2000 Ford Focus Interior & seats Problems

I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE DECEMBER OF 2003 AND IT HAS BEEN A VERY LARGE MONEY PIT. THIS TIME THE CAR JUST STOPPED RUNNING. I HAD TAKEN IT TO AUTOZONE AND THEY TOLD ME IT NEED AN EGR SENSOR OR HOSING FOR IT. WHEN I WAS TURNING AT A LIGHT THE CAR JUST STOPPED RUNNING WHEN I HAD JUST TURNED ONTO A MAIN HIGHWAY. THERE HAS BEEN MAJOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH IT SINCE DAY ONE. THIS CAR HAS HAD 5 CLUTCHES IN IT AND I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THAT ALL IN ITSELF BECAUSE A CAR SHOULD NEVER NEED THAT MANY CLUTCHES WITHIN 100,000 MILES. THAT IS RIDICULOUS AND VERY EXPENSIVE AND I HAVE GOTTEN NO WHERE WITH THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE OTHER 2000 FORD FOCUS'S WITH THE SAME ISSUE. MY ONE HEAD LIGHT IS NOT RIGHT IT NEVER HAS BEEN THERE IS CORROSION ON THE INSIDE OF THE HEADLAMP. THE REAR DOOR LATCH DOES NOT WORK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR ALSO DOES NOT LATCH CORRECTLY AND NO LONGER LOCKS AT ALL. THE TRUNK LATCH IS NOT RIGHT EITHER. IT WILL NOT ALWAYS UNLATCH AND THEN CLOSE AGAIN. IT OFTEN REQUIRES SEVERAL MORE TIMES OF PUSHING THE TRUNK RELEASE AND IT WILL FINALLY UNLOCK AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. I HAVE PUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO THIS LEMON. I HAVE ALL THE REPAIR PAPERWORK, IT HAS A BRAND NEW BREAKING SYSTEM, BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION, BRAND NEW ENGINE, BRAND NEW CLUTCH, BATTERY. WE HAVE REPLACED EVERYTHING IN THIS CAR AND HERE WE GO AGAIN....THIS CAR HAS SAT MORE THAN IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN!!! I HONESTLY FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE MONEY WE SPENT ON BUYING THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS AND IS STILL A LEMON SINCE DAY ONE...... *JS

NHTSA ID

10585519

Incident

Apr 29, 2014

Mileage

142,000 mi

A HOLE APPEARED IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT UPHOLSTERY, NEAR THE DRIVERS LEFT HIP. DISASSEMBLY OF THE SEAT CUSHION REVEALED A BROKEN WELD WHICH ALLOWED A SHARP METAL PIECE TO PUNCTURE THE UPHOLSTERY. I ALSO OBSERVED THIS ON REPLACEMENT SEATS I PURCHASED FROM A 2002 SVT FOCUS. PHOTOS (OF THE 2000 SEAT) AT HTTPS://FLIC.KR/P/MLE2FP; HTTPS://FLIC.KR/P/MLDUYH; HTTPS://FLIC.KR/P/MLE5W6. I WAS AWARE OF THE HOLE WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN 2005, BUT DID NOT DISCOVER THE CAUSE UNTIL RECENTLY, WHEN THE SEAT FOLDING MECHANISM FAILED, AND I HAD TO REPLACE THE SEATS, AND NOTICED A SIMILAR HOLE IN SEVERAL THAT I SAW. I THEN DISASSEMBLED THE ORIGINAL SEAT AND FOUND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE IS DANGEROUS IN THAT IT EXPOSES THE DRIVER'S BODY TO A SHARP METAL PROJECTION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10577877

Incident

Aug 1, 2005

Mileage

47,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE IGNITION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THE FRONT DRIVER?S DOOR HANDLE WAS LOOSE AND ABOUT TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000. ....UPDATED 08-24-12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DOOR HANDLES BROKE. UPDATED 08/30/2012 *JS

NHTSA ID

10463117

Incident

Jun 26, 2012

Mileage

99,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000. UPDATED 02/03/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED ALL OF THE DOORS BECAME SLUGGISH. THE FUSE FOR THE POWER DOOR LOCKS FAILED. THE FUSE WAS REPLACED AND FAILED AGAIN. THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR STOPPED OPENING AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK. UPDATED 02/10/12

NHTSA ID

10439445

Incident

Aug 1, 2011

Mileage

103,000 mi

MY SIXTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAS BEEN STRANDED THREE TIMES BECAUSE HER KEY WOULD NOT TURN THE IGNITION. THE FIRST TWO TIMES SHE WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND WAS WITH A FRIEND, SO SHE CALLED MY HUSBAND AND WE MET HER AND TOOK TURNS JIGGLING THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE KEY UNTIL, FINALLY AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES, THE KEY TURNED, SO THE SECOND TIME, IT TOOK OVER AN HOUR, BUT DID NOT GIVE UP BECAUSE OF THE FIRST TIME. THE LAST TIME, MY DAUGHTER WAS ALONE,LATE AT NIGHT AND FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS ABLE TO CALL US ON HER CELL, BUT WE HAD TO GET UP OUT OF BED, TO RESCUE HER AND AFTER OVER TWO HOURS OF TRYING TO GET THAT KEY TO WORK, WE GAVE UP. WE HAD TO ABANDON THE CAR AND I GUESS WE WILL HAVE TO CALL A LOCKSMITH, BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY HAVE TO USE THE SAME IGNITION AND IT WILL MOST LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10405304

Incident

Jun 6, 2011

Mileage

120,000 mi

THE KEY WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE IGNITION AND WOULD NOT TURN MAKING THE CAR UNUSABLE AND STRANDING ME FOR 5 HOURS WHILE WAITING FOR A LOCKSMITH. THERE WAS NO WARNING THIS WOULD HAPPEN. THE IGNITION JUST STOPPED WORKING. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENT DEFECT IN FORD FOCUS MODELS. THE LOCKSMITH REPLACED THE IGNITION FOR $300. *TR

NHTSA ID

10402292

Incident

May 20, 2011

Mileage

73,000 mi

2000 FORD FOCUS, REAR DOORS WILL NOT CLOSE, CURRENTLY USING DUCT TAPE. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL, I'M TOLD NOT MY VIN NUMBER. LOOKED ONLINE, MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS LIKE MINE, ALSO NOT THEIR VIN NUMBER. IT APPEARS TO BE MUCH MORE WIDE SPREAD THAN FORD WANTS TO ADMIT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10363519

Incident

Oct 25, 2010

Mileage

60,000 mi

IGNITION SWITCH IN 2000 FORD FOCUS LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT TURN. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE WERE THAT I MISSED A VERY IMPORTANT DOCTORS APPOINTMENT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE $400.00 THE FORD PLACE SAID IT WOULD COST TO FIX IT. WHY HAS THIS PART NOT BEEN RECALLED? IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10359624

Incident

Oct 7, 2010

Mileage

150,000 mi

I HAVE A 2000 FORD FOCUS ZX3. I PUSHED HARD ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID A COLLISION AND MY BUCKET SEAT SNAPPED IN HALF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10355488

Incident

Sep 10, 2009

Mileage

147,520 mi

THE KEY HAS GOTTEN STUCK IN THE IGNITION THREE TIME NOW. THE FIRST TIME WE COULD NOT GET THE CAR STARTED IN A ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD, AND HAD TO LEAVE IT OVER NIGHT. THE SECOND TIME I HAD TO REMOVE THE BATTERY CABLE IN ORDER TO SHUT THE CAR OFF. THIS LAST TIME I ALSO HAD TO REMOVE THE BATTERY CABLE TO SHUT THE CAR OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10348626

