KnownCarProblems2001 Ford Focus Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 1,761 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Ford Focus, most often about the electrical (28% of complaints, typically around 63,500 miles). It is 5th of 19 Focus model years by number of complaints and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2001 Ford Focus problems
Electrical
496 complaints · 28%Half of these problems showed up before 63,500 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, wiring, 12v/24v/48v battery, starter assembly.
The vehicle was experiencing the same failure as described in the battery cable recall 02v288000. However, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN.
Ignition cylinder on my 2001 Ford Focus has failed twice and left me stranded . Total cost of repairs is over $700. Ford will not stand behind product. Recall is in order.
Fuel system
318 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 54,500 miles. Parts named most often: delivery, storage, fuel injection system, carburetor system.
When at a stop the fuel tank started to leak. The consumer was unable to accelerate and had to pull to the shoulder and have the vehicle towed. The dealership inform the consumer that the problem was pertaining to the fuel line. The dealerships mechanic was unable to resolve the problem.
Intermittently vehicle stalled. The first time the vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for service and the dealer replaced the fuel filter. The vehicle stalled again. At this time the dealer replaced the fuel pump at the consumer's expense. The manufacturer…
Engine
275 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 64,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system, cooling system.
The tire and the brakes went out and the car stated sliding. After the crash there were bolts that were found on the grass where the crash happened
Vehicle shakes and dies erratically. Took to dealer for fuel pump assembly recall. Repair has not fixed. Driving on highway, step on gas all the way and car decelerates and loses speed. Intermittently dies when this happens. Also shakes violently while stopped leading to stalling. All of the above have happened on…
Brakes
199 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 26,000 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, disc, conventional.
Rear wheel bearings are wearing out on vehicle. The automatic transmission does not shift properly, the consumer discovered the wrong transmission fluid was in the vehicle. The front windshield cracked due to excessive heat. The rear seat latch, the seat fabric and the key ignition failed. The windshield wipers wore…
While braking, the consumer heard a loud squeaking noise coming from the brake rotors. The dealership informed the consumer that the front brake rotors were worn. The mechanic tried to repair the vehicle, but the problem continued.
Suspension
150 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles. Parts named most often: front, rear, multiple axle.
Noticed a creaky sound coming from the front of the car. When mechanic looked at it, the left front coil spring was broken. Car has 72,000 miles. Replaces both front springs. Have never known coil springs to just break on a car. And judging from the other complaints filed here and elsewhere on the internet for this…
Coil springs. Left front coil spring broke with out reason. Thankfully the spring did not blow off of retaining area. If it had while I ws driving this could have potentially caused my steering to lock up blow a tire or who else know what. And the outcome from any of these could have been life threatening.
Air bags
147 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 57,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
I was driving through a parking lot as I wet over a speed bump both front airbags deployed. Shattering the front windshield. Driver got minor burns on left arm passenger was hit with glass from windshield. Ts
On jan 4, 2003 while driving in the fog at a low speed of approximately 30 miles or a little less the airbags in my 2001 Ford Focus intermittently deployed causing the windshield to break and throwing US and the car up on a meridian. The airbags were emitting black smoke and the damage to the bottom of the car amount…
Wheels and tires
96 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 30,000 miles. Parts named most often: tread/belt, lugs/nuts/bolts/studs, sidewall, rim.
: the contact stated while driving 55 MPH on normal road conditions, there was a vibration coming from the rear side of the vehicle. It was taken to an independent shop, who determined that new tires should be installed. The tire manufacturer recommended the pressure was 44 psi. 20,000 miles later, the problem…
The firestone firehawk tires, has had terrible road noise for the past 6,000 miles. Even though I had the tires rotated every 6,000 miles. Last night after the dealership put a new set of tires on from a new car, to prove to me that it was the tires. I am not happy! Also, the informed me that I would need new…
Transmission
90 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 41,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, manual transmission, axle assembly, driveline.
When accelerating in various inclines or decline my car chokes and hesitates as if it has water in the gas line or the fuel filter is clogged. It starts to jerk and sputter and refuses to accelerate if I push on the pedal instead it chokes out. Either the car dies right there or I manage to pull it over and let it die…
There was nothing in particular that LED to the failure. Car is driven under both highway and in-town conditions, and temparatures range from below freezing up to 100 f. The vehicle when shifting on the highway often shifts into neutral, revs up, and may finally shift into a higher gear. Sometimes you have to take…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2001 Ford Focus recalls
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: If not latched properly, the door may open while the vehicle is in motion. If an occupant fell out of the vehicle, personal injuries could occur.
Fix: Dealers will have a lower rocker seal added to the door and have the rear door latches evaluated free of charge. A latch that passes the evaluation will be lubricated to prevent future corrosion. A latch that does not pass the evaluation will be replaced. In addition, a sticker will be affixed to the rear doors advising the owners to use the recommended lubricant. The recall began on march 9, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Full defect summary
Certain passenger vehicles with four or five doors and originally sold in or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, a build-up of corrosion at the pawl pivot area of the rear door latch can cause a binding condition of the pawl that may affect proper engagement of the pawl into the catch. The occupant may experience difficulty opening or closing a rear door, and eventually the rear door may not latch properly.
Fuel system: fuel system, gasoline
Risk: This may cause engine hesitation, loss of power, surging, and other similar symptoms. Over time, the filter may become sufficiently blocked to cause the engine to stall, which could result in a crash.
