Focus Fuel Pump Issue

I had my fuel pump replaced not too long before this recall. Cost about $300. Can I go to the dealership and get my money back?

My wife owns a 2001 ZX3 and experienced the same problem last summer. After several visits to the dealer, they also told me it was common, they replaced the fuel pump (under warranty). Well, low and behold, we recieved a recall notice in the middle of January 04 for this very problem. I no longer have the notice, but if you contact FORD they can give you the info. If I remember it was for all 2000-2003 models. Hope this helps

I had my fuel pump replaced not too long before this recall. Cost about $300. Can I go to the dealership and get my money back?

If you have the paperwork available for when you had the fuel pump replacement done to prove you had it done and the cost, you should be able to get a refund based on the fact there was a recall on the part.

ok this is a chick speaking so be easy on me ok guys. I just took my 2000 focus in because the fuel pumps have now been recalled. If you paid to have one replaced you can get your money back. I see the date that these messages were posted and it was last year. Unfortunatley they weren't replacing them until the end of January of 04. I took my car in and had the pump replaced and after I left the Ford the following week I noticed a problem with my power particularly a GREAT LOSS of power. I took it back and told them this just started and wanted them to check and make sure they didn't do something when they replaced the pump. The gal there told me a pump doesn't just go in and out if it is bad it will always be bad. She suggested that I replace the fuel filter (recommended every 15,000 miles) so I said ok fine change it. When I left the shop the problem was still there. I took it back and they put it on their machine to diagnose the problem. Turns out the plugs were all missfiring and my wires were very brittle. They quoted me $169.00 to replace them I said forget it I will have someone else do the work. Well when he took the wires off one of them broke and he replaced it with a used one but still recomended me get new ones. Ok just like a chick gotta give you the whole story just for a simple question. I went to kragen and got bosch platinum 4 plugs. The guys there insisted they were better. In chick english I asked them to explain to me and they said there is a better spark or something or another. They said gave me the choice of 1-2-3-or 4. I put over three thousand miles on my car a month is this really a better thing for the car? And could you explain how it works? Will I get better gas mileage? Also, sorry this is the last question, when they droped my tank to put the fuel pump in for some reason I can now put 13 gallons of fuel in my car. Before this I was never able to get more than 11.5 gallons in it. It never would fill all the way to the full line. How could this effect the gaige? ok thats it sorry so long.

I came to this page looking to see if others have had problems similar to my own with the Focus. Alas, I see they have. I had the fuel pump problem at exactly the same time as I received what I am told is not an actual "recall" for the fuel pump. I took my car to the dealership, and they said they would charge $70 to diagnose the problem if the fuel pump was not bad. If the pump was the problem, THEN it would be free for them to work on it. That seemed a bit crooked to me, but I was at the mercy of the dealer and told them to do the diagnostics. Indeed, the fuel pump was a problem. So, it was free to replace it.

They did get me to spend $200 on a busted EGR tube (?); $70 on air and fuel filters (replacement); $140 on "decarbon upper and lower intake and combustion chamber; cleanes fuel injectors and throttle body." I haven't a clue what they all did, but for $400 I have a car that ran (note the past tense) worse when I got it back from the dealer than it did prior to taking it in to them. It shakes like mad when I have my foot on the brake.

It likely is clear to you all that I'm a novice when it comes to cars. However, I do know they shouldn't shake....

Of course, the shaking is no longer a problem because the car simply will not start. I am having a problem that I've noted several others have discussed in various forums -- ignition. I can't turn my key! I had been having some problems with this over the past week or so but realized that if my wheels were perfectly straight when I parked, I didn't have to worry about it. Alas, this too has come to pass. There is nothing I can do to turn the key -- my fingers are blistered and my moral fabric shaken from 3 hours of jamming on a key and swearing profusely....

Any suggestions for what to do to start this bad boy so I can get him to the dealer? Or, is this a clear cut towing situation. I'm just pretty anxious to get the car to the dealers...they deserve more of my money...

Thanks in advance for any advice.....And, thanks to all of you who have been diligent in posting your woes. It really is helpful to read what others have to say about similar problems with the car.

