Ford Focus Under Government Investigation

[TuffGuy]

why am i not surprised...

the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun following up on reports of problems with airbags, electrical systems and faulty bearings that could cause rear wheels to fall off

 

[Rent]

The Focus is a great car regardless. I've heard very little complaints for people that I know who own them. I've never even really heard of these problems before either.

 

[punkrawket]

<< why am i not surprised... >>

what do you mean? that honda/bmw/chevrolet/mercedes/vw/lexus/etc make perfect cars that never have flaws or problems?

 

[Phokus]

How this shady operation stays in business is beyond me.

 

[iamwiz82]

it is amazing how many people will continue to defend the car.

"its great other than the rear wheel sometimes falls off!"

 

[Zenmervolt]

Whoop-de-doo. Take a look at the complaints against ANY popular car. By and large they are simply ridiculous. As I recal, the NHTSA has many complaints against third generation Honda Accord for, as one complainee put it, "car accelerated into building while transmission was in park and parking brake applied". This type of claim is a cover for "I hit the gas instead of the brake and I am lying about both the parking brake and the transmission being in park". In any car with a functioning parking brake, the car is essentially immovable with the brake properly applied. But I digress.

More to the point, anyone who lets a bearing get bad enough that the wheel would fall off is a raging moron. Anyone who has ever driven a vehicle with a bad bearing know that they whine like banshees long before anything serious happens. Considering that the car is completely new I think that Ford has done an exceptional job in keeping problems down, though I certainly agree that there should be some sort of recall if manufacturing defects are found.

ZV

EDIT: <<"its great other than the rear wheel sometimes falls off!">>

Read the article. What part of "may cause" don't you understand? There have not been actual cases of the wheels falling off, they are simply noting that it is among the possible consequences of wheel bearing failure. Sheesh.

 

[Freejack2]

Ford = Fix Or Repair Daily.

No car is perfect and the focus is no exception to the rule. Probably can find the same thing about most of the other cars out there.
Does seem though, that I hear about more problems with Fords than any other car. Makes me wonder if Ford is spending too much on styling and not enough on reliability.

 

[TuffGuy]

<< what do you mean? that honda/bmw/chevrolet/mercedes/vw/lexus/etc make perfect cars that never have flaws or problems? >>

pretty much. when's the last time either one of those manufacturers had problems with the engines bursting into flames, wheels falling off, or tires exploding?

 

[Zenmervolt]

<<

<< what do you mean? that honda/bmw/chevrolet/mercedes/vw/lexus/etc make perfect cars that never have flaws or problems? >>

pretty much. when's the last time either one of those manufacturers had problems with the engines bursting into flames, wheels falling off, or tires exploding? >>

VW Type IV engines with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection (early-mid 1970's) were recalled for spontaneously bursting into flames. Go to the NHTSA page and look up almost any popular car, you'll see a lot of complaints.

ZV

EDIT: Let us not forget the infamous Chevy Novas and the Chevy/GMC pickups with the "side-saddle" fuel tanks. These things happen to every manufacturer, and in almost every instance (including the ones I mention) they are blown far out of proportion.

 

[TuffGuy]

<< Anyone who has ever driven a vehicle with a bad bearing know that they whine like banshees long before anything serious happens. Considering that the car is completely new I think that Ford has done an exceptional job in keeping problems down, though I certainly agree that there should be some sort of recall if manufacturing defects are found. >>


the car is TWO YEARS OLD. it should have NO problems with the bearings. as for the "new design" bit. my car is new too (2000 eclipse gt). mitsu is not even close to being one of the best japanese manufacturers, and the only major problem is a rattling glove box. i guess they got lucky huh?

 

[Pacfanweb]

<<More to the point, anyone who lets a bearing get bad enough that the wheel would fall off is a raging moron. Anyone who has ever driven a vehicle with a bad bearing know that they whine like banshees long before anything serious happens.>>

ZV, you'd be very surprise at how many raging morons there are. I've seen at least 20 Focuses come in with the wheel either already fallen off or about to.


<<or tires exploding?>>

Ford didn't make the tires. Firestone did. They were recalled on other cars, not just Fords.
Ford just used them more than anyone else did, so naturally you see more problems with Firestones on Fords.