Fix: This action is deemed a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act. All owners will be notified of the problem, and dealers will replace the fdm with a new design at no charge if the owner reports that the vehicle exhibits any of the identified symptoms. The free replacement will be available for a period of 10 years following the original purchase of the vehicle, with no mileage limit. Owner notification is expected to begin during november 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Full defect summary
On certain passenger vehicles, contamination of the filter in the fuel delivery module (fdm) can reduce, and eventually block, the flow of fuel to the engine.
Steering: linkages
Risk: Loose pinch bolts could exhibit noise, vibration and, in extreme cases if left uncorrected, separation of the joint or fracture of the ball joint stud, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the steering knuckle pinch bolt for tightness and correct as necessary. Owner notification began february 10, 2003. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
Certain passenger vehicles have loose pinch bolts that secure the lower control arm to the steering knuckle have been reported.
Electrical: cables
Risk: This, in turn, could cause the battery cables to short resulting in heat damage to the cables. Besides heat damage, the "check engine" light may illuminate, the vehicle may fail to start, or smoke, melting, or fire could also occur.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the battery cables for the condition of the cable insulation and proper tightening of the terminal ends. As necessary, cables will be rerouted, retaining clips installed, and damaged battery cables replaced. Owner notification began february 10, 2003. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with zetec engines, loose or broken attachments and misrouted battery cables could lead to cable insulation damage.
Visibility and wipers: motor
Risk: Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. These vehicles were built at the following assembly plants: atlanta plant from 2/11/00 through 7/31/00; chicago plant from 2/14/00 through 8/4/00; kansas city plant from 2/26/00 to 9/4/00; kentucky truck plant from 2/18/00 to 8/31/00; michigan truck plant from 2/23/00 through 8/3/00; norfolk plant from 2/21/00 thro
Seats: recliner
Risk: If the seat back unexpectedly reclines while the car is being driven, it could result in loss of vehicle control.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat back recliner handle spring for the driver and front passenger seats. Owner notification began april 3, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Full defect summary
Pm certain sedans and wagons, the seat back recliner handle spring could have been damaged during an in-process test and the occupant may notice a chucking, or perceived looseness of the front seat back, or the seat back could unexpectedly recline.
Seats: recliner
Risk: If the seat is then returned to the upright position without re-engaging the hinge pivot, the seat and seat belts may not provide the intended level of performance in the event of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a revised seat back hinge pivot.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: station wagons and 3-door vehicles. The subject vehicles have a folding 60/40 second seat that becomes a load floor in the folded position. When the 60% portion of the seat is folded down and a load is applied to the front edge of the load floor, the outboard hinge pivot could disengage from the hinge.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Fleet vehicle recall completion audit
Summary
On november 18, 2010, NHTSA's recall management division (rmd) opened an audit query (aq10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.it was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.rmd queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (ford, chrysler, and general motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.the rental
Engine stalling
Summary
Clogging of the fuel delivery module (fdm) filters in the subject vehicles can lead to stalling and other related symptoms.these symptoms become increasingly obvious to the driver as the clogging gradually increases over extended periods of driving.stalling in these vehicles is most likely to occur when accelerating through a right hand turn such as merging into freeway traffic when the fuel level in the fuel tank is less than 1/4 full.more than 90% of the stalling complaints pertain to the original design fdm installed in my 2000 and 2001 (partial year) focus vehicles. Ford has decided to conduct a campaign (03v-482) to address stallingin these vehicles.the smaller number and rate of compla
Front susp collapse/wheel separation
Summary
See attached report.
Burn injuries due to air bag deployment
Summary
All of the consumer complaints allege an incident in which deployment of the driver frontal air bag caused some type of burn injury.most of these injuries are due to contact and/or abrasion with the air bag and are of relatively minor to moderate severity.it is possible that some drivers may have sustained burn injuries to the skin as a result of hot gases exhausting from the vents of the air bags in the subject vehicles, but the number of such incidents appears to be low.further details of the investigation are contained in subsequent pages of this report.based on the above, further expenditure of agency resources on this investigation does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this inv
Engine compartment fires
Summary
There is no summary currently available
Front suspension lower control arm
Summary
There is no summary currently available
Engine stalling
Summary
The primary concern of this pe is loss of engine power.stalling may occur at low speed or high speed.at the time of occurrence the average vehicle mileage is 30,000 miles.because these vehicles stall and/or hesitate unpredictably, an increased risk is inherent to these vehicles.if a driver expecting this vehicle to perform as designed, is trying to cross an intersection or merge into traffic when the vehicle stalls it places all motorists within the area at risk.a disabled vehicle is vulnerable to collisions not only within the roadway, but also along side the road as it waits for assistance.
Inappropriate air bag deployment
Summary
There is no summary currently available
Air bag burn injuries/vehicle fires
Summary
Information disclosed during this pe shows allegations of burn injuries resulting from abrasion and/or termal causes.allegations of chemical burns also exist.several incidents allege vehicles fires resulting from deployment of the air bags.this pe has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea) to facilitate a thorough review of the complex issues in this matter.
Questions about the 2001 Ford Focus
- What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Focus?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (496 complaints, typically around 63,500 miles); fuel system (318 complaints, typically around 54,500 miles); engine (275 complaints, typically around 64,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2001 Ford Focus have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from February 1, 2005 (doors and locks). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2001 a bad year for the Ford Focus?
- It is 5th of 19 Focus model years by number of complaints, with 1,761 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.