NHTSA Complaint #10070095 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

IN NOVEMBER OF 2002, I NOTICED A SQUEAL UNDER THE HOOD OF MY 2001 FOCUS. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT IN, THEY CLAIMED THEY HEARD NO SOUND. I THEN TOLD THE MECHANIC YOU MUST ACTUALLY STEP OUT OF THE CAR TO HEAR THE NOISE.; HE DID HEAR THE NOISE AND FORD HAD TO REPLACE THE BELT TENSIONER AND SERPENTINE BELT. I BEGAN NOTICING THAT MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD FUNCTION AT WILL. THE LEFT HEADLAMP AND TURN SIGNAL WAS ALSO MALFUNCTIONING. I COULD NOT GET THE WIPERS TO TURN OFF AT TIMES. I WOULD TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, AND THE WIPERS WOULD TURN OFF. THIS WOULD ALSO WORK AT TIMES WHEN THE WIPERS WOULD NOT TURN ON, BUT NOT ALWAYS. I NEVER NOTICED AN ABSOLUTE CONSISTENCY AS TO WHAT WOULD GET THE WIPERS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THEY ALSO WOULD NOT FUNCTION AT THE CORRECT SPEED. THEY WOULD GO FAST WHEN I WANTED THEM TO GO SLOW AND VICE-VERSA. I HAD TAKEN THE CAR IN TWICE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED. THEY REPLACED THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH BOTH TIMES. A WEEK FOLLOWING THE SECOND VISIT, I NOTICED THEY WOULD NOT WORK AGAIN. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE THIRD TIME. IN BETWEEN THE TIME I SCHEDULED THE APPOINTMENT AND THE ACTUAL DAY OF THE APPOINTMENT, I NOTICED THE GAS LIGHT HAD COME ON WHEN I STILL HAD ABOUT 36 MILES WORTH OF GAS LEFT IN MY CAR. I NOTICED THE LIGHT WAS ON FOR A BIT AND THEN IT WENT OFF. SO, I TOLD THEM ABOUT THAT PROBLEM AS WELL WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT ASSEMBLY. ALSO THEY REPLACED WHATEVER WIRES WERE CAUSING THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH TO GO OUT AGAIN AND AGAIN. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AND MADE A STOP AT A CONVENIENCE STORE. WHEN I TRIED TO START MY CAR, IT WOULD NOT START. NOT A SOUND OR ANYTHING. THE CAR WAS TOTALLY DEAD. I CALLED FORD TO HAVE THEM TOW THE CAR. THIS TIME, THEY CLAIMED THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH SAFETY START SWITCH, WHICH THEY DID. MY BREAKS ALSO SQUEAK CONSTANTLY. THEY ADJUSTED THE BREAKS AND CLEAN THEM UP. THEY CLAIM THE SQUEAKING BREAKS ARE NORMAL. DO NOT BUY A FORD.