9.6

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,260
Average Mileage:
71,750 miles
Total Complaints:
10 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. had to replace tramission (6 reports)
  2. not sure (3 reports)
  3. overhaul the transmission (1 reports)
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problem #10

Oct 012011

Focus SE 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 105,000 miles

I'm not the only one... started up one morning, horrible grinding noise putting in reverse; able to drive another mile, flip a u-turn and head home. Wheels locked up and had to drag it onto the tow truck from there. Thinking this was the worst that could happen, replaced transmission for nearly $3,000 and then 12,000 miles later, blown valve and DOA! Don't throw good money after bad on this car!

- Greg P., Boise, ID, US

problem #9

Dec 022010

Focus ZX3 Z-TEC

  • Automatic transmission
  • 132,000 miles

I had been driving this car for about two years from ~120,000 to ~132,000 miles. Since around the beginning of 2010, the transmission had this slip between 2nd and 3rd gear. It was a little annoying and it worried me but I never had anything done about that. There were two times when the transmission would not shift above 2nd (after running for hours) but after turning off the car and starting it again it would run totally fine. Finally, last Thursday when I was in the middle of a two-hour trip, the transmission gave out on the highway.

First, a yellow light with an exclamation point came on. I had no idea what it meant but it was not the check engine light, so I was a bit worried. As I entered the highway, the car was stuck in 2nd gear. I tried accelerating harder to get it to downshift like it normally does but it would not shift. As I accelerated to about 60 mph, the car was at about 6,000 RPM and it suddenly kicked out of gear and stayed in neutral. I tried shifting it into 1st and 2nd with the lever but nothing happened. I turned the car off and on like I did previously but that didn't work. It still acted the same. I had to get the car towed home. My dad drove it a short distance afterwards and said that it drove awful. It wouldn't even shift into neutral or reverse. Well... time for a new car!

- punkrockish, Barker, NY, US

problem #8

Feb 042011

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,000 miles

Car has been kept in top shape for 11 winters. On Friday Feb 5th at 6:30 PM I got into the Focus to drive home and transmission would not get out of 1st gear. "

This car's transmission failure at 63,000 miles in in excusable and i will be reporting it to my Attorney General. It's useless to me and could cost up to about $ 2500 to fix.

I have been researching it iand it seems quite a lot of the year 2000 Focus have had the same transmission failure. This car should have lasted well into a 100,000 miles.

- janiceg, Framingham, MA, US

problem #7

May 012006

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 72,000 miles

The car was pinging, and eventually would not go up a hill. The transmission guy said it was a lemon transmission.

- Elizabeth G., Cincinnati, OH, US

problem #6

May 142007

(reported on)

Focus SE DOCH

  • Automatic transmission
  • 53,124 miles

had 53120 miles on my focus SE, this sucks

I WILL NEVER BUY FORD AGAIN.................

- Mihret D., Manassas, VA, US

problem #5

Sep 242007

(reported on)

Focus SE 2.0L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,000 miles

Worst car I have ever seen. 79 year old bought it from a church, had 57441 miles, at 59000 rack had to be replaced. Now at 62000 transmission had to be replaced for the second time. This will be the 3rd transmission since production!!! Only driven about 900-1000 miles per year for the last four years. What a piece of junk!

- elizabethva, Williamsburg, VA, US

problem #4

Feb 062004

(reported on)

Focus LX

  • 80,000 miles

OKay first of all i would never recommend someone getting a ford in their life again. My car has been nothing but trouble from the time i drove it off the lot. I bought it with 16.7 miles on it and have had nothing but problems. I've replaced the brakes 4 times, windshield once, and i recently got a recall in the mail saying that if the car stalls there could be a problem with the fuel injector. It stated if your problem seemed serious then to bring it in and they would replace it with a new one. When i brought mine in they said that they needed to hook it up to the diognostic system which would cost me around $100. How screwed up is that? So i've been driving my car around stalling at the turn of a corner. Now i go into the mall the other day for a half hour and when i returned to my car my key would not turn in the ignition. I was FURIOUS!!!! I called a locksmith who told me that that is a common occurence with ford focus's. I decided to call the dealership where i bought the car and they said that it is a common occurence but not enough of one for a recall. Now what kind of response is that? So i blew it off and called for more assistence. Finally i needed to get my car out of the Mall parking lot so i called AAA who towed my car from the mall to my house. When I explained to the man what was wrong with my car he told me that AAA get 3-4 focus's a week with the same problem. 3-4 A WEEK I THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM. Yet there is nothing i can do about it. I am so out raged. I just want everyone to know how aweful the ford focus is and i strongly recomend that no one buys one. All they are, are problems and although they are cheap cars you will eventually dump in more money than it's worth. If anyone knows who i could write to about this to make sure i'm heard i would love to know so i can put these people down. I'm sick of these asses thinking they can screw you because they know you don't know about the car of saying that you should have spent more money so your car is covered longer under the warranty. IT'S RIDICULOUS!!!!!

- kristy, Kittery, ME, US

problem #3

Jul 182006

(reported on)

Focus LX

  • 63,000 miles

How is it possible to need a new transmission at only 63,000 miles. This is just a crappy car!!! I will never buy a Ford product again

- Stephanie M., Maple Shade, NJ, US

problem #2

Nov 082006

(reported on)

Focus ZX3

  • Automatic transmission
  • 45,000 miles

My car's automatic transaxle/cooling system light came on and the car started to overheat. I took it to the dealer and the cooling system was fine but it needed a complete overhaul of the transmission and a "band assembly, gasket, gear gaiter" and transmission fluid and this required 13.8 hours of work at $149.50 per hour.

- Virginia S., Chicago, IL, US

problem #1

Nov 082003

(reported on)

Focus SE

  • 42,227 miles

THE TRANSMISSION WOULD CHIRP WHEN SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR. ON 12/26/01 AT 41,594 MILES THE DEALERSHIP ADDED A FRICTION MODIFIER TO TRAMISSION. THEN ON 01/21/02 LESS THAN 1 MONTH LATER THE TRANSMISSION FAILED

- christydfl, Bartow, FL, US