NHTSA Complaint #10070226 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

I HAVE HAD A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE AT STAN MORRI FORD IN TRACY, CA AND THOUGHT OTHERS SHOULD KNOW OF MY PLIGHT (AND PERHAPS THIS WOULD MAKE A COMPELLING CONSUMER AFFAIRS STORY). A FEW WEEKS AGO, I WAS COMMUTING IN MY 2000 FORD FOCUS ON I580 WHEN, FOR NO REASON, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED VIOLENTLY. I WAS THROWN FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE TO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE CAR, THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE AND I WAS "MOVED" ACROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC TO LAND IN A SHALLOW DITCH JUST EAST OF THE SANTA RITA ROAD EXIT. AFTER REGAINING MY COMPOSURE AND COUNTING MY BLESSINGS MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE NOT IN THE CAR, I WAITED FOR THE SMOKE TO CLEAR AND FINISHED MY DRIVE HOME, SHAKEN, CONFUSED AND VERY RATTLED. UPON MY ARRIVAL HOME, I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY (AAA) AND STAN MORRI FORD. AAA OPENED A CLAIM, BUT COULD DO NOTHING AS THERE HAD BEEN NO REAL ACCIDENT. GARY RIGGS (SERVICE MANAGER AT STAN MORRI FORD) ASKED ME TO COME IN. OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS, STAN MORRI FORD (IN CONJUNCTION WITH FORD CORPORATE) HAS INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE. THEIR FINDINGS, BASED ON DATA FROM THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER, WAS THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN "INVOLVED IN A LATERAL COLLISION" AND BOTH FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND STAN MORRI FORD HAVE DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND REFUSE TO HELP ME. PICTURES TAKEN BY MYSELF AND AAA CLEARLY SHOW NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR. OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, I HAVE PURCHASED FOUR DIFFERENT CARS FROM STAN MORRI FORD. AS A LOYAL FORD CUSTOMER, I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED BETTER TREATMENT. I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE "SUE-HAPPY" PEOPLE. I EXPLAINED TO EVERYONE INVOLVED THAT I SIMPLY WANTED OUT OF THE CAR, AS IT WAS NOT SAFE; I WOULD NEVER HAVE MY KIDS OR WIFE IN THERE AGAIN. EVEN IN THE FACE OF THE CONFIRMED PROBLEMS AND VARIOUS RECALLS ON THE FOCUS, THEY WILL STILL NOT ASSIST ME. (FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE DIRECT YOUR BROWSER TO: HTTP://WWW.AUTOSAFETY.ORG/PRESSRELEASES/FORDFOCUS.HTM )