2003 Ford Focus

WHILE WAITING IN A PARKING AISLE FOR A CAR TO EXIT A PARKING PLACE THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO VERY HIGH RPM. AS MY CAR WAS STATIONARY AND MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND IN DRIVE THE CAR DID NOT SEEM TO MOVE. PLACING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL OR PARK MADE NO DIFFERENCE. SHUT OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTED WITH SAME RESULT. AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES WHILE RESPONDING TO AN INTERESTED PERSON I TRIED AGAIN AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. DROVE THE CAR HOME AND LEFT IT PARKED. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED . *TR

MY WIFE COMPLAINED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT WAS SO HOT IT WAS BURNING, RESULTING IN A MILD BURN. I INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE DRIVER SIDE BACK CUSHION HEATING ELEMENT HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND BURNT INTO THE SEAT CUSHION AND BACK LINING OF THE SEAT FABRIC. I HAVE PICTURES AND HAVE HELD ONTO THE DEFECTIVE PART. THE HEATING ELEMENT HAS BEEN REPLACED HOWEVER WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE MAY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE READ OF OCCURRENCES OF THIS INCIDENT INCLUDING REPORTS OF FIRES. *TR

(1ST) IT WAS PASSENGER REAR DOOR LATCH WOULDN'T STAY LATCHED, DOOR COME OPEN DURING DRIVING, (2ND) A MONTH LATER TRUNK WOULDN'T LATCH, THEN (3RD) 2 MONTHS LATER DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR CAME OPEN DURING DRIVING, WOULDN'T LATCH. DAUGHTER ALMOST FELL OUT AND CAR ALMOST HIT DOOR WHEN IT FLEW OPEN. I HAD TO USE SEAT BELT TO TIE DOOR SHUT TO MAKE IT HOME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE FRONT PASSENGER WAS THROWN INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT, THE CONTACT'S HIP WAS DISLOCATED AND SHE SUSTAINED SEVERE BRUISING AND A LACERATION THAT REQUIRED THIRTEEN STITCHES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

EVERYTHING SHUTS OFF. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. MOST OF THE TIME IT WILL START AGAIN IN APPROX. 3 SECONDS. NOW IT IS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. IT HAS EVEN HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING. I MADE A RIGHT TURN, AND THE CAR TOTALLY DIED. I QUICKLY PUT ON MY FLASHERS, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND LUCKILY IT STARTED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. RIGHT NOW MY CAR IS IN MY PARKING LOT AND IS TOTALLY BLANK. NO POWER WHATSOEVER. I TOOK THE CAR IN ONCE TO MY AUTO MECHANIC, HE DID A DIAGNOSTIC (AND SINCE THE CAR WAS UP AND RUNNING) HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND ALL HE DID WAS CLEAN THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. I KNOW GM IS HAVING PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW, BUT I DON'T THINK MINE IS AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM (BUT WHAT DO I KNOW!) I WAS THINKING OF HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP BUT I'M AFRAID THAT THIS WOULD COST ME AN ARM AND A LEG. ANY THOUGHTS? THANK YOU. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, AN ODD ODOR COULD BE SMELLED, BUT WENT AWAY AFTER A MINUTE. CAME BACK ONCE BRIEFLY. 20 MINUTES LATER, AS I WAS ABOUT TO TURN INTO MY WORK'S PARKING LOT, MY CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN IT BACK ON, IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND ALL THE GAUGES WENT HAYWIRE. AFTER I STOPPED TRYING TO START IT, I TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND THE CAR ATTEMPTED TO START ITSELF. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS, THE INSIDE OF THE CAR FILLED UP WITH SMOKE. THE FIRE ORIGINATED NEAR THE BATTERY. AN OFFICER SHOWED UP LESS THAN 2 MINUTES AFTER THIS ALL OCCURRED, AND HE SAT THERE AND WATCHED MY CAR BURN. HE PULLED OUT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER 10 MINUTES LATER SO MY CAR WOULDN'T CREATE VISIBILITY ISSUES FOR THE CARS DRIVING PAST (IT DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOUR LANE ROAD). THEY TOLD ME IT WAS MOST LIKELY AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, I HAD MY ALTERNATOR REPLACED. THE NEW ALTERNATOR WAS A FORD MANUFACTURED PART. *TR