2006 Ford Focus Brakes Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2006 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED, BUT WAS TAKEN TO A MEDICAL EMERGENCY CENTER FOR OBSERVATION. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CAUSE OF THE BRAKE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,459.

NHTSA ID

11203719

Incident

Apr 4, 2019

Mileage

117,459 mi

RAINFALL ON/OFF/MODERATE. TIRES ~5/32" TREAD; MICHELIN; AGE? WHILE NAVIGATING INTERCHANGE FROM I-64W TO I-81N (STAUNTON, VA) CAR LOST TRACTION. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO STEER TO INSIDE CURVE SHOULDER RESULTED IN VIOLENT FISHTAILING & TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. VEHICLE SLID ABOUT 100 YDS. IN GRASSY DITCH, FLIPPING "1+?" TIMES, LEAVING DRIVER HANGING UPSIDE DOWN. LEFT TEMPLE HEAD INJURY. STERNUM INJURY UNDER SHOULDER BELT. DRIVER WALKED AWAY DIZZY BUT ORIENTED. "RECKLESS DRIVING" CITATION ISSUED. CAR TOTALLED. GROCERY TRIP ENDED BADLY BUT DRIVER GLAD TO BE "ALIVE". OWNER PURCHASED AUTO USED IN 2013 SEEKING ESC AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT. FORD DENIED PROVISION OF SAME. ACCIDENT ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE/UNNECESSARY DUE TO MANUFACTURER NEGLECT OF KEY SAFETY EQUIPMENT AS STANDARD ISSUE (ELECTRONIC STABILIZATION CONTROL.)

NHTSA ID

11021674

Incident

Sep 1, 2017

Mileage

132,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

NHTSA ID

10943777

Incident

Oct 15, 2015

Mileage

100,000 mi

ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED REVVING UP AND WHEN BRAKES APPLIED COULDN'T STOP VEHICLE COMPLETELY AND LUNGED FORWARD. WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL BY APPLYING BRAKES AND GETTING TO A PARKING AREA, WHEN PLACED IN PARK THE ENGINE WENT UP TO 50000 RPMS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10655401

Incident

Nov 16, 2014

Mileage

206,000 mi

VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN IN TO FORD DEALERSHIP ON SEPT. 17, 2012 BECAUSE BRAKES HAD BEEN INTERMITTENTLY BEEN LOCKING/STICKING UP WHILE DRIVING AND GETTING HOT (COULD TELL DUE TO BURNING SMELL). BASICALLY THE BRAKES WOULD ENGAGE AND LOCK UP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RUN WITH BRAKES IN CLOSED (BRAKING) POSITION AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AND DID NOT HAPPEN EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN DUE TO SHORT DISTANCES THE VEHICLE IS NORMALLY DRIVEN. SOMETIMES BY SIMPLY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTARTING WOULD THE BRAKES RELEASE, BUT NOT ALWAYS. TOOK VEHICLE TO SPIKES FORD IN MISSION TEXAS AND AFTER ABOUT A WEEK THEY FINALLY DIAGNOSED IT AS BEING A PROBLEM WITH THE "HCU AND ECU MODULE". VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME ON 9/24/2012. CAR WAS DRIVEN FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND BRAKES STILL DID NOT SEEM NORMAL, SO WE ASSUMED IT WAS SINCE THEY HAD JUST BEEN WORKED ON. ON OCTOBER 1,2012 VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON EXPRESSWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKES LOCKED UP OVERHEATED AND VEHICLE WAS FORCED TO THE RIGHT OF EXPRESSWAY AND OFF THE ROAD. BRAKES WERE SO HOT THAT A BURNT SMELL WAS NOTICED INSIDE OF VEHICLE. CAR WAS TURNED OFF, LET COOL DOWN AND THEN DRIVEN HOME @ 3-4 MILES AT LOW SPEED, BUT BRAKES WERE NOT LOCKED ANYMORE. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP (SPIKES FORD- MISSION , TEXAS) AND IS STILL THERE AT THIS TIME. THEY ARE NOT SURE YET WHAT PROBLEM IS, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WAS NOT THE PARTS INSTALLED AND THEY CAN'T FIGURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS LUCKILY WHEN VEHICLE PULLED TO SIDE OF EXPRESSWAY, IT WAS ALREADY ON FAR RIGHT LANE AND DID NOT IMPACT ANY OTHER VEHICLES OR BARRIERS. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED A MILE UP THE ROAD IT COULD HAVE BEEN A BIG PROBLEM DUE TO NO SHOULDER AND CEMENT BARRIERS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION POSSIBLY CAUSING A BIG ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10479590