Incident

Aug 10, 2010

MY YEAR 2000 FORD FOCUS ZX3 HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING SOME IGNITION ISSUES. I COULD PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN AT ALL. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY THE CASE IF THE WHEEL WAS LOCKED. USUALLY AFTER SOME JIGGLING OF THE KEY IT WOULD TURN AND I COULD START THE CAR. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS IN AUGUST OF 2004. IT BEGAN TO HAPPEN ABOUT TWICE A MONTH. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN FIX THE ISSUE, BY RE-MAKING THE KEY AND PROGRAMMING THE NOW THE KEY WON'T TURN AT ALL. IN SHOPPING AROUND DEALERSHIPS THEY BELIEVE THE PRICE WILL BE AROUND $300 IF THE CYLINDER IS NOT DAMAGED (BY THEIR OWN KEY?) FOR $500, PLUS THE COST TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO THEM SO THEY CAN PROGRAM THE KEY. A LOCAL LOCKSMITH HAS TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE FORD FOCUS. IF SO, WHY HAS IT NOT BEEN RECALLED? *TR

NHTSA ID

10340001

Incident

Jun 25, 2010

Mileage

140,000 mi

THE IGNITION SWITCH, ON OUR 2000 FORD FOCUS, QUIT WORKING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR. THE LAST TIME, I HAD A LOCKSMITH REPAIR IT. NOW IT ISN'T WORKING AGAIN. I "GOOGLED" IT AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH 2000-2003 MODELS BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I WILL CALL THE LOCKSMITH FOR ANOTHER COSTLY REPAIR BUT WOULD LIKE THIS ISSUE LOOKED AT POSSIBLY FOR SOME KIND OF LIABILITY BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID

10301761

Incident

Jan 18, 2010

Mileage

149,862 mi

I HAVE A FORD FOCUS 2000 WAGON WITH ONLY 60,000 MILES ON IT. WITHIN THE PAST THREE WEEKS I HAVE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED BECAUSE I CAN NOT TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. I AM NOW WAITING FOR IT TO BE TOWED TO MY MECHANIC TO FIX THE IGNITION. LOOKING ONLINE I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WONDER WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS IGNITION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10299819

Incident

Jan 15, 2010

Mileage

60,000 mi

2000 FORD FOCUS KEY IS LOCKED. TRIED EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO GET IT UNLOCKED. FOR A WHILE BANGING ON THE KEY ITSELF HELPED BUT NOW NOTHING WORKS!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10290802

Incident

Nov 3, 2009

THE IGNITION HAS STUCK ON MY 2000 FORD FOCUS. HAD TO CALL TOW COMPANY AND LOCK SMITH. TURNS OUT TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YR AND MAKE OF VEH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10289923

Incident

Oct 26, 2009

Mileage

64,000 mi

THE CAR WAS DRIVING JUST FINE, BUT WHEN I GOT HOME AND NEEDED TO GO AND MEET MY WIFE, THE KEY IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED UP. THIS IS ABOUT THE THIRD OR FOURTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE I'VE OWNED THE CAR. SINCE THE CAR HAS ALSO STALLED BEFORE, IT SURE WOULD BE A BIG SAFETY ISSUE IF YOU COULDN'T GET IT STARTED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. COME ON FORD, FIX THIS! NOW I HAVE TO PAY BIG DOLLARS IN A BAD ECONOMY TO GET THIS FIXED BY SOMEONE ELSE. SINCE THE SYSTEM IS ELECTRONIC, WHO KNOWS IF IT SOMEHOW EFFECTS OTHER ELECTRONICS IN THE VEHICLE. ON AN 83 DEGREE DAY, IN BLACK INTERIOR, AND NO WAY TO ROLL DOWN THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS BECAUSE OF BEING UNABLE TO TURN THE KEY, IT CAN GET QUITE HOT, QUITE QUICKLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10281748

Incident

Aug 25, 2009

Mileage

143,000 mi

FORD FOCUS KEY WILL NOT TURN IN LOCK LEAVING ME AND FAMILY STRANDED IN THE HEAT UNTIL A LOCKSMITH COMES. HAPPENS OVER AND OVER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10276432

Incident

Jul 10, 2009

Mileage

91,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DOORS WOULD NOT REMAIN CLOSED AND RANDOMLY OPENED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR STOPPED WORKING FIRST AND WAS REPAIRED BY THE CONTACT. CURRENTLY, THE FAILURE IS OCCURRING TO THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, HE FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V030000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH). THE FORD MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. HE BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SINCE THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000. UPDATED 8/10/09 *CN UPDATED 08/13/09.*JB

