NHTSA Complaint #10070521 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

NOV 2002 TOOK TO DEALER THE CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM, TOLD THEM IT WAS SLUGGISH AND GAS GUAGE DIDN'T ALWAYS REGISTER. I THOUGHT AT THAT TIME IT WAS MAYBE THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD NOTHING WRONG, COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. TOOK TO NEIGHBORHOOD DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM REPLACED FUEL FILTER. HAD ALL THIS WORK BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN FEB 2003. NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP. JUNE 27TH STARTED CAR AND ENGINE DIED. IT THEN WOULDN'T START AGAIN FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. I TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD FORD DEALERSHIP. WHO TOLD ME IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP AND STRONGLY SUGGEST NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL REPAIR. SO THE CAR WAS LEFT THERE FOR REPAIRS. AFTER LISTEN TO THE SERVICE PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP, IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. I STARTED TO INVESIGATE THIS MYSELF AND FIND 67 CASES LISTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. THE COMMON STATEMENT WAS THAT THE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE DIES OUT. ON CAR HITTING A PARK VEHICLE AND SEVERAL NEAR MISSES ON THE HIGHWAY. 2000 FORD FOCUS ENGINE SPUTTERS AND THEN STALLS AT HIGH SPEEDS. MY CONCERN IS THAT I HAVE HEARD AND READ HUNDRED IF NOT THOUSANDS OF THESE FUEL PUMP FAILURES AND AFTER MANY NICE BUT INEFFECTIVE ANSWERS FROM FORD I FEEL THAT SOMEONE WILL BE INJURED SERIOUSLY OR DIE TO THESE FAULTY AND POSSIBLY DANGEROUS FUEL SYSTEMS. MY DEALERSHIP PREVIOUSLY WORKED ON THIS TELLING ME FUEL FILTER AND I FEEL KNOW WELL IT WAS MORE AND LIKE THE FUEL PUMP. IT SEEM THAT THE GAS GUAGE NOT REGISTERING IS A CLEAR SIGN OF PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL PUMP.