Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. The contact was driving 35 MPH when the vehicle failed to return to an idle position. The vehicle was not taken for inspection or diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in recall the federal safety agency campaign number: 00v302000 (vehicle speed control). The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
2000 Ford Focus acceleration complaints
Page 2 of 7: complaints 11 to 40 of 170, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle independently increased acceleration to 90 MPH. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. The brake pedal was engaged when shifting into both neutral and park, which caused the vehicle to come to a stop. The vehicle driven cautiously to the dealer, who stated that the throttle body was stuck in an open position. In addition, the speed control cable was frayed. The vehicle was repaired. There were two recalls associated with the failure under the federal safety agency campaign id numbers: 00v302000 (vehicle speed control) and 99v346000 (vehicle speed control). The contact's VIN was not included in either recall campaign. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000. Updated 07/16/13
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving at any speed, the vehicle would suddenly accelerate without warning. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted and denied the contact any assistance with repairs because the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 99v346000 (vehicle speed control). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 166,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. The contact was driving 5 MPH when the accelerator pedal became stuck. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed head on into another vehicle. There were no injuries. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the defect. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 74,999.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and trying to decelerate, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and she was unable to brake. The vehicle was able to come to a stop by her coasting the vehicle. The vehicle had not been inspected by a dealer nor had it been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000. The consumer stated a recall was issued for the exact problem. However, her vehicle identification number was not included. Updated 05/04/11
Tl* the contact owns 2000 ford focus. The contact stated that when depressing the accelerator pedal, the pedal would intermittently become stuck in the open throttle position. When the failure occurred, the contact would shift to neutral in order to release the pedal yet the vehicle would continue to exhibit an unusually high increase in engine rpms. The contacts mechanic informed that there was water entering the vehicle speed control sensor and causing the failure. In addition, the mechanic also advised him of a potential recall for the vehicle (the federal safety agency campaign id number: 99v346000-vehicle speed control) yet the contact was advised by an authorized dealer that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 67,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. While driving 55 MPH with the cruise control engaged the vehicle began to accelerate beyond the set speed, up to 80 MPH. The contact tried to disengage the cruise control by stepping on the brake pedal and turning the cruise control off but the vehicle continued to accelerate. The contact was able to drive onto the emergency lane and turn the ignition off. The contact opened the hood, pulled the throttle cable back and forth to disengage the cruise control. The contact called the manufacturer regarding the sudden acceleration and the manufacturer informed the contact that there was nothing they could do. The contact noticed that there were two recalls regarding the vehicle speed control and the throttle wire but the VIN was not related to the recall. The contact stated the failure could have caused a crash. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Possible throttle linkage sticking. I have owned a 2000 model year ford focus, for approximately 3 yrs. In the past 6 months I have had at least 3 occurrences where the vehicle's acceleration remains after releasing the accelerator completely, I have recurred to place the vehicle in neutral and pump the pedal, this has solved it so far, but I will have the vehicle inspected soon.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. The contact stated that when driving on the highway approximately 55 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle suddenly began to accelerated. She tried to turn the cruise control off; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate to almost 90 MPH. She was forced to shut the engine off to stop the vehicle. When she turned the ignition on again, the engine began to rev loudly. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop. The mechanic told her that the cruise control cable snapped. She called the manufacturer in reference to recall 00v302000, vehicle speed control cables and was told that her vehicle was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired to-date. The current and failure mileages were approximately 116,000.
"tps/pedal position sensor a circuit malfunction" is what comes up on my actron engine scanner. The engine will rev up while driving sometimes. I checked the connection of the sensor and greased the connection pins for better connection. Rain seems to make it happen more often.
I have a 2000 ford focus that the cruise control cable started sticking wide open. After inspection I found the cable had wires in the cable housing broke and was causing the throttle to stick open. The cruise control would open the throttle while accelerating and would not release. I now have the cable disconnected from the cruise control ford wants over $100 to fix the problem. It is a fault to the cable and should be recalled. Why want they issue a recall on this car. I could of been killed from the sticking throttle cable.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. On november 16, 2007, while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle accelerated to 60 MPH. The ABS engaged and the vehicle accelerated to 12,000 RPM's. The contact drove into a curb in order to stop the vehicle. He shut off the engine and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer replaced the vehicle speed control cable. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls; however, the federal safety agency campaign id number 00v302000 (vehicle speed control:cables) was related to the failure. The failure mileage was 70,924 and current mileage was 71,200.
