HELLO!! I have a 2001 Ford Focus wagon. And living in New England with CRAZY weather I went into the car and saw that the front floor on the passengar side was soaking wet but not the seat and the floor behind it was wet too but not the seat. But the other side was dry. The windows were up because it was raining and nothing was open. It’s not the whole floor that is wet its just in front of the seat. I did bring it to a carwash and the floor was dry. And it was just sitting in the driveway.
Did the car wash have an under-carraige spray to clean the underside? If so it may have blown loose a body plug under the foot-well area, or the plug may have bee loose to begin with. I would check under the car for a hole where any water could be forced in.
Do you have a sun roof? If so I would start there. Most have four drains, one at each corner. If they get clogged you get exactly what you are experiencing. The sunroof is not water tight, it just drains it away.
Some string trimmer line or a little compressed air can clean those drains. However, be careful as you can damage the drain if you are too energetic.
This could also be caused by a plugged drain for the evaporator core/heater core box. The air which flows through these components to heat and cool your car comes from the cowl. Rainwater normally will flow through the cowl and out the drain hole. If the drain hole is plugged, the rainwater will end up on your floors. The drain sticks out of your firewall under the hood, near the ground. This normally won’t get your back floorboards, but it is still a possibility.
While wandering the web researching my own problem (intermittent start)
I saw this:
Ford Focus 1999 - 2003
Problem: Water entry into the passenger footwell.
Summary: water gets into passenger footwell because of insufficient
seal between the cowl panel grill and the windscreen surrounding
the pollen filter. A change was made, but extra sealing is
still necessary.
I have seen similar water, but have had more serious things to look into, so I don’t
know if this is my problem, but it may be yours.
D in Nashua
A severe rain storm can overwhelm the ability of the car’s HVAC drain system, and water can get into the car through the heat vents. This has happened to me. The passenger side is where it usually shows up.
Regardless of the source of the water, you will have to remove the carpet in order to dry the padding underneath.
If you don’t do this mold and mildew will grow in the padding, which is a sponge-like material, and can hold water for an unbelievably long time.
And don’t believe the detail shops who tell you they can vacuum the water out. There isn’t a shop-vac on the planet that can remove the water from the padding under the carpet.
If you’ve seen water on the floorboards, the padding is soaked. The only remedy is to remove the padding and dry it outside the vehicle.
You can do this yourself, but it’s labor intensive. If you choose to have someone else do it, expect to pay. I suggest the DIY approach, to save some money, and to make sure it’s done correctly.