When returning from being out owner was backing vehicle into driveway when it suddenly accelerated rearward. Vehicle struck the wall, and then bounced back into street, hitting a pole. Driver's seatback collapsed in the process. Please describe details.
2001 Ford Focus acceleration complaints
Page 3 of 3: complaints 41 to 66 of 66, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While driving on highway engine started to accelerate without warning. Consumer almost had an accident. Vehicle repaired by dealer, who determined that map sensor failed. On 08/05/02, engine accelerated without warning again. Vehicle taken back to dealer, who installed a flt recorder in car to detect where problem existed. On 08/09/02, engine accelerated without warning again. Consumer was very concerned about family safety in vehicle.
Vehicle is subject to stalling/stop, lunge forward or hesitate with no warning while in motion. Dealership has had vehicle several times with no change in condition. Owner also stated that she had some sort of fluctuation with the RPM gauge, sporaticully. Please describe details.
Vehicle loses power while accelerating up hills, and at any speed. Please provide any further information.
Vehicle has a tendency to jump/lunge or hesitate and stall completely. Dealership unable to detect failure, even with vehicle repaired 15 inconsecutive days. Please describe details.
Was driving home from work last thursday (10 minutes on the interstate, 97 degrees, full AC), when the car started to lose power followed by transmission lurching and engine trying to die. Pulled the remaining block into my apts and opened hood expecting to find overheated engine, and ended up see a bunch of flame and signing my thumb. Got fire extinguisher and put it out, and called fire dept. No work was done to engine other than a new air filter 4000 miles ago. So far the ford dealer wants to write it off as complete loss and leave it to my insurance. Took out my air intake, melted battery, melted battery wires, ruined hood, scroched headlight, smoked interior, and who knows what got sucked into engine through the intake. Dealer wouldn't tow because "warranty tows have to be called in through ford customer service". Photos are up at http://www.geocities.com/archangel_jjn. Contact me for more information.
While attempting to park, the vehicle took off and accelerated without any warning. The vehicle took off going through the back wall of the garage. The air bags did deploy. On another occasion, the vehicle was serviced for check engine light which was on. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and a chip was replaced. However, while driving, the vehicle accelerated out of control again up to 100 miles per hour. Consumer was able to stop the vehicle by turning off the engine. Dealer found throttle was stuck wide open.
Engine light comes on and stays on. Vehicle will not accelerate properly, and has a rough idle. Replaced sensor and fuel pump.
While driving 65 MPH consumer applied brake, vehicle did not slow down. Consumer had to shut off engine to stop vehicle. This happened 4 times. Dealer replaced servo speed control.
Three times I have had the throttle stick even though I have let off the gas. Once when I had less than 5,000 and again at the end of last year. Once when I parked the car and once while I was stopping at a light. Both times I had to shut-off the vehicle and re-start it to cure the failure. I did not report it to the dealership but it did it again last week while I was driving.
While driving at 60 MPH using the cruise control, all of a sudden vehicle lost power and stalled out with all lights in instrument panel coming on. Contacted dealer ,and the dealer could not find the problem. *jg
Accelerator pedal would stick intermittently while driving. Dealer was not notified at this time. Feel free to provide any further information.
While driving engine check light would come on and show vehicle surging forward. Dealer was not notified at this time. Feel free to provide any further information.
While parking, vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit a brick wall. Dealer and manufacturer weere notified.*ak
When engine was started and gear shift was put into drive position vehicle started rolling backwards unexpectedly. Dealership examined vehicle for this problem ,and replaced throttle. After dealership made these repairs and drove on highway brakes failed to stop vehicle when pressure was put on brake pedal. Driver for tow truck examined vehicle and determined there was no brake fluid in the vehicle (this diagnosis was confirmed by the dealership. *ak please provide any additional information / documentation.
The car veered to the left on its own and began to accelerate with foot of gas and when the brake was applied the car began to slide and roll over a total of three times brfore coming to a stop.