On 10/23/07 I inserted key into ignition of my ford focus and immediatley the lights and gauges went haywire-vehicle failed to start. To make a long story short ,after unpluging the battery cables and going back to the stranded car the next evening, it started . 2 days later my wipers came on by themselves and would not stop until I turned the car off and restarted. On 10/31/07 while driving my daughter home, the vehicle began accelerating and deccelertaing uncontrollably. I pulled of the highway and when I opened the drivers door, the seatbelt light began blinking and making a loud ticking noise. This had happened the night prior, but I thought maybe the button was depressed. My dome lights make a screeching noise and blink on and off. This is a serious problem that needs to be looked into. Whenever something like this happens I am driving home late at night and of course the dealer is not open to help me . My car is almost paid off and I will not invest more than what it is worth, which is only about $2,500.too bad I have paid about $18,000 for it. I would also like to know why I have not received recalls for the following problems: 1. 1st month after purchase, electrical system running airbags, mirrors, doors etc. Failed. 2. 37,000 miles- transmission failed 3. 42,000 miles- power door locks failed and soon after passenger doors stuck in the lock position. 4. All window tracks have failed. 5. Wheel bearings replaced. 6. Trunk latch failed 7. Ignition failed and was replaced and is going again. 8. Brought in for 1 recall (fuel filter) and still didn't correct problem with vibration and lurching. This is a vehicle that exceeds highway saftey ratings? Something will be done about this if I must hire an attorney- I am out a lot of money and no vehicle.
While driving my car to work on 8/20/07 I noticed the car beginning to accelerate on it's own. The car has cruise control but the problem continued even after I turned off the speed control function. Given the excessive rate of speed the car had accelerated to I applied the brakes to slow the car down but once I released the brake it continued to accelerate upwards of 75-80 MPH.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency recall # 03v482000, for the fuel system: gasoline due to the VIN, when the manufacturer was notified, although the vehicle had the same problems as described in the recall. The contact stated while traveling 55 MPH, the engine hesitated when the accelerator was depressed, making a chugging or coughing sound before the engine reacted and accelerated.
Early on I had issues with stalling but just thought it to be weird for the car would turn back on..would power down while driving then I could start it over again. Wasn't until recently it became an issue that worried me when I was on a trip and it did it 3 times in a row and it wouldn't start on the second time but then did on the third try. I had been pulling out into heavy traffic when car just died.. Everything went dead. Tonight my engine light came on and I started searching the net looking for reasons why when I came across the stalling issues with the ford focus 2000. I have also encountered multiple problems with the car over the years and until recently have stayed under 50,000 miles. I also had the locking of the ignition which was replaced by the dealing but last time I took the car in for the rear bearings they told me my car was not one of the 21 states it had issues with. I see they have now included that to go into all 50 states. At this point I am really scared to drive this car anymore and was just getting ready to do an out of state drive which I am putting on hold. I've had other issues that are nothing compared to the car stalling out in traffic.. It just stops.. Steering freezes brakes lock.. Its a mess and a danger to my child's life and mine. The latest problem of stalling plus the gas pressure seems to be an issue.. I press on the gas and it seems to sputter as if the car wasn't getting enough gas and almost dies.. I thought maybe my clutch was going out but that doesn't seem to be the case. It has not been a cause of an accident thank goodness but have come very close. This is a danger to other drivers and to myself.
Dt*: the contact stated while placing the vehicle in reverse, the vehicle lurched backwards and struck a concrete pillar in a parking lot. The contact was wearing a seat belt, but no injuries were sustained. There was minor damage to the rear of the vehicle. The police was not contacted. Additionally, the engine revved while driving various speeds. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer and the manufacturer was not contacted.
My husband was driving our 2000 ford focus zts and the clutch pedal fell completely off. After doing research I see that there was a limited time recall for this item, however we are 2nd owners of this vehicle I am assuming the original owners did not have this fixed. However, we purchased the vehicle from a ford dealership in 2001 before the recall expired and they also did not have the faulty clutch replaced. Called ford today and they offered no assistance. Fortunately my husband was not injured and no one else was injured either. However, this could have LED to a very serious accident. We are now having to pay to have the pedal assembly replaced as well as the clutch master cylinder. Total $650.00.
Dt*: the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward and crashed. The vehicle accelerated through landscaping wood and sustained minimal damage to the bumper. No injuries were incurred and the police were not contacted.
My idle speed control valve I was told was not working properly and the RPM's would shoot up whenever I would have the car in neutral. However this posed as a high danger risk because it would jerk forward because of the car idling and such a high point. This almost caused me several accidents and is seeming to be hurting the engine. However the danger of keeping my car like this is why I am writing. I think this posed as a driving risk b/c of how unsafe it made the car after this started to act up.
