2001 Ford Focus suspension 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.”

“WHILE I FIND RUST RECALLS FOR 2001 FOCUS FUSIONS AND WINDSTARS FORD CLAIMS THERE IS NO RECALL FOR FRAME COLLAPS FROM EXCESSIVE RUST PROBLEMS. WE PULLED OUT OF OUR DRIVE HEADED UP A BLIND HILL AND THE FRONT END TOTALLY COLLAPSED LEAVING US AS AN EASY TARGET. SEVERAL GOOD FOLKS JUMPED INTO ACTION TO HELP US GET THE MESS SAFELY OFF OF THE STATE HIGHWAY BY BLOCKING TRAFFIC AND HELPING US DRAG IT BACK INTO OUR DRIVEWAY. WE ARE IN OUR 70'S AND ONLY DRIVE THE CAR 7-8 THOUSAND MILES A YEAR. IT HAS BEEN BABIED AND MAINTAINED BY THE BOOK IT ENTIRE LIFETIME . CONVERSATIONS WITH FORD HAVE GOTTEN US NO WHERE! WHERE DO WE TURN ?”

“2001 FORD FOCUS WITH 146K MILES. ADULT DRIVEN ONE OWNER AND WELL CARED SINCE NEW. NOTICED CLUNKING SOUND SO TOOK IT IN FOR BRAKES TO THE FORD DEALER. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THEY CAN'T FIX AS ENTIRE SUBFRAME IS ROTTED AND "I WAS ONE POTHOLE FROM THE ENGINE FALLING OUT". IT APPEARS THAT DEALERS USE THIS LINE AS I FOUND OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH THE EXACT SAME WORDING. HOW CAN YOU RECALL THE ESCAPE AND WINDSTAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND NOT THE FOCUS? BECAUSE FOCUS OWNERS DON'T HAVE THE SAME MONEY THAT THOSE OTHER HIGHER END CARS HAVE? I WAS DRIVING MY NEW BABY AROUND IN THIS CAR AND THANK GOD I DIDN'T HIT THAT ONE MORE POTHOLE OR BOTH OUR LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN ENDED! ALL IT TAKES IS AN INTERNET SEARCH TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE SUBFRAME IS A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO A CAR THAT SHOULD NOT JUST RUST AWAY IN 14 YEARS! CLEARLY THE DESIGN OR MATERIALS USED WERE AT FAULT FOR THIS. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THESE CARS BEFORE MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED OR INJURED!”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT INDEPENDENTLY AND THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY, AND AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW IF THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 02V289000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,611.”

“RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE AS I WAS DRIVING TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE A BALL JOINT ON MY LEFT FRONT TIRE REPLACED. HEARD A CLANGING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. I THOUGHT IT WAS FROM THE BAD BALL JOINT, WHEN MECHANIC CHECKED HE SAID THE COIL SPRING HAD SNAPPED. CALLED FORD ABOUT SAFETY RECALL WHICH CAME UP WHEN I PUT MY VIN NUMBER INTO THEIR WEBSITE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE WARRANTY PERIOD WAS OVER AND MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED. IT COST ME 600.00 TO HAVE BOTH REPAIRS DONE BY A MECHANIC. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH FORD WHILE ON THE PHONE WITH THEM AND THEIR ADVICE WAS TO SAVE MY RECEIPT AND IF A RECALL GOES INTO EFFECT FOR THIS PROBLEM, I WILL GET REIMBURSED. I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, YET FORD JUST IGNORES THE ISSUE AS IT IS STILL HAPPENING. NOW TODAY MY BACK WINDOW MADE A NOISE AND THE WINDOW FELL DOWN AND WON'T GO BACK UP. I'VE ALREADY HAD A NEW BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, PLUGS AND COIL PACK REPLACED BECAUSE OF SURGING AND STALLING. I AM ALSO GETTING POOR GAS MILEAGE. I WAS TOLD BY FORD THAT THERE ARE NO OPEN RECALLS ON MY CAR YET I HAVE AND AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT MANY OF THE RECALLS IN EFFECT ARE LISTING. VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE BY FORD. *JS”

“CHECKED YOUR SITE FOR RECALLS. FOUND FIELD SERVICE ACTION NUMBER:03M02 RE: COIL SPRINGS. PREVIOUSLY CHECKED FOR RECALLS TWO YEAR AGO. THIS NOTICE WAS NOT ON YOUR SITE THEN. AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER, I HAVE MADE IT A POINT TO KEEP ABREAST OF ALL RECALLS. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS NOTICE BY FORD. USED THE SAME DEALER FOR REPAIRS FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS. CALLED FORD TODAY. FORD SAID THE DEALER HAD A COPY OF THIS NOTICE. NEVER INFORMED OF THIS BY THE DEALER (AUTO NATION, BELLEVUE DEALERSHIP). YOUR SITE POSTING OF THE NOTICE SAID IT EXPIRED AFTER 10 YEAR OR 150,000 MILES. FORD SAID I WAS OUT OF LUCK AS "WHAT EVER CAME FIRST, YEARS OR MILEAGE". I SUSPECT THAT FORD NEVER NOTIFIED NHTSA OF THIS PROBLEM & I ALSO SUSPECT FORD IS DOING A CYA. *TR”