2005 Ford Focus

THE LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON A 5 LANE CITY ROAD CAUSING THE WHEEL TO FOLD UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CAR MADE AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WAS LOST. FORTUNATELY THE CAR CAME TO A STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING AND NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAS CERTAINLY THERE. THE CONTROL ARM FAILED DUE TO CORROSION AND UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE RIGHT FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM IS ALSO RUSTED THROUGH AND CRACKED AND NEARING FAILURE AS WELL. PICTURES ARE ATTACHED. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 105,000 MILES ON IT AND WE ARE THE SECOND OWNER. IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY WELL MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE. IN MY 50 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING ON AUTOMOBILES I'VE NEVER SEEN A CONTROL ARM FAILURE LIKE THIS.

I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I HAD TO BUY A RE-FURBISHED MOTOR, THE TIRES WERE SPLITTING AND THE SUSPENSION AND AIR CONDITIONER ALL NEEDED REPAIRING. WHEN I RECEIVED THE RECALL FROM DOT, [XXX], I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED TALLAHASSEE FORD. THEY DENIED THERE WAS A RECALL AND I WAS MISTAKEN. MY VIN # WAS LISTED IN THE RECALL. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES BUT FORD KEPT GIVING ME A RUN-AROUND AND THEY LIED. SO NOW, I HAVE APPARENTLY MISSED A DEADLINE WHICH WAS NOT LISTED ON THE ORIGINAL NOTICE TO ME. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN AND THIS HAS REALLY STRESSED ME OUT AND IT REALLY MAKES ME NOT TO PURCHASE ANOTHER FORD FROM ANYONE. ON ETHICS ALONE, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THEM DO WHAT THEY BASICALLY REFUSED BY LYING TO ME. IT WAS IN MOTION AND WENT TO THE SHOP WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE NOTICE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ALL 4 EAGLE GT TIRES THAT ARE ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD ARE WORN AND SCALLOPED DUE TO A KNOW PROBLEM TO FORD TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ID: 10034585 JULY 10, 2010 AND SERVICE BULLETIN NO.: TB-21399 COMPONENT(S): TIRES NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10034585. OUR MECHANIC RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND SERVICE BULLETIN SEARCH FOR POSSIBLE MANUFACTURING ISSUES TO CAUSE THE TIRE WEAR. THE SOLUTION THAT FORD HAS COME UP WITH IT TO ADD 4 ADDITIONAL UPPER CONTROL ARMS AT $140 A PIECE PLUS LABOR. WHEN I SPOKE WITH FORD THEY INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM IS A KNOWN ONE BUT ARE UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY ARE WAITING UNTIL PEOPLE ARE EITHER INJURED OR KILLED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ADVISED THEM THAT I WILL KEEP ALL RECEIPTS FOR NEW TIRES. THIS IS THE 4 SET OF TIRES IN 3 YEARS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I ADVISED THEM I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE TIRES ARE TOTALLY WORN AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND DAMAGE AND THEN LET MY INSURANCE CARRIER DEAL WITH THEIR FAULTY VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE SEVERELY. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE STABILIZER ARMS WERE INSTALLED. PRIOR TO THE REPAIR, BOTH REAR TIRES WERE REPLACED TWICE DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR. IN ADDITION, THE AIR FILTER WAS REPLACED EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED THAT THE COMPONENT DID NOT REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200.

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 WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED HIM THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 87,000.