I was driving on a highway and turned on cruise control going up a hill. When the car cleared the hill, it continued to accelerate past the set point (probably 65 MPH). At 70-75 MPH I became alarmed and hit the off button to disengage cruise control, but the car continued to accelerate. I then hit the brakes lightly, thinking this would disengage cruise, but it did not and the car continued to accelerate to about 80 - 85 MPH, at which point I turned off the engine and coasted to a stop on the shoulder. I then re-started the car 2-3 times, and each time, the engine immediately went to very high RPM, so I shut it down quickly. I had the car towed to a dealership where I live, and the next day the service manager had the same experience: car revved very high and he shut it down quickly. The second time he tried it, the battery was dead. When I spoke to the service manager this morning, he told me that the cruise control actuator had become "turned around" and that this had kinked the cruise control cable, preventing it from returning throttle control to the gas pedal. There have been two recalls on 2000 ford focus vehicles related to the cruise control system (the federal safety agency campaign id numbers 99v346000 and 00v302000), but apparently neither applies to my particular VIN, which is [xxx]. This obviously could have turned out very differently had I been driving in heavy traffic or had I not thought to simply shut the engine off, and I view it as a very significant safety hazard for this vehicle. I hope that you will initiate an investigation, as this failure could easily have fatal consequences. *jb updated 07/17/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
The vehicle has a recall for the speed control cable and servo unit (99v346000). The dealer and ford motor co. Service state that the recall doesn't apply to my vehicle even though I have the problem described in the recall which is a faulty servo unit.
Purchased 2000 ford focus, VIN [xxx] from croft ford on dec. 19, 2001; mileage was 12,163 (car was still under warranty); have been unable to walk since march of 2002 (mileage on car is now just over 13,000; last 200 plus miles has been put on by ford dealerships attempting to fix car). Have had this car in to several ford dealerships; none of which can solve problem of engine surges; dash lights sweeping; transmission bolting; etc., etc., etc. This car is not safe to drive; I have notified ford motor company; the dealerships, etc., and feel that it should be covered under "manufacturer warranty" .. Instead latest was that ford dealership wanted $500 to replace alternator and could not guaranty that would fix problem; I already paid $105; plus $110 and the same problems are happening. The car has been at the ford dealership in woodbridge, va, for over 2 weeks, which leaves my family without a car to transport me. This is not right. I told todd croft of croft ford that I needed a good, dependable, safe car because this would be the last car I ever purchased. He knew that I did not drive much at all and I feel that he sold the car (with an existing problem) to me thinking that I would never know. My daughter was the one who realized this car had a serious defect and took it to croft ford to be fixed several months ago; to date, it still is not fixed; is a danger to drive, not only to the person/occupants of the car, but to any vehicles near when the power surges occur and the transmission bolts. *jb updated 07/18/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Dt: the consumer complained about a vehicle speed control problem. This problem has been occurring since the consumer purchased the vehicle on march 1, 2000. The consumer took vehicle to dealer, and they told her there was no problem. There is the federal safety agency recall 99v346000 on this issue for the 2000 ford .focus zx3. The consumer owns a zts 2000 ford focus, which is not included in the recall. Also, there is a fuel system problem. Vehicle experiences hesitation, loss of power, surging, and dyeing this problem first started on june 1, 2004. When the consumer took vehicle to a dealership for repairs they told her they thought it was the filter in the fuel tank. There is the federal safety agency recall campaign 03v482000. The dealership told her that this vehicle is not included in the recall because it is a zts.
Dt: the turn signal do not cancel after a turn. The spring broke three times. The trunk does not latch properly. Dealership has taken care of both issues, but the problem recurred. In cold weather the idle speed was too high. When put into reverse it backed out like a rocket. This caused an accident on april 9, 2000. The consumer was backing out with the back door open. It happened so fast he did not have a chance to put on the brakes. The car door hit the garage post. There was no police report. Consumer stated he had mental injuries and lost his job. Vehicle was still idling high in cold weather.
On interstate 95 with cruise set at 70m.p.h. My car excelerated to 95 m.p.h. I could not disengage the cruise and the brakes did not function. I was able to slow the car to 60 m.p.h. By pressing the brakes as hard as possible then I turned the key off which stopped the exceleration but also impaired the steering. I was able to get the car to the emergency lane and my son pushed us off the shoulder of the road.
Dt: consumer stated the cruise control went into full throttle position and could not be deactivated by pressing the brake pedal. The only way to shut it off was to turn the key off. The consumer had to have the cruise control disabled. He has not contacted a service dealer.
The consumer found that recently a problem with his vehicle when accelerating it doesn't slow down once the consumers foot was off of the gas. The vehicle was in an accident and the consumer believed that the acceleration problem contributed to the accident. When the vehicle was taken to the dealer he was told there was a recall on throttle cable. Then he was told that the vehicle was not recalled due to the VIN. The consumer stated that there have been complaints of this particular vehicle. *ak recall campaign #00v302000. *sc
After releasing accelerator the engine rpms remain at the original level as if it was pressed in netrual or the clutch is engagged. Accelerator is not sticking. Then RPM's are normal for a time while driving. It seems to happen above 3000 rpms.
Vehicle lurched forward, and owner had to take out the key from ignition in order to stop the vehicle. Manufacturer will be contacted by consumer.
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