2005 Ford Focus

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE SIDE. THE FRONT END OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE CONTACT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES ALONG WITH WHIPLASH. THE POLICE WERE AT THE SCENE AND PROVIDED A WRITTEN REPORT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DEEMED IT TOTALED. THERE WAS ADDITIONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH AROUND A SHARP CURVE, THE BRAKES FAILED. ALSO, THERE WAS A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WHICH RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE RUNNING ONTO A SIDEWALK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE STEERING AND THE BRAKES WERE NOT DEFECTIVE. THE DEALERSHIP FURTHER DETERMINED THE BALL JOINTS WERE FRACTURED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED BALL JOINT FAILURE LED TO THE ACCIDENT. REPAIRS WERE MADE TO FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION, AS WELL AS A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. *AK

I HAVE A 2005 FORD FOCUS ZX5 WITH 19,000 MILES ON IT THAT I PURCHASES ON 2-16-2006. I HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL 2-22-2006. MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND HIS GRANDMOTHER WAS IN THE CAR WITH HIM AN HE TRIED TO STOP AT A STOP LIGHT, WHEN HE HIT THE BRAKES THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. HE PUMPED THE BRAKES 3-4 TIMES AND THEN JAMMED ON THEM. WHEN HE JAMMED ON THEM THE CAR SLIP INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM. WHEN OUR CAR STOPPED THE ENGINE WAS RACING. HE TURNED THE CAR OFF. WE TRIED TO START THE CAR A COUPLE OF OTHER TIMES AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT BUT THE MOTOR WOULD STILL RACE UNTIL THE POLICE OFFICER OPENED THE HOOD. THIS CAUSED FRONT END DAMAGE TO OUR FOCUS AND DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE HE HIT. THE OTHER VEHICLE ALSO HAD A PERSONAL INJURY THAT WAS REPORTED LATER. THERE HAS BEEN NOT CORRECTIVE ACTION DONE TO THIS POINT. *NM

EVERY TIME WE WOULD ATTEMPT TO DRIVE OUR 2005 FORD FOCUS ZX3 ON SLIPPERY ROADS THE REAR END WOULD WIGGLE FROM SIDE TO SIDE, AT 20 MPH OR FASTER, IT FELT AS IF YOU WERE GOING TO LOOSE CONTROL AT ANY TIME, IT WAS REAL BAD WHEN YOU WENT FROM CLEAN ROADS TO SLIPPERY, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO GO SIDEWAYS ! FORD GAVE OUR DEALER SEVERAL THINGS TO TRY, BUT THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO STOP CAR FROM WIGGLING ALL OVER, THIS CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE, DEALER HAD THE CAR AT THERE LOT FOR APROX 28 DAYS, MAINLY BECAUSE I WOULD NOT LET MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR WHEN ROADS WERE SLIPPERY, WE FEARED FOR HER SAFETY ! FORD DECIDED THEY COULD DO NO MORE UNTIL FORD SERVICE ENGINEER HAD A CHANCE TO DRIVE IT ON SLIPPERY ROADS, HE WAS NEVER ABLE TO GET HERE WHEN ROADS WERE BAD, HE DID A WEEK OR SO AGO DRIVE A XZ3 AT A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP WHEN THE ROADS WERE ICY, HE CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT OUR DEALERSHIP TO TELL HIM THAT THE FOCUS HE DROVE WAS ALL OVER THE ROAD, AND THAT IT ALMOST WENT SIDEWAYS WHEN HE WENT FROM SLIPPERY TO DRY ! SO THEY DECIDED THAT ALL FOCUS ZX3 MUST DO THAT, AND THAT THERE WAS NO FIX ! ONLY PARTS THAT I KNOW THAT WERE CHANGED WERE THE TIE-BLADES ? FORD WOULD NOT HELP US GET OUT OF IF THIS CAR, BUT OUR DEALER WORKED VERY HARD WITH US, AND GOT MY WIFE IN TO A 2006 ESCAPE YESTERDAY ! A BIG THANK YOU GOES OUT TO SIMMONS FORD IN VICKSBURG MICHIGAN ! *NM

FORD FOCUS HAS LESS THAN 7800 MILES ON IT, AND YESTERDAY MORNING AT 5:30 AM WHILE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON SOUTH BOUND ON I-75 AT 75 MPH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *AK THANKFULLY HE WAS NOT INJURED HOWEVER, SINCE HE WAS NEARLY THE ONLY VEHICLE ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME THIS IS CAUSE FOR GREAT CONCERN. HE IMMEDIATELY CALLED PAT MILLIKEN FORD WHERE WE LEASED THE VEHICLE AND THEY ASKED HIM TO BRING IT IN THAT EVENING FOR REPAIR. THIS AFTERNOON (1-25-06) WE GET A CALL FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT WE NEED TO FILE AN INSURANCE CLAIM BECUASE THERE IS A SMALL DENT UNDER THE VEHICLE WHICH POSSIBLY HIT THE SENSOR AND CAUSED THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. THEY INFORMED US THAT AN ADJUSTER WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT IT. THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THERE IS NO WAY THAT IF SOMETHING HIT THE SENSOR UNDER THE CAR THE SIDE AIRBAG SHOULD DEPLOY. I HAVE AN 8-MONTH OLD CHILD WHO'S CAR SEAT IS LOCATED BEHIND THE DRIVERS SIDE, I CAN ONLY THANK GOD SHE WAS NOT IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. WHILE YOU PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE BAGS TO DEPLOY WHEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT YOU NEVER EXPECT THEM TO DEPLOY WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN FILING A CLAIM BUT I WILL START WITH YOU AND WILL NOT END UNTIL I GET SOME RESULTS. I NEVER WANT TO SEE THIS HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME, MY HUSBAND COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE, CAUSED AN ACCIDENT HIMSELF WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURED. PAT MILLIKEN FORD TOLD US THAT THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 3 OTHER FORD FOCUS'S BROUGHT IN FOR THE SAME IDENTICAL REASON. CLEARLY THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO FOR THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE WHO OWNS A FORD FOCUS.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN USING THE HEATER DUST BLEW IN HIS EYES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKING BACK TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER TOLD HIM THE PARTICLES WERE ACTUALLY FLUX FROM THE HEATER CORE. WHEN THE HEATER CORE GOT HOT THE FLUX BROKE UP AND SEPARATED FROM THE CORE. THE DEALER FLUSHED THE HEATER CORE. THIS STOPPED THE PARTICLES FROM ESCAPING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE CONTACT'S EYES WERE BURNING AND STINGING WHEN THE FLUX BLEW IN HIS EYES. HE MUST TURN THE VENTS AWAY FROM HIS FACE TO AVOID ANY CONTACT WITH THE PARTICLES. THE VEHICLE IS SCHEDULED FOR ANOTHER HEATER CORE FLUSH NEXT WEEK. NO OTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK