NHTSA Complaint #10056781 — 2000 FORD ESCORT

ON NUMEROUS OCASSIONS FROM AUGUST, 2002 THROUGH THE PRESENT (FEBRUARY 7, 2004), WE HAVE HAD THE FUSES LABELLED "STOP" AND "HAZARD" HAVE BLOWN WHILE DRIVING. THIS RESULTS IN THE FOLLOWING FAILURES: (1) WHEN THE "STOP" FUSE BLOWS, THE STOP LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION (WHICH IS UNKNOWN TO THE DRIVER AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH IF THE PERSON FOLLOWING DOES NOT REALIZE WHEN THE CAR HAS ITS BRAKES APPLIED); (2) THE "STOP" FUSE BLOWING ALSO CAUSES THE SHIFT LOCK TO NOT FUNCTION, RENDERING THE CAR UNDRIVABLE UNLESS THE OVERRIDE IS APPLIED; (3) WHEN THE "HAZARD" FUSE BLOWS, THIS RESULTS IN AN IMMEDIATE STALLING OF THE CAR, WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF IT OCCURS IN TRAFFIC AND COULD CAUSE A FATALITY; (4) THE "HAZARD" FUSE BLOWING ALSO RESULTS IN THE TURN SIGNALS AND THE HAZARD LIGHTS FAILING TO FUNCTION, SO OTHER DRIVERS DO NOT EVEN KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAVE GONE THROUGH A NUMBER OF FUSES TO TEMPORARILY FIX THESE PROBLEMS.*AK