NHTSA Complaint #10030509 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

CONSTANT SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. I'VE ALREADY REPLACED THE ROTORS, BRAKES, BRAKE PADS, AND DRUMS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SINCE BUYING THIS FOCUS ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO. ALSO MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ON ME ONE DAY IN APRIL OF 2002 THE KEY WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE IGNITION TO START THE CAR I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN FROM ONE DAY TO ANOTHER. I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY. THEY SAID THAT THEY NEEDED TO UPDATE THE LOCK CYLINDER. LUCKILY I PURCHASED THE API EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT COVER THE CAR FOR 100,000 MILES. SO THE COST OF THE WORK DONE FOR THIS WAS $427.20. ALL BUT $50.00 OF WHICH WAS MY DEDUCTIBLE WAS COVER BY THIS WARRANTY. THE PROBLEMS DIDN'T STOP HERE. I ALSO HAVE HAD TO GET THE CD SYSTEMS THAT CAME INSTALLED IN THE CAR REPLACED. THE WAS A CONSTANT CLICKING NOISE WITH THE CD PLAYER AND 90% OF THE TIME THE CD'S WOULDN'T EVEN PLAY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD REPLACE IT FOR ME BUT THAT IT WOULDN'T BE COVERER BY THE WARRANTY SO I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF MY POCKET. I ENDED UP HAVING A NEW SYSTEM INSTALLED BUT NOT FROM THE FORD DEALERSHIP, I TOOK IT TO CIRCUIT CITY. RECENTLY THIS MONTH JULY 2003, MY CAR HAS BEEN STALING AND SHUTTING OFF AT STOP SIGNALS AND STOP LIGHT ALSO JUST SHUT COMPLETELY OFF ON THE FREEWAY THANK GOD NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM ALSO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN AND THEY WOULD CHECK THE ENGINE LIGHT BUT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $165. 00 JUST FOR THEM TO CHECK THE LIGHT AND IT WOULD BE MORE $$$ TO REPAIR WHAT EVER PROBLEM IT WAS. I WAS FED UP BY THEN. *PH