here. Great handling ride, always starts and runs great. No worries, don't plan on replacing it, especially with a Honda or Toyota or any of that crap. Check out some other opinionated sites where consumers post about their cars, the Japanese cars break down too and cost a whole more money and time trying to geth them fixed. At least when I do need parts they are readily available and affordable.
I own a 2000 Ford Focus SE and I agree that it is not the car to purchase. I have had mine for 2 years now now. I have had nothing, but electrical problems form the entire electrical system shutting down (power windows, electric locks, power trunk, etc) The ignition module also failed and and the key wouldn't even turn (ceased up). Engine light is always coming on even after bringing it to the dealer to be fixed. Engine sputters constantly. Maybe some people just have bad luck with Fords however this is my first Ford and it will also be my last ford. If it wasn't for extended warranty I would be out of Pocket $4000.00 Cdn. Thanks for listening.