Alternator/generator/regulator problems of the 2005 Ford Focus

On many occasions the rear hatch (zxw wagon) has opened on its own. I've always assumed I must not have closed it properly as it also has not latched on many occasions when closing it. Sometimes it can take several attempts, closing it firmly. One the most recent occassion of the hatch opening while driving our dog was in the car bag cargo area, so you can imagine my anger at the latch. Another issue has been the licence plate lights not illuminating the plate at night, which has resulted in a stop by an officer. Yesterday, may 18th 2017, the battery light illuminated for about 2 minutes on my drive home, then went off. When I got home I put a meter on the battery while the engine was running and got 12. 04-12. 7 volts. While searching youtube for some how-to alternator videos I stumbled across a video that spoke of the wiring in the hatch area. I removed the boot and sure enough, half of the wires had damaged jackets and a few were exposed. I've made temporary repairs and as now the voltage reads 14. 5 or more with the engine running. Also, the license plate lights are working again. This repair is surely going to be temporary at best as I simply do not have the funds for a repair facility to do the work and I have limited resources. I could not sell the car with clear conscience without disclosing my discovery which surely means most people arent going to want it. I would like to know if there was any recall for this, considering it could have the potential to cause many malfunctions in the vehicle's safety as well the safety of passengers, cargo and other drivers on the roadway. This latch popping issue has happened in pretty much every condition. . . . . My driveway, in my neighborhood, the highway etc.

Was driving on the highway and broke down. Car towed to garage and alternator replaced along with the battery. The car ran fine for about 1 week where after turning the car off it wouldn't start again. Again had it towed to the garage and the battery needed to be changed. A week later the car did it again and again the battery was replaced. I took the card to my Ford dealership and had an electrical check done and the electrical test came back that the battery that was just put it was low and the alternator had tested fine. Changed the battery again. . Yup you guessed it. . . It died again. Changed the battery again and the car has now been running for 2 weeks now. Called Ford's home office and filed a complaint not that it will do anything.

I've had this 05 Ford Focus for less than a year and had several problems, all resolved but this one. I was taking my 4 year old and autistic 13 year old step children to the park last Monday and my car started hgoing haywire. It would lose and gain power in intervals and all of the dash cluster stopped working. The car lost power and died on the side of the road with no cars in sight. Ended up having to walk almost 3 miles with them before we finally saw someone nice enough to give us a ride. Since then the car has drained and ruined 3 batteries ansd two alternators. My dash lights are now staying on with no key in the ignition and batteries keep getting drained. There's also a chirp I'm assuming sometjing to do with the security system or the wiring harness on the alternator or dash. I have not been able to get the car out of park for 6 days and it is/was my only mode of transportation for these two children. I'm finding it veery difficult to get things done with such an unreliable car. This problem is still not resolved.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph with the headlights in operation, the headlights and instrument panel lights became extremely dim. The engine was turned off and the vehicle failed to restart. A certified mechanic inspected the vehicle and replaced the alternator. The failure was contributed to a faulty liftgate wiring harness. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 176,000. Updated 08/15/lj.

Having problem with alternator and keys stuck in the ignition for 2nd time in two years. Key will not release but will turn.

Driving at 50km/h, abs and brake lights come on, shortly after all electrical systems shut down, including power steering, front lights, gauges. . . Everything. Engines continues to run, when the vehicle slow to almost idle, engines stops. Unable to restart, no ignition no sign of life whatsoever. Waited 20min, was able to start engine, electrical came back and drove for 5min before same thing happened. Dealer identified a faulty alternator, car has 135000km.

Purchased the car new, have had to have alternator and battery replaced 3 times now. Every time it goes out without warning and in most cases on the highway or in heavy city traffic. I almost couldn't stop nor steer the car safely away from the road. Each occurrence has cost me 500. 00 usd from towing, parts, and labor.

My battery light came on in the middle of this past week on my way to work. . . Then on Friday afternoon, my mother-in-law and I decided to go to asheville, nc. . . We got as far as waynesville, and my car quit. . . (about 80,000 miles on my car). . . I was able to roll it off and pop the clutch and get it to start. . . I drove about 5 miles, and it quit again. . . This time, I could not get it started again. . . Had to call a tow truck. . . Had my car towed to andy shaw Ford in sylva, nc, the town closest to where I live. . . They checked out my car and said that it was the alternator. . . They also told me that in cold and hot weather, the alternators will go out. . . My husband has a 1998 Toyota tacoma, with 240,000 miles on it and he has never had to replace the alternator in his truck. . . I have had three other new cars, the first one bought in 1986, Ford festiva. . . It had 149,000 o so on it when it quit. . . . Never had to replace the alternator. . . The next one I bought was a 1995 Toyota tercel, hit a deer with about 149,000 on the car. . . Never had to replace the alternator in this car. . . The next one I bought was a 2000 kia rio. . . Totaled it out when someone hit me in 2005. . . The car had about 140,000 on it then. . . Never had to ever replace the alternator in that car. . . So, why did the alternator go out on the Ford Focus?.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Focus. While driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled and the contact pulled off the road. A nearby mechanic inspected the vehicle and discovered corrosion around the battery cables. He jumped the vehicle and drove to his residence. The following day, a local mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the alternator was overcharging the battery in the vehicle. When the mechanic called to order the part, he was informed that this was the fourth complaint regarding this particular component in the last four weeks. The driver has not notified the manufacturer. The vehicle was repaired on July 17, 2008 by a local mechanic. The failure mileage was 20,814 and current mileage was 20,862. Updated 09/16/08. Updated 09/17/08.

I purchased this vehicle new in 2005. Within the first year and a half I started noticing that the dash lights would illuminate when the vehicle was parked, no keys in the ignition. The abs and battery light would flicker on and off accompanied by a buzzing sound. The wireless remotes stopped working as well. I brought the vehicle to Ford as it was still within the three year/36,000 mile warranty period. They said that they could not duplicate the problem. They re-programmed the wireless remotes. After this the problem continued with the flickering lights and buzzing sound and also the wireless remotes stopped working. I returned the vehicle to Ford and they told me that the dash lights were malfunctioning and they would have to open up the dash, they quoted me $700 just to open up and diagnose plus the labor charges for whatever the problem was. This was right after the the year/36,000 mile warranty period was over. I mentioned that I had been to the dealership for the very same reason when the vehicle was under warranty but they could not find the problem. Ford said that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. Ford did not fix this issue and also said that the wireless remotes could not be reprogrammed. In the years since the initial problem, I have had to put in two new alternators. The dash lights flicker almost continuously. The dash display (speedometer, odometer, etc. ) has completely cut out while driving the vehicle several time. The vehicle still operates but loses power when the dash cuts out. When the dash display cuts out you are driving without a gas gauge, speedometer, etc. When the dash lights come back on, there is a "hiccup" or power surge accompanied by the same buzzing sound that occurs when the dash lights are flickering when the vehicle is parked.

The contact stated a light on the dashboard illuminated, the owner's manual stated it was a battery not charging properly light. Later in the day, the dashboard lights failed, and the vehicle lost all electrical power. The engine continued to run for approximately one minute. The vehicle was towed to the dealership. They found it was a problem with the alternator, and the alternator is being replaced.

I purchased my vehicle in early November 2004. As the weather began getting colder and damper, my vehicle would not start properly. The engine would stumble and crank, but would not turn over. I would have to try 3-4 times before the car would actually start. I took the vehicle in for service in December 2004 and TSB 04-23-4 was performed. The vehicle correctly started for a while after that, but is having the same problem again now.