2003 Ford Focus

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT BOTH FRONTAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO REAR END THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE AND SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE; NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE HATCH BACK FAILED TO CLOSE, VEHICLE FAILED TO START, THE INTERIOR LIGHTING FAILED AND THE MOTOR MADE A KNOCKING SOUND. THIS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT COLLISION. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, A VEHICLE RAN A STOP SIGN AND THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HIT THE SIDE OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. THERE WAS BRAKING BEFORE IMPACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS. THE SEAT BELT WAS WORN AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. UPDATED 3/20/2006 - *NM

DT: THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE COLLIDED ON 9-29-05 WITH AN AUTOMOBILE THAT CAME ACROSS THE MEDIUM AT A STOP SIGN. THE AUTOMOBILE WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN IT WENT THROUGH THE STOP SIGN. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HIT THE OTHER CAR WHILE GOING BETWEEN 48-50 MPH. IT HIT THE RIGHT SIDE PANEL IMMEDIATELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HE DID NOT NOTICE ANY LIGHTS ILLUMINATING ON THE DASH PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD GIVE HIM A STATEMENT IN WRITING EXPLAINING WHY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WANTED A STATEMENT FROM FORD HEADQUARTERS IN DEARBORN, MICHIGAN , BUT FORD REFUSED. INITIALLY, TOLD HIM TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALER WOULD TURN THIS INCIDENT INTO THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SINCE THEN INDICATED THAT THEY COULD NOT TURN OVER THE ACCIDENT CASE TO THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. THEY WOULD TURN IT OVER TO THE COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT.*AK UPDATED 11/15/05. *JB

DT: 2003 FORD FOCUS - AUGUST 11, 2005 THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. FORD DEALERSHIP REQUESTED THAT THE MANUFACTURER TO INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENT. ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005 THE MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENT. CONSUMER CALLED THE FORD MANUFACTURE FIVE TIMES WITH NO RESULTS, COULD GET THE MANUFACTURER TO COLLOBORATE ON THIS MATTER. WHILE DRIVING LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND WENT INTO THE DITCH, HIT TWO ROCKS, A TRE, AND CAME TO REST AT THE THIRD ROCK. THIS WAS A FRONTAL IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHTS ON BEFORE THE ACCIDENT INDICATING THE AIRBAGS WERE NOT WORKING. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT TELL THE CONSUMER WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THERE WAS ONE INJURY.*AK

DT: CONSUMER HAS A 2003 FORD FOCUS WHICH WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION ON AUGUST 7, 2005 WHILE TRAVELING 10 MPH. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. CONSUMER'S SON WAS DRIVING AND APPLIED BRAKES BEFORE IMPACT, WHEN THE OTHER VEHICLE HIT THE FRONT END VEHICLE WENT OUT OF GEAR AND WAS KNOCKED BACKWARDS. ROAD WAS DRY AND CLEAR OF DEBRIS. CONSUMER, SON AND , DAUGHTER SUSTAINED INJURIES. . CONSUMER SUSTAINED LOWER BACK AND NECK INJURIES, . SON AND DAUGHTER SUSTAINED NECK INJURIES. POLICE AT SCENE WERE SHOCKED THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALL OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. *AK

ON DECEMBER 20, 2004 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN MY FORD FOCUS ZTS. THE ROADS WERE VERY ICY, AND NEAR MY HOME, I SLID ON A PATCH OF ICE, WENT OVER A SMALL BANK, AND HIT 2 TREES IN SOMEONE'S YARD. WHILE I WAS SLIDING I WAS HEADED TO HIT ONE TREE HEAD ON, BUT I WAS ABLE TO STEER AWAY TO WHERE I HIT BOTH TREES AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME, BUT ONLY FROM THE SIDE. HOWEVER, NEITHER MY FRONT NOR SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH WAS ENOUGH TO TOTAL MY CAR, EVEN THOUGH I WAS ONLY GOING 25 M.P.H. IT WAS BRAND NEW, ONLY 20,000 MILES. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE DEPLOYED.*AK

WHILE MY 2003 FORD FOCUS WAS BEING VACUUM AT THE CARWASH, THE SIDE PASSENGER AIRBAG OF MY 2003 FORD FOCUS DEPLOYED. MY CAR WAS PARKED AND THERE WAS NO IMPACT. I HAD MY CAR TOWED FROM THE CARWASH TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR. THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT GIVEN ME A SOLID REASON AS TO WHY THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THEIR THEORIES HAVE RANGED FROM DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE, THE FORCE OF THE VACUUM AT THE CARWASH, TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT I RAN OVER A TIRE. *AK

THE VEHICLE HIT A POT HOLE WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRE , CAUSING THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY ON ITS OWN. THE OWNER INFORMED THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SIDE IMPACT ACCIDENT A YEAR PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK ANOTHER ISSUE WAS THAT THE LEFT REAR ROTOR HAD BROKEN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND THE REAR SENSOR ASSEMBLY/ABS WAS REPLACED. THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM STEMMED FROM THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING WHICH HAD FALLEN APART AND DAMAGED THE ROTOR AND THE WHEEL SENSOR. THE LEFT REAR KNUCKLE WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE LEFT REAR ROTOR. *SC *JB