2003 Ford Focus

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS TIED SHUT BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT LATCH PROPERLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V030000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH) AND SHE WOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,748. UPDATED 05/06/08 *BF UPDATED 05/06/08 *TR

ON JANUARY 22, 2008 THE KEY WOULD NOT START THE CAR, IT WOULD NOT TURN TO RELEASE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK. THIS HAD HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIME PREVIOUSLY BUT WE WERE ABLE TO TURN IT AFTER CONSIDERABLE EFFORT. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY COLD DAY IN MICHIGAN AND COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS PROBLEM IF I DID NOT GET SOME HELP FROM MY DAUGHTER. WE CALLED SEVERAL LOCKSMITHS AND FINALLY ONE MOBILE LOCKSMITH CAME AND REPLACED THE LOCK. *TR

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 05V030000 REGARDING RECALL OF FORD FOCUS MODELS 2000-2005 FOR REAR DOOR LATCH PROBLEMS (FORD RECALL 05S27) IDENTIFIES VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AT THE WAYNE ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM MAY 22, 2002 THROUGH JANUARY 26, 2005 AS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED. MY VEHICLE WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AS AFFECTED BY FORD FOR THIS RECALL. HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED AT THE WAYNE ASSEMBLY PLANT IN JUNE 2003 AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DOOR LATCH PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE. I FEEL THAT MY VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. SO FAR THEY HAVE REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION TO REMEDY MY COMPLAINT. *TR

REF. NHTSA 05V030000 MY DAUGHTER TOOK HER CAR TO REEMY FORD OF JOHNSON CITY TN. TO HAVE THE SAFETY RECALL TAKEN CARE OF. REEMY FORD SAID THEY COMPLIED WITH THE RECALL. SINCE THEN THE DOOR WILL NOT LATCH. THE RECALL STATES IF THE LATCHES DO NOT PASS THE EVALUATION THEY WILL BE REPLACED. WHEN REEMY WAS CALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM THEY TOLD MY DAUGHTER THAT THEY HAD COMPLIED WITH THE RECALL AND THAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. LATCH DOES NOT LATCH, SOUNDS LIKE THE RECALL NOTICE. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT PRESSED THE UNLOCK BUTTON TO OPEN THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND IT FAILED TO OPEN. SHE HAD TO MANUALLY PULL THE DOOR THREE TIMES BEFORE IT OPENED. FORD STATED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL # 05V030000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 46,898.

1ST- TRUNK LATCH DOES NOT DISENGAGE, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN MY NEAREST TOWN. AFTER 3-4 TIMES OF ADJUSTING AND OILING, IT STILL DOES NOT RELEASE CORRECTLY, WHEN YOU PUSH THE DASHBOARD RELEASE, OPEN THE TRUNK IT CLOSES THE LATCH ON ITS OWN, YOU CANT CLOSE THE TRUNK UNLESS YOU REPRESS THE DASH RELEASE, WHICH IS DIFFICULT WITH ARMS FULL, OR PULL THE SAFETY RELEASE PROVIDED FOR NOT GETTING LOCKED IN THE TRUNK, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR. 2ND- MY IGNITION FROZE UP YESTERDAY MORNING. NO FOR WARNING. HADN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS. NOW I HAVE TO GET BACK TO MY CAR AND GET IT TO THE GARAGE. BEING NEWER TO THE AREA AND NO OTHER VEHICLE AT MY DISPOSAL IT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO COST ME NOT TO MENTION THE REPAIR COST. 3RD- OH MY GOD--- I JUST READ ABOUT THE BACK DOOR PROBLEMS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING, I TRANSPORT VERY PRECIOUS CARGO BACK THERE, MY GRAND CHILDREN, BEING THAT THERE ARE 3 OF THEM TWO HAVE TO BE BY THE DOOR. I WILL HAVE THE SERVICE AREA CHECK MY DOORS WHEN THEY FIX THE IGNITION. WHY WASN'T I TOLD ABOUT THIS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE STARTER FAILED. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE FLYWHEEL AND THE STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THIRTY TIMES FOR THE FOLLOWING FAILURES: BRAKES ROTORS WERE REPLACED FOUR TIMES; BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED; THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO REPAIR IT. THE ELECTRICAL WIRING UNDER THE DASHBOARD HAD TO BE REWIRED. THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE VALVES; THE REAR DOOR LATCHES WERE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO RECALL # 05V300000. THE DEALERSHIP HAD NOT CORRECTED THE NOISES FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO COOPERATED IN FINDING A SUITABLE RESOLUTION. THE LAST PROBLEM FOUND BY THE DEALERSHIP WAS THE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE HEADS. THE ENGINE HEADS WERE ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE FRAME.