I have a fuel pump problem with my 2001 ford focus station wagon. If the gas gets below 1/2 tank, the engine stalls and the motor starves for fuel, but there is about 1/2 tank of gas in the car. This has happened to me twice now in 30 days.
2001 Ford Focus fuel system complaints
Page 4 of 12: complaints 71 to 100 of 318, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. The contact stated that the engine hesitated, and the vehicle lost power, surged, and experienced other similar symptoms. The failure has occurred twice while driving. The vehicle became sluggish and stalled at any speed. After waiting 20 to 40 minutes, the contact restarted the vehicle and took it to the local service station for a diagnostic. The dealer stated that his VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v482000 (fuel system, gasoline). The failure mileage was 89,000 and current mileage was 90,000. Updated 07/29/08 *bf updated 08/07/08 the dealer lowered the fuel tank, removed the old fuel pump and found the screen in the bottom of the tank. The dealer replaced the fuel pump. Updated 08/07/08
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate and then shut off a few minutes later. The vehicle was towed to a garage and the mechanic stated that the fuel pump failed. The mechanic replaced the fuel pump. The contact received a ford recall notice (03n01) in january of 2004 and took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer informed her that they would not change that part until the failure occurs. Currently, the contact is experiencing difficulty receiving reimbursement from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 86,781 and current mileage was 87,800.
I bought this car in jul07. In dec07 started having problems with car surging/jolting while driving on highway (55-65 MPH) then car would just stall, completely die. Engine light would come on, no power steering no lights. I would manage to get it over to the side of the road narrowly avoiding accident and car would not start. After sat for about 10 mins it would start. It would drive ok for about 10-20 miles and then surge and die. It happens periodically and in between the car may drive fine for weeks. Service center can't find anything wrong with it. It just happened again 3-18-08 while I was driving on interstate at 65mph, jolted twice and completely died. I was nearly killed as a semi was behind me and another beside me. I had to fight the car to get it off the side of the road and narrowly missed the semi running up over the top of me. After sitting for 10 min it started again but would not reach full power. I could only get it up to about 50 MPH, then started jolting and died again after about 6 miles this continued for 30 miles. Engine light was on. I had that read by adv auto later and it was two codes one for mass airflow sensor. It has been in service garage since then. They can't find anything wrong with it. I did notice that this seems to only be happening when it rains. They sprayed water today on the front of the car while it was running and it died in their shop. They still have no idea what is wrong with it. It also has a loud vibration/noise in front end. Motor mounts have been changed, new alternator, new battery, new belt replaced dec 27,07. The vehicle died again feb 5, 2008 6 times. It dies at all speeds and sometimes stalls at stop lights/signs. I am extremely frustrated with it and need a reliable car to get to work and am making car payments on a car that has been in the shop 36 days in the last 90. Also very concerned about causing an accident or killing myself, my kids or someone else.
I had received a letter in january 2004 from mr. Frank m. Ligon, director of service engineering operations of the ford motor company. The letter stated that in accordance with program 03n01 (engine stalling in 2000-01 ford focus vehicles) customer's vehicles "may experience engine hesitation, loss of power, surging, and other similar symptoms ultimately causing the engine to stall completely...as a result of contamination of the fuel pump filters."..."ford is offering to replace your vehicle's fuel pump (parts and labor), at no cost, if your vehicle exhibits any of the above conditions...valid for a period of 10 years from the original warranty start date, with no limit on mileage." ...I had been experiencing the above forementioned safety issues with my 2001 focus, and took the car to the dealership for service. The dealer had to replace the fuel pump and filter, originally stating that it was covered under this program, but called back later and ultimately changed their mind. The explanation given was that this program was no longer "open." since the company has acknowledged this particular safety concern, confirmed the letter being sent and my vehicle fitting the program 03n01 guidelines of make, model, year, and timeline (10 years unlimited mileage), and has refused to repair this defect free of charge, as stated in their letter, ...I would like to file an official complaint on this issue ...and I would appreciate your assistance in resolving this runaround that the ford motor company has given me. I got the letter, had the problems and safety issues as stated in that letter, it hasn't been 10yrs, so why did I have to pay for their defect? Thank you for your time and assistance!
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle would vibrate and the engine stalled. The vehicle would restart and backfire before accelerating. There were no prior warning indicators. The dealer diagnosed the failure as the fuel system, but the contact was unsure about what they said needed to be repaired. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v482000 (fuel system, gasoline). The failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage was 79,000. Updated 05/07/08 *bf updated 05/07/08.
My car has had several issues with the engine stalling and shutting off...I encountered my first incident just recently, about a week ago. My car shut off and would not start while I was driving. It happened right as I was changing lanes. I thought I needed a jump but when that did not work I had my car towed to a mechanic. They told me that my fuel system was clogged/blocked, I don't remember the exact statement, but they told me that I needed a fuel system flush, a fuel filter, and a new fuel pump. I checked the recall list and saw that my card make and model were on the recall list for fuel system failure and when I called the dealership they tell me that my car does not qualify. I tell me that my issue was caused by something else...this is the first major problem that I have had with this car and now ford is trying to say my car was not a part of the recall and are refusing to fix the problem.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. The engine light would illuminate and the vehicle would stall, stutter, skip, and not run when the tank reached a quarter tank. Initially, the contact was informed that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. Then she was informed that the timing belt, gear, pulley, and tensioner needed to be replaced. The components were replaced. Finally, the contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. Ford stated that the vehicle was manufactured too late to be included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v482000 (fuel system, gasoline). The purchase date and speed were unknown. The current mileage was 88,000 and failure mileage was 83,073. Updated 03-04-08 *bf\the fuel pump was replaced.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. The engine warning indicator light illuminated intermittently and the vehicle surged forward. While idling at a stop light, the engine shut off. The dealer stated that the fuel delivery module malfunctioned and they made the replacement. Prior to the contact owning the vehicle, it was previously serviced in 2004 under the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v482000 (fuel system, gasoline). The failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 103,000.
After car has warmed up for 30 minutes approx. It restarts after turning engine off but will not idle on it's own. The driver must keep there foot on the gas pedal at all times, except when car is moving and engine is engaged. The car has a standard transmission. This doesn't happen everytime. But after car has warmed up and has had the engine turned off 2 or 3 times this accores. If the engine is allowed to cool down for 15 min. To 45 min. The car will idle again. The time is dependent on the outside temperature.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitates, stalls, and has to be restarted each time. The vehicle was taken to ford at least 12 times; however, they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic and he discovered that the fuel pump failed. His VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v482000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was returned to the dealer and they stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The current mileage was 72,000 and failure mileage was 42,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the engine would stall. The vehicle also decelerated without the contact removing her foot from the accelerator pedal. She did not hear any noises or notice any warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. He notified the dealer and manufacturer and they stated that the problem was due to the fuel pump and that his vehicle was not included in the extended warranty. The failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 104,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. Approximately two years ago, the contact noticed that her gas mileage was significantly lower than other 2001 vehicles of the same model. The dealer stated that recalls were issued for the ford focus, however, the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls regarding gas mileage. The speed was unknown. The current mileage was 98,000 and failure mileage was 30,000. *updated 12/27/07 *lj updated 12/12/07
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle began hesitating and shaking and shut completely off when turning. The failure only occurred once. The contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The federal safety agency campaign id number 03v482000 (fuel system) was referenced. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 105,000. Updated 12/12/07
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. On august 19, 2007, while driving 10 MPH, the contact heard metal scraping the ground and then plastic being dragged underneath the vehicle. She immediately stopped the vehicle and discovered the fuel tank on the ground. She called the fire department to get permission for triple a to tow the vehicle. The contact stated that the bolt that holds the arm in place on the fuel tank had no thread remaining. She filed a complaint with ford and they stated that they could not be of assistance. The current and failure mileages were 87,000. Updated 12-12-07. *kb updated
First occurrence happened when my wife and daughter were driving in the baltimore tunnel and the engine started to stumble and loose power finally stopping soon after they exited the tunnel allowing them to pull oven onto the shoulder. If the engine died 30 seconds sooner who knows what could have happened, there is no place to pull over in the tunnel. She managed to get to a gas station to fill the tank and then the car ran fine. It was at 1/2 a tank when it died. When she got home I changed the fuel filter and we had no more problems for 3 months. The second occurrence happened when I was driving the car to clemson sc for my daughter to use while attending college. I ran the tank to almost empty and noticed some loss of power but I thought I just got to close to empty, filled it up and all was fine again. While I was passing an 18 wheeler, fuel at 1/2 tank, the car started bucking violently and loosing power. I had to wait for the truck to go by and then make an extremely aggressive move cutting off the car that was following the truck so I could get to the shoulder. Once again after sitting for awhile the car started and I was able to limp to a gas station fill it up and it was fine. My concern is for public safety and a company the does not support the products that they sell. Ford has been aware of this problem forever and sent letters to almost 600,000 owners telling them of the possible problem and giving them an extended warranty on the fuel delivery system for up to ten years with unlimited mileage. What about the rest of us? We don't deserve the same consideration? I had to pay $500.00 to fairway ford in anderson sc because my VIN number wasn't included in the replacement program. Ford, and all there talk of quality, ?q1? Flags flying at all of their facilities, seems to be more concerned with share holder value, than the safety of their loyal customers.
