2003 Ford Focus

I BOUGHT A NEW 2003 FORD FOCUS HATCHBACK CAR FROM SERAMONTE FORD ON 7-4-2003. IT HAD BEEN RUNNING FINE UNTIL FRIDAY, 2-6-2004. AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES THE CAR STALLED AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN ON THE WAY COMING HOME FROM STONESTOWN SHOPPING CENTER. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT IT STALLED AGAIN AND AGAIN. NEARLY GOT HIT FROM THE BACK ONCE. IT WAS REALLY SCARY. MY WIFE WAS REALLY SHAKEN UP. . I WAS AFRAID TO USE THE CAR UNTIL TUESDAY, 2-10-2004. I STARTED DRIVING TO THE DEALER THAT MORNING AT 8:30 AM AND WHEN I ALMOST GOT INTO THEIR PARKING LOT THE CAR STALLED AT ABOUT 30 FT FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THEIR LOT. I TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN. I WALKED OVER TO THE FORD DEALER AND ASKED THE SERVICE MAN NAMED CARL TO GO OVER TO THE INFINITY LOT TO SEE IF HE COULD CHECK ON THE CAR. IT WAS ABOUT 9:15 AM AT THAT TIME. CARL TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME AND THAT I HAVE TO WAIT FOR MY REGULAR SERVICE MAN -KEVIN- WHO WILL BE IN AT 10 AM THAT MORNING. I WAITED 45 MINUTES AT THEIR LOT FOR KEVIN. KEVIN WALKED WITH ME OVER TO THE INFINITY DEALER'S LOT AND TRIED TO START THE CAR BUT IT WOULD NOT START. MY CAR WAS TOWED INTO THE FORD DEALER'S SHOP AT ABOUT 11:30 AM. I WAITED THERE UNTIL 1:30 PM AND WAS TOLD THE CAR WILL HAVE TO BE LEFT AT THEIR SHOP OVER NIGHT BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT FOUND OUT WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM. MY CAR WAS AT THEIR SHOP SINCE 2-10-2004. I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER RAY WERTZ THE NEXT DAY TO ASK IF HE HAS INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR, AND HE TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE CHECKING ON IT STILL AND AN IMPORTANT PART HAS TO BE ORDERED FROM THE FACTORY AND WILL KEEP ME INFORMED. THAT WAS WEDNESDAY, 2-11-2004. RAY WERTZ CALLED 2-16-2004, AND SAID THAT IMPORTANT PART TO BE HERE ON THURSDAY, 2-18-2004. MY WIFE AND I FEEL UNEASY ABOUT THIS CAR. SHE TELLS ME THAT SHE WOULD BE SCARE TO RIDE IN IT. SHE FEELS WE SHOULD GET A NEW CAR FROM SERRAMONTE FORD. PLEASE HELP THANK YOU. *AK

2003 FORD FOCUS ZX3 PZEV ENGINE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. ALL THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE DASH (SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, TACHOMETER, OIL PRESSURE, ETC.) BECOME INOPERATIVE. MUST BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, PUT IT IN PARK, AND TURN THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION BEFORE CAR CAN BE RESTARTED. PROBLEM BEGAN WITH LESS THAN 500 MILES ON THE CAR. IN THE THREE MONTHS I'VE OWNED THE CAR IT HAS STALLED AT LEAST 20 TIMES. HAVE HAD IT TO TWO DIFFERENT FORD SERVICE CENTERS A COMBINED TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP WHILE THEY WAIT FOR A SPECIAL FORD TECHNICIAN TO COME AND TRY AND DETERMINE WHAT IS WRONG. *AK

METAL PEICE ON THE BACK OF THE CAR LIKE TIE ROD ENDS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IT IS BROKE AND CAUSE THE CAR TO GO OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND RUIN ALL TIRES. HAVE TO REPLACE THE METAL PIECE WITH ONE THAT IS ADJUSTABLE. HAVE TAKE THE CAR TO THREE DIFFERENT PLACES TO GET THE JOB DONE. WE LIVE IN WYOMING SO THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO TRAVEL A WAYS TO GET TO THESE PLACES. SHEIDAN AND GILLETTE. THUNDER BASIN FORD IS CURRENTLY ORDERING THE PART SO THAT WE CAN GET THE REAR ALLIGNED PROPERLY. THEY STATED THAT THE PEICE WAS PROBABLY BENT FROM THE MANUFACTURE.

WHEN RUNNING THE AC ON THE CAR, THERE IS AN EXTREMELY BAD ODOR WHICH CAN BE SMELLED BOTH INSIDE THE CAR AND OUT. IT APPEARS TO BE SOME KIND OF BURNING OR CHEMICAL ODOR. IT WILL ACTUALLY AFFECT THE BODY BY MAKING YOUR EYES BURN AND MAKING YOU FEEL SICK. IT CAN NOT BE DRIVEN. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES WITH THE PROBLEM UNRESOLVED. THE THIRD TIME, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS FIXED; HOWEVER, UPON TESTING AT THE DEALERSHIP, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE PROBLEM WAS UNRESOLVED. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT FORD'S ENGINEERS ARE COMING IN TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM, AS THE SERVICE MANAGER PULLED THREE NEW CARS OFF THE LOT AND FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM.

AFTER LEAVING MY AUTO, I RETURNED TO FIND THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED, BUT IN TACT/IN PLACE. THERE NO SIGNS OF ANY IMPACT OR ATTEMPTED ENTRY. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING STRIKING THE WINDOW AND APPEARED IT MIGHT BE A FAULTY WINDOW. UPON BRINGING IT TO THE DEALER'S SEVICE SHOP, THE MANAGER SAID HE WOULD NOTIFY HIS FORD REP OF THIS PROBLEM. HE SAID NORMALLY THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING BUT SINCE THE AUTO WAS SO NEW, HE WOULD TRY TO SEE WHAT HE COULD DO. UPON INVESTIGATING IF THERE WAS A FORD RECALL OR SIMILAR REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, I CAME ACCROSS AT LEAST ONE OTHER OCCASSION WHERE THE WINDOW JUST SHATTERED AND WAS REPLACED BY FORD UNDER WARRANTY. THE INDIVIDUAL SAID FORD CLAIMED IT WAS DUE TO WELDING IRREGULARITIES AND SUCH. WHEN I WAS SPEAKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AT FORD, HE CLAIMED THAT THE 2003 FORD FOCUS REAR DEFROSTER WAS CHANGED AND THEY HAD GIVEN IT A HIGHER AMP TO MAKE IT HOTTER. SINCE IT HAS BEEN ABOUT 6 DGREES OUTSIDE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN HOT AND SHATTERED WHEN COOLING QUICKLY - HE DID NOT KNOW AND WAS JUST SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS. REGARDLESS, THE AUTO HAD 440 MILES ON IT AND WAS ONLY ABOUT 10 DAYS OLD WHEN THIS OCCURRED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS IF THIS WINDOWED SHATTERED AND BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING, POSSIBLY CAUSING HARM TO ANY PASSENGERS IN THE BACK - OR ANYWHERE FOR THAT MATTER. I BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO BE CHECKED OUT TO PREVENT ANY POSSIBLE HARM TO ANYONE. THE AUTO IS A 2003 FORD FOCUS SE SEDAN. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR