There are 44 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2001 Ford Focusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES TO 2000-3000 RPM BY ITSELF. SOMETIMES WHILE AT IDLE AND SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED IN TOWN OR THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AND HAVE SPENT MONEY ON TPS, THROTTLE BODY, SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES, COIL PACK, FUEL PUMP AND FILTER AND IT STILL DOES THE SAME SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE LOCAL DEALER SAID THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THAT ISSUE WITH OLDER FORD FOCUSES. IS THERE A FIX TO THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE? MAYBE A RECALL? I HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO HITTING A MOVING VEHICLE, AFTER EXITING IH 35 AND COMING UNTO A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON THE ACCESS ROAD. I ALMOST REAR ENDED SEVERAL VEHICLES STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. UPON EXITING THE INTERSTATE I WAS APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION, MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 3500 RPM AND I COULD NOT STOP IT USING THE BRAKES EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRACTICALLY STANDING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE GEAR IN NEURAL AND THUS DID NOT HIT THE VEHICLES AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY IDLED DOWN BUT IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND AN EXTREMELY SCARRY SITUATION. I HAVE NOT USED THE VEHICLE SINCE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON REPAIRS. I WOULD PROBABLY NOT BUY A FORD AGAIN. I AM GOING TO SELL THE CAR BUT WILL TELL THE BUYER THAT THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. THANKS FOR ANY HELP AVAILABLE
WHEN VEHICLE HAS IDELED OR TRAVELED AT SLOW SPEEDS FOR A LONG PERIOD, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE. IT WILL ALSO STALL HAS LOST FUEL EFFICIENCY AND DRIVER CAN SMELL FUEL. MECHANIC STATES THE FUEL RAIL PRESSOR SENSOR IS LEAKING. MECHANIC STATES PART IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. ONE CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT BACK ORDER IS CAUSED BY SAME OR SIMILLAR MALFUNCTION.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD RANDOMLY ACCELERATE AND DECELERATE INDEPENDENTLY AS IF IT WERE GOING TO STALL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER BUT WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN UP SHIFT AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DOWN SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL TO APPLY THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO BRAKE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND IT ACCELERATED UP TO 40 AND 60 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF TO STOP ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE; HOWEVER NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 109,000.
DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 60 MPH WHEN CAR ACCELERATED GAINING SPEEDS OVER 75. I PULLED OVER, SHUT DOWN ENGINE, LIFTED HOOD AND SAW ACCELERATOR LINKAGE WAS STUCK. I CLEARED LINKAGE, STARTED ENGINE AND CAR RAN NORMALLY. THIS HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES ON LATER DATES WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. CAR STARTS ACCELERATING UNTIL I STOP VEHICLE, SHUT OFF ENGINE, AND FREE UP LINKAGE/METAL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2001 FORD FOCUS. WHEN THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE IT ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR REPLACED. A YEAR AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE TRANSMISSION AND THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR WERE ALSO REPLACED; YET, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WHENEVER THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE CONTACT STATED THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE VEHICLE WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. THE MECHANIC STATED IT WAS DUE TO A FAULTY TPS SENSOR. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION WOULD CEASE FOR ABUT SIX MONTHS AND THEN RETURN. THE TPS SENSOR WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. UPDATED 07/29/11
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20-80 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD BECOME STUCK MOMENTARILY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS BEING REDESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR THIS FAILURE, AND WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL DECEMBER OF 2008. THE VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE AND AWAITING THE REPLACEMENT PART IN ORDER TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 30,000.
MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. TRAFFIC WAS TRYING TO MERGE, AND SHE WAS BLOCKED IN ON THE LEFT. SHE ACCELERATED A LITTLE TO GET AHEAD OF THE MERGING TRAFFIC. AT THAT TIME THE THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. SHE STATED THAT WHEN SHE TRIED TO STOP THE CAR WITH THE BRAKES, IT WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS PUSHING AS HARD AS SHE COULD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. SHE PLACED THE GEAR SHIFT IN NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. SHE CAME TO A STOP AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. THE RPMS WERE AT 7000 BEFORE SHE SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. UPON RESTART, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE TO 7000 RPM. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE THROTTLE UN-STUCK BY PUSHING THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND RELEASING. SHE DROVE THE CAR TO A SEARS AUTO CENTER, WHERE THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THE THROTTLE LINKAGE MALFUNCTIONING. HE COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, AND COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. WE ELECTED TO LEAVE THE CAR THERE, AND HAVE IT TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP IN THE MORNING. IT WAS A VERY SCARY AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS EVENT. *NM
NO EVENT LED TO THIS FAILURE. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE. LUCKILY, I WAS IN A LANE THAT ALLOWED ME TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER; HOWEVER, A DEFECT SUCH AS THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO GET INTO A CAR ACCIDENT.
VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING OR WOULD NOT START. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE MONTAUK HIGHWAY 27, I REACHED THE SPEED OF 50 MPH. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER REACHING 50 AND PLACING MY CAR IN CRUISE CONTROL, THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY BEGAN TO RAPIDLY ACCELERATE. I COULD NOT SLOW THE CAR DOWN, HAD TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY OFF AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY.*AK
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE GAS PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. THE CABLE POPPED OUT OF THE THROTTLE MECHANISM AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB
MY 2001 FORD FOCUS SE 4DR TENDS TO STALL OUT AFTER USING THE AIR CONDITIONER. THE STALLING BEHAVIOUR STARTS AFTER THE A/C HAS BEEN ON FOR A WHILE AND CONTINUES AFTER THE A/C IS TURNED OFF. THE ENGINE SPUTTERS AND WILL STALL WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.*AK
VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT DRIVER TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. OVER $5,000 FOR REPAIR.*AK
THE CONSUMER WAS BACKING THE VEHICLE OF OUT A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH 2 OTHER VEHICLES. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *MR *NLM
WHILE BACKING UP SLOWLY WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR LURCHED BACKWARD WITH TREMENDOUS FORCE AND STRUCK TWO OTHER PARKED VEHICLES. THE BRAKE FAILED TO STOP IT. DT
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING BY ITSELF TO THE POINT WHERE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OVER, OUT OF THE HIGHWAY.DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK
ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK, AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SPEED UP WHICH CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
WHILE IN MOTION CONSUMER'S FOOT SLIPPED FROM GAS PEDAL. CONSUMER TRIED TO PUT FOOT BACK ON THE PEDAL, BUT THERE WAS NO PEDAL. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MOVE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. C0NSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED, AND IT WAS STATED THEAT CABLE TO GAS PEDAL BROKE. *JG....*AK
WHEN RETURNING FROM BEING OUT OWNER WAS BACKING VEHICLE INTO DRIVEWAY WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED REARWARD. VEHICLE STRUCK THE WALL, AND THEN BOUNCED BACK INTO STREET, HITTING A POLE. DRIVER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED IN THE PROCESS. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK
Showing 1–20 of 44 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026