2004 Ford Focus

VERY DANGEROUS FAULT OR DEFECT FOUND ON MY CAR. A FUEL LINE THAT RUNS ALONG THE TOP OF THE ENGINE IS CONTACTING AN OPPOSING METAL BRACKET. THIS CHAFFING CONDITION HAS RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LINE. THE FUEL LINE IS PROTECTED WITH PADDED SILVER TAPE; THE TAPE AND PADDING HAS BEEN ENTIRELY CUT BY THE BRACKET AND HAS CREATED A CUT MARK ON THE FUEL LINE. NO FUEL LEAKED BECAUSE OF THIS CONDITION. HAD THIS GONE WITHOUT DISCOVERY, THE FUEL LINE WOULD HAVE LIKELY BURST AND ALLOWED FUEL TO SPILL ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. THE METAL BRACKET CREATING THIS HAZARD IS A MOUNTING POINT FOR AN AIR BYPASS VALVE (3S41-9F491-AC). THIS VALVE AND MOUNTING BRACKET IS A COMPONENT UNIQUE TO THE PZEV VARIANT OF THE FORD FOCUS. PICTURES OF THIS DEFECT HAVE BEEN POSTED IN AN ONLINE PUBLIC FORUM LOCATED HERE-> HTTP://WWW.FOCUSFANATICS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=407090 THE TITLE OF THE FORUM THREAD IS "DANGER - FUEL LINE BEING CUT ON A 2004 PZEV". *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT IS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE STRONG GAS FUMES IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND SUGGESTED THAT THE CONTACT MAY BE SMELLING NORMAL GAS FUMES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN THE PAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT EVERYTHING PASSED. THE CAUSE OF THE FUMES HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. THE SMELL HAS CAUSED THE CONTACT'S KIDNEYS TO HURT. FORD STATED THAT THEY WOULD HELP PAY FOR THE COST, IF THEY CAN ASSIST IN DETERMINING THE DEADLY DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16,200.

MY FORD FOCUS ZX5 STALLED ON ME ON THE HIGH WAY JULY 27, LUCKY FOR ME THE TRAFFIC WAS SLOW. TOWED TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. COST ME $600 TO REPLACE IT. I GOT THE CAR BACK ON AUGUST 1, AND TWO DAYS LATER ON AUGUST 3, IT STALLED AGAIN. TOW IT BACK TO DEALER ON AUGUST 7, THE DEALER SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP AGAIN, THEY SAID THE NEW FUEL PUMP THEY REPLACED TWO DAYS AGO WAS DEFECTIVE, AND THEY HAD IT FIXED ON AUGUST 8, AND ONE DAY LATER ON AUGUST 9, IT STALLED AGAIN. TOWED BACK TO DEALER THE THIRD TIME. ON AUGUST 13, THEY CALLED ME AND SAID IT WAS NOT THE FUEL PUMP. (WHAT? SO THEY DIDN'T SERIOUSLY CHECK THE CAR, AND PUT ME INTO VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AGAIN AND AGAIN???) ON AUGUST 17, THEY CALLED TO INFORM ME IT WAS THE INERTIA SWITCH. I WAS VERY DISSATISFIED WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. RENTAL COST (I ASKED FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OF THE RENTAL AND THEY REFUSED). I QUESTIONED THE SERVICE MANAGER ABOUT THE CAR'S SAFETY CONCERN AND THEIR MECHANIC'S INCOMPETENT. THE SERVICE MANAGER KEPT SAYING THE SECOND TIME THE NEW PART WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE SWITCH PROBLEM DIDN'T SHOW UP UNTIL THE THIRD TIME. I REALLY DOUBT IT, BECAUSE EVERY TIME IT SHOWED ME THE SAME PROBLEM. AND I BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FIND THE INERTIA SWITCH PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME. I ALSO CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND ASKED FOR TO BE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE RENTAL CAR. I TOLD HER ABOUT MY SAFETY CONCERN, AND SHE INFORMED ME AS LONG AS I AM STILL NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO . WHAT? DO I NEED TO BE INJURED OR DEAD TO GET THEIR ATTENTION? *TR

MY CAR IS AGAIN IN SERVICE DUE TO A FAULTY GAS CAP. THE WIRE WHICH ATTACHES THE GAS CAP TO CAR KEEPS GETTING CAUGHT WHEN THE CAP IS BE SCREWED ON. CHECK GAS CAP LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME IT IS IN THE SHOP FOR THIS REASON. I AM TOLD I HAVE TO CHECK EACH TIME I GET GAS TO MAKE SURE CAP IS ON PROPERLY AND THAT CONNECTING WIRE IS NOT CAUGHT. I DON'T BELIEVE MOST PEOPLE HAVE TO DO THIS. I BELIEVE THE GAS TANK LINE WAS INSTALLED IMPROPERLY AND THEREFORE IT KEEPS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *JB

IN MINNEAPOLIS 4/23/04 THE CAR STALLED IN STOP AND GO FREEWAY TRAFFIC AND TOOK A FEW MINUTES ON THE FREEWAY TO RE-START-MILEAGE THEN-APPROX 2317 R/O OPEN DATE R/O CLOSE DATE 9/21/04 10/05/04 THE FIRST 4 DATES ARE TRANSMISSION RELATED. INITIALLY THE CAR WOULD POP OUT OF 2ND GEAR WHILE SLOWING OR TURNING A CORNER 2/03/05 2/10/05 BEARINGS REPLACED 2/12/05 2/15/05 CRUISE INOPERABLE 3/15/05 3/23/05 TRANSMISSION REPLACED. 3/25/05 3/30/05 THIS IS A THROTTLE BODY REPLACEMENT ALL OF THESE REPAIRS WERE DONE UNDER WARRANTY. IN A FURTHER PAGE I DO NOT KNOW WHAT "OEM" MEANS SO HAVEN'T ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. *JB

STEERING AND SUSPENSION/ CENTER SUPPORT BEARING/PART# Y542-3B436-A FAILED... BELIEVE CAR SOLD OUT OF ALLIGNMENT. REAR-END, BELIEVED CAUSE ALL WEAR ON FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, UNEVEN WEAR ON ALL TIRES ALSO, AND WOBBLY UNSTABLE REAR END. CAR WAS REPAIRED 6-3-2005 ALSO, THE THROTTLE BODY LINKAGE HAD TO BE REPLACED, WORN OUT, WAS CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND HESITATED ACCELERATION, SOMETIMES ACTING LIKE STUCK....

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED . DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE, AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK FORD MRFG STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF STALLING (FAILURE) DOES NOT INDICATE A SAFETY PROBLEM. THERE HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH 1/2 TANK OF GAS OR LESS SINCE THE CAR REACH 50,000 MILES. *BF

CONTINUOUS PROBLEM WITH SMELL OF GAS IN VEHICLE. EXPERIENCE BAD ACCELERATION AND CAR BURNING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF GAS. *BF THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO COAST AND STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THE EMISSION SYSTEM LIGHT HAD COME ON. THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHEN THE CONSUMER VIEWED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM OUT OF THE MUFFLER. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS THE PROBLEM. *SC