As reported by several others, my 2009 ford focus will unpredictably go into "limp? Or failsafe mode, with power surges or hesitations and the wrench & check engine light. After then engine is re-started the car will run normally for various periods of time, sometimes miles, days or weeks. This first happened several times in november 2012, I brought the car into a ford dealer, but because the wrench or engine lights were not on, they were unable to read any codes or otherwise diagnose. In may 2013, I again experienced several instances of the limp / failsafe mode with one or both of the wrench and check engine lights on. On may 11, 2013 car was delivered to a different ford dealer with the wrench light on. This dealer ?cleaned? The throttle body even though as I now understand the throttle body is a sealed unit. Just over 4 weeks after the maintenance I again experienced the limp mode and wrench lights. At this time I started to keep track of each instance. For approximately 1 month the car experienced frequent power surges/hesitation and instances of limp mode. The car then went 1 month without any repeat of that experience. After several more instances of the problem in early september 2013, the issue disappeared for over 6 months, until april 2014. I now have a log documenting approx 25 ? 30 instances of limp mode over a period of about 8 weeks. This happens when the car is both warm or cold, in any weather conditions, sometimes when the car is running for only 1 minute or after a long drive. Unfortunately I have had to shift into neutral and re-start at highway speeds. Again as others have commented, this is a dangerous situation and should be corrected by a recall. I have an appointment in the next few days at which time they will likely replace the throttle body for approx $600, after sticking about $300 to the 1st 2 service calls.... Thank you
2009 Ford Focus acceleration complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 33 of 33, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Ford focus 2009 april 25, 2014 I had appointment for a routine oil change and tune up. Was told there was oil in my spark plug wells and I needed a valve cover gasket replaced. Total bill $376.65 then 5 days later on april 30th, when I started my car it would not run correctly and was chugging and sputtering really bad. The throttle control/ transmission light came on and also the check engine light. I checked the miles I had driven and it was exactly 25 miles since the oil/tuneup/gasket change. I called the ford service department and told them what was going on and they said to drive it over. It would hardly run so I had to have it towed. Then they called to tell me the throttle body was bad at an estimated $800 to fix it. They had to order the part and it would be a few days. May 5, 2014, dealership called to inform me the housing for the throttle body is also bad and it will be an additional $54 to replace that with the throttle body.
As I was traveling down the highway the throttle suddenly and unexpectedly stopped working.(thankfully I was not in heavy traffic at the time.) I coasted the car over to the side of the highway. The car remained idling, however I still had no throttle control. The wrench light was on. I turned the car off, waited a few minutes and restarted the car. The wrench light was off and I once again had throttle control. I eased the car back onto the highway but noticed the car had difficulty holding a constant and steady speed. There were intermittent subtle surges and pauses in the speed. Once I reached my destination I had a ford dealership run a diagnostics on the car and they could not find any codes or problems with the car. I thoroughly researched this issue and found others were having similar problems and it was related to the throttle sensor. I had contacted a number of national parts suppliers and they could not sell me just the sensor but would have to sell me the entire throttle body. I contacted the ford dealer and they had a throttle position sensor. Since replacing the throttle sensor I have put over 1200 miles on the vehicle and have had to this point no more problems with throttle control.
Vehicle died in the middle of the road, while daughter was driving. Would not start. This has happened several times now. Took it to ford and they say problem is with the throttle control.
I purchased my 2009 ford focus from the ford dealership in stockton, ca. As I was driving home from work during rush hour in the fast lane, without warning, the car went in to (what my mechanic called) limp mode. The car instantly went from 70 MPH to 15 MPH - very scary! Again, this happened while I was driving in very heavy commute traffic. Definitely a very dangerous scenario. I was able to move over into the slow lane and limp off the freeway, doing 15 MPH for about a quarter of a mile. Quite honestly, I don't know how I did it without being slammed into by other vehicles. All I could do was coast. I came to a stop on the shoulder of the exit ramp. The car idled very rough. I turned it off, waited for a few seconds, and then turned it back on. It started right up as if nothing happened. I was able to get home without further incident. Our mechanic said there were no error codes in the computer. Apparently, they were cleared when the car was shut off. After this event occurred a few more times after driving the car for about an hour at high speeds, I decided to make it happen while I was close enough to home so my mechanic could come and check the car for codes while it was still running. It was like clock work. The car went into limp mode after being driven for close to one hour and my mechanic was able to pull the codes while the car was still running. The throttle body assembly was replaced (by our local mechanic) to the tune of about $600. Looks like there have been a lot of complaints about this issue. I think it's fair to say there have probably been fatalities associated with this problem, although we don't hear about them. A recall is in order!!!
