2003 Ford Focus Fuel System Problems

HAVING AN ONGOING STALLING PROBLEM STARTING ON 5/20/11. SITUATION USUALLY HAPPENS IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER DOING JUST A COUPLE OF LOCAL, SHORT DISTANCE ERRANDS. THE CAR WILL START BUT IMMEDIATELY STALL AFTER TAKING FOOT OFF THE GAS. USUALLY STARTS AFTER WAITING @ 45 MINUTES/AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE (TOWED 5X, 1 TIME WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AFTER 45 MINUTES). REPLACED FUEL FILTER, FUEL PUMP, OXYGEN SENSORS (TWICE), FUEL PUMP DRIVER BY REGULAR MECHANIC. HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN PAST TWO WEEKS: BROUGHT IT TO LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE LATEST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, AFTER THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER WAS REPLACED, I WAS ABLE TO DO FOUR ERRANDS BEFORE THE STALLING OCCURRED. ALSO, I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE BY KEEPING ONE FOOT ON THE GAS WHILE THE OTHER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND CONTINUE MOVING UNTIL BRAKING FOR A STOP SIGN/TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AT WHICH POINT IT WOULD STALL. NINE "STALLS" LATER I MADE IT HOME; AN "IMPROVEMENT" OVER BEING STRANDED AT THE POST OFFICE OR THE MALL BUT CERTAINLY NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS CALLED TO SAY THEY THINK IT IS THE FUEL PUMP AND WANT TO REPLACE IT WITH A "GENUINE FORD PART," AS OPPOSED TO AFTERMARKET PART MY REGULAR MECHANIC PROBABLY USED. I HOPE THIS IS THE END OF THE "REPLACING PARTS" ROUTINE BUT AM NOT OPTIMISTIC DUE TO OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

CAR STALLS WITHOUT WARNING WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT OR WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 40 MILES PER AN HOUR. CAR TAKEN TO SHOP A NUMBER TIMES. NO CODES FOUND IN COMPUTER. CAR PASSES ELECTRICAL CHECK. SPARK PLUGS AND FUEL FILTER REPLACED. , THROTTLE BODY CLEANED CAR STALLED LESS OFTEN AFTER AIR CONTROL MOTOR REPLACED. CAR HAS 75,000 MILES ON IT AND ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN PERFORMED AS SUGGESTED BY FORD. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH DETERMINED WHEN THE GAS GAUGE READS HALF A TANK OR BELOW THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. CONTACT STOPPED AND TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND WHEN HE TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE IT WOULD START AND THEN STALL. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE FORD FOCUS 2003 CANNOT GO UNDER A 1/2 TANK OF GAS. THE CONTACT INSISTED THAT HE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP BRINGING THE VEHICLE BACK UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. NOT BEING ABLE TO LET THE GAS TANK GO UNDER A 1/2 IS NOT RIGHT. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK

AT THIS TIME I CAN DO NOT HAVE A FAILURE, ONLY A VERY SERIOUS CONCERN. IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, ANYTIME WHILE MY 2003 EDDIE BAUER EXPEDITION IS TURNED ON, A LOUD "TIN-SOUNDING-POP" OCCURS. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE FUEL TANK BUT I CAN NOT BE SURE WHAT IT IS. IN THE PAST MONTH, THE SOUND HAS GOTTEN LOUDER & LOUDER -- EVEN MORE FREQUENT. THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THE SOUND IS -- IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE HAS LEFT A TIN CAN OUTSIDE AND WHEN THE WEATHER CHANGES FROM HOT TO COLD OR COLD TO HOT, THE TIN CAN "POPS" AS ITS CONTRACTING OR EXPANDING. NO ENGINE LIGHTS OR COMPUTERIZED MESSAGES COME ON. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE -- I BOUGHT IT NEW IN SEP 2003. *NM

CAR WILL MISS A LOT WHILE DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY, SOMETIMES THE MOTOR SPEEDS UP RAPIDLY, SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE IS STOMPING THE GAS PEDAL WHEN I AM NOT. THE MOTOR KIND OF JUMPS AND SPUTTERS PERIODICALLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *NM