NHTSA ID

10275419

Incident

Feb 11, 2009

Mileage

100,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS WOULD NOT CLOSE AND THE LOCKS FAILED. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE JANUARY OF 2009. IN MAY OF 2009, THE DOORS OPENED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V030000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES: DOORS:LATCH) AND IT WOULD COST $100 TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

NHTSA ID

10267654

Incident

Jan 1, 2009

Mileage

125,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR DOOR OPENS AND WILL NOT REMAIN CLOSED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2005 FOR THIS FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AT THAT TIME. THE CONTACT HAS TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ID

10264215

Incident

Mar 30, 2009

Mileage

60,000 mi

2000 FORD FOCUS IGNITION CYLINDER FAILED TWICE IN 4YRS. THIS LAST TIME I WAS STRANDED IN THE COLD, BY MYSELF AT 1AM. MISSING WORK, SPENDING MONEY ON TOWS, PARTS AND LABOR ADDS UP. NOT TO MENTION THE DANGER INVOLVED WITH BEING STRANDED, ALL BECAUSE YOUR KEY WONT TURN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10254360

Incident

Jan 8, 2009

Mileage

60,000 mi

BOTH DOORS LATCH AND REMOTE CONTROL DON'T WORK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10253742

Incident

Nov 26, 2008

NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE IGNITION BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY KEY WONT TURN AND THE WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR. HAVE NOT FIXED IT YET. *TR

NHTSA ID

10253215

Incident

Dec 26, 2008

Mileage

118,000 mi

DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE POWER LOCK ACTUATORS IN A 2000 FORD FOCUS SE (S/W), THE PASSENGER DOOR AND THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR HAVE JAMMED DOOR LOCKS. THE DOORS CAN NOT BE OPENED ANY LONGER BY KEY, BY INSIDE DOOR OPENING HANDLE OR BY THE REMOTE FOB. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT THE ONLY EGRESS FROM THE PARTICULAR CAR IS VIA THE 2 DRIVER SIDE DOORS, MAKING HALF OF THE CAR UNUSABLE. PASSENGERS WHO SHOULD ENTER VIA THE FUNCTIONING DOORS OF THE VEHICLE INTO THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WITH THE JAMMED DOORS DO NOT HAVE AN ESCAPE ROUTE IN CASE OF ACCIDENTS THAT INVOLVE THE FUNCTIONING SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ANY DRIVER OR PASSENGER. AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR "FOCUS JAMMED DOOR" OR "FOCUS JAMMED DOOR LOCK" RETURNS NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF THE SAME PROBLEM, OCCURRING ON ALL FORD FOCUS DOORS INCLUDING TRUNK/HATCH. DRIVERS ENTER THEIR VEHICLES THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE OR EVEN THROUGH THE TRUNK BECAUSE SOME DOOR LOCKS ARE JAMMED DUE TO FAILED POWER LOCK ACTUATORS, WITH ALL SAFETY-RELATED HAZARDS AND CONSEQUENCES. THE JAMMING CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME; THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT IT AND TO TAKE PREVENTIVE MEASURES. A REPAIR IS EXORBITANTLY EXPENSIVE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED BY KEY OR DOOR OPENING HANDLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO AND REPLACE THE POWER DOOR ACTUATOR THAT IS THE CAUSE OF THE JAMMING. FORD IS NEITHER WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM NOR PARTICIPATE IN THE COST OF REPAIRS, THUS FORCING PEOPLE TO TAKE UNACCEPTABLE SAFETY RISKS. BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT THE JAMMED DOORS PRESENT AND THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF AN OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM, A SAFETY RECALL ACTION SHOULD BE INITIATED BY THE NHTSA TO FORCE FORD TO MAKE REPAIRS FREE OF CHARGE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10251912

Incident

Dec 10, 2008

Mileage

90,303 mi

IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES, I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AUG 19, 2008 MY DAUGHTER WAS STUCK IN A ISOLATE AREA WHEN THE KEY WOULDN'T GO IN THE SWITCH. I WAS REPLACED AND 2 MONTHS LATER THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE SWITCH IT WAS REPLACED AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10250939

Incident

Oct 18, 2008

Mileage

91,000 mi