2001 Ford Focus SE review from North America

This car has had 6 recalls with the which, to Ford's credit, is honourable that they actually admit there is a problem. Still, this is a lot of recalls for any car.

This car has a big problem with pint seperation. The paint is peeling very badily on the rocker panel. Ford Canada have said that they have not had any other complaints on this issue.

This car is hard on gas. We have never gotten more than 20 MPG even when driven gently. The Dealership reprogrammed the ECM, but still the problem persists.

The trunk hatch is hard to close. If it is not closed with force, it will fly open when driving. On top of that, There is no handle to open the trunk lid. Once the trunk lid is closed, you have to unlock it again to open it.

The center armrest is in an awkward position. When it is down the forearm is pointed up when shifting. When it is up, your elbow hits the armrest. I could not imagine how anyone driving a manual transmission focus could put up with this!

The car is in general not a bad car, but it is expensive to run with when it uses so much gas. I feel that the company is not doing what they can to keep customers happy. They seem to be only doing what is required of them and nothing more. If they want to improve their reputation they realy have to improve their customer service. This may involve admitting that their cars are not perfect.