Incident

Oct 1, 2012

Mileage

49,608 mi

I HAVE A 2006 FORD FOCUS ZX4 5 SPEED. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER 3 TIMES WITHIN A YEARS TIME. THE PROBLEM IS THE PART IS PLASTIC AND OVER TIME IT STARTS TO LEAK DUE TO THE PRESSURE IT TAKES TO CHANGE GEARS. I'M IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC DAILY AND HAVING TO STOP AND START. THE MASTER CYLINDER SHARES FLUID FROM THE BRAKE RESERVOIR. I HAVE HAD LOW TO NON EXISTENT BRAKING POWER. THE MASTER CLUTCH HAS LEAKED INSIDE MY CAR AND OIL DRIPPED ONTO THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDDLES CAUSING FOOT SLIPPAGE. THE LATEST SITUATIONS I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC,STOP AND GO, AND BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING THE CAR IN GEAR. NEXT I WAS BACKING UP SLOWLY WHEN I EXPERIENCED NO CLUTCH PEDDLE AND THE CAR BEGAN SPEEDING UP I COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF GEAR I HAD TO SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE TO STOP THE CAR FROM PULLING AND GET IT OUT OF GEAR. THE CAR IDLES HIGH WHEN I COME TO A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN AND EVENTUALLY COMES DOWN. THE GAS PEDDLE STICKS IN COOLER WEATHER. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I'M IN TRAFFIC I HAVE TO PRESS REALLY HARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10478911

Incident

Sep 15, 2012

ON 6/19/10 MY CAR WOULD NOT BRAKE TO A FULL STOP WHILE EXITING THE FREEWAY (SPEED HAD GONE UP TO 80 ON OWN WITHOUT BRAKES APPLIED) THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I LET MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT APPLYING THE GAS. THE CAR WOULD NOT COME TO A STOP AND I SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED AT APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MPH TO PREVENT A MAJOR ACCIDENT IN THE INTERSECTION OF A BUSY STREET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. (DUE TO MY BACKGROUND AND KNOWLEDGE I WAS ABLE TO PREVENT A FAR WORSE ACCIDENT) AFTER THE CAR CAME TO A REST AGAINST A PALM TREE I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THE RPMS REVVED TO 5-6. SEVERAL DAYS PRIOR TO THIS WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN PARK IT WOULD REV TO 3-4 RPMS AND THEN SETTLE DOWN AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKE WHILE IN PARK. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED PRIOR. THE DEALERSHIP HAD JUST PERFORMED A 90000 CHECK OF THE VEHICLE (THOUGH IT WAS AT 85000 DUE TO A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OF AN UNRELATED PART ISSUE) 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE THROTTLE BODY CABLE HAS COME APART. THEY STATE THAT THE MAINTENANCE OF THIS WOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED IT AND STATE THAT SINCE THE CAR IS NO LONGER IN WARRANTY THEY WONT PAY. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD HAVE COST MY LIFE OR SOMEONE ELSE'S. COULD THIS HAD BEEN CAUGHT BY THE DEALERSHIP OR IS THE PART DEFECTIVE? FORD SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THIS AS A CAR ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN IS BEYOND DANGEROUS. THE VEHICLE IS 4 YEARS OLD, EXTREMELY WELL TAKEN CARE OF, AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. NO ACCIDENTS FOR THIS VEHICLE. POLICE WERE ON SCENE BUT NO REPORT WAS TAKEN. NO OTHER SIGNS WERE EVER DISPLAYED BESIDES THE CAR REVVING IN PARK 3 DAYS PRIOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10339334

Incident

Jun 19, 2010

Mileage

89,000 mi

I HAVE A 2006 FORD FOCUS AND I AM A STUDENT AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY IN SAN MARCOS TEXAS. I AM 22 YEARS OLD AND BEEN SELF SUFFICIENT SINCE I WAS 18 YEARS OLD. I CHOSE A FORD FOCUS BECAUSE THE REVIEWS WERE GOOD AND THE PRICE WAS RIGHT. LAST NOVEMBER MY KEY JUST WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. I HAD SEVERAL MECHANICS LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAY THE FIX IS A LITTLE LESS THEN $800. I HAD LOOKED ONLINE TO SEE IF THE PART WAS RECALLED BUT IT WASN'T. THERE ARE OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE OFF OF GOOGLE THAT HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM ESPECIALLY THE 2006 FORD FOCUS. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD BUT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DID NOT REMOTELY CARE THAT ITS A MALFUNCTION ON THEIR PART. I AM UNABLE TO PAY $800 WHEN I PAY ALREADY FOR MY CAR, INSURANCE, MY APARTMENT, AND MOST IMPORTANT SCHOOL. IF THERE IS ANY WAY SOME ONE COULD CONTACT ME I WOULD BE MORE THEN WILLING TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *CN

NHTSA ID

10307049

Incident

Dec 1, 2009

Mileage

70,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CALIPER WAS CUTTING INTO THE BRAKE ROTORS. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FIRESTONE CENTER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT. SHE WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

