NHTSA Complaint #10070828 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

PURCHASED FORD FOCUS SE IN MAY OF 2002 WITH 13,260 MILES. WE DID NOT BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE WE COULD NOT AFFORD. SOON AFTER BRINGING THE CAR HOME, WE NOTICED THE TIRE WAS VERY WOBBLY, AND THE BRAKES WERE SQUEAKING--TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY TOLD US THESE CARS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR BRAKE NOISE, AS FOR THE TIRE NOTHING IS WRONG-THE SERVICE DEPT. TEST DROVE AND DIDN'T NOTICE A THING. HAVE TAKEN IT IN SEVERAL OTHER TIMES AFTER THAT FOR WOBBLY TIRE-STILL SAME ANSWER NOTHING IS WRONG. HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR SEVERAL RECALLS. KEY WAS STUCK IN IGNITION AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP-BUT THE NEXT TIME MY TEENAGED DAUGHTER DROVE THE CAR THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STUCK WHEN SHE WAS TURNING AT AN INTERSECTION-HAD IT TOWED AGAIN, THERE WAS A PIECE OF MATERIAL (FROM THEM FIXING THE IGNITION PROBLEM) THAT WAS STUCK IN THE STEERING COLUMN. OUR LATEST EPISODE WITH THIS CAR IS OUR TRIP FROM WA-VIRGINIA. THE CAR WAS FINE ON THE WAY THERE, EXCEPT FOR THE WOBBLE IN THE TIRE IN WHICH WE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED YET AGAIN. BUT ON OUR WAY BACK WE STARTED EXPERIENCING SPUTTERING AND SURGING OF THE CAR, WE WOULD PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD EVERY 20 MILES (THINKING IT WAS FROM THE HOT WEATHER), WE WOULD GET ANOTHER 20 MILES IN AND SAME THING UNTIL FINALLY WE DROVE THROUGH CHICAGO, IL AND IT WAS WORSE, SO WE PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND ON TO AN ON RAMP--WALKED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY TO USE A BUSINESS'S TELEPHONE TO CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK. THEY FOUND US A TOW TRUCK BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT WASN'T A KING CAB, SO OUR INSURANCE CO., CALLED US A CAB. THE TOW TRUCK TOOK US TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER--THE CAR HOWEVER SEEMED TO RUNNING FINE, SO WE DECIDED TO DRIVE SOME MORE. WE GOT ABOUT 15 MILES DOWN THE ROAD AND SPUTTERING AGAIN, SO WE CALLED FOR ANOTHER TOW--AND IN THE MEANTIME WE CALLED FIRESTONE, WE DROVE IT THERE, THE SERVICEMAN DROVE THE CAR AND FELT WHAT IT WAS DOING AND SAID HE DIDN'T NEED TO HOOK IT UP TO ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION.