Seven problems related to rear suspension 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.
Rear tires bald at 20,000. I have replaced 4 tires and need to replace 2 more. I have 42,000 miles on my car. I have rotated the tires all along, but they always end up wearing quick in the rear. For example one set of tires had great tread when they were rotated to the back with about 15,000, then at 20,000 they were bald!!! (like something in the rear chewed them up) car jumps side to side when hitting minor bumps in road and on highway, it feels like car doesn't have good control because of this. Dealership and Ford rep. Say tires are not covered under warranty of course and claim not to find any other problems. They blame it on the driver style. Funny this has never ever happened to me before, including my first Focus lemon I had for 25,000 miles (they replaced my first Focus for us for fuel problems they couldn't fix) I kick myself for agreeing to exchange for a new Focus. Nevertheless, it really seems like an engineering/design flaw or something else in the rear of the vehicle that is making these tires wear so fast.
The vehicle had been to the dealer on 3 occasions for a noise coming from the rear wheel. . . . .
The Focus has a dangerous and erratic handling characteristic in rainy and snowy weather. The car has a tendancy to make abrupt and sudden sideways sliding motions, which on a couple of occasions have nearly caused accidents.
While driving at any speed rear end alignment is off, causing vehicle to drift.
Vehicle vibrates excessively when driving on highway, and rear tires are wearing excessively in a strange pattern. Consumer has replaced all 4 tires but problem is still occurring.
The rear axle broke while driving and caused the wheel to cave in.
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