Bought new in '01 ford focus. Noticed right off brakes would make a grinding noise and squeak. Tires were worn real bad on inside on one front size since we bought it. Repeated alignments with no improvement. Still experience this problem. Started experiencing problems with it missing during acceleration. Check engine light came on in february 2005 and took it to the dealership. They replaced sensors that had recall,was recall code p0401. Engine light stayed on. They said that we were using gas that was dirty and waiting too late to put gas into the car and that was why it was stalling. We paid $272.98 for them to replace this whole section that had to do with the fuel being filtered. Car loses power and stutters going around curves with even over a half a tank of gas. Stalling to the point we must pull over into the emergency lane afraid of accident! I own car I bought brand new and it jerks and sputters like some piece of crap from jd byrider! Everytime we start the car you smell oil burning for15 minutes afterwards. Had it checked no leaks or anything could be found. April of 2005 noticed when the car idled at a traffic light the thermostat would show shoot up showing it was running hot! Took it in to the dealership and they found anti-freeze leaking. Was told the thermostat housing and thermostat had to be replaced. Retested it and was told problem solved. Our bill was $375.00. This was first brand new car and was taken well care of, it only has around 78,000 miles on the odometer. I was told there was a silent recall on these for the engine problems and they were being fixed for no cost to the owner. We were not notified of a recall and paid for all of this out of pocket .car is paid off now and cannot enjoy having a paid off car with low mileage because we are scared to drive it and bought a new car that was safe to drive around with our kids! Time goes on and it is getting worse. Sometimes not wanting to start at all! Engine still stalls despite all these repairs.
Initially the problem seemed to be hesitation in the transmission at high speed on the highway. However, it gradually worsened and resulted in surging and loss of power. The throttle because totally unresponsive and I had to coast to a stop on the side of a busy highway. The car is in the shop presently. Given the amount of data out there to show this is a common defect for the 2001 focus, I expect ford to cover the repair.
July 11, 07 I had to travel for work and three hours out the car stopped in the road and at that time the car continued to roll so I merged to the side to get of the road, the engine light came on and didn't start till 30min later. I had to turn back around and head home and the car continued to stop and start over 20 times till I made it home. At times it would not pick up speed or it would decrease. 07-26-07 I took it to a ford dealership service center and they brought up that the problem was in the fuel pump, fuel filter and pc valve and other items that did not pertain to the problem but needed future attention. The lady who helped me told me I need an updated version of the fuel pump and was charged $590.43 for everything including fees. August 1st, 2007 a friend had told me that a dealership in his area was replacing all fuel pumps for ford focus 2001 that failed within an extended warranty of 7 years under 100,000 miles and that the company was not telling anyone until the part failed and they brought it in for service. I looked up the claim on the internet and found that it was true. I got information from the dealership and company that my particular vehicle number , was not included in the replacement program. I still have no answer as to why my vehicle was not selected when my car clearly showed symptoms of the defected fuel pump. The answer I receive was that it could be a variable of reasons including where it was made and where the part was made. I was also told that my car has a 3yr warranty and there is nothing that they could assist me with. The more I tried to get answers about the program and the cars involved, who I can speak to or what can I do to solve this issue the more the representatives got aggravated and rude. Since ford would not provide me with details or help with my fuel pump defect I wanted to seek help through the federal safety agency to do an investigation of my vehicle in order to push a recall for my model.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. While driving 58 MPH the fuel pump failed on two occasions. The dealer stated that the fuel delivery module failed. The current and failure mileages were 84,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus se. The contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate and loose power while driving. The failure occurred without warning. The dealer replaced the fuel filter, but the failure persists. The contact stated that the failure has been ongoing and resulted in a vehicle crash. The manufacturer stated that her vehicle was not included as part of any recalls. A valid VIN, the engine size, and powertrain were unknown. The current mileage is 110,000 and failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate and eventually shut off. The vehicle would not restart and was towed to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove away, only to encounter the same failure. A different dealer replaced the fuel pump assembly. This is the second time the fuel pump assembly had been replaced. The first time was in 2004 at 40,000 miles. The engine size was unknown. The current mileage is 72,000 and failure mileage was 71,000. Updated 06/26/07
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. The current and failure mileage were 53800. While driving at 35 MPH under normal driving conditions, the engine stalled without warning. The contact was able to roll the vehicle into a parking lot. After about five minutes the contact was able to start the vehicle again. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the fuel pump failed. Same problem as the federal safety agency recall # 03v482000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. While driving 70 MPH the engine hesitated, sputtered, and completely shut off. The engine warning light illuminated immediately afterwards. The contact stated that the engine was warm and there was approximately 1/4 of a tank of gas in the vehicle. He had to wait approximately 5 minutes before he was able to restart the vehicle. A defect investigation recall campaign # 03v482000 included similar symptoms. The dealer stated that the failure was the fuel pump. The fuel pump was replaced, and no other failures have occurred. The current mileage is 40,500 and failure mileage was 39,800.ak
2001 ford focus customer states that the fuel pump and fuel filter are bad an needs to be recalled**cc after the repairs were made in late summer of 2004, the consumer experienced the same problems in march 2007 the pump was replaced again. The manufacturer referred to the problem as a safety and customer satisfaction issue not a recall.*jb updated 06/26/07.
Tl* - the contact owns a 2001 ford focus with a current and failure mileage of 140,000. The contact stated that she was driving 55 MPH on a hot day and the vehicle would sputter and lose acceleration , then lost power. The contact stated that the engine would stall, but the car would still be driving until the contact applied the brakes. The contact had the mechanic changed the spark plugs, wires, and fuel filter, but the problem persisted. The contact called the manufacturer, and they told him to take it to the ford dealer to get it diagnosed. The mechanic stated that it was a failure in the fuel distribution system, but the parts were on nationwide back order.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. The contact stated that this vehicle is performed similar to the information found in the federal safety agency recallm campaign # 03v482000. The ford manufacturer stated that this vehicle was excluded from the recall. The current and failure mileage were 61,000.
Driving on highway, 45 MPH...5:30 am mst...no indication of any problem. Vehicle driving smoothly, no sputters and no indicator lights. Drove my son to his workplace approximately 20 miles and on the way home, vehicle simply stalled, jerked and as I stepped on the gas....nothing. Cars swerved around me as I struggled to pull off to the right. I was nearly hit by three different vehicles. It was very dark and I was alone in the car. I managed to walk to a gas station/store and called my daughter. Her husband helped me tow the vehicle to kearns auto center near where the car had stalled. The fuel pump had to be replaced. Manager advised that the fuel pump shield was a 2002 addition, even though vehicle was sold and manuals distributed was for a 2001 ford focus. The shield had allowed gas to leak until it totally destroyed the fuel pump itself. There was no disclosure, vehicle was bought brand new with 8 miles showing. Manual and care schedule was for that of a 2001. Vehicle mileage at the time of incident was 47,312 miles...ford customer service, and two dealers in the salt lake city area were notified of the situation, none have responded.
Continually stalling of the engine vehicle while driving, hard to start as it will stall during startup. It began just stalling for a second about once a week at the most. Now when I drive it, it does it about every 10 seconds. It has lead to my car failing to speed up, the engine kicking and stalling while driving and the car altogether failing to drive while on a busy highway. It is now nearly undrivable. The car will be looked at in the following week but ford says that while they have recall for the problem on the same year and model of vehicle, it does not include my vehicle because of the manufactured date.
As in the federal safety agency campaign id # 03v482000, my 2001 ford focus stalls when the fuel tank is less than 1/3 full, the vehicle is accelerating, and turning to the right. Ford will not fix the problem because they claim to have reached a solution on vehicles assembled after june 13, 2001. My vehicle was assembled june 19, 2001. Since it exhibits the same symptoms, they had not corrected the problem by june 13, 2001. According to the federal safety agency documents ford didn't start installing redesigned fuel pumps until sometime in 2004. The federal safety agency should require ford to extend the program to all focus vehicles that used the poorly designed fuel pump and display failure symptoms.
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