NHTSA ID

10279303

Incident

Aug 3, 2009

Mileage

34,000 mi

2006 FORD FOCUS WITH LOW MILEAGE REPLACING BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS FOR THE 3RD TIME, MY CONCERN IS OF FAULTY PARTS FORD COMPANY MAY BE USING AND IF SO, DUE TO THE OBVIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS SHOULD I BE ALARMED AND SHOULD I WORRY WHEN MYSELF AND MY FAMILY ARE TRAVELING IN THE CAR WILL THE BRAKES FELL. FORD CHARGED ME THE FIRST REPAIR COST AND NOW JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER READY TO CHARGE ME AGAIN FOR THE SAME REPAIRS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10245289

Incident

Oct 7, 2008

Mileage

30,000 mi

MY KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION OF MY 2006 FORD FOCUS STATION WAGON AND WOULD NOT COME OUT. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP I FOUND OUT THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH AND BRAKE/SHIFT INTERLOCK HAD BOTH FAILED. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM OFTEN IN FORD FOCUS CARS. I HAD BOTH PARTS REPLACED, BUT I FEEL THAT THIS IS NOT PART OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF MY VEHICLE, WHICH IS NOT QUITE THREE YEARS OLD YET. THE PARTS ARE WORKING FINE NOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED THOUGH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10237390

Incident

Jul 14, 2008

Mileage

48,665 mi

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO VEHICLE ( FOCUS ) DEVELOPED A SIGNIFICANT SCREECH WHENEVER BRAKES WERE APPLIED. TOOK IT INTO LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IF I HAD REPORTED BRAKE NOISE IN FIRST 12 MONTHS OR 18,000 MILES THEY WOULD HAVE FIXED IT. THEY HAD A TECHNICAL ADVISORY FROM FORD INDICATING THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF VEHICLES BUT DID NOT WANT TO SEND OUT RECALL NOTICE BECAUSE THEN EVEYONE WOULD COMPLAIN ABOUT BRAKE SQUEAK. SINCE I DID NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM IN THEIR TIME LIMITS THE EXPENSE TO FIX ( ESTIMATED TO BE OVER $700 ) WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. I DON'T TRUST FORD BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD COVER UPS BEFORE. I DON'T BELIEVE THEM WHEN THEY SAY VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE AND I DON'T HAVE $700 TO SPEND TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. I TALKED TO TWO DEALERSHIPS AND CORPORATE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. ALL BASICALLY SAID IT WAS MY TOUGH LUCK. I WANT TO GO ON RECORD AS CHALLENGING THEIR STANCE ON THIS ISSUE AND HOPE YOU CAN INVESTIGATE BRAKE SAFETY ON THIS VEHICLE AFTER 18,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10197357

Incident

Jul 15, 2007

VEHICLE STARTING PROBLEMS. TOOK IT TO DEALER A FEW TIMES AND IT STILL DOES IT FROM TIME TO TIME. AN ADVISORY WAS ISSUES, BUT STILL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. REAR PASSENGER BEARING WENT BAD AROUND 9000 MILES. FRONT BRAKES WERE ALREADY WORN OUT AT 17000. THEY REPLACED THEM , AND STILL WENT OUT AROUND 21000. HAD TO USE OTHER COMPANY PADS/ROTORS TO GO BY. REAR BRAKE SHOES WERE CRACKED, NOT USED, CRACKED. THEY SAID IS NORMAL. MANY SUSPENSION NOISES. THEY SAID ALL WAS OKAY. I CHANGED THE SUSPENSION FROM MY OWN MONEY SINCE THEY WERE NO HELP AND STILL SAME NOISES. NOW THEY BLAME THE E AFTER MARKET SUSPENSION ON THE PROBLEMS. *AK OTHER USERS AND PEOPLE I HAVE TALKED TO COMPLAINED ABOUT SAME OR SIMILIAR ISSUSE.

NHTSA ID

10190088

Incident

Apr 10, 2007

Mileage

8,500 mi

THE BRAKES BEGAN SQUEAKING HORRIBLY. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM FIXED. THEY SAID IT WAS BRAKE SHOES THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED--I AUTHORIZED THEM TO DO THE REPAIR. LESS THAN A DAY LATER, THE SQUEAK WAS STILL AS BAD. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT AGAIN. SUPPOSEDLY, THE SHOP MANAGER TEST DROVE IT HIMSELF AND SAID THERE WAS NO SQUEAK. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT FORD STATES THAT IT IS "NORMAL AND EXPECTED THAT THE BRAKES WILL STILL SQUEAK UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 100 TO 150 APPLICATIONS." IT STILL SQUEAKED THE NEXT DAY, AND AT THIS POINT I AM WELL PAST THE 150 BRAKE APPLICATIONS AND IT SOUNDS JUST AS BAD AS IT DID BEFORE I EVER BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. FUNNY THING IS, I WAS ABOUT 8 DAYS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD TO HAVE IT FIXED FOR FREE. I DON'T CARE ABOUT SPENDING THE MONEY, I JUST CARE THAT I SPENT $265 AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10182913

Incident

Feb 8, 2007

Mileage

13,000 mi