Eight problems related to manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe have been reported for the 2001 Ford Focus. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2001 Ford Focus based on all problems reported for the 2001 Focus.
I was stopped at a red light, when the light turned green and I engaged the gas pedal the car began to clank and jerk loudly and violently. I drove� the car about two feet before the steering seized up, the car could not be put into neutral, died completely, and had to be pushed to the side of the road. One of the pistons, cylinder # 1, was extensively damaged, due to the valve seat failure which shattered the piston, broke off pieces of the piston skirt, and bent the connecting rod. No damage was done to the cylinder wall, but pieces of the piston skirt were found in the oil pan, and pieces of the piston crown were found in the bottom of intake manifold. Valve seat breakage in the older model Focus, is so common that aera engine rebuilders association issued two bulletins (tb 1725 & tb 1939) to alert the industry to this issue. These bulletins state that the ¿intake valve seats are made of a powdered metal that shatters easily�. On October 29, 2012, after the vehicle had been repaired, I phoned Ford to request a refund for the cost of the parts and was informed, that since there was no recall no refund could be issued. The valve seats have subsequently been modified from the faulty powdered metal type, this shows that Ford is and was aware of this issue. . Read more...
2001 Ford Focus. Consumer request reimbursement for repairs and investigation for possible recall. The consumer is requesting an investigation into the common problem of valve seat breakage in Fords older engines. The breakage was due to intake valve seats that were made of a powered metal that shattered easily. The consumer wrote to Ford requesting reimbursement for the damage caused to her engine. On September 17, 2012, roughly two miles after exiting the highway, the consumer came to a complete stop at a red light. When the light turned green, she engaged the gas pedal, and the vehicle began to make an unusual noise and jerked loudly and violently. She was able to drive the vehicle abut two more feet, before the steering seized. The vehicle would not go into neutral and it died completely and had to be pushed to a parking lot on the side of the road. The vehicle was then towed to a mechanic and a diagnosis revealed, one of the pistons, cylinder #1 was extremely damaged, due to the valve seat failure which shattered the piston and broke off pieces of the piston skirt and bent the connecting rod. There was no damage to the cylinder wall, as pieces of the piston skirt were found in the oil pan and pieces of the piston crown were found in the bottom of the intake manifold.
Thermostat housing has started leaking coolant. This is reportedly a common failure on Focus with 2. 0l dohc engine (zetec). The thermostat housing failure may or may not be a connection to the valve cover leaking oil onto the thermostat housing and hot exhaust manifold which produces a faintly noticeable burning smell when driving.
The valve cover gasket leaks prematurely, which causes oil to drip onto the exhaust manifold. The burning oil creates fumes. The poorly designed seals around intake air box allow fumes from the engine compartment to enter the passenger compartment. These two design failures combine with each other to expose passengers to burning oil fumes. Now, I have to replace the valve cover gasket to avoid exposing myself to burning oil fumes.
My daughter was driving around 30 to 40 mph and when she hit or tap the brake the car would vibrate and try to cut off. The car did cut off and would not start . I towed the car to a shop and found that the valve seat came loose and fell on the pinions, therefore, destroying the engine. The valve seat was totally gone and went through the exhaust. Ford mechanic recommended replacing with new motor and manifold plenum since they would not be able to get all the metal from the valve seat out of the plenum. I could get a used motor but found other on the internet that had the same problem, therefore the problem could happen again.
I have a 2001 Ford Focus and there is an exhaust tube that runs off the right side (looking from the front) of the manifold which broke from rusting. I searched some forums online and found that many other people are having the same problem. My car only has 60000 miles on it so I don't believe it should of rusted and cracked like it did.
Service bulletin for oil leaking into air conditioning from manifold. Ford says do not smoke in vehicle. Dealer offered to spray with deodorant.
The consumer noticed that the vehicle jerked, stalled, and vibrated. The vehicle also made a loud noise while driving. The dealership serviced the vehicle and indicated that the manifold needed to be replaced. Please provide any additional information.