Hi everyone. I realize I'm a little late on this reply, but I have to add to this. I purchased a 2k Focus brand new off the truck. I have used it for out of town trips and plenty of miles have been added to my car. Last summer in 2003 the vehicle started to lose power, stall, and seem to vaporlock. I was pretty ticked off because of course I'm nowhere near home. I let the car cool down and took it home to check into the problem. I figured it could be a missfire, so I changed out the sparkplugs and the wires. The next day while out on the road it did it again.
So I took it to the dealership, and of course my warranty is up because I'm sitting at 34k miles, anyways, they kept it there for 3 days, when I picked up my car they told me it was a #3 missfire. So they changed out the sparkplug and charged me a $100 for the diagnostic and one damn sparkplug (which I replaced the week before). Low and behold it came back a couple of days later. I returned to the dealership and after an argument with the repairman and the manager I left pissed. They were going to charge me another diagnostic fee and so on because it was possibly a different problem. In other words it would have been free if the same plug was bad.
I called up a friend of mine at midas and after work we hooked it up to the machines for a diagnostic. After a while it came up with a random missfire. We changed out the sparkplugs, the wires, and the coil. About a week later, it came back. So once again we hooked everything up and went to the fuel system. I changed out the fuel filter, drained and cleaned the tank and bought and replaced the fuel pump (used from a wrecking company). That fixed it for about 3 months until I was out all day long in the heat and it came back.
After this I was about to shoot the damn car and claim insurance. I was all out of options. Since then I have also changed the thermostat, the pvc valve, air filter, two rubber hose lines in the engine compartment one of which was a vacume line, the EGR diff press sensor and have flushed out and fully replaced all fluids.
This winter I had no problems with the car, I even left town without any problems. Now just yesterday the stupid car dies and leaves me a couple of blocks away from my parents house. So here we go again.
I'm worried about this car and I can't afford to keep putting all this money in it for nothing. All together it has cost me a little over seven hundred dollars in parts and mxs. The sad part is I'm doing it with the help of a few friends and I don't have to pay for this mxs shit. I don't know..... I am looking into a new truck this week. If anyone can help. Please do your best. THX

I now have scheduled to replace the third fuel pump since acquired the 2000 focus in 2001 used @ 20,000 mi. now have 125 k mi, last fuel pump replacec @58k or so. Diagnostic code is low fuel pressure. Changing fuel filter is no help unless you get dirty fuel anytime or wet fuel in freezing weather.

One pump quit me east of Fallon NV going across the alkali flats near Sand Mountain. It was dark and cold and lonely, and it sputtered and missed and jerkec across the flats for about 10 miles, finally slowed to 10 mph and quit. I just happened to be directly in front of Salt Wells Whorehouse, lights, arrows, bar, CB radio with live girls calling in the wayward traveler....so I sat there trying to come up with a believable reason why I should go in. Just for kicks I turned off the ignition (the engine quit anyway), waited a bit, couple of minutes, and restarted the engine.

Runs, took off, good power, got me to Fallon where I changed the filter in the parking lot of Walmart under the lights. (didn't help) but I got away from the red light district without incident.

Anyway, now in need of the third pump, called the dealer, they have a warranty / factory program that will replace the pump without charge (to be determined if truly free) but I need one so the appointment has been made.

I have found:
1 when missing / loss of power occurrs, pull off, shut off, wait 30 to 90 seconds, restart and go.
2 generally does not give any problems on a full to 1/2 full tank, so if problem, fill up.
3 usually more frequent when at higher speeds, (I can cruise at 90-100 mph in many areas across nevada when no other vehicles are in sight) actually, some lonely roads I have traveled 100 miles and not seen another vehicle at all....
The symptom is quite noticable at 70+ mph as power drops off and more throttle is required, also begins to miss and hesitate.
Cannot confirm but suspect that fuel economy drops off when the fuel pressure is weak.
happy trails

I am having the same problem with my car too. Everytime it happens I clean the fuel pump and then it runs good for about a month then it just happens again. I am glad I am not the only one with this problem.

Yeah i just brought in my 04 zx3 ...2.3L..been having a lot of hesitation since like maybe 5K...got 11K on it now...completely died on me all of a sudden...stalling out at idle and now a check engine light that stays on permanently...Prolly the fuel pump like everyone had problems with the older ones...guy at ford said they need 30lbs of pressure to pump so typically these problems occur at less than half a tank. I read many problems and they all have the same symptoms with the bogging out stalling out...hesistation while accelerating. Mine used to be slight hesitation typically on badder days. Got real bad yesterday while coming back from work on a 60 miles NJ parkway trip...actually stopped cruising slowed down while i downshifted and had my foot on the gas...check engine came on...this was all after I put dry gas in my car thinking possibly moisture was in the tank cuz it was really cold. Ford won't look at it for two more days till monday..If you'd like I'll keep u posted as to whether or not it's a faulty fuel pump and if ford will fix it...since it's apparently a manufacturers defect...and well under the 36K manufacturers warranty. ...They may try to pull some shit..that My focusSport Cold Air Intake is causing a bad fuel mixture...but then again they'd never be able to prove that...If a check engine light comes on reading fuel...it's the fuel system and as long as there's no mods done to that...I believe they'll have to fix it???

Thanks Matt...
If u have any input on the matter feel free to email me etc..

When I put my focussport exhaust on my car...the mechanic referred the the car as a "ford FUCKED US" instead of ford focus...I had no clue what he meant...said why the cars not good I haven't had any problems with it...well he didn't go into details...but I'm sure he knew well of previous brake problems, recalls, and fuel pump problems with this model of vehicle...safe to say i'm prolly gonna try to pay off the vehicle even though I have a good 15 or 16K left on loan...due to 6K from an upside down loan on my old mustang...and mods including intake, exhaust, hood, 2 spoilers, and paint on those..but after I pay it off hopefully in 2.5 or 3 years instead of 4 1/4 years...right to Japan...Lancer BABY! preferrably of the EVO 8 or 9 persuasion (sure it will be out by then). L8r all, wish all of us "ford fucked up" owners good luck!
Matt

Hi Laurel,
You are not alone out there,I have focus 1800 TDI CL and have been quated £1200 to replace the fuel pump on my car(work that out in $)
As a Freelance photographer I do a fair mileage,the engine has 70,000 miles,not a lot for a diesel.I am not best pleased.
Chris from Glasgow.

Has anyone heard anything on this?
Apparently the Focus has a problematic fuel pump, which I found out to my suprise yesterday....not to mention horror....

I had been seeing occasional drops in fuel pressure on the ZX3, so I checked the line pressure in my friends shop, it showed the fuel pump was not maintaining constant pressure.

I contacted my Ford dealer and they said I would need to replace the fuel pump soon, and then went on to explain that this is not an uncommon issue and Ford are aware of it but have not seen fit to issue a recall yet? WTF?? They know they have bad fuel pumps and yet won't issue a recall?

I thought I would post this here and see if anyone else can testify to this, since I plan on taking on Ford on this one!

Please don't bother posting if you can't post an answer or something constructive, I don't care who likes Ford and who doesn't, I want to see if anyone else has experienced this.

Thanks.

Hi Ray
Depressingly enough, I ran into the same problem this past holiday weekend. After I dropped 500+ and 4 days with no car to get it fixed, I found out that Ford has, what I have learned it to be called, a silent recall on the focus fuel pumps on 2001 and 2002 models. The basics of a silent recall.... they do not notify current owners of the problem (I can attest to this because 2 other members of my family drive a 2001 focus, and Im the only one who ran into the problem, but none of them knew about it.) Anyway, they have instructed the dealers that this is a "fix only if broke" recall. I found the information on www.escortfocus.com/html/focus_111903.html. After I read up on that, I went to autosite.com (good for looking up recalls on any car!) and found the recall when I pulled up 2001 ford focus.

I had to argue a bit with Ford, but they are having the local dealer refund me the cost to have the pump replaced.

I hope this helps!

This link may be of interest to you all. I'm getting mine fixed free next Wednesday.

http://www.escortfocus.com/html/focus_111903.html

Ford Motor Company will recall 573,585 Ford Focus models made between 2000 through 13 June 2001 for a defective fuel pump for the third time. The recall issue number is "03N01."

Summary:
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, CONTAMINATION OF THE FILTER IN THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE (FDM) CAN REDUCE, AND EVENTUALLY BLOCK THE FLOW OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE.
Consequence:
THIS MAY CAUSE ENGINE HESITATION, LOSS OF POWER, SURGING, AND OTHER SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. OVER TIME, THE FILTER MAY BECOME SUFFICIENTLY BLOCKED TO CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

"In cases where a customer previously paid to have the repair
performed, the customer would be entitled to both a refund and a repair though. In addition, Ford will replace the original fuel pump should it fail for 10 years from the warranty start date. "



EDIT: LOL - I didn't notice the post right above this one ! Oh well...

Hi there I've been diagnosed with fuel pump failure been quoted 160 pounds for a replacement fitted.

I own a 2000 focus (113,000) and live in the UK. Do you know if I would be able to do the same via the recall or is this only available to people in the US?. I would like to add that until now the car has (did) serve me pretty well. It has always been a good little runner for me. Since the spluttering I got a new clutch which I now But I also feel that you guys have every right to be unhappy with it happening only 10-15-20k on the clock I'd have belted the dealer too lol.

Can anyone also comment on whether or not the pump has solved their problem or is it ongoing. I'm going to pay this mechanic 160 tomorrow and I'm not to sure its going to work, as he was also talking about a new cold start. not sure what a cold start is but it sounds like I need one.

thank you guys

Thanks a lot