2004 Ford Focus

TYPE OF AUTOMOBILE IS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONSX IGNITION LOCKS UP AND CANNOT START CAR. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE FORD FOCUS DATING BACK TO THE 2000 MODEL AND YET FORD HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS PROBLEM FOR A MOTHER WITH CHILDREN IF SHE WERE TO TRAVEL AT NIGHT AND WHEN RETURNING TO THE CAR COULD NOT START HER ENGINE. IT IS NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE FOR REPAIR OR UNDER WARRANTY IF EXPIRED AND IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT ON THE PART OF FORD AND THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS THAT AFTER RESEARCHING HAS BEEN EVIDENT SINCE THE RELEASE OF THE FORD FOCUS. IT IS TIME THAT FORD DID SOMETHING ABOUT THIS INSTEAD OF LEAVING IT UP TO THE CONSUMER TO REPAIR. *AK

JUNE 2004, I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 FOCUS WITH P195.60.15 GOOD YEAR EAGLE RSA TIRES. I ASSUME THIS IS A STANDARD TIRE USED BY FORD FOR THIS MODEL, AS I WAS NOT ASKED BY THE DEALERSHIP IF I WOULD LIKE TO UPGRADE OR CHANGE THE TIRES. I NEVER DREAMED A CAR WOULD BE SOLD IN THIS AREA WITHOUT AN ADEQUATE FUNCTIONAL TIRE ON. I AM UNABLE TO CONTROL THIS VEHICLE IN WINTER WEATHER. WITH NO WARNING, THE CAR WILL VEER OUT OF CONTROL. I HAVE DRIVEN IN THIS TYPE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR YEARS, BUT NEVER HAVE I EVER HAD A CAR WITH THIS TYPE OF HANDLING PROBLEM. I DO NOT HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY WITH IT IN RAIN OR DRY CONDITIONS, SO IT IS NOT A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE FAILURES IN DECEMBER & JANUARY. I WAS TOLD BY GOOD YEAR TIRE DEALER THAT THE TIRES ARE A HIGH-PERFORMANCE TIRE AND ARE NOT MEANT FOR WINTER DRIVING. THERE ARE NO GRIPPING TREADS FOR SNOW AND ICE. I HAVE TO REPLACE THE TIRES ON THIS CAR WITH 5,600 MILES ON THEM FOR SAFETY PURPOSES SO THAT I DO NOT RISK INJURY OR DEATH TO MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE. I JUST DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY FORD HAS PUT THIS TYPE OF A TIRE ON THE VEHICLE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD BY FORD THE TIRES ARE NOT ADEQUATE FOR CERTAIN CONDITIONS. I AM VERY UPSET THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE A SET OF NEW TIRES ON A NEW VEHICLE SO THAT I CAN FEEL SAFE AND NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO INCORRECT TIRES. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT BEING VERY COOPERATIVE WITH MY COMPLAINT. THE ONLY EXPLANATION I RECEIVE FROM THEM IS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, OR THEY HAVE NEVER HAD THAT KIND OF A COMPLAINT, OR I AM USING BAD DRIVING JUDGMENT FOR THE CONDITIONS. *NM

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BOOM. UPON MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED. THE BALL JOINTS WERE LYING ON THE GROUND, THE TIE ROD WAS BROKE IN HALF AND THE BRAKE HAD ALSO BROKE IN HALF. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY WITH OUT WARNING. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE PROBLEM CAN NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL CONSUMER HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AN D MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON OCTOBER 7, 2004 TO HAVE THE REAR BRAKES REPLACED. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR BRAKES WOULD MAKE THE NOISE SUBSIDE. AS OF NOVEMBER 5, 2004 THE VEHICLE STILL MAKES NOISE. *NM

I WISH TO REPORT A POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE TIRE. ON NOV 20, 2004,I PURCHASED A 2004 FORD FOCUS SE. WITH 5.914 MILES. ON 12/9/04, WHILE DRIVING ALONG THE INTERSTATE FREEWAY, MY CAR'S TIRE BLEW OUT. UPON EXAMINATION, THERE WAS SEVERAL BLOWOUT TEARS ALONG THE OUTER SIDES OF THE TIRE. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO REFERRED ME TO GOODYEAR. GOODYEAR SAID THEY BELIEVED THE TIRES FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY TIRE "UNDER PRESSURE" AND A NAIL PUNCTURE. THE GOODYEAR TECHNICIAN MADE A DETERMINATION UPON VISUAL INSPECTION BASED ON RIPPLES ALONG THE TEAR MARKS WERE CAUSED BY UNDER PRESSURE. THE FORD DEALER MADE THE SAME EXPLANATION AS DID GOODYEAR. HOWEVER, I DISAGREE WITH THE OPINIONS OF BOTH FORD AND GOODYEAR. REQUEST AN EXAMINATION OF MY TIRE TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS ANY TIRE OR BELT MANUFACTURE DEFECTS. MY TIRE IS A GOODYEAR EAGLE, RSA VERSION, SIZE P195/60/R15. MY TIRE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION TO DETERMINE FAILURE.*JB