2006 Ford Focus Brakes Problems

Your brakes failed while driving, causing your car to crash into a telephone pole. The airbags did not deploy during the crash. The exact cause of the brake failure was not determined. The repair will likely involve a complete brake system inspection to identify whether the failure was due to brake pads, rotors, master cylinder, brake lines, or another component.

VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN IN TO FORD DEALERSHIP ON SEPT. 17, 2012 BECAUSE BRAKES HAD BEEN INTERMITTENTLY BEEN LOCKING/STICKING UP WHILE DRIVING AND GETTING HOT (COULD TELL DUE TO BURNING SMELL). BASICALLY THE BRAKES WOULD ENGAGE AND LOCK UP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RUN WITH BRAKES IN CLOSED (BRAKING) POSITION AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AND DID NOT HAPPEN EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN DUE TO SHORT DISTANCES THE VEHICLE IS NORMALLY DRIVEN. SOMETIMES BY SIMPLY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTARTING WOULD THE BRAKES RELEASE, BUT NOT ALWAYS. TOOK VEHICLE TO SPIKES FORD IN MISSION TEXAS AND AFTER ABOUT A WEEK THEY FINALLY DIAGNOSED IT AS BEING A PROBLEM WITH THE "HCU AND ECU MODULE". VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME ON 9/24/2012. CAR WAS DRIVEN FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND BRAKES STILL DID NOT SEEM NORMAL, SO WE ASSUMED IT WAS SINCE THEY HAD JUST BEEN WORKED ON. ON OCTOBER 1,2012 VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON EXPRESSWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKES LOCKED UP OVERHEATED AND VEHICLE WAS FORCED TO THE RIGHT OF EXPRESSWAY AND OFF THE ROAD. BRAKES WERE SO HOT THAT A BURNT SMELL WAS NOTICED INSIDE OF VEHICLE. CAR WAS TURNED OFF, LET COOL DOWN AND THEN DRIVEN HOME @ 3-4 MILES AT LOW SPEED, BUT BRAKES WERE NOT LOCKED ANYMORE. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP (SPIKES FORD- MISSION , TEXAS) AND IS STILL THERE AT THIS TIME. THEY ARE NOT SURE YET WHAT PROBLEM IS, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WAS NOT THE PARTS INSTALLED AND THEY CAN'T FIGURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS LUCKILY WHEN VEHICLE PULLED TO SIDE OF EXPRESSWAY, IT WAS ALREADY ON FAR RIGHT LANE AND DID NOT IMPACT ANY OTHER VEHICLES OR BARRIERS. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED A MILE UP THE ROAD IT COULD HAVE BEEN A BIG PROBLEM DUE TO NO SHOULDER AND CEMENT BARRIERS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION POSSIBLY CAUSING A BIG ACCIDENT. *TR

ON 6/19/10 MY CAR WOULD NOT BRAKE TO A FULL STOP WHILE EXITING THE FREEWAY (SPEED HAD GONE UP TO 80 ON OWN WITHOUT BRAKES APPLIED) THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I LET MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT APPLYING THE GAS. THE CAR WOULD NOT COME TO A STOP AND I SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED AT APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MPH TO PREVENT A MAJOR ACCIDENT IN THE INTERSECTION OF A BUSY STREET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. (DUE TO MY BACKGROUND AND KNOWLEDGE I WAS ABLE TO PREVENT A FAR WORSE ACCIDENT) AFTER THE CAR CAME TO A REST AGAINST A PALM TREE I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THE RPMS REVVED TO 5-6. SEVERAL DAYS PRIOR TO THIS WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN PARK IT WOULD REV TO 3-4 RPMS AND THEN SETTLE DOWN AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKE WHILE IN PARK. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED PRIOR. THE DEALERSHIP HAD JUST PERFORMED A 90000 CHECK OF THE VEHICLE (THOUGH IT WAS AT 85000 DUE TO A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OF AN UNRELATED PART ISSUE) 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE THROTTLE BODY CABLE HAS COME APART. THEY STATE THAT THE MAINTENANCE OF THIS WOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED IT AND STATE THAT SINCE THE CAR IS NO LONGER IN WARRANTY THEY WONT PAY. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD HAVE COST MY LIFE OR SOMEONE ELSE'S. COULD THIS HAD BEEN CAUGHT BY THE DEALERSHIP OR IS THE PART DEFECTIVE? FORD SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THIS AS A CAR ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN IS BEYOND DANGEROUS. THE VEHICLE IS 4 YEARS OLD, EXTREMELY WELL TAKEN CARE OF, AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. NO ACCIDENTS FOR THIS VEHICLE. POLICE WERE ON SCENE BUT NO REPORT WAS TAKEN. NO OTHER SIGNS WERE EVER DISPLAYED BESIDES THE CAR REVVING IN PARK 3 DAYS PRIOR. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 FORD FOCUS AND I AM A STUDENT AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY IN SAN MARCOS TEXAS. I AM 22 YEARS OLD AND BEEN SELF SUFFICIENT SINCE I WAS 18 YEARS OLD. I CHOSE A FORD FOCUS BECAUSE THE REVIEWS WERE GOOD AND THE PRICE WAS RIGHT. LAST NOVEMBER MY KEY JUST WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. I HAD SEVERAL MECHANICS LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAY THE FIX IS A LITTLE LESS THEN $800. I HAD LOOKED ONLINE TO SEE IF THE PART WAS RECALLED BUT IT WASN'T. THERE ARE OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE OFF OF GOOGLE THAT HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM ESPECIALLY THE 2006 FORD FOCUS. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD BUT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DID NOT REMOTELY CARE THAT ITS A MALFUNCTION ON THEIR PART. I AM UNABLE TO PAY $800 WHEN I PAY ALREADY FOR MY CAR, INSURANCE, MY APARTMENT, AND MOST IMPORTANT SCHOOL. IF THERE IS ANY WAY SOME ONE COULD CONTACT ME I WOULD BE MORE THEN WILLING TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CALIPER WAS CUTTING INTO THE BRAKE ROTORS. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FIRESTONE CENTER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT. SHE WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

2006 FORD FOCUS WITH LOW MILEAGE REPLACING BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS FOR THE 3RD TIME, MY CONCERN IS OF FAULTY PARTS FORD COMPANY MAY BE USING AND IF SO, DUE TO THE OBVIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS SHOULD I BE ALARMED AND SHOULD I WORRY WHEN MYSELF AND MY FAMILY ARE TRAVELING IN THE CAR WILL THE BRAKES FELL. FORD CHARGED ME THE FIRST REPAIR COST AND NOW JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER READY TO CHARGE ME AGAIN FOR THE SAME REPAIRS. *TR

MY KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION OF MY 2006 FORD FOCUS STATION WAGON AND WOULD NOT COME OUT. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP I FOUND OUT THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH AND BRAKE/SHIFT INTERLOCK HAD BOTH FAILED. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM OFTEN IN FORD FOCUS CARS. I HAD BOTH PARTS REPLACED, BUT I FEEL THAT THIS IS NOT PART OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF MY VEHICLE, WHICH IS NOT QUITE THREE YEARS OLD YET. THE PARTS ARE WORKING FINE NOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED THOUGH. *TR

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO VEHICLE ( FOCUS ) DEVELOPED A SIGNIFICANT SCREECH WHENEVER BRAKES WERE APPLIED. TOOK IT INTO LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IF I HAD REPORTED BRAKE NOISE IN FIRST 12 MONTHS OR 18,000 MILES THEY WOULD HAVE FIXED IT. THEY HAD A TECHNICAL ADVISORY FROM FORD INDICATING THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF VEHICLES BUT DID NOT WANT TO SEND OUT RECALL NOTICE BECAUSE THEN EVEYONE WOULD COMPLAIN ABOUT BRAKE SQUEAK. SINCE I DID NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM IN THEIR TIME LIMITS THE EXPENSE TO FIX ( ESTIMATED TO BE OVER $700 ) WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. I DON'T TRUST FORD BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD COVER UPS BEFORE. I DON'T BELIEVE THEM WHEN THEY SAY VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE AND I DON'T HAVE $700 TO SPEND TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. I TALKED TO TWO DEALERSHIPS AND CORPORATE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. ALL BASICALLY SAID IT WAS MY TOUGH LUCK. I WANT TO GO ON RECORD AS CHALLENGING THEIR STANCE ON THIS ISSUE AND HOPE YOU CAN INVESTIGATE BRAKE SAFETY ON THIS VEHICLE AFTER 18,000 MILES. *TR

THE BRAKES BEGAN SQUEAKING HORRIBLY. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM FIXED. THEY SAID IT WAS BRAKE SHOES THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED--I AUTHORIZED THEM TO DO THE REPAIR. LESS THAN A DAY LATER, THE SQUEAK WAS STILL AS BAD. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT AGAIN. SUPPOSEDLY, THE SHOP MANAGER TEST DROVE IT HIMSELF AND SAID THERE WAS NO SQUEAK. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT FORD STATES THAT IT IS "NORMAL AND EXPECTED THAT THE BRAKES WILL STILL SQUEAK UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 100 TO 150 APPLICATIONS." IT STILL SQUEAKED THE NEXT DAY, AND AT THIS POINT I AM WELL PAST THE 150 BRAKE APPLICATIONS AND IT SOUNDS JUST AS BAD AS IT DID BEFORE I EVER BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. FUNNY THING IS, I WAS ABOUT 8 DAYS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD TO HAVE IT FIXED FOR FREE. I DON'T CARE ABOUT SPENDING THE MONEY, I JUST CARE THAT I SPENT $265 AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *JB