4.2

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
28,000 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2003 Ford Focus:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #1

Apr 012005

Focus 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 28,000 miles
I have a 2003 zts with a 5 speed. After driving roughly 40 miles nonstop when the temperature is 85 and above, the first time I push the clutch pedal in the pedal is really stiff, like a super duper heave duty clutch. By the 2nd or 3D time I press it in it's normal again. The car shift fine.. just has this really stiff pedal for 1 or two pushes after an 40 mile trip in hot temperatures. Ford agreed, after a ton of complaining, to replace the clutch master cylinder, but it never helped. The car has 35,000 and 95% of those miles are on the interstate so there "should be" next to no wear on the clutch itself. This started happening at about 28,000 miles. Now that the temperatures have fallen back to mid 70's for daytime hi's the problem is almost non-existent.

- Walcott, IA, USA

Add Complaint