Originally Posted by kender
if that was it then I may agree, however the 2001 and up models still had issues. the ignition locking was the biggest issue, it would lock so hard that some big dudes couldn't get it loose, and ford decided it was a good idea to put this ignition in its escape and started the f150's in 2004. Any vehicle that has as standard maintenance, inspect and replace the serpentine every 6k miles, is admitting they designed it so fucked that it needs to be watched that close. You shouldn't have to even think about the serpentine until at least 20k miles. the electrical system is extreemly under-engineered, a circuit with a 15amp fuse should have components designed to handle that 15amps plus at least a 5% margin. But ford decided in it's shitty wisdom to make the wiring handle less than 6amps, so while the circuit (under perfect conditions) normally uses 4amps, any variation in the components or wires due to the environment, or the component becoming less resistive, causes the wiring harness to melt. The harness can not handle a third of the fuses rated current draw, and it was designed like this.
If it was a freak thing, then ok, but the only freak thing when it comes to a focus is when it works without a problem.
Oh right. You are the guy who worked for a company who specifically worked with Ford's roadside assistance program (from what I remember in another thread).
Your observations are absolutely incorrect and have been address in the former thread. Here is the quote from the other thread to address this information yet again:
Originally Posted by kender
By who??? I worked for ford roadside assistance from the beginning of 2003 till the start of 2005 and the biggest pile of crap that we towed was the focus. If someone would call in stating their car doesn't start it was a 99% chance of being a focus. If the ignition key didn't turn...it was a focus. if it had an electrical problem...80% chance of being a focus. the maintenance manual wants you to inspect and replace the serpintine belt every 6000-8000 miles you shouldn't even be thinking about the serpintine till at least 20000. I've seen enough of them in a 20-30 mph crash where they rear ended the car in front of them and the result was no good. the brackets that hold the alternator ( I think it is the alternator) are cast as part of the block so the wreck caused the block to be totalled because the alternator bracket was snapped. The wiring is crap, any circuit that has a fuse rated at a given amperage should have the components of that circuit be able to withstand at least 10% more amperage than the fuse, this is what a good engineer would do. Instead, the fucus....I mean focus ( as well as the zx2) have circuits that are fused at 15amps run normally with approx 4 amps and fry the wiring harness if the current draw is 6amps. The wiring can't even withstand half of the rated fuse capacity....any engineer worth his flux capacitor knows that this circuit is a peice of shit.
The ignition key being locked up, ford thought it was so good that they started to put it in the small suv's and were talking of putting it in the f150's. they know it's crap yet they use it amd expand it to other vehicles. the focus needs to go the way of the neon.
Originally Posted by Alan
WTF are you talking about? I sold my 2000 ZX3 with about 60k miles on the odometer and I was still running the original belt. The maintenance manual tells you to inspect the belt and replace IF NEEDED. This is common routine maintenance everyone should do on ANY vehicle.
Interestingly enough, I've settled TONS of insurance claims involving accidents with the Ford Focus and we've never had to replace a motor from an accident which you described above (unless it sustained a SEVERE frontal impact, in which any FWD car would be totalled anyways). Exactly where are you getting this information from?
I've been a huge fan of the Focus since 1999, and I have yet to hear of an epidemic of wiring or electrical issues on the Focus. The ignition problem was an issue mainly on the 99-01 Focus, but it wasn't prevalent enough to issue a recall. It was a simple replacement of the ignition cylinder from what I remember
