NHTSA Complaint #10070218 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

I PURCHASED A 2000 FOCUS SE ON JUNE 5, 2001 WITH 23,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY 3YR./36,000.I ALSO PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM THE API COMPANY AT THE COST OF $1,069 TO COVER 6YR./60,000.I THOUGHT I'D BE PROTECTED. WRONG ! THE VEHICLE ALWAYS HAD HORRENDOUS BRAKE DUST BUT THE WORST WAS YET TO COME. IN DECEMBER 2002, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING AND BEGAN TO NOTICE A ROUGH IDLE. WELL, IT'S COLD IN BUFFALO, NY SO WE THOUGHT IT JUST NEEDED MORE TIME TO WARM UP. BY EARLY MARCH WE EXPERIENCED STALLING PROBLEMS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. AFTER STALLING AT 45MPH WE HAD ENOUGH. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO BASIL FORD. WITH ONLY 32,000 MILES ON IT WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS CRACKED AND THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY RAN OUT ON 1/29/03. FORD WANTED ABOUT $1,700.00 TO REPLACE IT. WELL, WE THOUGHT IF FORD WOULDN'T COVER THE REPAIR THAT THE API EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD. ANOTHER ERROR IN JUDGMENT ! API SAID THERE WAS CARBON IN THE CYLINDER AND THEY WOULDN'T COVER. FINALLY, AFTER THREATS TO LEAVE THE CAR AT THE DEALER OR SEEK LEGAL ADVICE TO REMEDY, BASIL REPLACED THE CYLINDER HEAD FOR $400.00. WHO EVER HEARD OF A CRACKED HEAD AT 32,000 MILES ? WE HAD ONLY PUT ABOUT 10,000 MILES ON IT ! ALSO THE KEYLESS ENTRY ON THE DRIVER DOOR WOULD ONLY WORK ON OCCASION AND THE KEY NEVER DID WORK ON THE TRUNK (TOLD THE LOCK NEEDED REPLACEMENT) WHICH WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IF WE WANTED FIXED. SINCE THE INSPECTION WAS COMING UP IN JUNE 2003 AND THE BRAKES AND ROTORS WOULD PROBABLY NEED REPLACEMENT JUST LIKE ALL FOCUS'S DO, WE TRADED IN THE CAR TO AVOID THE MONEY TRAP. THAT CAR WAS THE WORST HUNK OF JUNK I'VE EVER HEARD OF! I PAID $10,500.00 FOR THE CAR IN JUNE 2001 WITH 23,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD A HARD TIME GETTING $5,000.00 AS A TRADE WITH 33,000 MILES IN MAY 2003 ! IT WAS THE BIGGEST RIP OFF OF MY LIFE ALSO I LOST OUT WHEN I CASHED IN THE WORTHLESS API WARRANTY.