2000 Ford Focus SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
THE ROTORS AND BRAKES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED BEFORE 35,000. THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE. WE TOOK THE CAR IN BECAUSE IT WAS MAKING NOISE FOR BRAKE PADS. THE CALLED AND TOLD USE THE ROTORS WERE DAMAGED. THIS IS TOOK SOON TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED. *AK
HAVE HAD MY FRONT BRAKES REPLACED THREE TIMES. FIRST TIME AT 11,000 MILES, SECOND TIME (ROTORS REPLACED) AT 24,000 MILES AND THIRD TIME AT 36,000 MILES. BRAKES CONSISTENTLY SQUEAL, SO LOUDLY THAT I CAN HEAR THEM OVER MY RADIO! I'VE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT FOCUS BRAKES TEND TO BE LOUD, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T WORK. DEALER ALSO SAID THEY RECEIVED NOTICE FROM FORD THAT FOCUS BRAKES JUST "SQUEAL". I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS TRUE AND THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR".*AK
CONSUMER STATES BRAKES WEAR PREMATURLEY WEARING OUT WHICH PRODUCES A GRINDING NOIUSE. DEALER STATES THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE BRAKES.*AK
FAULTY FRONT BRAKING SYSTEM. EXCESSIVE WEAR AND TEAR LEADS TO PREMATURE BRAKE AND ROTOR REPLACEMENT TO INSURE SAFE, NORMAL CAR OPERATION.*JB
THE BRAKES SCREECHED VERY LOUD WHEN APPLIED, PADS WERE REPLACED AT 12000 MILES, HOWEVER PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS WAS NOT REDUCED. DEALER ADVISED THE SCREECHING NOISE WAS NORMAL DUE TO BRAKE PADS BEING SEMI-METALLIC.*JB
WHEN TRYING TO APPLY THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES. THE BRAKES WILL LOCK UP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
CONSUMER WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ROTORS RUSTING. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT DID NOT EXPLAIN AS WHY THIS HAPPENED. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT REAR BRAKES HAVE NOT FUNCTIONED SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. FRONT BRAKES HAVE BEEN STOPPING VEHICLE.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE ONLY HAS 1700 MILES ON IT, BUT HEARING A METAL TO METAL "GRINDING" NOISE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT BRAKE PADS, ROTORS AND FRONT DISCS, ALL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK
CONSUMER STATES HAS HAD TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS 13 TIMES SINCE VEHICLE PURCHASE. PADS WERE WEARING EXCESSIVELY EVERY 2000-3000 KILOMETERS.*AK
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR. *JB
BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED AT 27,000 MILES ON MY 2000 FOCUS. THE FORD DEALERSHIP I TAKE MY CAR TO FOR SERVICE SAID THAT REPLACING THE ROTORS ON THIS CAR IS 'NORMAL'. THEY SAID THAT THE ROTORS ARE SOFT AND TEND TO WEAR-OUT FAST AND THAT IS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THEY SAID THE FORD ESCAPE HAD THIS ISSUE ALSO. I TOOK MY CAR TO LES SCHWAB FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE A 2 YEAR 36,000 MILE WARRANTY ON THE BRAKES.*AK
BRAKES SQUEAK, EXCESSIVE BREAK DUST ON THE FRONT WHEELS.*PH THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER, THAT THE BRAKE DUST WAS NORMAL. THE REAR SHOES PAD ASSEMBLIES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES. THE LAST TIME THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THE LEFT RIGHT EBRAKE CABLE SPRING RETAINER HAD POPPED OUT THE BACKING PLATE WHICH CAUSED THE SHOES TO NOT RETRACT ALL THE WAY. THE DEALER PUT THE RETAINER BACK AND RESET THE HEBRAIC. ALSO THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS WAS LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB
THE REAR BRAKE CYLINDER WAS CORRODED. *JB
VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE IS WEARING EXCESSIVELY, APPROXIMATELY EVERY 13000 MILES.
CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A THUMPING NOISE WHILE DRIVING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THE DEALER STATED ROTORS NEED REPLACING. *AK
WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE, AND AFTER THE VEHICLE STOPPED SEVERAL TIMES, A HOT METAL SMELL APPEARED. *JB THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WASN'T DRIVABLE, DUE TO A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD, AND DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS STUCK CALIPERS. THE BRAKE PADS AND THE CALIPERS WERE REPLACED, AND THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED. (THE HUBCAP HAD BEEN SLIGHTLY MELTED AWAY FROM THE CALIPER) SCC
THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS TWICE IN ONE YEAR AND ONCE AGAIN THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. *NLM
WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE HAD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE . *AK
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THERE WAS A GRINDING AND SCRAPING NOISE. FORD REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. *JB
I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS W/ MY 2000 FORD FOCUS. THE MOST SEVERE IS THE BRAKES SQUEALING AND WEARING OUT PREMATURELY. THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED IN THE FIRST YEAR AND A HALF OF OWNERSHIP AND NEVER STOPPED MAKING NOISE. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS LEAKED FLUID ALL OVER THE BRAKE PADS WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A DEADLY ACCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A COPY OF A LETTER FROM FORD MOTOR CO. FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP SAYING THE BRAKE NOISE IS NORMAL AND CAN NOT BE FIXED AND IS NOT INDICATIVE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO FIX THESE CARS, THEY ARE NOT SAFE! *JB
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
THE BRAKES MADE A LOUD NOISE. *JB
MY 2000 FORD FOCUS HAS UNREASONABLY HIGH WEAR ON THE FRONT BRAKES. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM @ LESS THAN 25,000.00 MILES, TO THE TUNE OF $500.00 ALL PAID BY ME. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE WARRANTY I WAS TOLD THE BRAKE WEAR WAS DUE TO MY DRIVING, BUT I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR. *JB
THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKES.*JB
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2000 Ford Focus has 225 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC complaints on file. 11 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.