THERE WAS NO FAILURE OR INJURIES. JUST A PROBLEM WITH GAS MILEAGE. THIS VEHICLE GETS THE WORSE GAS MILEAGE OF ANY AUTO I EVER OWNED EXCEPT MY 1969 PLYMOUTH GTX 440. I KEEP COMPLAINING BUT THE PROBLEM IS SAID TO BE WITH THE ENGINE TYPE. Z-TEC AND THAT IS WHY ON THE 2005 THEY FINALLY CHANGED THE ENGINE. I GET APPROX 15-17 MPG IN THE CITY NO AIR ON AND HIGHWAY IS APPROX 22-25. I HAVE YET TO GET CLOSE TO 300 MILES ON A TANK FULL OF FUEL. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE .I HAVE PAPER FROM WINDOW AND IT STATES FUEL MILEAGE SHOULD BE APPROX 25 CITY 30 HIGHWAY. THIS VEHICLE NOT CLOSE. RUNS WELL THOUGH. I WOULD CALL THIS A FAILURE OF GAS MILEAGE FACTORY ESTIMATE NUMBER OF TIMES IN BOX BELOW IS CONSERVATIVE. I FIGURED CLOSER TO 275-300 *JB

AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE FOR A FEW WEEKS WHENEVER I WOULD GO TO THE GAS STATION TO FILL IT WOULD REFUSE TO START BACK UP. AT FIRST IT WOULD TAKE ONE OR TOW TRIES THEN IT WAS TAKING UP TO 5 MINUTES. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE I WAS TOLD THE CAR WOULD NOT CODE AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THEREFORE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, BUT TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK IN IF IT DID IT AGAIN. IT WAS FINE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND NOW IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. THIS WEEKEND I WAS STRANDED FOR 30-40 MINUTES BEFORE MY CAR WOULD START AGAIN AND I COULDN'T HAVE IT TOWED BECAUSE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. I CALLED DEALERSHIP TO INFORM THEM THAT IT WAS HAPPENING AGAIN AND I WAS TOLD THAT IF THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO! SPOKE TO A DEALERSHIP IN ORLANDO AND WAS TOLD THAT IT IS PROBABLY THE FUEL SENSOR. LOCAL DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO ACCEPT THIS AS THE PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND HE REPLACED IT. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER SIX TIMES. *AK *NM

WHILE PUMPING GASOLINE AT THE GAS STATION THE GASOLINE SPLASHED ON THE CONSUMER. HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL NECK HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS AGO, I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC, AND MY 2003 FORD FOCUS QUIT ACCELERATING. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING.*AK I BEGAN PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL, THINKING A FUEL LINE MIGHT BE CLOGGED, BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP. FINALLY, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT CHUGGING, I GOT ENOUGH ACCELERATION TO WEAVE OUT OF TRAFFIC AND EXIT AT AN OFFRAMP. I PULLED INTO THE FIRST PARKING LOT, PUT MY CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND LET IT IDLE. THE ENGINE SOUNDED SMOOTH. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, I PUT THE CAR BACK IN DRIVE AND ALL WAS FINE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SAN DIEGO FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM COULD BE DETECTED. I WAS ADVISED TO LET THE GAS TANK GO TO EMPTY, ADD STP, AND SEE IF THE PROBLEM CEASED. I DID SO. NOW, SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65MPH DOWN A DANGEROUS WINDING GRADE NEAR MY HOME IN MORONGO VALLEY. AGAIN, MY CAR LOST ACCELERATION. I BEGAN PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL, BUT THE MOTOR JUST REVVED. IT WAS AS THOUGH MY CAR HAD SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. I GLANCED DOWN AT THE AUTOMATIC SHIFT LEVER, TO SEE IF I HAD ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKED IT OUT OF GEAR. IT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. I BEGAN LOSING SPEED AND HAD TO COAST DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE, WHERE THERE WAS PARKING ACCESSIBILITY. THE SAME AS BEFORE, I PLACED MY CAR IN PARK, LET IT IDLE FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES, PUT IT IN DRIVE, AND IT WAS FINE. I TOOK IT TO PALM SPRINGS FORD, WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW. I RECEIVED A PHONE MESSAGE FRIDAY EVENING, AFTER WORK, AND I WAS TOLD THE CAR HAS CHECKED OUT FINE. I HAD ASSUMED THIS WOULD HAPPEN, BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS SO INTERMITTENT. THE SERVICE ATTENDANT, MIKE BRUNI, STATED HE HAD DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM AND I COULD PICK UP MY CAR. I LEFT A MESSAGE ON HIS VOICEMAIL, EXPLAINING MY FEAR OF A COLLISION. THERE IS DEFINITELY A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT MUST BE FIXED, OR I FEEL MY SAFETY IS IN JEOPARDY. UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS ELIMINATED, I AM RELUCTANT TO TAKE MY CAR HOME. I SEE THE 2000-2001 FOCUS HAD A STALLING PROBLEM ALSO. ANY RELATION?

I CURRENTLY HAVE 7000 MILES ON MY FOCUS. THE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES THE FUEL RAIL PRESSURE SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED. ITS IN THE SHOP AGAIN. CAR STALLS CONSTANTLY. LOTS OF EXCUSES, NO SOLUTIONS. CURRENTLY RESEARCHING LEMON LAW.*AK