NHTSA Complaint #10046826 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

LEAKING WATER INTO PASSENGER FOOT-COMPARTMENT. ISOLATED PROBLEM TO PLASTIC COVER THAT SITS BENEATH WINDSHIELD, AND IS MOSTLY ACCESSIBLE WITH HOOD OPEN. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PLASTIC COMES AWAY FROM WINDSHIELD DUE TO SOME BUCKLING IN THE PLASTIC. FIXED PROBLEM BY APPLYING PRESSURE TO PLASTIC TO BEND IT BACK TO SHAPE SO IT SNAGGED-UP CLOSER TO WINDSHIELD. NOT SEEN PROBLEM SINCE. MASTIC TO ADHERE PLASTIC TO WINDSHIELD MIGHT BE AN OPTION TO OTHER PEOPLE. THE FUEL GAUGE SOMETIMES REFUSES TO WORK. FOUND THIS TO BE CASE WHEN KEY IS PUT INTO IGNITION AND KEY-TURNED TO START ENGINE WAS DONE TOO QUICKLY. IF ENTERING KEY INTO IGNITION AND THEN TURNING KEY EACH CLICK, GIVING EACH CLICK A HALF-SECOND, THEN GAUGE APPEARS TO BE MORE RELIABLE. WHEN ENGINE GOES INTO SLOW-IDLING STATE, ENGINE IDLES VERY ERRATICALLY AND IS NOT SMOOTH. SOUNDS LIKE ONLY SOME OF CYLINDERS ARE FIRING. THIS HAS ONLY STARTED TO OCCUR TODAY AND SINCE READING COMMENTS ON THIS WEBSITE, I'M CONCERNED. HAVE TRIED ADDING FUEL-INJECTOR-CLEANER TO FUEL TANK, AWAITING RESULTS OF THAT. THE TRUNK WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE PROBLEM HERE WAS FIXED BY REMOVING THE LOCKING ASSEMBLY FROM THE TRUNK-LID AND SIMPLY DOWSING THE MECHANISMS WITH WD40 AND THEN BENDING SOME SPRING-LOADED COMPONENTS.. THERE ARE 2 MOVING COMPONENTS IN THE LOCK. FIRST IS SHAPE OF A LOOP THAT YOU CAN EASILY MOVE WITH FINGER/SCREWDRIVER. THIS COMPONENT LOCKS ONTO STUB THAT YOU CAN SEE WHEN OPENING TRUNK. THE OTHER COMPONENT IS HIDDEN WITHIN CASING AND MOVES IN FRONT OF OTHER COMPONENT TO HOLD IT IN A LOCKED POSITION. PROBLEM WAS WITH THIS COMPONENT. PROBLEM WAS COMPONENT HAD "SOMEHOW" GOTTEN BENT AND NOT FREE TO LEAVE CASING AND BLOCK OTHER COMPONENT. BENDING THIS TO A POSITION FREEING IT OF CASING FIXED PROBLEM. ENGINE LACKED POWER WHEN UNDER LOAD WHEN ACCELERATING, VEHICLE WOULD SHUDDER AND DECELERATE INSTEAD OF ACCELERATE. PROBLEM RESOLVED WHEN FORD DEALER REPLACED SPARK-PLUGS PLUS LEADS AND A FULL ENGINE TUNE-UP. $230 PLUS BUT FIXED PROBLEM. *LA