2005 Ford Focus

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2005 FORD FOCUS ZX4 IN DECEMBER OF 2005. UPON DELIVERY I NOTICED MY CAR HAD A HARD TIME STARTING AND THE WHOLE ENGINE WOULD SHAKE AND KNOCK. AFTER A MONTH I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. THE CONDITION CONTINUED AND I TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM BUT ASKED TO KEEP IT FOR AN OVERNIGHT START. I BROUGHT IT IN A FEW DAYS LATER SO THEY COULD KEEP IT OVER NIGHT AND THEY FOUND A BULLETIN BY FORD SAYING THEY KNOW THERE IS A HARD START PROBLEM BUT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT REPLACED BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T UNLATCH OCCASIONALLY. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CASING REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DISCOLORED. THEN ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 62 MILES AN HOUR AND MY CLUTCH WENT OUT AND MY CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY ANOTHER CAR AND HAD TO WEIGHT IN 90 DEGREE WEATHER FOR 2 HOURS FOR A TOW TRUCK TO COME. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO FORD AND THEY SAID MY FLY WHEEL HAD CRUMBLED AND MY CLUTCH WAS BAD. IT TOOK THEM 9 DAYS TO REPLACE MY CLUTCH. A DAY LATER MY CAR WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT WITHOUT GRINDING AND I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THAT THIS TIME THEY HAD TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION BECAUSE IT WAS RUINED AS WELL. TO THIS DAY MY CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP AND HAS BEEN THERE FOR 32 DAYS JUST FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. MY CAR IS ONLY 8 MONTHS OLD AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR OR DIAGNOSIS FOR A TOTAL OF 45 DAYS SO FAR. NEITHER WENDLE MOTORS OR FORD WILL REPLACE THE CAR SO I AM PERUSING A LEMON LAW CASE. *JB

'05 FORD FOCUS ZXW. VEHICLE LESS THAN 2 WEEKS OLD. IN SHOP 4TH TIME FOR VIBRATION IN FRONT END AND PULLING TO RIGHT. DEALER REPLACED 1 FRONT TIRE, BALANCED ALL 4, CHANGED CAMBER ANGLE AND RE-ALIGNED STEERING WHEEL. CAR STILL VIBRATES AT 65 AND NOW PULLS TO LEFT. BACK TO DEALER AGAIN FOR 5TH TIME. APPEARS TO ORIGINATE FROM RIGHT FRONT. WILL PRESS FOR STRUT AND SUSPENSION INSPECTION. *JB

I WAS REAR ENDED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 8/13/05, THE LOCKING MECHANISM IN MY SEAT BELT DIDN'T WORK PROPERLY AND MY FACE AND ARM WERE PROPELLED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN I WAS REAR ENDED. I WAS HIT WITH SO MUCH FORCE THAT MY CAR WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR WHO WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR. *JB

DT: 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR OVER A MONTH. THE FIRST INDICATION WAS THAT IT WOULD NOT SHIFT RIGHT AND THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. THE CONSUMER HAD TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN 3RD GEAR. THE PART WAS ON BACK-ORDER, AND THERE WERE SO MANY ON ORDER THAT THERE WAS NO KNOWN DATE WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. *JB

AS VEHICLE WARMS UP, THERE IS A WHINING NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE RPMS BEING HIGHER. IT ALMOST FEELS AS IF IT'S BELT OR POWER STEERING RELATED, BUT THERE IS NO LOSS OF STEERING POWER. ALSO, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO LOSS OF POWER ANYWHERE ELSE. WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE WHERE A TURN IS INVOLVED, AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, THE NOISE IS "FEELING" IN THE WHEEL IS A BIT EXAGGERATED. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO JEROME DUNCAN FORD (IN STERLING HEIGHTS, MI) FOR SERVICE YESTERDAY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE NOISE IS "NORMAL OPERATING" NOISE. I DON'T BUY IT AND TOLD THEM I'D DEFINITELY BE BACK IF SOMETHING WENT WRONG.

WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2005 FORD FOCUS ZXW SE 4 DOOR STATION WAGON, VIN [XXX] FROM SCARFF FORD IN AUBURN, WASHINGTON. WHILE RETURNING FROM OUT VACATION A BLACK PLASTIC PIECE OF VENT MATERIAL ABOUT TWELVE INCHES LONG FELL FROM UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASH AND LODGED BEHIND THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR. WE WERE ON THE FREEWAY AT THE TIME TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND WITH A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY I WAS ABLE, FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT TO REACH AND DISLODGE THE OBSTRUCTION. WE WERE EXTREMELY LUCKY TO AVOID A LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT. THE NEXT DAY, JULY 13, 2005 I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO SCARFF FORD AND THEY REINSTALLED THE PART AT NO CHARGE. HOWEVER, I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS INCIDENT COULD REPEAT ITSELF WITH OTHER FORD FOCUS OWNERS AND HAVE A FAR WORSE OUTCOME. ONE THING I DID NOTICE WAS WHILE THE ''VENT PIECE'' HAD PROVISIONS FOR FOUR ATTACHING SCREWS, THERE APPEARED TO BE ONLY ONE IN USE. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY TO BLAME, BUT I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)