2005 Ford Focus

REFERRING TO CASE # [XXX]. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE SHORT WAS IN FACT THE SMALL BUNDLE OF WIRES GOING INTO THE LIFTGATE. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO ALL AFFECTED WIRES. INCLUDING INSTALLATION OF A BRAND NEW HEADLIGHT SWITCH FORD CERTIFIED. COST OF REPAIRS 2347 DOLLARS AND 97 CENTS.UPON READING OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE I'VE SEEN AT LEAST 40 OTHER CASES CAUSED BY THE SAME BUNDLE OF WIRES. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND AS YOU CAN SEE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A VEHICLE TO BURST INTO FLAMES WHILE DRIVING. SOMETHING'S GOTTA BE DONE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE LEFT REAR TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING- THE BLOWN BULB INDICATION WAS NOTICED BY THE FAST FLASH SIGNAL ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR. WHEN GOING TO REPLACE THE BULB IT WAS FOUND THAT THE UPPER SOCKET FOR THE TURN SIGNAL SOCKET IS MELTED TO THE LENS COVER. THE LENS COVER SOCKET MOUNTING HOLE WAS DISTORTED BY HEAT. ONCE THE SOCKET WAS REMOVED THE BULB WAS FOUND NOT TO BE BLOWN. THE SOCKET HOUSING SHOWS INTERNAL SIGNS OF HEAT DAMAGE -COLOR CHANGE. THE BULB WAS IN POSITION IN THE SOCKET AND THE BULB BASE SHOWED NO SIGN OF MELTING AT THE BULB CONTACT POINTS. IT APPEARS THE HEAT WAS GENERATED IN THE SOCKET CONNECTION TO THE BULB BASE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINT OF A SIMILAR FINDING ON MULTIPLE YEARS OF THE FORD FOCUS THAT WERE EASILY FOUND WITH A INTERNET SEARCH- FORD FOCUS MELTED SOCKET. PURCHASING REPLACEMENT SOCKET FROM DEALER AS THIS IS A MAJOR PERSONAL SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I PURCHASED A USED 2005 FORD FOCUS ZXW WAGON. I LOVE THE VEHICLE, AS IT GETS GOOD MILEAGE, & HAS AMPLE SPACE, BUT I RAN INTO A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AS MY LEFT TAIL LIGHT WENT OUT ON ME. UPON TAKING OUT THE REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY, AND TRYING TO REPLACE THE LIGHT BULB, I HAD THE HARDEST TIME TAKING OUT THE LIGHT SOCKET OUT OF THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY TO CHANGE THE BULB. UPON FINALLY GETTING THE LIGHT SOCKET OUT, I FIND THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY WHERE THE LIGHT SOCKET HOLDS THE BULB HAD MELTED, & DEFORMED THE HOLE OF THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. WHAT A TERRIBLE DESIGN! FROM THERE, I DECIDED TO TAKE OUT THE RIGHT SIDE TAIL LIGHT AND CHECK TO SEE IF THE RIGHT SIDE TAIL LENS IS TOAST TOO........SURE ENOUGH, THE RIGHT SIDE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD MELTED TOO, BUT LUCKY FOR ME IT STILL WORKS. FORD SHOULD HONOR A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, AS I'VE READ NUMEROUS FORUMS ABOUT THE TAIL LIGHTS MELTING ON THE FORD FOCUS WAGONS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FOR FOCUS ZXW STATION WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION AND THE SHIFT OVER RIDE BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED, THE KEY WOULD BECOME LOCKED IN THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT GLUED THE SHIFT OVER RIDE BUTTON IN PLACE AND CHANGED THE IGNITION, WHICH RESOLVED THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE METAL FRAME OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT BECAME CRACKED. THE CONTACT HAD TO PROP THE SEAT UP SO THAT HE COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 205,000. UPDATED 02/20/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS POORLY DESIGNED. UPDATED 02/21/13 THE CONSUMER STATED THE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, AFTER HAVING THE FLUID FLUSHED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WERE RIGID AND WERE EASY TO BREAK, THE REAR SUSPENSION SPRINGS WERE NOT DESIGNED TO CARRY WEIGHT, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BOUNCE ON THE HIGHWAY AND SECONDARY ROAD BUMPS. THE HEAT SHIELDS ATTACHED TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WERE DESIGNED POORLY, TO THE POINT THEY WERE BENT AND CAUSED A RATTLE. THE STEEL RIMS, BENT EASILY, WHICH CREATED A VIBRATION AND BALANCE PROBLEM. THE HEADLIGHTS LENSES WERE DISCOLORED, THE VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKED OIL ONTO THE SPARK PLUGS, THE HOOD CABLES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE HOOD CABLE FROZE AND BROKE. UPDATED 07/25/13

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT BULBS OVERHEATED AND AS A RESULT, MELTED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH, THE BACK UP LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. HE WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 24,000. UPDATED 11/24/08 *CN UPDATED 11/26/08. *JB

