2001 Ford Focus

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

My first car.

by dierad53 on Apr 25, 2014
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

I bought this car over a year ago and should've taken it to a mechanic. I bought it for $1200 from a guy in my town. It had 251000 miles on it. I drove it 3 thousand miles the first month I had it. To date I have replaced the battery(it had a go-cart battery when I bought it), rear wheel bearings, rear and front brakes, alternator, full front suspension, new tires. So far I probably have about 3200 dollars into it and it now needs a new engine. I got screwed by the former owner but i love this car. I will drive it for years. Great gas mileage and drifts well. Ive gotten it to 110 before new suspension. Then i hit a hawk. I love this car and enjoy doing work on it. Love my ZX3.

Worst car ever

by marigoldsb on Sep 26, 2013
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Focus SE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

I bought this car in 2002. It had 10,000 miles on it. It now has 220,000. I've had nothing but problems. It was recalled several times. I had many problems with the fuel pump when I first got the car. I replaced the EGR valve sensor 4 or 5 times. The turn signal will not turn off by itself. I had this fixed once, but it broke again. The passenger side window has broken twice. The passenger side seat will not recline. The radio randomly turns off. I've replaced tires, rotors, brakes and shocks multiple times. The ignition recently just broke and had to be replaced. Sometimes the front doors will not open from the outside so I have to climb in through the back. Wheel bearing broke 4 times.

My zx3 is a great

by tjnugent on Aug 3, 2013
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

I bought this vehicle new in 2001 (Focus ZX3 hatchback; 5-speed manual with no air conditioning or electric windows). This is the best car I've ever owned. We now have over 225,000 miles on the car with little maintenance. By keeping up on the oil changes/tune-up's, we've had no major issues other than changing out the ignition once while it was still under warranty. Great mpg (30-40 avg overall); I mostly drive freeway. We're considering buying a 2013 as a replacement vehicle for our 2000 Focus SE sedan (bought it used; automatic w/electric everything; it has too many issues now at 180,000 mi). The ZX3 is a wonderful car. I would recommend the version I purchased. It's a keeper!

Great drivetrain - too bad

by kopandem9305 on Jul 25, 2013
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Focus SE 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

I bought my SE Wagon in 2008 with 155,000 miles on it from a private sale for $2,500. 5 years later, it now has 230,000 miles on it and is still running great... but unfortunately the New England winters have taken their toll and the car cannot even be safely lifted on a jack anymore. Would cost thousands to get the proper body work done, so going with a newer car. Mechanic even told me 12 months ago "this will probably be your final sticker, you won't want to pay the bill next year." That said, the car got me this far very reliably, with very little cost. I got 30 MPG, the only repairs/maintenance I did was oil changes, brake and tire replacement. I feel I got a great value in the 5 years.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Very reliable

by tjh9 on May 22, 2013
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Focus SE 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

I purchased my '01 Focus Wagon SE from a dealership in 2011 with ~190,000 mi on it for $2850. It has been almost 2 years now and this car has given me almost no grief. The A/C went out once (A/C is a luxury anyways, who cares?), front coil springs had to be replaced, and the muffler hit the ground once while going over a speed bump (temporarily fixed it with shoelaces, haha) All in all, great performance; great value!

Bad and worse

by pc1967 on May 12, 2013
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Focus SE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Basically purchased it used for $3200, 20k miles later, after regular oil changes and sensible driving habits. It dropped the #4 valve seat effectively destroying the head and piston below the valve. This was the 2.0 SPI a.k.a split port engine. Do not buy a 01 Focus if the 8th VIN digit is a letter P without signed documented proof from the dealer that the valve seats have been replaced with the improved design period!! Ford should have seriously recalled this vehicle from the start. The only good thing that came out of this is, that I purchased a Toyota Yaris after this heap blew up. If Ford gave me a shiny new Focus, Id sell it and get another Toyota right there on the lot.