2000 Ford Focus: adaptive cruise control problems

Filed Jun 12, 2013 · Acceleration · 170,000 miles · PA

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

Filed Feb 1, 2012 · Brakes · 142,000 miles · FL · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, a growling noise was heard coming from the rear end of the vehicle. The contact continued to drive and then began to hear a clunking sound as the vehicle began to shake. The contact was able to stop the vehicle on the shoulder of the road and noticed smoke coming from the rear driver's side brake drum. A few moments later, the drum caught on fire due to the grease igniting. The contact used water and was able to extinguish the flames. The vehicle was then towed to contact's home. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.

Filed Mar 3, 2010 · Acceleration · 103,000 miles · TX

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.

Filed Jan 19, 2010 · Acceleration · 116,000 miles · NY

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.

Filed Apr 23, 2009 · Electrical · 45,000 miles · OH

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. He noticed that the wires would bend, fray and break when closing the rear liftgate. While closing the liftgate, the vehicle lost all electrical power to the rear wiper, washer and the top rear brake light which also caused the cruise control to become inoperative. He removed the sleeve and mended the wires together which caused the components to function correctly; however, the contact felt that if the wires continued to bend, the failure would recurr. He consulted the manufacturer about recall 00v411000 but was told that his vehicle was not included. The current mileage was 47,766 and the failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

Filed Feb 2, 2009 · Acceleration · 90,000 miles · VA

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.

Filed Aug 21, 2007 · Acceleration · 123,750 miles · PA

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.

Filed Nov 28, 2005 · Acceleration · 68,000 miles · CO

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)

Filed Jul 5, 2005 · Acceleration · 21,000 miles · MA

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.

Filed Jul 29, 2004 · Acceleration · CO

Consumer's vehicle experienced the same problem as stated in the federal safety agency recall 00v302000 concerning cruise control. A speed control cable could have a core wire that is long enough to catch on the sleeve at the throttle body end of the cable during wide-open throttle acceleration. Dealership was notified. However, they indicated sorry VIN was not include in this recall.

Filed Apr 7, 2004 · Acceleration, Electrical · 60,000 miles · TX

In the last six months the transmission has started to leak fluid (paid to fix that), I get a letter about a recall for the fuel pump take it in and get that fixed on the way to work straight from the dealership one of the guys I work with comments on my brake lights staying on, my brake lights will now not go off and my cruise control will not go on (paid to fix that), then a few weeks later the front wheel fell off! I was pulling into my parents driveway and the wheel just fell off then spent the entire day getting it on a tow truck and getting it off at the dealership. Then the technician kept asking me what I hit. Repeatedly I told him what happened and he finally said that that couldn't have happened unless I hit something (paid to fix that), now I get in my car to get me something to eat and my key will not turn.

Filed Jan 15, 2004 · Brakes, Suspension · 65,000 miles · FL

The brake system is horrible. They make noises all the time. I have replaced the cylinders and the shoes and it still does not sound right. The suspension is bad and needs replacing, but I can not afford it. I am a teacher. Cruise control has gone bad, because of a faulty wire.