NOTICED ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK ON FRIDAY THAT WHEN I CLICKED ON THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL, IT WENT IN A "FAST BLINK" WHICH USUALLY MEANS A BURNED OUT BULB, SHORT, OR BLOWN FUSE, BUT USUALLY JUST A BURNED OUT BULB. ONCE I GOT HOME IN THE DRIVEWAY, I GET OUT AND TEST THE LIGHTS AND SEE THAT THE FRONT LEFT TURN SIGNALS ARE FLASHING FAST, AND THE BACK LEFT TURN SIGNAL IS NOT FLASHING AT ALL. I'M STILL HOPING FOR A BURNED OUT BULB AT THIS POINT. I MAKE A NOTE TO CHANGE IT OUT IN THE MORNING. ON SATURDAY OCT 4TH I PULL OFF THE LEFT REAR LIGHTING ASSEMBLY, CONSISTING OF TWO SCREWS HOLDING IT TO THE CAR, AND I FIND TWO BULB CONNECTIONS; THE BOTTOM ONE (BRAKE LIGHTS) HAS A NORMAL QUARTER TURN AND PULL OUT CONNECTOR TO GET TO THE BULB. ONLY THAT BULB IS FINE. THE TOP ONE ALSO HAS ONE OF THOSE "QUARTER-TURN-AND-PULL" CONNECTORS, ONLY IT DOES NOT "PULL" HECK IT DOESN'T EVEN QUARTER TURN, IT'S FROZEN IN PLACE, AND THE BACK SIDE OF THIS LIGHT ASSEMBLY IS MELTED INTO AN EGG SHAPE (SUPPOSED TO BE ROUND). NOW I'M NOT INTO JUST A BULB ANY MORE. IT'S SATURDAY, AND MY NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP IS ON M-F BANKERS HOURS, SO I ORDER A REPLACEMENT FROM AUTOZONE FOR $100 WHICH SHOULD BE HERE THIS WEEK. I SEE FROM NHTSA WEB SITE THAT THERE ARE NO EXISTING RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER SOMEBODY ELSE APPARENTLY HAS ALSO SUBMITTED THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I WILL BE ASKING MY FORD DEALER ABOUT IT THIS COMING WEEK, BUT I AM ALSO FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO DOCUMENT A PART FAILURE ON A CAR THAT IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD, AND WHATEVER THE REASON; THIS FAILURE INVOLVES ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, EXTERNAL LIGHTING, MELTING PLASTIC PARTS, AND FAILED SAFETY EQUIPMENT. I LEAVE IT UP TO YOU TO DETERMINE IF FURTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED. *TR UPDATED 02/19/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE ISSUE WITH THE MELTED ASSEMBLY AROUND THE BRAKE LIGHT SOCKET WAS NOT LIMITED TO THE BACK LEFT, BUT ALSO PRESENT IN THE BACK LIGHT TAIL LIGHT OF HIS 2005 FORD FOCUS STATION WAGON. UPDATED 02/19/10.*JB UPDATED 08/20/10*JB

1)THERE WASN'T MUCH LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. IT JUST HAPPENED. NOT ONE, BUT BOTH OF THE CASINGS FOR OUR REAR/BRAKE SIGNAL LIGHTS MELTED. THAT MEANT THAT THE LAMP ASSEMBLY, OR HOLE, THAT THE LIGHT BULB SOCKET GOES INTO, MELTED IN BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR LIGHTS EVEN THOUGH WE NEVER CHANGED THE BULBS BEFORE IN OUR CAR. THE CASING, OR LAMP ASSEMBLY, BECAME WARPED AFTER MELTING SO THAT WE COULDN'T EVEN TWIST THE LIGHT BULB SOCKET TO CHANGE THE BULB. 2) THIS MADE IT SO THAT BOTH REAR/BREAK LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. 3) WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING. IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN US NO MORE THAN $4 TO BUY AND CHANGE A LIGHT BULB. INSTEAD IT TOOK THE $181.89 TO REPLACE THE LEFT CASING (LAMP ASY), BULB AND SOCKET ASY. DEALER SAID PROBLEM MIGHT BE DUE TO DRIVING IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC AND THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE IN OUR CAR. WE NEED TO GET THE RIGHT/REAR LIGHT FIXED ALSO, SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS DIVISION FOR THE CAR COMPANY. THEY CONTEND THEY ARE SIDING WITH THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS A STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC PROBLEM. THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT AND SAY IT'S NOT COVERED BY MY WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE DRIVING IN CITIES WHOSE PLASTIC PARTS ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE HEAT OF THE LIGHTBULBS. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS I DON'T KNOW IF THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE IF PLASTIC PARTS, LIKE THE CASING, CAN'T WITHSTAND HEAT. *TR

DT: 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE GRILL AND HEADLIGHTS WERE OUT OF PLACE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY WERE NOT SURE IF THEY WERE GOING TO ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP MADE ADJUSTMENTS, BUT THE CONSUMER DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS PROPERLY CORRECTED. THE CONSUMER STATED ONLY ONE HALF OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS ABLE TO BE PUT IN COMPLIANCE. HE HAS BEEN TOLD THE RADIATOR SUPPORT PANEL WAS BUILT IN AN IMPROPER POSITION. FORD STATED THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT WITHIN TOLERANCE. IT SHOULD NOT AFFECT ANY SAFETY COMPONENTS. WHEN THE CONSUMER ASKED FOR THAT IN WRITING THEY WERE UNSURE OF THEMSELVES. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE HOOD SITS TOO LOW AT THE FENDER NEAR THE RIGHT A- PILLAR, THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. *JB