 

[iamwiz82]

does anyone know what the record for most recalls on a car in a single generation is?

 

[TuffGuy]

<< VW Type IV engines with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection (early-mid 1970's) were recalled for spontaneously bursting into flames. Go to the NHTSA page and look up almost any popular car, you'll see a lot of complaints.

ZV >>

you know you're reaching when you have to bring up a car from the 70s...

 

[PlatinumGold]

<< it is amazing how many people will continue to defend the car.

"its great other than the rear wheel sometimes falls off!" >>






<< How this shady operation stays in business is beyond me. >>



These are exactly the kind of comments that almost put AUDI out of business in the mid 80's with that STUPID unintended acceleration business.



<< Ford = Fix Or Repair Daily.

No car is perfect and the focus is no exception to the rule. Probably can find the same thing about most of the other cars out there.
Does seem though, that I hear about more problems with Fords than any other car. Makes me wonder if Ford is spending too much on styling and not enough on reliability. >>



This kind of Anecdotal statistics really annoys me. Why does everyone get on FORD when it is Chrysler that has had the quality control problems. You think Chrysler and GM have never had recalls? Looking over the Consumer reports list of most reliable and most unreliable cars we find 3 fords in the top 10 and the bottom 10 to be primarily Chrysler and GM products.

 

[iamwiz82]

there is a major difference between blowing a head gasket and losing a wheel at 70mph.

 

[vi edit]

<< << what do you mean? that honda/bmw/chevrolet/mercedes/vw/lexus/etc make perfect cars that never have flaws or problems? >>

pretty much. when's the last time either one of those manufacturers had problems with the engines bursting into flames, wheels falling off, or tires exploding? >>



Pontiac enfuego?

 

[Zenmervolt]

<<

<< VW Type IV engines with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection (early-mid 1970's) were recalled for spontaneously bursting into flames. Go to the NHTSA page and look up almost any popular car, you'll see a lot of complaints.

ZV >>

you know you're reaching when you have to bring up a car from the 70s... >>

See my edit to that post. Chevy "side-saddle" fuel tank pickups, the Nova/Chevy II. A brief look at the NHTSA website shows a large number of complaints about steering failure on 2000 BMW 323i's, not to mention the traction control problems, airbag problems, and brake problems. 2000 Chevy Impala's have problems with steering linkages and control arms. Honda had to recall 2000 Accords because of problems with balancer shafts leaking oil, the automatic transmissions in these Accords have a propensity to jolt heavily in reverse. There are complaints of engine fires in 2000 Mercedes 320E's. Many complaints regarding the braking systems of 2000 VW Passats. I can keep looking up cars if you like. The list just goes on and on and on.

ZV

 

[Jzero]

<<

<< why am i not surprised... >>

what do you mean? that honda/bmw/chevrolet/mercedes/vw/lexus/etc make perfect cars that never have flaws or problems? >>


No, just that Fords are far crappier than many other cars.

My brother's Focus: Tires are bizarrely worn after just 20k miles. They say it's b/c he didn't rotate them often enough. Disposably brake rotors turn a $100 job into a $400 job. Service at Kennedy Ford in Conshohocken is deplorable.

My gf's Explorers. Not one, but two. Full of nuisance problems. Their 2-door Eddie Bauer Explorer sometimes visits the shop every other weekend.

Another friend's Focus ZX3 really DID have a rear wheel fall off.

My Escort had bizarre electrical problems that the dealer couldn't seem to track down, but he was quite willing to try all sorts of pricey repairs including replacing an alternator that was replaced a month prior.

Parents' Taurus: Auto Transmission went to sh!t after 80k miles. Tie Rod once broke completely. Those were just the big problems.

Friend's '02 Sable: Air hose was hosed (no pun intended). Took 4 long-term visits to the shop before they figured it out.

The people I know have had more trouble with Ford in general than with any other car.

 

[compuwiz1]

GM Recalls 1.9 million cars. :Q

Everyone has their problems.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Ford is currently the worst of the big 3 in quality.

No way GM or Chrysler has as many recalls as Ford. In fact, Ford has so many that they changed the name of recalls to "field service action".