NHTSA Complaint #10023502 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

I HAVE A 2000 FORD FOCUS W/ 2.0 ZETEC ENGINE THAT STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS IN MAY OF 2002 WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE EXPRESSWAY. SYMPTOMS INCLUDED THE CAR LURCHING IN HIGHER RPMS (NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN SPEED) AND EVENTUALLY THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN 55 MPH AND STALLED ON THE EXPRESSWAY. IT STARTED UP HALF AN HOUR LATER, AND I WAS ABLE TO LIMP HOME AT 50 MPH ON THE E-WAY. THAT PROBLEM DISAPPEARED AFTER A WEEK, AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF COMING BACK UNTIL THE NEXT TIME I MADE A LONG CAR TRIP, WHEN IT DID THE SAME THING, BUT THANKFULLY DID NOT STALL. THE CAR CONTINUED TO DO THIS, AND FORD DEALERS NEVER DID FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, ALTHOUGH ONE DEALER CHARGED ME $400 TO DRAIN AND CLEAN THE TANK BECAUSE OF DEBRIS IN THE TANK CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL ON RIGHT TURNS. IF NOT FOR THE FOCALJET.COM WEBSITE, I WOULD BE STUCK WITH AN OUT-OF-WARRANTY DEFECTIVE CAR THAT FORD FLATLY REFUSED TO COVER DURING THE WARRANTY, BUT WAS HAPPY TO SPLIT THE COST 50-50 ONE DAY AFTER THE WARRANTY ENDED. AFTER MAKING ANOTHER LONG TRIP AND HAVING THE CAR SPUTTERING AT 4000 RPMS, I DROPPED THE FUEL TANK, REMOVED 2 CLOGGED FILTERS FROM INSIDE THE GAS TANK FUEL-SENDING UNIT, AND THE CAR HAS WORKED PERFECTLY SINCE THEN. I NOW HAVE MORE POWER, SMOOTHER POWER DELIVERY, NO STALLING OR STUMBLING ON THE E-WAY OR ON RIGHT-HAND TURNS, AND THE CAR NO LONGER HESITATES WITH THE A/C ON. THESE CLOGGED FILTERS HAVE COST ME COUNTLESS HOURS, TRIPS TO THE DEALER, AND $400 WHEN THE FIX IS JUST TO LET THE EXTERNAL (AND USER-SERVICEABLE) FUEL FILTER DO ITS JOB. I HAVE KEPT THE 2 FILTERS THAT I REMOVED AND TAKEN PICTURES OF THE FUEL CANISTER THAT CONTAINED THE CLOGGED FILTERS, IN CASE THERE IS ANY NEED TO INVESTIGATE THEM. *NLM