2010 Ford Focus

IN ORDER TO START MY DAUGHTER'S USED 2010 FOCUS THE KEY NEEDS TO BE TURNED TO THE IDIOT LIGHTS AND WAIT UNTIL THE NEEDLES MOVE ON THE TEMP AND FUEL GUAGES AND THE CHIME COMES ON THEN CRANK IT AND IT USUALLY STARTS FIRST TRY BUT IT CAN TAKE 3 TRIES AT THIS PROCEDURE. IT CAN BE SCARY. THE 2010 MANUAL ON PAGE 175 SAYS TURN IT 3/4 (IDIOT LIGHTS) AND WAIT THEN CRANK BUT THE 2008 MANUAL SAID THAT TOO ON PAGE 150 BUT IT WASN'T EVER NECESSARY. 3 FORD DEALERS SAY THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE.

SUSPECT THROTTLE BODY CONTROL. WRENCH LIGHT WARNING INDICATOR CAME ON. VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. COULD HERE ENGINE REV BUT WOULD NOT GO FASTER. PULLED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. STOPPED CAR. CHECKED FLUIDS. ALL FLUIDS FINE. WAITED 10 MINUTES. RESTARTED CAR. CAR FINE. WRENCH LIGHT CONTINUES TO REAPPEAR AFTER 10 TO 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING. GOES AWAY AFTER CAR OFF FOR SEVERAL MINUTES THEN RESTARTED. *TT

IN MEDIUM/HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE SPEED BEGAN TO RISE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS COASTING (FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR) IN 3RD GEAR. I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, APPLIED THE BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO AVOID STRIKING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THE ENGINE SPEED CONTINUED TO CLIMB. A BLIP OF THE THROTTLE EVENTUALLY HALTED THE ENGINE SPEED RISE AND THE RPMS SLOWLY RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO RUN NORMALLY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUPLE MINUTES AND I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY SAFELY, STOP AND RESTART THE CAR. AFTER A QUICK EXAMINATION, I FOUND NOTHING IN THE DRIVER'S FOOTWELL THAT COULD'VE INTERFERED WITH THE PEDAL'S OPERATION. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IN WHICH THE VEHICLE HAS ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN VOLITION. THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED ON A RURAL STRETCH OF INTERSTATE. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL, QUICKLY PULLING OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND TURNING OFF THE IGNITION. AT THE TIME I ASSUMED IT WAS A TEMPORARY MALFUNCTION WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM; THE CAR ACTED NORMALLY AFTER BEING RESTARTED. DURING THIS MOST RECENT INCIDENT, HOWEVER, THE CRUISE CONTROL WASN'T ENGAGED AT ANY TIME DURING THE TRIP.

2010 FORD FOCUS SE DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR MAT IS NOT PROPERLY AND SECURELY RETAINED IN POSITION AND MAY SLIDE UP AND UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAUSING "STUCK" PEDAL CONDITION. THE RETENTION SYSTEM CONSISTS OF 2 POSTS MOUNTED IN THE CARPET AND 2 CORRESPONDING HOLES IN THE MAT. MOST OTHER CARS USE A METAL HOOK IN THE CARPET THAT CLIPS TO A HOLE IN THE MAT. THE FOCUS MAT RETENTION POSTS IN THE CARPET ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE MAT IN POSITION. THE MAT EASILY COMES OFF THE POSTS DURING EXIT OF THE VEHICLE AND THEN MIGRATES UP THE FLOOR KICK DURING FUTURE INGRESS AND EGRESS. THERE WAS NO INCIDENT IN MY SITUATION BUT TODAY I HAD TO PULL THE MAT DOWN WHEN IT HAD MIGRATED UP THE FLOOR KICK TO ALMOST TOUCHING THE PEDAL MOUNTING FRAME. IF THE MAT "ROLLED UP", IT COULD CATCH AND HOLD THE PEDAL AND NOT RELEASE WHEN THE DRIVER REMOVES HIS FOOT. TW*