2002 Ford Focus

RUNAWAY AUTO THROTTLE BODY STICKING CAUSED CAR TO BECOME A RUNAWAY AUTO WITH NO CONTROL TO STOP. EXITING HIGHWAY 80 AT PRNRYN RD. EXT. CRUISE CONTROL SHUT OFF AUTO SPEEDED UP ENJINE ROARED APPLIING BRAKES DIDN'T STOP AUTO. WENT OFF ROAD AND STRUCK A LARGE OAK TREE. VEHICLE OVERTURNED DOWN AN EMBANKMEND. LANDED ON ROOF OF AUTO. AUTO HAD 450 MILES ON IT AND WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED.

(1) I FIRST NOTICED UNUSUAL STAINS ON THE CARPET UNDERNEATH THE CLUTCH PEDAL DURING DECEMBER, 2004, BUT ASSUMED INITIALLY THAT IT WAS FROM SOMETHING ON MY SHOES. (2) ON 03/21/05, THE CLUTCH PEDAL PAD FELL OFF WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, DISTRACTING ME, BUT FORTUNATELY DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. (3) ON 03/28/05 I SEARCHED THE NHTS ODI COMPLAINT DATA BASE AND FOUND AN IDENTICAL COMPLAINT, ODI ID NUMBER:10107639, DATE OF FAILURE: 01/20/05. I WILL BE TAKING THE VEHICLE THIS WEEK AND THIS INFORMATION TO THE AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER FOR WARRANTY REPAIR ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE WAS ON 01/31/02, BUT I WILL CLAIM THE PROBLEM STARTED IN DECEMBER 2004 WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN WARRANTY. *JB

CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER LEAKS CLUTCH FLUID. FLUID RUNS DOWN STEM OF CLUTCH PEDAL, LOOSENING THE RUBBER PEDAL PAD, WHICH PROCEEDS TO FALL OFF IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. ALSO CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER FLUID IS SUPPLIED BY BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR!!! THIS LEAK CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE BRAKE FAILURE AS FLUID LEAKS OUT OF BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. *JB

ON THURSDAY 5/6/04 THE 2002 FORD FOCUS WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY BROKE OFF UNDER THE DASH BOARD, DISABLING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE COASTED OFF THE ROADWAY, AND TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE BROKEN PIN WAS FOUND ON THE FLOOR UNDER THE CLUTCH PEDAL. IT COULD EASILY BE DETERMINED THAT THE PIN BROKE OFF SOME TYPE OF BRACKET. YOU COULD SEE THE WELDING AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE PART OF THE BRACKET. THE PIECE WAS GIVEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS ALSO INFORMED NOT TO DISCARD ANY PARTS. THE NEXT DAY WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY (UNFORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE WAS JUST OVER THE ALLOWED WARRANTY MILEAGE) HOWEVER, I INQUIRED AS TO HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD UNLESS IT WAS DUE TO SOME MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT HELP ME SINCE THERE WERE NO OTHER REPORTS OR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. I INFORMED THEM THEM THAT I WOULD BE FOLLOWING UP WITH FORD MOTOR CO. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THIS REPAIR WOULD COST ME MORE THAN $600. I CONTACTED FORD AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. FORUNATELY THERE WAS NO INJURY, HOWEVER, I DREAD TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE CAR WAS BEING FRIVEN ON AN INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH OR MORE WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE IRONIC THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE ORDEAL IS THAT THE ONLY PART I WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED WAS THE PIN THAT BROKE, BUT THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE PIN WAS TO GET THE WHOLE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY, AND GUESS WHO PAID FOR THAT? I AM HOPING TO GET SOME SATIFACTORY FEEDBACK RE: THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ENGINE LOST POWER, NEARLY RESULTING IN A REAR END COLLISION. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE TACHOMETER WOULD SUDDENLY RACE UP TO 7000 AND THE WHEELS LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL, AFTER 15-30 SECONDS OR DOWNSHIFTED TO 2ND GEAR, THE VEHICLE RE-ENGAGES AND THE WHEEL POWER WAS RESTORED. THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. FORD WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. A FLIGHT RECORDER WAS INSTALLED TWICE. THE ENGINEERS REVEALED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE SPEED SENSORS AND INPUT SHAFT SENSORS. THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE MOVED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. THE LOSS LASTED 10 SECONDS, THE GEAR WAS PLACED INTO 2ND GEAR, THEN BACK TO DRIVE AND THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK ACTIVE. THIS PROBLEM RETURNED TWO MORE TIMES. ON ONE OF THE INCIDENCES, THE TACHOMETER HAD GONE OVER 7 THEN DROPPED. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTERMITTENTLY. *SC

WENT TO START CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. WHEN I TURNED THE RADIO ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD COME ON, WHEN I TURNED THE WIPERS ON THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OFF. FORD DEALER TRIED TO SAY THAT THE CAUSE WAS RELATED TO A REMOTE STARTER THAT HAD BEEN INSTALLED. TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER AND IT WAS FOUND TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING. ALSO HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND PROBLEMS WITH THE LOCK ON THE TRUNK. *JB