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Ford Focus Owners Tell Ford What you Want!

132 messages,  Last post on Dec 05, 2009 at 2:02 AM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Focus, Hatchback, Sedan, Wagon

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#52 of 132 Head Gasket by vadp Feb 21, 2004 (1:24 am)
First of all, what TSB are you talking about? I'm not aware of any TSB mentioning carbon deposits. I would demand from the dealer to disclose the TSB number and provide the problem description. The zetec is an old, proven design. You can read at the "other" forum how much of abuse this engine can take without developing too many problems. As with any other brand few engines could be defective from the factory. Yet in your case it sounds like the dealer is trying to screw you over.   I suggest you consult another dealer.
#53 of 132 Head replacement by hotx3 Feb 21, 2004 (7:36 pm)
VADP,     Isn't the Ztec name reserved for the DOHC design? This is the SPI.     I don't know the reasons, but the first year Focus is not what you would expect, reliability wise. I thought it was the same engine as the Escort. In fact, I thought I was safe buying a car that had been produced in Europe for about 4 years. Was I wrong, along with a lot of others! Check the number of complaints on the NHTSA site - over 3000, compared to about 300 each for Neons and Cavaliers.     I saw a copy of the TSB, complete with procedures for diagnosing the problem. The service rep said he wasn't allowed to give out copies, and I didn't ask for the number (still thought I could work with Ford at that point). I've taken my cars there for years, and doubt they would fake this document to cheat me.     Thanks for your comments; I'd like to know what's going on and every piece of information helps.
#54 of 132 Re: head replacement by vadp Feb 21, 2004 (9:24 pm)
So you got the SOHC SPI. I just assumed that you have the DOHC Zetec under your hood because this is what the vast majority of the 2000-2003 models are equiped with. The SPI is a truly anchient design... It's been in production for so long (in its various forms and displacements)that it should have no reliability issues left at the time of your purchase. It's basically the same motor as in the older Escorts. The valve cover and intake manifold are different, that's about it. I did a quick search at the "other" (non-edmunds.com SPI thread) board and couldn't find any reference to your problem.   In fact, I thought I was safe buying a car that had been produced in Europe for about 4 years.   The Focus had been introduced in Europe just one year prior to its North American launch. And guess what... It has won an award for best reliability among ALL cars in Germany in the 1-3 year old category - a first non-japanese make since 1987!!! The only problem is that the early N.A. Focuses are NOT the same high quality Euro cars. The American cars had been assembled out of the inferior N.A. cheaply sourced parts hence all of the problems. FoMoCo finally realized what they had done to the sure winner. From 2002-up the most of the glitches and quality issues were solved.
#55 of 132 The SPI is the old Escort engine by nedc2 Feb 21, 2004 (10:02 pm)
The SPI, which is a revised version of the the engine which was in the Escort for Oh so many years. it's a 20 year old design and despite numerous incremental improvements has been problematic. It's an SOHC design with 2 valves per cylinder. The block used isn't as rigid as the Zetec's, which may have something tod with the head problems these engines have had. Both the Zetec and the SPI are being replaced for 2005 with an all aluminum DOHC I4 Ford calls the Duratec 20, which is a Mazda design, and is a smaller displacement version of the 2.3l ulev engine i the Focus, its also used in the Ranger and Escape.. I had head problems with the older 1.9l version of the SOHC 4cyl on my old '87 Escort, and I've known several other people who've had to replace heads on theirs, the version that made it into the Focus was much improved but still had many of the same basic flaws, insufficient rigidity and the problems of varying coefficient of expansion between the iron block and the aluminum heads. The engine was essentially dropped from the European Fords after the Zetec came out, but for whatever reason Ford felt it was good enough for their North American customers.
#56 of 132 SPI Heads by hotx3 Feb 21, 2004 (10:38 pm)
Whatever the history of the head, Ford had revised the Focus version within a year and again sometime between 2001 and now. I have to believe that there was some change from the Escorts, and that more than a few engines developed problems.     Funny thing is, I could have had a Zetec off the lot with an autoshow discount, but I ordered a car to get ABS and side airbags so I could hand the car off to my kids (son goes to college this year). Now I would be too worried to give it to him and would feel like a jerk if I sold this dog-of-a-car to someone else.
#58 of 132 Not a jerk by fdanna Mar 07, 2004 (6:36 pm)
I don't think they call people that hand off their lemons to unsuspecting buyers jerks... they call them used car salesmen *rimshot*
#59 of 132 ST package by nedc2 Mar 27, 2004 (9:25 am)
Make the ST package available on all body styles, and while you're at it, how about getting a 5 speed auto option to go with it.
#60 of 132 2001 focus transmission by tbird11763 Aug 02, 2005 (1:41 pm)
Hi, My name is George and i have worked at a ford store for the last 17 years and i bought my wife a 01 focus. If you think you have it bad Ford replaced my tranny at 35k and the new one has gone already at 70k and with no help from ford or the dealer i work for. Try to sell these cars that make you a living and having one in your yard that you still owe 3700 on that won't move! .Iv'e been selling fords for 21 years and i have to tell you stay away from the focus! that why i think they put on a 5 year 100,000 warranty,because you will use it.
#61 of 132 Re: What I want from Ford [maureen9] by gearmeup5 Aug 11, 2005 (3:17 pm)
Replying to: maureen9 (Mar 01, 2001 2:45 pm) Parts delivery is important... in fact I have a solution that would cause a lot more parts to be available because of chassis and component sharing... from Ford! If the Euro-Spec model that came out with the Mazda 3 and the Volvo v40 & v50 were here you cold have your Focus serviced all over the place. With VW poised to launch a new GTI and Ford bleeding red ink all over the place, the best they have done is introduce the Ford 500?! Come on, and now the Fusion! Lame names for generic cars. The Euro-Spec Focus is so hot! It could be launched with little re-tooling... just shift from Right Hand to Left Hand Drive. We know it meets US Safety Standards because it is the same machine underneath by at least 80% as the Mazda 3 and the V40! I am telling you I have had a lot of foreign cars, but the patriot in me would love to say that I owned an American car, trouble is they are still playing catch up! UUGGHHH! I just want the REAL Ford Focus in the States! Go to the Ford UK website and check it out... soon you too will be trying to import the Euro-Spec Focus! Let's cry loud and often until we get the Focus we deserve, and at the same time we eat VW's wiring plagued, cool as ice GTI for lunch!

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