2001 FORD FOCUS Wheels Problems

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving her vehicle at approximately 35 MPH, the ball joint snapped on the vehicle's passengers side. The contact stated there were no warning lights illuminated nor any indication of a failure prior to the ball joint snapping. The contact stated that when the failure happened to her vehicle it caused her to crash into a ditch. The contact stated that no injuries were sustained and the vehicle was towed to the residence where it remains currently. The contact stated that she did contact the dealer as well as the manufacturer who advised her to contact NHTSA. The failure mileage was 190,000.

AS I WAS COMING FROM DR'S APPT. WITH DAUGHTER AND MOM A ROARING SOUND STARTED IN THE REAR. IT KEPT GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER, CAR'S REAR WOULD SWAY TO THE RIGHT SIDE A LITTLE. BUT AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET TRYING TO AT LEAST GET US ALL HOME SAFE. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL CAME OFF AND JUST ROLLED DOWN THE STREET ABOUT A HALF-A-BLOCK. A MAN CAME OUT NOTICING THE TIRE ROLL PASS HIM, HELPED ME RETRIEVE IT AND GET IT BACK TO MY CAR. LOOKED AT THE WHEEL AND CAR AXLE I GUESS THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL IT, AND TOLD ME MY WHEEL BEARINGS WERE GONE. *TR

FIRST, I HEARD A NOISE IN MY REAR WHEEL WELL. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE NOISE GOT WORSE AND I COULD FEEL LIGHT SHIMMYING IN THE CAR. I BROUGHT IT IMMEDIATELY TO A MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED A BROKEN REAR WHEEL BEARING THAT MY WHEEL TO WOBBLE AND LOSE STABILITY. REPLACEMENT REQUIRES A WHOLE NEW DRUM, AT THE COST OF $300. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. WHILE MERGING OFF THE HIGHWAY AT 10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND NOTICED THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE ROLLING BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY. SHE RECOVERED THE TIRE AND NOTICED THAT THE BOLTS, LUGS, NUTS, AND WHEEL BEARING WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE TIRE. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01I017000 (WHEELS LUGS, NUTS, BOLTS); HOWEVER, THE DEALER COULD PROVIDE A WARRANTY FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

WHILE DRIVING AT 65, THE LEFT REAR WHEEL CAME OFF. THE CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALER STATED THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE DEFECTIVE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AND UPON STEPPING ON THE BRAKES FRONT WHEELS MOVED BACK THREE TO FOUR INCHES. THE BUSHINGS WERE TOO SMALL. UPON TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT ONE COULD SEE THE FRONT WHEELS MOVING BACK. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER FIFTEEN TIMES. DEALER PUT REPLACEMENT PARTS FIVE TIMES. TIRES HAD TO BE CHANGED BETWEEN TEN TO THIRTEEN THOUSAND MILES, AND TIRES WERE UNDER WARRANTY FOR 30000 MILES. ALSO, IGNITION SWITCH HAD BEEN CHANGED TWICE, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

THE TIRE AND THE BRAKES WENT OUT AND THE CAR STATED SLIDING. AFTER THE CRASH THERE WERE BOLTS THAT WERE FOUND ON THE GRASS WHERE THE CRASH HAPPENED

ALSO NOV/20/01 MY ELECTRIC WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING ONCE AGAIN.....WARRENTY COVERED THAT.

MY DAUGHTER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AT 40MPH AND THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL JERKED TO THE RIGHT AND SHE FELT A DROP IN THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE CAR, THE CAR STARTED SLIDING AND HIT A CURB. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A STOP THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL WAS BROKE OFF. A TOW TRUCK TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT NEEDED A CONTROL ARM; HUB ASSEMBLY; TIE ROD END; TIRE & WHEEL; AXLE; BRAKE LINE; BRAKE PADS & ROTOR; TRANS PAN AND INNER TIE ROD. THEY CONCLUDED IT WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND IT WAS HER FAULT AND THE COST WOULD BE $2,387.77 JUST FOR THE MECHANICAL ONLY. SHE PURCHASED THE CAR SEPTEMBER OF 2002, PUTTING OVER $8,000.00 DOWN ON THE DAY OF PURCHASE WITH A REMAINING BALANCE OF $6,000.00. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT SHE HAD NO INSURANCE. I BELEIVE THERE WAS A PROBLEM...

THERE IS JUST TO MUCH PAPERWORK TO COPY OUT, BUT WOULD LIKE TO MAIL COPIES. I AM GOING TO PICK UP CAR THIS AFTERNOON JUST HAD SECOND FUEL PUMP FITTED AND NEW GAS TANK. TO DATE NO RECALL INFO RECEIVED BY POST. HOWEVER I HAVE BEEN DRENCHED WITH GAS ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASSION WHILE FILLING CAR. I HAVE NEARLY BEEN KILLED WHEN CAR CUT OUT AT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY NARROWLY MISSED BY TWO OTHER MOTORISTS. VEHICLE HAS 38,000 MILES & HAS HAD THE FOLLOWING REPAIRS. 1/COUNTLESS ENGINE SENSORS 2/FOUR NEW TYRES 3/NEW FRONT BRAKE PADS 4/NEW FRONT BRAKE ROTAS 5/NEW FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS 6/TWO FUEL PUMPS 7/ONE FUEL TANK 8/WAITING FOR THIRD SET OF A FRAME PLASTIC COVERS 9/THREE STEREO PLAYERS 10/TRACKLINK RESET THREE TIMES 11/STILL HAVE REALY NOISY BRAKES 12/ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE 10 YEAR OLD CAR 13/REAR PASSENGER WINDOW WORKS WHEN FEELS LIKE IT 14/RIGHT HAND DOOR SPEAKER...

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL REPAIRS FOR THIS CAR. IN REGARDS TO STEERING, WHEEL, TIRE AS WELL THE SUSPENSION. AS THE CAR WAS UNDER 18000 MILE I HAD SO MUCH PROBLEM WITH MENTIONED ABOVE PROBLEMS. I COULD NOT CONTROL MY CAR WHEN IT RAINED OR WHEN EVER THE ROAD WAS NOT IN PERFECT SHAPE.

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY FOCUS. ABOUT 3MO AFTER I BOUGHT IT, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FEEL LIKE IT WAS SLIPPING, AND MAKING A NOISE. I TOOK IT TO THE PURCHASING DEALERSHIP, AND A MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOANER CAR FOR ME, SO I MADE AN AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THE NEXT DAY ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK, THE CAR SHUT DOWN. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK, THEY TOOK IT TO THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, THEY SAID THE FUEL PUMP WENT OUT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE STUTTER I WAS FEELING IN MY CAR WAS PROBABLY THAT. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM. TOOK IT BACK TO THE SELLING DEALERSHIP, AND THE SHOP SUPERVISOR WENT OUT WITH ME. HE SAID I WAS DRIVING THE CAR OUT OF CONTEXT. WHAT...

I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER FOR A PROBLEM WHICH IS NOW A RECALL. HOW DO I KNOW IF I RECEIVE ALL RECALLS. IS IT MY RESPONSIBILITY OR FORDS TO KEEP ME INFORMED. PH

# OF THE ORGINAL WHEELS BENT. WARRANTY REPLACED 2 OUT OF 3, NOW ALL 4 ARE BENT AGAIN. FORD IS FINDING THIS PROBLEM AT THERE PROVING GROUNDS IN ROMEO MI. I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR LIKE THIS! THE WHEEL HAS BEEN CHANGED FOR THE 2003 FOCUS. DT