2007 Ford Focus

THE ACCELERATOR ON MY 2007 FORD FOCUS STATION WAGON WITH 50,000 MILES BEGAN STICKING WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GOES BELOW 40. I PRESS ON THE PEDAL AND IT WON'T MOVE, THEN IT JUMPS DOWN AND MOVES QUICKLY. ACCORDING TO THE FORD DEALER, AN ELECTRONIC PIECE, THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED. ACCORDING TO THEM, FORD IS NOT MANUFACTURING THAT PART AND THE CAR CAN NOT BE REPAIRED UNTIL THEY FIND A NEW SUPPLIER, POSSIBLY END OF JANUARY. IT HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE DEC 6 WITH A STICKING ACCELERATOR AND IS NOT NOW CURRENTLY SAFE TO DRIVE OR FIXABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT ACCELERATED TO 60 MPH AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE DETECTS THE PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR AND AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATES TO 60 MPH. THE DEALER IS CURRENTLY REPLACING THE VALVE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

I HAVE TWO PROBLEMS WITH DESIGN FLAWS IN MY 2007 FORD FOCUS SSE: (1) .BECAUSE OF WHERE THE DOOR LOCK IS LOCATED, JUST ABOVE THE DOOR HANDLES (FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES) ALL THE DOORS WILL LOCK AT TIMES AND YOU DON'T REALIZE IT WHEN YOU OPEN, GET OUT, THEN CLOSE THE DOOR. MOST OFTEN IN SITUATIONS WHERE YOU HAVE LEFT THE MOTOR RUNNING WITH THE KEY NOW LOCKED INSIDE. THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE OF COMING IN CONTACT WITH THIS LOCK WITH YOUR FINGERS OR HAND WHILE OPENING THE DOOR WITH THE HANDLE. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DESPITE NOW KNOWING WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A COMPLETE NUISANCE AND DANGEROUS IF CHILDREN WOULD HAPPEN TO BE LEFT IN THE CAR WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE DOORS LOCKED AND NO SECOND KEY ON HAND. (2). THE SECOND PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THE AUTOMOBILE IS I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE "AUDI EFFECT" WHERE THE CAR ACCELERATES ON OCCASION WHEN BRAKING. THIS I ALSO ASCRIBE TO A DESIGN FLAW: THE BRAKE PEDAL AND GAS PEDAL ARE PLACED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER AND AT A RELATIVE CLOSE HEIGHT TO ONE ANOTHER. AFTER TAKING THE DEFENSIVE POSITION, IN A POTENTIAL BRAKING SITUATION, IF YOU HAVE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE QUICKLY AND HARD, THE CAR ACCELERATES. THIS TAKES YOU COMPLETELY BY SUPRISE AND IT TAKES TIME TO RESPOND. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE SAME WAY FOR 45 YEARS, WITH MANY VEHICLES, AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. LUCKILY THE CAR SAT MOST OF THE WINTER BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM I DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY AND NO ONE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE ON SNOW COVERED OR ICY ROADS. I BROUGHT THIS UP AT THE END OF APRIL IN A VISIT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO FILE A COMPLAINT BY SERVICE MANAGER STEVE LOVALVO. I WANT TO BRING BOTH OF THESE DEFECTS TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE I FEEL THAT I HAVE LEASED A LEMON THAT HAS PROBLEMS THAT CANNOT BE SERVICED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND PRESENTS POTENTIAL PROBLEMS FOR MANY OTHER DRIVERS ALSO. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY. THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT DISENGAGE PROPERLY. IN ADDITION, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK PROPERLY OR ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 14,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,523.UPDATE 09/10/08 *CW DOORS DO NOT LOCK PROPERLY. UPDATED 09/16/08. *JB

THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURED ABOUT 10 TIMES. THE VEHICLE LOSES SPEED BUT THE TACHOMETER RPMS INCREASED. THE SPEED WILL DROP TO 5 MPH AND THEN INCREASE UP TO MAYBE 20 MPH AND THEN DROP BACK DOWN. IT WON'T GO OVER 20 MPH. THE CONDITION LASTE D FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES. EITHER THE CONDITIONS CORRECTED ITS SELF OR I HAD TO STOP THE CAR AND RESTART IT. WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED THE DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WAS RELATED TO THE TRACTION CONTROL WHICH WAS STRUCK ON. THE DEALER NOW SAID THAT THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES ON THE COMPUTER, SO THE ONLY THING TO DO WAS WAIT FOR THE CAR TO BREAK DOWN. SINCE I LOST SPEED IN TRAFFIC I FELT THAT THISWAS A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK