My grandson has a 2002 Ford Focus. About every 50 to 60 miles the car simply starts sputtering, losing power and just won’t go when you push the gas pedal. We have had two mechanics look at the car, they can find nothing because by the time car sits awhile so you can drive it again they can find nothing wrong because it is not doing it then. We’ve also taken the car to the Ford Dealership in Asheville and they cannot find anything wrong. We thought maybe does it when low on gas so he has been keeping the tank above 1/2 full it still does it. We are lost as what is wrong with this car. I found on internet there had been a recall on the cars up to the 2001 Ford Focus for a faulty fuel tank pump, but the two mechanics who have seen it says there is no way to know without replacing if that is the problem. And Ford Dealership says by 2002 Ford had fixed the problem… Help kid has to drive car back and forth to school 2 1/2 hours away, my husband is disabled and we are his only source of help and we’ve ran out of money on this stupid car.
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Change the fuel filter.
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Have someone use a vacuum gauge to check for exhaust blockage.
How old are the spark plugs and wires? Have someone test the ignition system while it is hot.
Thanks for the information. We’ve done all the steps you suggested except having someone use a vacuum gauge to check for exhaust blockage. It is odd that the car seems to run great until about that 50 mile marker and boom loses power, and if you can get off the road in time and let it sit for about 30 minutes, it doesn’t do it again until around the next 50 miles…
While it is sputtering or any other time is the Check Engine Light illuminated steady or flashing? Has the mechanic ever extracted a DTC code from the Power Control Module? How many miles on the Focus?