SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2008 FORD FOCUS SES ON APRIL 30 2008 I HAVE FELT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ALIGNMENT OR STEERING. WHEN LETTING GO OF THE WHEEL IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WILL HEAD FOR THE DITCH. AT 300 MILES I REQUESTED A WARRANTY ALIGNMENT, DEALER SAID THEY WOULD NOT DO ONE UNTIL AT LEAST 500 OR 1,000 MILES. AT 1,2…
Read full complaint
SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2008 FORD FOCUS SES ON APRIL 30 2008 I HAVE FELT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ALIGNMENT OR STEERING. WHEN LETTING GO OF THE WHEEL IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WILL HEAD FOR THE DITCH. AT 300 MILES I REQUESTED A WARRANTY ALIGNMENT, DEALER SAID THEY WOULD NOT DO ONE UNTIL AT LEAST 500 OR 1,000 MILES. AT 1,200 MILES I REQUESTED THE SAME AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULDN'T DO ONE UNTIL AT LEAST 5,000 MILES, REASONING WAS THAT THE SUSPENSION NEEDED TO LOOSEN UP DUE TO BEING TIED DOWN IN SHIPPING. CALLED CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY INFORMED ME THERE WAS NO MILEAGE LIMIT. INFORMED DEALER AND THEY DID AN ALIGNMENT AND DID FIND IT WAS OFF. DROVE THE CAR AND STILL FEEL SOMETHING IS OFF. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IS THE WAY THE CAR IS, I TOLD THEM IF THAT IS THE WAY THE CAR IS IT IS THE WORSE CAR I'VE DRIVEN NEEDING TO ADJUST THE WHEEL CONSTANTLY TO DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE IN 32 YEARS OF DRIVING. I DROVE ONE ON THE LOT THAT WAS NOT AS BAD AS MINE BUT STILL IT WOULD DRIFT ON A STRAIGHT ROAD AFTER LETTING GO OF THE WHEEL IN A VERY SHORT DISTANCE. TIRED OF FIGHTING WITH THE DEALER BUT STILL NOT LIKING THE WAY I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY ADJUST MY STEERING WHEEL TO DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE. AT 7,800 MILES I HAD MY 7,500 MILE MAINTENANCE DONE. NOW THE CAR WILL DRIFT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY TO LEFT AND AT TIMES FEEL LIKE IT IS WOBBLING LEFT AND RIGHT. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A DIFFERENT DEALER TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIND WHAT IS WRONG. IF NOT I WILL GET RID OF THE CAR BECAUSE I FEEL IT IS DANGEROUS AND WILL BE EVEN MORE SO WHEN THE SNOW STARTS TO FLY. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10242994
1,090 miles · Feb 4, 2008
SteeringCrashInjury
WENT OFF ROAD IN GRASS TO AVOID A HEAD ON CRASH WHEN MERGING BACK ON TO ASPHALT TIE ROD SEPARATED FROM RACK AND PINION CAUSING CAR TO LOOSE CONTROL CRASHING IN TO A TELEPHONE POLE. *TR
CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY ASSEMBLED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION MAY PREVENT THE DRIVER AIR BAG FROM PROPERLY DEPLOYING AND REDUCE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE YOUR DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 20, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking
Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve
ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO
2008 Ford Focus Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
Illustration