7.4

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$250
Average Mileage:
70,050 miles
Total Complaints:
10 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (8 reports)
  2. replace starter motor (1 reports)
  3. replaced starter (1 reports)
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This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Ford dealer.

problem #10

Sep 172017

Focus ZXW SES 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 236,121 miles

When ever I start (try) to start the car, it does not. Have to try a few times, then starts.

- Nicholas R., Toronto, Ontario, Canada

problem #9

Jul 172015

Focus XL4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 168,000 miles

This is Insane!! The Anti theft System has me locked out of my own damn (Many Cuss Words) car!! ...Have tried disconnecting the positive cable to the battery , Have went and got a new key made @ $68 for one F"n Key!! have replaced the Battery in the Key Fob..have tried the turning it on an off thing...have tried the new key nothing.....Have found the fuse box under the steering wheel not easily accessible..CANNOT find the reset button the Owners Manual says should be there yeah..Okay..been over every inch of my cars interior can't find...soooo damn frustrated we are leaving for vacation to South Dakota next weekend ...been planning this trip for a year now ...Am Disabled and haven't even been able to get to my Doctor Appointments because of this sh*t.....Please help Someone!!

Can't afford to pay a Mechanic on this site because of the expense of the key and having to have it towed back home from where it started this..... It won't let me get into the trunk or put up my windows my car's being rained in!! Saved up forever to just to buy this car in the first place..soooo Disappointed in the Ford Dealership that sold it to me have had many other troubles with this car....

- Mari-lynn D., La Porte, IN, US

problem #8

Sep 152010

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,000 miles

I like my car but all of a sudden problems are happening

- judiet123, Winston Salem, NC, US

problem #7

Jul 242010

Focus ZX4 ES 2.0L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,000 miles

I have an 05 Focus ZX 4. My wife had some problems with it not wanting to start intermitently, but it always sorted itself out. However, I just went out and tried to leave, and nothing. No interior lights, no radio, no locks, everything is dead. Checked the battery, still green and good, but there was a lot of corrosion on the cable ends. Thought maybe that was the problem, no such luck. Cleaned them good and re-attached them, and still nothing. I could hear the ignition relay making some pretty odd noises when the key was turned to start, so I tried switching it with another of the same size, and got even more strange noises. Finally, the interior lights came on, but as soon as I turn the key, dead.

This car has been a pain in the ass since we got it, from shoddy construction, to pathetic gas mileage, and nothing can ever be found that is wrong with it. I've always been a Ford guy, but even though the Focus is made by Mazda, Ford puts their name on it and doesn't want to do anything about the problems with them. You can bet that I'll never buy another Ford for the rest of my life.

- Kevin C., Galesburg, IL, US

problem #6

Jul 082010

Focus 2.0L

  • Manual transmission
  • 34,175 miles

This car is a lemon. The engine had a complete rebuild a year ago and now needs a new starter motor. This is a component that should last the life of the car. Unless the life of the car is 4 years as this car was bought brand new in 2006.

- javaira, Charnwood, ACT, Australia

problem #5

Feb 122009

Focus 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 61,000 miles

I HAVE HAD MY STARTER REPLACED TWICE ALREADY!!!! ONCE AT 61,000 MILES AND THEN AGAIN AT 78,000!!! AND STILL MY CAR HESITATES TO START!!! THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A BLACK HOLE FOR ME AND MY MONEY!!!

- stephanienj, Clementon, NJ, US

problem #4

Dec 152007

Focus ZX5 I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles

My 2005 Ford Focus ZX5 all of a sudden on cold &/or damp days would not start. Would keep trying to start and after about 6 to 10 attempts, it would finally start and i had to keep my foot pressed on the gas at high rev to keep it running until it warmed up. Once the engine got cool again, problem would re-occur. Took it to dealership. The first time, they determined the starter needed replaced. $450.00 later i took it home, three days later it would not start again. Took it back to dealer, they acted like i had never been there before, could not get it to malfunction and sent me home.

Problem kept occurring every time it was damp outside. Left overnight at dealer, they had no problem starting in morning. They said they had no trouble bulletins about a problem like this but i had found several complaints of this very problem on the web. At this point they were treating me like i was nuts. I was so offended by my treatment i drove to the nearest Toyota dealership and traded it in on a 2008 Corolla because Ford was never going to attempt to even fix the problem. Found out later that the mechanics at the Toyota dealership could never get the Focus fixed and the dealership had to unload it at an auto auction. Last American car i will ever buy. Sad!

- reedok, Fairland, OK, US

problem #3

Oct 152007

(reported on)

Focus ZX3 SE 2.0L

  • Manual transmission
  • 10,500 miles

I bought my 2005 Ford Focus new in August 2005. One winter morning, I went to start the car. Cranked, cranked and cranked for about 10 seconds. The car didn't start. Waited about a minute and tried again. The engine sputtered briefly and died. Waited another minute and it started up fine.

Took it to the dealer and they flashed the ECU. They claimed the transponder on the key lost communication with the car. The problem was of this magnitude only that one time, but it frequently takes an extended cranking to start the engine. It seems to happen at random. Sometimes, it would fire up in a split second, sometimes I have to crank it for five seconds.

- 05_focus, Portland, OR, US

problem #2

Oct 032007

(reported on)

Focus ZX V4

  • Manual transmission
  • 22,000 miles

This car has been a pain since six months after purchase. For no reason it will not start. I brought this car for my daughter thinking that it would be a great car for her. But instead I worry if she will make it home safely. The car has been taken to the dealership several times and of course they don't see the problem. To get rid of the lemon, the Ford Company wanted us to pay $2000.00 for the use of the car to be able to get a new car. We have also had a problem recently with the gas peddle not being able to push it in to accellerate. Again, the dealership did not see any problems, but I was stuck with a $56.00 rental bill because I insisted that they drive the car. But of course there was no problem. I think that I will trade the car back into Ford since there are no problems. I wonder if they will give me top dollar for a "perfectly great car".

- Sidney R., Ettrick, VA, US

problem #1

Mar 082005

(reported on)

Focus ZX5 SE

  • 700 miles

CAR HAS FAILED TO START AT 700 MILES , 1200 MILES, 2000 MILES, 3100 MILES GOING BACK TO DEALER AGAIN FOR THE 3RD TIME INFORMED DEALER IN ANTIOCH ILLINOIS AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY 3000.00 DOLLARS PLUS TAX FOR ANOTHER IDENTICAL CAR IF THEY CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM , REGARDLESS IF WITNESSES CAN COLLABORATE PROBLEM , THEY ACT AS IF I AM LYING , I AM AN AUTOMOTIVE TECH OF OVER 25 YEARS AND OWN MY OWN GARAGE , I REALIZE THE TECHS GET PAID BY THE JOB AND ARE NOT HAPPY TO BE WASTING THEIR TIME ON A CAR THEY DON'T FIND PROFITABLE , MAIN REASON I WILL NEVER WORK FOR A DEALERSHIP , THIS LEAVES THE CUSTOMER STUCK WITH SUBSTANDARD EFFORTS ON MANY JOBS , AFTER TALKING TO THE SALES MANAGER AND FORDS CUSTOMER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS AND HAVING BOTH PARTIES REFER ME BACK TO THE OTHER I HAVE HAD ENOUGH , I HAVE RECOMMENDED THESE CARS TO MY CUSTOMERS FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS DUE TO THEIR TRACK RECORD AND EVEN WORKED ON ONE FOR A CUSTOMER TODAY THAT IS VERY HAPPY WITH MY RECCOMMENDATION , PROBABLY SOLD FORD MORE THAN 50 OF THESE CARS , SO WHEN I BOUGHT ONE FOR MYSELF AND HAD THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE IT WAS TIME FOR THE 1ST OIL CHANGE I WASN'T TO HAPPY I HAVE PURCHASED MY LAST 3 VEHICLES FROM THIS DEALER AND EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE HIGHER PRICED I STAYED LOYAL , NOW THEY SHOW ME HOW MUCH MY BUISNESS MEANS TO THEM , AFTER TALKING TO THEIR NEW SALES MANAGER TONIGHT AND HAVING HIM TELL ME THAT IF I TRADED THE CAR IN HE WOULD NOT KEEP IT ON THE LOT BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS IT HAS , BUT ON THE OTHER HAND , SAYS THEY DON'T SEE A PROBLEM , THAN HE SHOWS THAT HE IS ONLY LOOKING OUT FOR HIMSELF AND WOULDN'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THE SAME THING WITH THE NEXT VICTIM , SO HE WILL PEDDLE IT OFF TO ANOTHER DEALER WITH OUT A MENTION OF A POSSIBLE PROBLEM , UNTIL THEN I AM STUCK WITH THE CAR OR AN ADDITIONAL 3000.00 FOR A GOOD WORKING CAR , AND PAY TAXES AGAIN, THE DEALER HAS NOT GIVEN ME ANY DOCUMENTATION WHEN MY WIFE GOES TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE , IS THIS ANOTHER COVERUP ? THE 1ST TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURED I LET IT SLIDE KNOWING ELECTRONICS HAVE GLITCHES THAT HAPPEN ONCE AND NEVER AGAIN BUT AFTER 3 TIMES AND THE CAR HAD NOT SEEN ITS FIRST OIL CHANGE , 2500 MILE AN WAS PEDDLED THROUGH THE DEALER IN ONE DAY WITH OUT THE SERVICE TECH TRYING TO FIND A PATTERN OR TIME THAT THE PROBLEM HAPPENED OR OCCURED IN , I WAS NOT HAPPY , I USSUALLY TALK TO A CUSTOMER AND SEE WHAT THERE CONCERNS ARE AND THEN QUESTION THEM TO SAVE THEM MONEY AND ME TIME , THATS WHY I HAVE SUCH LOYAL CUSTOMERS , I HAVE PURCHASED THE CAR ON A CREDIT CARD WITH BUYER PROTECTION AND WILL GIVE THE DEALER 2 MORE TIMES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM , BUT IF THEY CONTINUE WITH THE SORRY YOUR SCREWED THEN I WILL HAVE THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY DISPUTE THE SALE AND THE CAR WILL BE LEFT ON THE LOT AND I WILL DRIVE AWAY IN MY OTHER MERC THAT HAS 276,000 MILE ON IT AND IS MORE RELIABLE THAT THIS BRAND NEW FOCUS , FROM MY EXPERIENCE THE FOCUS IS AN EXCELLENT VALUE AND I REALIZE I HAVE THE EXCEPTION OF THE LEMON IN A BATCH OF GOOD APPLES . I WILL NOT BAD MOUTH THE FOCUS LINE BUT FIND IT HARD TO ACCEPT I HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH A PROBLEM CHILD AND CAN'T SEEM TO IRON OUT AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITHOUT NUMEROUS TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP .

- Keith A., Mchenry, IL, US