2007 Ford Focus

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. THE AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF WHEN AN OCCUPANT IS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE OCS SENSOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND THEY MADE THE REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S WEIGHT CAUSED THE LIGHT TO FLASH, BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,544 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91.

ON OCTOBER 25 2007 I PURCHASED A FORD FOCUS SEDAN 4 DOOR CAR WITH MORE OR LESS 400 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I NOTICED THAT WHEN MY DAUGHTER WHICH IS 5 FOOT ONE, 112 LB WAS RIDING IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT, AN INDICATOR LIGHT LIT INDICATING ME THAT THE AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF ( WRITTEN ON THE PLASTIC), TELLING ME THAT AT THIS MOMENT THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF A COLLISION. THIS FEATURE IS SUPPOSED TO ACTIVATE WHEN CHILDREN ARE SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IN ORDER TO AVOID DEPLOYMENT INJURY. I WENT TO MY DEALER 4 TIMES EXPRESSING MY COMPLAINTS AROUND THIS SAFETY ISSUE. EACH TIME THEY TOLD ME THAT THE UNIT WOULD BE RESET AND ULTIMATELY THEY EVEN EXCHANGED A SEAT CUSHION, ALL OF THIS WITH NO AVAIL. CONFRONTED AGAIN WITH THIS PROBLEM WITH MY WIFE AS A PASSENGER (5FT 3 AND 114LB) I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPRODUCED THE SITUATION I WAS EXPLAINING WITH A LOCAL THIN PASSENGER. AS A RESULT OF THIS VISIT I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FILED A COMPLAINT ON 11/19/2007. FORD ADVISED THAT I WOULD RECEIVE A FOLLOW UP CALL IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. TODAY 11/20/2007 FORD CALLED AND TOLD ME THAT ACCORDING TO THEIR ENGINEERS, THE BEHAVIOR OF THE LIGHT WAS "AS DESIGNED" AND AS SUCH I COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. LET ME STATE THAT FORDS EXPLANATION IS RIDICULOUS AND A SEVERE BREACH IN AUTO SECURITY WITH LIABILITY ISSUES. BOTTOM LINE, OCCUPANTS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ( IN THIS CASE MY DAUGHTER OR WIFE) COULD BE SUBJECTED TO LETHAL INJURIES AS A RESULT ON NON DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG DUE TO A FAULTY MECHANISM WHICH INTERPRETS ERRONEOUSLY THAT SMALL ADULTS ARE CHILDREN EVEN IN THE CASE OF NORMAL SMALL ADULTS. I FIND THIS SITUATION COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND AWARENESS, IF NOT A CLASS SUIT SHOULD BE INITIATED AGAINST FORD. AS A CUSTOMER, I'M FRUSTRATED AND FEEL AT RISK USING THIS NEW VEHICLE. *TR

DEAR SIR: I RECENTLY PURCHASED A FORD FOCUS SEDAN 2007 WHICH HAS THE FEATURE IN WHICH IF THE FRONT PASSENGER IS NOT WITHING CERTAIN RANGES THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. CONSISTENTLY, THE NOTIFICATION THAT THE AIR BAG IS OFF LIGHT ON WITH MY 22 YEAR OLD FEMALE DAUGHTER WHICH IS SHORT ( 5FOOT 2 AND 105 POUNDS) IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I HAVE TRIED TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH THE DEALER BUT THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION AND THEY STATE THAT THE THRESHOLD IS SET TO 100LB WHICH I CONSIDER EXCESIVE. AFTER ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES OR SO THE LIGHT TURNS OFF AS IT SHOULD BE, BUT THIS LEAVES AN EXTENDED INTERVAL IN WHICH MY DAUGHTER IS NOT PROTECTED. I'D APPRECIATE YOUR ADVICE ON HOW TO HANDLE THIS MATTER . *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND AFTER IT WAS REPAIRED, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. SHE RETURNED TO THE DEALER TWICE IN ONE WEEK AND THEY REPAIRED THE AIR BAG SENSOR THREE TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIGHT WOULD DIM FOR TWO DAYS, BUT THEN ILLUMINATE AGAIN. SHE BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THE DEALER ADVISED HER NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,300 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,900.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION IN JANUARY OF 2007. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING THAT CRASH AS WELL. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 3,000.