FOR TWO WEEKS I HEARD AND FELT A SLIGHT POP IN THE FRONT DRIVERSIDE WHEEL WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND THEN WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AFTER GAINING SOME MOMENTUM. TOOK IT TO GET LOOKED AT BY MECHANIC AND ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE AREA IN QUESTION MYSELF. (CONTROL ARM, BALL JOINT, CV, SWAY LINK, STEERING ASSEMBLY AND STRUTS) WE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM NOR COULD WE RECREATE THE 'POP' WITH THE CAR ON THE LIFT. WAS SUGGESTED THAT I HAVE MY ENGINE MOUNT BUSHINGS REPLACED WHICH IS FAIRLY CHEAP AND EASY. WHILE WAITING FOR THE BUSHINGS TO ARRIVE MY BALL JOINT 'FAILED'. IT DID NOT BREAK, IT JUST SLIPPED OUT. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH ON SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL ROAD WHICH WAS FREE OF BUMPS, DIPS, ETC. SUDDENLY I HEAR A BANG, THE CAR JERKS AND TIRE SCREECHES. I THOUGHT IT MUST BE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM SO I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STEER IT ONTO THE SHOULDER. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE I SEE THE DRIVERSIDE WHEEL HAS UNATTACHED FROM THE BALL JOINT AND IS NOW KICKED OUT @ 90DEGREES. THE CV IS TORN FROM TRANSMISSION, STABILIZER LINK IS TWISTED, STRUT WAS BENT WAY BACK, TIRE HAS HOLE WORN IN IT, SLIGHT BODY DAMAGE. I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT I HAD NOT MADE IT O THE HIGHWAY YET. THE BALL JOINT WAS NOT BROKEN IN ANY WAY; IT HAD JUST SLIPPED FROM ITS CUFF. I NOW HAVE THE BALL JOINT AND BOLT THAT HOLDS IT TO THE SUSPENSION KNUCKLE AT HOME FOR MY OWN INSPECTION. THERE IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE HERE. THIS IS AN ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER MADE IT PAST THE DRAWING BOARD. BASICALLY, YOU HAVE BARELY 1/16" OF THE SIDE OF THE 1/2" BOLT EXPOSED TO A GROOVE FOR ROUGHLY 1/4". I MEASURED THESE WITH A PAIR OF HIGH GRADE CALIPERS AND WAS APPALLED, I WAS APPALLED WHEN I JUST LOOKED AT THE ASSEMBLY,BUT THOSE NUMBERS ARE WEAK. MY SISTER WAS IN A NEAR FATAL AUTO ACCIDENT LAST YEAR. IT WAS NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. SHE WAS IN A COMA. GUESS WHAT... SHE WAS DRIVING A FORD FOCUS. *TR

2005 FORD FOCUS PASSANGER SIDE A ARM BOLT HOLDING THE A ARM TO THE WHEEL LOSSEND AND JUST ONE BOLT FELL OUT ON THE ROAD CAUSING THE TIRE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO JAM UNDER THE FENDER PULLING THE AXLE OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION STOPPING THE CAR THANKFULL THAT THE CAR WAS GOING SLOW AND STOPPED AND NOT ON A FREEWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 39171 MILES AND HAD BEEN TO THE FORD DEALER FREQUENT FOR A NOISE PROBLEM THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE NOISE AND NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM. THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE FAMILY AND HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED COMMENTS WERE MADE AT THE REPAIR SHOP AS TO THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE THE LACK OF ONE BOLT CAUSED AND THAT LUCKY AS TO THE SPEED TO WHICH IT CAME APART THIS EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN ALOT WORSE. THE SPEED WAS ABOUT 25 MPH GOING THRU A ROUNDABOUT TRAFFIC SIGNAL NORTH BOUND AND CONTINUING TO THE NORTH MAKING A RIGHT STARTING IN THE ROUND ABOUT THEN A LEFT IN THE ROUNDABOUT AND A RIGHT LEAVING THE ROUNDABOUT THE WHEEL JAMED UNDER THE FENDER STOPPING THE CAR IN ITS TRACKS JUST CLEARING THE ROUNDABOUT GOT OUT TO INSPECT THE REASON THE CAR STOPPED AND THE PASSANGER WHEEL WAS TURNED RIGHT AND UNDER THE FENDER THE LEFT WHEEL WAS FACING CORRECT STRAIGHT AHEAD. *CN