NHTSA Complaint #10070789 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE AFTER PURCHASE. SUDDENLY IN AUGUST, ALL POWER SYSTEMS/COMPUTER TYPE ITEMS BEGAN TO FAIL -- POWER LOCKS, TRUNK RELEASE. THEN, CAR BEGAN (AND STILL DOES) TO SPUTTER AND SHAKE WHEN STOPPED/IDLE UNTIL IT WOULD SHUTDOWN. ALSO, THE RADIO/CD PLAYER WOULD SHUT OFF. CHECKED FOR TSBS FOR THE VEHICLE MODEL & YEAR AND FOUND AT LEAST 15. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER (WORLD FORD SANDY SPRINGS) WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY ARE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED. ONLY OFFICIAL FORD RECALL NOTICES, NOT EVEN NTSA RECALL NOTICES, WOULD BE HONORED. ON TOP OF THIS, WE WOULD BE EXPECTED TO PAY $90 PER COMPLAINT BATCH (THE TSB LIST WAS BATCHED IN TO 3 MAIN AREAS)FOR DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES AND IF ANY OF THE COMPLAINTS WERE RELATED TO A RECALL, THE $90 WOULD BE REFUNDED AS APPLICABLE. I EXPRESSED THAT IF FORD ISSUED A TSB AND THE NTSA ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE, THEN I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE CAR WORKED ON.