We own a 2009 ford focus. Right out of warranty in june of 2012 my husband was driving the car on the highway, approx. 70 miles per hour when the car decelerated down to about 40 and would not go beyond that. We took it to the dealership, they charged us full price for a throttle body replacement. I know that other makes in 2009 were extended on the warranty for throttle body problems. I wanted to report this so that we can get reimbursed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 ford focus. The contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration power. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was found that the throttle had seized in the closed position. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 ford focus. The contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate from a complete stop as the service sensor warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer where he was informed that the defect was due to a faulty throttle body. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 72,000.
While driving at speed, driver loses all control of gas pedal and has to put car in neutral and shut ignition off in order to restart car to reset control of gas pedal. This situation has happened several times over the last 5 months. On oct 2 it happened 5 times on the same drive that day. This is a very serious problem that could cause injury or death. It is lucky that we have been aware of this and it hasn't cause us an accident. But now we must get it repaired because fate will catch up to you at the wrong time. I have researched this on the internet and found other people have had similar experience with this. After research some people have been told it is the throttle body which has a non replaceable sensor on it that controls a signal to the gas pedal. To repair it the throttle body has to be replaced. Please please investigate this. I have called ford dealership about this and they show no concern or interest in finding out if this is a national problem they may kill someone. Please investigate before someone dies that is not aware of this.
This happened on two separate occasions. The first occasion, my wife was driving the focus at around 50 MPH, when all of the sudden the car stopped accellerating (it didn't stall) and the wrench panel light came on. Luckily she wasn't in an accident, so she pulled over and restarted the car and it ran fine, and the light was off. Three weeks later we were driving on the highway at 75 MPH when the exact same thing happened, the car just stopped accelerating, the wrench light came on, and again we were lucky we weren't in an accident and were able to pull off the road. We restarted the car and it was fine again. At this point I called ford and they agreed to take a look at it and provide me a rental car. After a week, they said they thought it was a throttle body, but were unable to diagnose it because they needed to have it happen to them. I told them it was unreasonable because it happened three weeks apart, and the chances of it happening were slim within a week. I was trying to urge ford to cover this since the car only had 54k miles on it, and it was dangerous to drive. They said since they couldn't diagnose it, they couldn't fix it, and even if they could diagnose it, it wouldn't be covered since its not under the powertrain warranty. I feel like this is a safety issue that they are very aware of, and the fact that they are 99.9% sure its a throttle body (the dealership employees told me they're getting tons of throttle body repairs coming in and the parts are on back order), they should be responsible to fix them for the safety of the consumer. There was no maintenance we could have done to prevent these dangerous situations from happening. Now I have to find a way to pay for this repair on my own so my wife can drive a safe vehicle. So ford's defective part has already put my wife and I in danger, and now is costing me money I don't have!
Car went into limp home mode (wrench light) while pulling into traffic, sudden loss of power almost LED to accident. My two year old was in the vehicle, with her side exposed to oncoming traffic when the car lost connection between the accelerator and throttle. Returned home immediately. Went out to start it later, no warning lights, ran fine. 2 days later, it went into limp home mode on the freeway, this time cel came on. Code p2135, indicating a problem with the throttle body. Part replaced, problem hasn't recurred. Research online indicates this is a known problem (there is a tsb). I would regard it as a safety issue based on the failure rates of widespread (albeit anecdotal) evidence. Though it isn't uncontrolled acceleration, it still is a loss of control; this system is drive-by-wire, the same as toyota. I would think it should be given consideration for recall. Below are experienced shared on various forums regarding the vehicles affected (2008-2011 focus): www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=271461 www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317251&highlight=throttle+body www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=298322&highlight=throttle+body www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291391&highlight=throttle+body www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=290333&highlight=throttle+body www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=257103&highlight=p2112 www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=262099&highlight=p2112 www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174484&highlight=wrench+light www.carproblemzoo.com/ford/focus/2009/cruise-control-problems.php www.carproblemzoo.com/ford/focus/2008/vehicle-speed-control-problems.php http://bit.ly/18ccw56 http://bit.ly/16toxcc http://bit.ly/19aqtpn http://bit.ly/18cch08 http://bit.ly/11ik0mu ...and countless more on www.fordfocusforums.com.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 ford focus. The contact stated that while stopped, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle would not respond. The contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to his right ankle and foot. The contact sought medical attention for his injuries. The police reported to the scene and a report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 86,285.
