2006 Ford Focus: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Oct 2, 2026 · Airbags, Driver assistance · CA · crash

Blind sides reflectors cause accidents has fuel system problems over heat makes car catch on fire

Filed Oct 10, 2012 · Brakes · 49,608 miles · TX

Vehicle had been taken in to ford dealership on sept. 17, 2012 because brakes had been intermittently been locking/sticking up while driving and getting hot (could tell due to burning smell). Basically the brakes would engage and lock up causing the vehicle to run with brakes in closed (braking) position and would not release. The problem was intermittent and did not happen everytime the vehicle was driven due to short distances the vehicle is normally driven. Sometimes by simply turning the car off and then restarting would the brakes release, but not always. Took vehicle to spikes ford in mission texas and after about a week they finally diagnosed it as being a problem with the "hcu and ecu module". Vehicle was returned to me on 9/24/2012. Car was driven for about a week and brakes still did not seem normal, so we assumed it was since they had just been worked on. On october 1,2012 vehicle was being driven on expressway when suddenly the brakes locked up overheated and vehicle was forced to the right of expressway and off the road. Brakes were so hot that a burnt smell was noticed inside of vehicle. Car was turned off, let cool down and then driven home @ 3-4 miles at low speed, but brakes were not locked anymore. Vehicle was returned to dealership (spikes ford- mission , texas) and is still there at this time. They are not sure yet what problem is, but obviously it was not the parts installed and they can't figure what the problem is luckily when vehicle pulled to side of expressway, it was already on far right lane and did not impact any other vehicles or barriers. If this would have happened a mile up the road it could have been a big problem due to no shoulder and cement barriers due to construction possibly causing a big accident.

Filed Apr 18, 2012 · Lights · 145,342 miles · IL · fire

The fuse for my dash and night runner lights blow and replaced the fuse about 4 or 5 times then the wiring caught on fire that was 6 months ago got it fixed and now my dash and night runners lights have stop working again changed the fuse and they are not working still and I cant move the shifter this car isn't safe anymore and I need a safe car for my daughter and I.

Filed Aug 31, 2009 · Electrical · 78,000 miles · SC

The fuse for the running lamps kept blowing. A few days later I smelt a burning smell, pulled over, turned off the car, removed key, but car was still running. A few days later, battery light kept flashing, turns out, the alternator was fried. Took it to ford, was told there was nothing they could do because my powertrain warranty does not cover electrical work. Took it to an electrician, was told a few wires touched metal and fused together and burnt all the way back to the firewall. When you look at the wires, there is metal sitting under them....there are no clips to help hold the wires away from the metal. There is some form of protection on the wires, I describe it as a foam...but its worn through. When I asked him how this could have happened, he replied with "going over bumps, railroad tracks, or hitting a pothole. He also told me it was a fire hazard. As a consequence to this, my car is now just sitting, and I will not drive it with it being labeled a fire hazard. Nothing was done to correct the failure.

Filed Apr 23, 2008 · Engine · 13,000 miles · MD · fire

On the 19th of april, my vehicle was performing normally. On the 20th of april, the vehicle was unable to attain normal driving speeds; top speed was around 20 MPH. As a result, we chose to return home immediately and to bring the vehicle to the dealership the next day. On the 21st, around 10:15 a.m., I began to drive the vehicle to the dealership. However, after approximately 1.5 miles, the engine began cutting out completely and there was a strange odor. I got the vehicle restarted and pulled into an adjacent parking lot. I parked the vehicle and shut it off. I found a nearby store from which I could call home. When I stepped back outside I was unable to see the vehicle due to smoke. I returned to the store and immediately called 911. By the time I stepped back outside, there were visible flames. Police and fire responded, but the vehicle was a complete loss.

Filed May 9, 2006 · Electrical · 3,000 miles · FL · fire

I purchased a 2006 ford focus on 12/3/05, it had 4 miles on it when I drove out of the dealership. On thursday may 3, 2006, it caught fire in my carport. The mileage is between 2,000-3,000 miles, I believe. I arrived home from a meeting at a local bank, having driven approximately 2 miles. I parked the car in the carport, turned off the engine and entered the house. I did not notice any strange noises or odors. My husband arrived home about 15-20 minutes later. He began tooting the horn on his vehicle to get my attention. When I opened the door, he yelled "get your keys." I could see flames under my car and smoke seeping out the sides of the hood. I threw him the keys and ran for the fire extinguisher. He entered my focus got the engine started and backed the vehicle out of the carport and away from the house. As he backed up the vehicle, flaming parts began falling out from under the car onto the concrete floor. He got the car backed up about 10 feet and the engine quit and would not restart. He exited the car and tried to open the hood. The hood was very hot to the touch but he got it opened. The flames were about a foot high at the back of the engine area on the left side. We were able to put out the flames with the extinguisher. We then extinguished the flames on the pieces that were lying on the carport floor. Both continued to smoke for some time but the fire did not re-ignite. When the smoke cleared and we felt it safe to approach the vehicle, we could see the charred remains and melted parts. In retrospect I remember on two occasions seeing the battery icon lighted on the dash while a sat outside my office waiting for the bank to open with the car idling and the radio on. Both times I revved the engine and the light went out.