NHTSA Complaint #10045837 — 2003 FORD FOCUS

APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS AGO, I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC, AND MY 2003 FORD FOCUS QUIT ACCELERATING. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING.*AK I BEGAN PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL, THINKING A FUEL LINE MIGHT BE CLOGGED, BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP. FINALLY, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT CHUGGING, I GOT ENOUGH ACCELERATION TO WEAVE OUT OF TRAFFIC AND EXIT AT AN OFFRAMP. I PULLED INTO THE FIRST PARKING LOT, PUT MY CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND LET IT IDLE. THE ENGINE SOUNDED SMOOTH. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, I PUT THE CAR BACK IN DRIVE AND ALL WAS FINE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SAN DIEGO FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM COULD BE DETECTED. I WAS ADVISED TO LET THE GAS TANK GO TO EMPTY, ADD STP, AND SEE IF THE PROBLEM CEASED. I DID SO. NOW, SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65MPH DOWN A DANGEROUS WINDING GRADE NEAR MY HOME IN MORONGO VALLEY. AGAIN, MY CAR LOST ACCELERATION. I BEGAN PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL, BUT THE MOTOR JUST REVVED. IT WAS AS THOUGH MY CAR HAD SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. I GLANCED DOWN AT THE AUTOMATIC SHIFT LEVER, TO SEE IF I HAD ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKED IT OUT OF GEAR. IT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. I BEGAN LOSING SPEED AND HAD TO COAST DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE, WHERE THERE WAS PARKING ACCESSIBILITY. THE SAME AS BEFORE, I PLACED MY CAR IN PARK, LET IT IDLE FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES, PUT IT IN DRIVE, AND IT WAS FINE. I TOOK IT TO PALM SPRINGS FORD, WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW. I RECEIVED A PHONE MESSAGE FRIDAY EVENING, AFTER WORK, AND I WAS TOLD THE CAR HAS CHECKED OUT FINE. I HAD ASSUMED THIS WOULD HAPPEN, BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS SO INTERMITTENT. THE SERVICE ATTENDANT, MIKE BRUNI, STATED HE HAD DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM AND I COULD PICK UP MY CAR. I LEFT A MESSAGE ON HIS VOICEMAIL, EXPLAINING MY FEAR OF A COLLISION. THERE IS DEFINITELY A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT MUST BE FIXED, OR I FEEL MY SAFETY IS IN JEOPARDY. UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS ELIMINATED, I AM RELUCTANT TO TAKE MY CAR HOME. I SEE THE 2000-2001 FOCUS HAD A STALLING PROBLEM ALSO. ANY RELATION?