Gas pedal wants to stick.
Traveling on highway in passing lane with cruise control on,noticed vehicle slowing down. Applied pressure to gas pedal,no acceleration. I had to get off road quickly because car was coming to a stop;almost caused an accident in doing so. Vehicle idled rough and I had no control of acceleration. I shut off vehicle and was able to start it up again and had acceleration control again. Took vehicle to ford dealer ship and they replaced throttle body. Service tech stated that they have been replacing several of these throttle bodies on ford vehicles lately and they except a recall.my concern is that this could have easily caused an accident. Ford knows this issue exist,get it recalled before someone gets hurt or killed.
I was driving home friday and I notice a light on the left side of the dash and it look like a wrench, so after about 10 minutes the car began to slowdown, so I pressed the acceleration but the car would not speedup and it acted as tho the transmission was slipping so I was able to coast to the right lane and over to the side off, the freeway after I stop the car, then I turn the engine back on and the car would drive normal,if I accelerated slowly it acted like the trans was slipping,and after I got home I was going to back the car but it would not move when I placed the transmission in reverse it would not move., this is a 2009 ford focus, and after reading the reviews on line I see that I am not the only that this have happen to, and this is a very dangerous place to be in on the freeway doing 70mph. And this happened ford should recall this mod of vehicles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle began to idle high and accelerated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis however the failure could not be replicated. The failure recurred numerous times. Each time the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was notified and extended the warranty on the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 13,074 and the current mileage was 33,600.
Upon starting the vehicle, the engine light was on and the vehicle would not travel more than 30 MPH. The vehicle would not accelerate at all in response to pressing the accelerator. The vehicle would only coast when lifting off the brake pedal. After taking the vehicle to the dealership, the throttle body required replacement which was done under the warranty.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the power train warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the electronic throttle body sensor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was 59,000. Updated 07/13/12 *bf the consumer stated the vehicle was under warranty at the time, but ford stated that the power train throttle body sensor was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was repaired. Updated 07/30/12 .....updated 01/14/13 *bf the consumer stated the vehicle was still covered under power train warranty. But, was told it would not be covered. Updated 1/15/2013 *js the consumer requested to have the component changed. However, the closest component, to throttle body sensor is vehicle speed control and electrical system. Updated 03/18/13
Car frequently revs engine high when coming to a stop, when at idle the engine revs from 400-1100rpms uncontrollably. Has occasionally dropped all power at highway speeds. Ford dealer said the PCM is bad and that there's a service bulletin on it. However, the dealer says ford motor will not release a replacement part. I've loudly complained that the vehicle is unsafe to drive.
Approaching a stop sign I applied the brakes, did not come to a stop, as the motor continued to accelerate(motor revved up beyond 1500 RPM. Got the ar under control, turned off the engine. Restarted the car 4 times and each time the motor was racing. If I had not had my foot on the brake I would have continued moving forward.I did not take my foot off the brake to see how fast the car would have gone as traffic was too congested. Did not wish to take a chance and drive the car . I called for an emergency tow and had the car delivered to my ford dealer where it is being looked over. A similar situation occurred on 4/16/2009 the dealer at that time could not determine the problem. (odi # 10328218).
Approaching a red light at about 30mph I applied the brakes and the engine revved to a higher speed and I could not stop the vehicle until I put it in neutral and stood on the brakes. Luckily there was no one in front of me as I went about 6 feet into the intersection have had the car since 07/2009. This is first time this has happened. Informed dealer and car will be looked at 04/22/2010.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 ford focus. The contact was driving approximately 5 MPH when the vehicle jumped a curb and crashed into a pole. The driver sustained no personal injury. There was property damage, and a police report filed. The vehicle was completely destroyed. In addition, the engine revved without warning on a separate occasion. The failure and current mileages were unknown. The VIN was unavailable.
Driving over level pavement in my 2009 ford focus approaching a stop light. When I removed my foot from the accelerator, the vehicle continued at the current speed (45mph). I braked, but it wasn't enough to stop the car. I drove through the intersection which was empty, and put the car in neutral. The engine then slowed to normal idle speed. I then drove home and checked the operation, and could find nothing wrong.
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