Was traveling uphill at 30mph and was depressing accelerator pedal, which went to the floor. Vehicle started to drift backwards. Parked vehicle and had it towed next day. Mechanic indicated accelerator cable had broken. It went to the motor, had separated completely.
The cable that connects gas pedal to the engine broke off, I was driving up a hill and had no gas pedal . I called some ford dealers but they nad never heard of this. I am worried someone might have a very bad accident because of this. I was lucky no one was behind me when it happened.
Something caused gas pedal to stick to floor and rapidly increase speed resulting in loss of control of vehicle resulting in crash.
I was traveling northbound on ga hwy 400 at 7:30 a.m. Traffic was lighter than normal, so I decided to use my cruise control. I set the cruise at 70 MPH & drove it for approx 5 miles. When I approached my exit, I pressed on the brake to disengage the cruise. The cruise light went off, but the cruise did not disengage. I fought it all the way up the ramp. I was very fortunate that the light was green & there were no cars ahead of me (normally extremely busy intersection). I exited at a high rate of speed as I continued to pump the brake. I got the car off to the side of the road, put it in neutral & once it was almost stopped, put it in park & turned it off. Every time I turned it back on, the engine revved back up like it was trying to reach the 70 MPH speed in park. I had it towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed as a bad servo. This could have been potentially fatal to me & others, had the normal traffic backup been at the off ramp. I could have slammed into one or more other cars trying to get mine stopped. I understand there are recalls on the 2000 focus cars, due to defective cruise controls, but have seen nothing on the 2001 vehicles. Needless to say, although I paid extra for cruise control, I will never be able to trust it enough to use it again.
I own a 2001 ford focus automatic transmission. I was parked on a flat surface, when someone backed up into my car, they only moved 3 feet didn't do any damage to teh bumpber, but from that slight hit it sent my car free wheeling in park 175 feet, across a road, and slamming into 3 trees totalling out the rear of the car. Luckily no one was hurt nor in the car at the time fo this accident. When I got into my car I expected to see the geer shifter broken but it wasn't it still worked. My car was the way I left it just 175 feet down teh road. This is not right! Two of teh main safety feature failed on this car. Ford sent out an investigartor who looked over the car, pushed on the car with their hands, but never took the transmission aprt to see if there was any damage. Now ford said there is nothing wrong with my car and it is perfectly safe. I am very unhappy, I am stuch with a car I don't want any more, dont trust, and now becuase of the damage unable to trade in. I have only owned this car since oct of 2000. I feel that this is a major defect in the car and ford is just trying to cover it up.
While backing into driveway, vehicle suddenly accelerated. Consumer could not stop vehicle, vehicle hit tree. Vehicle was totalled. *ak the consumer had minor injuries during the accident but vehicle was totaled. The consumer believes some kind of defect caused the vehicle to suddenly accelerate on its own.
While driving 70 MPH gas pedal fell to floor. Consumer had no control over accelerator, there was a sound like an explosion in gas line. Dealer stated egr valve needed replacement. Also, numerous times before when driving between 30 - 40 MPH engine sounded like it was accelerating, but speed stayed the same. To dealer 5 times, could not remedy problem.
Aic valve replaced 2 times car same: throttle cable replaced 1 intermttent problems, still. They told me "this is the way it is" its dangerous?
Throttle cable appears to be too long - cable has kinked and causes car to hesitate acceleration. When the car does accelerate it is sudden and could be dangerous under certain driving conditions (heavy traffic, ice on roadway). It appears my car is not the only car in for the exact same problem - the part had to be special ordered.
When parked ifo a house, was listening to stereo, shut off stereo and looked down and noticed gas pedal on the floor. Went down to look and the cable had gone thru the eyelet, indicating to me that there was a break in the pedal cable. The sheathing was pulled back and cable pulled out freely and was frayed at the end of appx. 18" from the throttle body. The config on this design is very poor; the cable has two 90 degree turns in it above the radiator and the 90 degree turn closest to the throttle body is where the cable is frayed and snapped apart.
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