2007 Ford Focus

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DOOR LATCH FOR THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE AND HE COULD NOT GET EXIT FROM THAT DOOR. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I AM THE OWNER OF A 2007 FORD FOCUS [XXX], IT'S A PRETTY GOOD LITTLE CAR. EXCEPT FOR ONE THING, THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. THEN IT GOES OFF. THIS REPEATS. IT STARTED IN APRIL AND LASTED UNTIL THE CAR WOULDN'T START LEAVING MY WIFE STRANDED 50 MILES FROM HOME. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER, BILL UTTER FORD IN DENTON, TX. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD THE PREMIUMCARE EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND THEY UNDERSTOOD AND LET ME KNOW IF IT WAS JUST THE BATTERY I'D STILL BE RESPONSIBLE AS FORD CONSIDERS THAT A WEAR AND TEAR ITEM. THEY CHECKED THE CAR AND DETERMINED IT WAS JUST THE BATTERY FOR WHICH THEY CHARGED ME $246.61. THE CAR WAS RUNNING ALL RIGHT. UNTIL TUESDAY WHEN THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. AND TURNED OFF. THIS TIME HOWEVER MY WIFE WAS MUCH CLOSER TO HOME AND SHE BROUGHT IT BACK. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER WE BOUGHT IT FROM, BANKSTON AND THY EXAMINED THE CAR AND FOUND THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT PROPERLY CHARGING THE BATTERY. THEY REPLACED IT AND I PAID A $100 DEDUCTIBLE FOR THE PREMIUMCARE WARRANTY. SO NOW, FOR ONE PROBLEM I'VE PAID $346.61, WHICH IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS IS NOT SO MUCH. BUT IT DOES SEEM TO ME ABOUT $246.61 MORE THAN I NEEDED TO PAY. SO I CALLED BILL UTTER FORD AND WHILE THE MAN THAT ANSWERED WAS VERY NICE AND HAD REASONABLE CONCERNS ABOUT REFUNDING MY MONEY. HE ALSO SAID THAT THEY HAD REPLACED MANY ALTERNATORS IN FOCUSES (FOCII?) WITH THE BATTERY LIGHT COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR "FORD FOCUS INTERMITTENT BATTERY LIGHT" WHERE I RECEIVED 101,000 HITS. THAT IS MORE THAN A FEW. CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN A FEW. BILL UTTER SAYS THEY CAN'T JUST REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR IF IT TESTS OK UNLESS THERE'S A RECALL OR A SERVICE BULLETIN. 101,000 GOOGLE HITS APPARENTLY HASN'T WARRANTED A SERVICE BULLETIN. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WITH NO ACCIDENT, TRAUMA OR UNUSUAL EVENT, MY AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT BEGAN TO COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK, IT STAYED ON. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. FOR $119.16, THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS CODES B1868 - AIRBAG LAMP FAILURE AND B2232 AIRBAG CIRCUIT OPEN LOOP #2 FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT. IT WOULD COST $1,100 TO REPLACE THE MODULE.

THE REAR DOORS DO NOT LOCK. THE MANUAL LOCKING DEVICE DOESN'T MOVE, NOR DOES THE LOCK ON THE REMOTE WORK, SO THERE IS NO WAY TO LOCK THE DOORS. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN LIKE THIS FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT US NOTICING. THANK GOODNESS THAT A CHILD DID NOT TRY TO OPEN THE DOOR BECAUSE IT HAS NOT LOCKED. THIS ISSUE IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TT

I WAS RECENTLY DRIVING AND MY CAR ENGINE WAS REVVING UP WHEN I WOULD PUSH IN THE CLUTCH. AFTER TAKING IT IN TO THE MECHANIC, THEY TOLD ME MY ALTERNATOR WENT OUT. THIS WOULD NOT BE A BIG DEAL BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING COMMON AMONG 2007 FORD FOCUS OWNERS. NOT ONLY DOES THIS REPAIR SEEM PREMATURE BUT IT ALSO IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN REPLACING MOST ALTERNATORS BECAUSE IT IS A DEALER ONLY PART. IF YOU THINK IT IS JUST ME HERE IS A WEBSITE WITH MORE COMPLAINTS: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/FOCUS/2007/ELECTRICAL/ALTERNATOR_DEAD.SHTML *JS

WHEN SLOWING DOWN (COASTING OR BREAKING) THE ACCELERATOR HANGS. IT WILL HOLD AT A CONSTANT RPM (BETWEEN 2500 AND 4000, DIFFERENT EACH TIME) I HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND DEPRESS THE THROTTLE ALL THE WAY SEVERAL TIMES. I CHECKED THE THROTTLE CABLE AND THERE IS STILL TENSION ON IT SO IT IS NOT MECHANICAL BETWEEN THE PEDAL AND THE THROTTLE BODY. ALMOST SEEMS LIKE A NEUTRAL SENSOR. *TR

THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES (20+) WHERE I SLOW DOWN TO STOP AND IT ACCELERATES ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE TO THROW IT INTO NEUTURAL AND HIT THE GAS PEDDLE A FEW TIMES TO BRING IT BACK DOWN TO IDLE AND ONCE I COULDN'T GET IT BACK DOWN SO I HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THIS IS A SERIOUS FLAW AND REAL SCARY WHEN IT HAPPENS!! I'VE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE TOO! *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH OVER A POTHOLE, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO BOTH STATED THAT THE ENTIRE AIR BAG SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIANS ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED, THE AIR BAG SYSTEM RESPONDED AS THOUGH A MASSIVE IMPACT WAS INVOLVED WITH THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO IMPACT NOR DID THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AT 7:30 THIS MORNING, I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THE PALISADES PARKWAY, MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 70 MPH, WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY SMOKE IN THE INTERIOR OF MY CAR. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN AND REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS STILL OPERATING FINE, BUT THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. I DID NOT HIT A POT HOLE, NOR WAS I HIT OR HIT ANY ONE OR ANY THING. IT JUST DEPLOYED ON IT'S OWN. THE SEAT BAG WAS LOCATED IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THERE IS NOW FOAM RUBBER IN THE INTERIOR OF MY CAR FROM THE SEAT. THE SEAM ON THE SEAT IS OPEN. I CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. I ALSO CALLED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER CARE SERVICE, WHICH ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER AND I SHOULD HEAR BACK IN ABOUT 24-48 HOURS. UPON LOOKING ON THE WEB, I HAVE FOUND ABOUT 25 ADDITIONAL INSTANCES OF THE SAME AIR BAG DEPLOYING FOR NO REASON. MY LEFT ARM, MY NECK ARE BRUISED FROM THE IMPACT OF THE AIRBAG. I ALSO AM HAVING RINGING IN MY LEFT EAR FROM THE BANG. IS THERE ENOUGH EVIDENCE FOR A RECALL BASED ON MANY DEPLOYMENTS OF THIS AIRBAG? *TR