Used 2002 Ford Focus Hatchback Consumer Reviews
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Avoid the 2002 Ford Focus ZX5 at all costs!
czechmate1974, 03/04/2011
2002 Ford Focus ZX5 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 5 people found this review helpful
1st of all this car has a automatic transmission not manual. I had 108,000 miles on the car and the head gasket blew and the entire cooling system failed along with the thermostat. This caused my temperature gauge to show me in the "normal" range when really I was burning my car up and did not know it. I had coolant everwhere and white smoke out of my engine. $2500 to $3000 to fix. This car had many problems over the years. All the power window motors were constantly breaking. Had to replace 3 and they are $300+ to fix. I hate this car, it ruined my life. Avoid it at all costs.
The Tank
Amy Royer, 05/22/2010
2002 Ford Focus ZX3 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my 5 speed ZX3 in 2005 with 48,000 miles on it and I just totaled it out with 143k miles. I loved this car but the tires wore out easily and cost $110 a tire, the housing unit for the temperature thingy had to be replaced, the cd player was replaced twice and still didn't work, the moon roof would malfunction, at 130,000 the front struts started to go and there was an oil leak, I had to replace the battery 4 times and the driver side door handle constantly broke. Despite all that I did run the car hard and it ran well up until about 115k miles and it held together through the few accidents I was in keeping me and my 2 year old safe. It's nickname was tank for a reason.
Lot of car for 11 Grand
etubrutus, 04/29/2002
2002 Ford Focus ZX3 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Too many recalls for small petty things. Nothing major or safety related. Build quality only rated a 7 because of it. Interior has enough room for all 6'3" 240 lbs of me. Rear area hauls as much of my stuff as I want. Car handles great, which helps to overcome the desire to go faster. I like the ZX3 because the door openings are huge and the A-pillar doesn't hit me in the shoulder.
I've had worse
Bob B., 03/27/2009
2002 Ford Focus ZX3 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought it new in 02. I have always been impressed with the handling of this car, it really is top notch. It's been pretty reliable too. The trunk release was the first thing to go at about 30,000 mi. Second, the alternator went just over 50,000 miles. The hood release also broke off in my hand. Acceleration is not the greatest but it is adequate with the 5 speed. I have average 22-24 mpg mostly city driving with ac on. Not bad for real world numbers. The clutch has lasted for 86,000 miles. I have not had any major problems yet and I'm not that good at regular maintenance. I can fit lots of stuff in this car and I like the fact that it stays dry (no pick up truck for me).
Nickle and Dimed to Death
YellowBananaZX3, 07/10/2002
2002 Ford Focus ZX3 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I enjoyed my Ford Focus ZX3, but... It has been in the shop every month, for unscheduled repairs, for the last 4 months (three additional times during the year prior). It has left me stranded twice (once in a bad part of detroit). It has proven too unreliable in the long run. I was hoping for 160k like I got in my 91 Ford Escort GT, but it looks like I won't make it past 65k in the focus. This is my last ford purchase, ever. It has just proven too unreliable, and Ford customer service is simply awful.
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