H
OFOC 2004 Detail Day @ Mr. Buffer

Under your hood.

Contact Information

Make sure Ford of Canada has the latest contact information on file. You may never know of an upcoming recall or extended warranty program. Call 1-800-565-FORD and a Customer Service representative will help you out.

FAQ for DPFE

Seeing how a lot of owners are afflicted by this problem, we have decided to put up a few tips and tricks discovered from Focus owners across North America.

Some typical signs of a failing DPFE sensor include:

  • Poor fuel economy
  • Stalling and/or hesitation
  • Sluggish acceleration
  • Check Engine Light

There is a lot of great information posted on various websites, such as the FocusHacks.com website about this problem. Be sure to check this site out, as it is very detailed and informative.

Before rushing out to your local dealership or mechanic to have this part serviced, you need to keep a few things in mind:

Coverage By Ford of Canada - Program 02M01

Ford of Canada has issued additional 2 years or 40,000 km, whichever comes first, on this part under Program 02M01. It is essentially an extended warranty on the DPFE sensor.

Who Is Covered

To date, we are only aware that specific Focus models are covered under Program 02M01. It all depends on various factors (see below). Affected owners would have also received a letter from Ford of Canada by regular mail. If you are the original owner and have not moved since you purchased/leased the car, you should have received this letter.

Buying Your Focus Used and/or Have Moved

If you bought your Focus used and/or have moved, you can still find out whether you are covered by bringing in your Focus to a local Ford dealer. They can look up your vehicle information using the VIN to see if this repair has been carried out.

How Coverage Works

Coverage will be based on the following criteria:

  • Your VIN has been flagged on Ford's database as being covered under the program
  • The problem is diagnosed to be the direct cause of the failing DPFE sensor
  • This is your first DPFE sensor failure on record
  • Your Focus meets the year and mileage restrictions of the program

If you meet all the criteria, Ford will replace the sensor for free.

Catches

As with any offers, there are catches. The most common catches are with the last two points discussed in the Coverage section:

"This is your first DPFE sensor failure on record "

We've added this condition because some of our members have run into stiff opposition from the dealerships. Typically, any repairs made under basic warranty (3 yrs/60,000 km) aren't covered in the future once your warranty is over. We've had some members who have had this part replaced under the basic warranty period and then have it fail once warranty ended. They had to pay for the subsequent repair.

Parts normally purchased and labour performed by a Ford dealership have their own warranty (usually 12 month/20,000 km). If your dealer fixed the problem and the replacement DPFE fails within 12 months/20,000 km, you may have a chance to fight for a free replacement under a strictly replacement parts/labour warranty stance.

Any repairs made under this program is noted on Ford's database. So, there's no use in trying to scam another Ford dealership into performing the repair again.

"Your Focus meets the year and mileage restrictions of the program "

It's a bit tricky in how the original Ford of Canada letter is worded. In layman's terms, the DPFE sensor itself is covered for 5 years or 100,000 km, whichever comes first. This is because their phrase "additional 2 years or 40,000 km, whichever comes first" is meant to apply in addition to the basic warranty. Since basic warranty is 3 years or 60,000 km, whichever comes first, that's how we arrive at the 5 years/100,000 km limit. If your Focus is past 5 years old and/or over 100,000 km, you will have to pay for the service.

Do-It-Yourself OR Dealership Time?

This is a pretty easy repair for even the technically inept. If you can handle basic tools and read, you should be okay. For the cost-conscious owner, doing it yourself could save you a diagnosis fee and the associated labour that goes with installation. But if you don't feel comfortable with the repair, you can always take it into your local Ford dealership for service.

The part number should be 4U7Z-9J460-AA*

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