NHTSA Complaint #10100113 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

OCT. 13-14, 2004: ENGINE WOULD CRANK AND CRANK AND NOT START AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT OR FOR SEVERAL HOURS. AFTER MUCH CRANKING, ENGINE FINALLY WOULD START. OCT. 14 - PERSONAL MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THAT FUEL PRESSURE WAS BLEEDING OFF - FUEL WAS NOT REMAINING IN FUEL RAIL. DIRECTED ME TO TAKE IT TO FORD DEALER FOR FUEL PUMP RECALL 03V482000. OCT. 18 - TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, RELATED TO FORD'S RECALL PROGRAM #03N01, FORD DEALERSHIP REPLACED FUEL PUMP. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT, DEALER RECOMMENDED FUEL FILTER ALSO BE REPLACED, AT A COST TO ME OF $62.95 PLUS TAX. I APPROVED THIS. DEALER (SUNTRUP FORD) ALSO RECOMMENDED FUEL CLEANING INDUCTION SERVICE, DONE FOR $127.88. OCT. 28 - RETURNED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. CAR HAD SPUTTERED AT STOP LIGHT TWICE, AND IDLE WHEN STOPPED HAD CHANGED FROM WHAT WAS NORMAL. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE CONCERN, AND REPROGRAMMED THE CAR'S COMPUTER FOR $119.90. NOV. 16 - ON TWO OCCASIONS CAR SPUTTERED AFTER STARTING WHEN ENGINE WAS WARM. ON SECOND OCCASION, CAR WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO START. AFTER IT FINALLY STARTED, I DROVE ABOUT A BLOCK, AND IT STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT SPUTTERING. CAR WAS TOWED TO PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP NEARBY, WHERE ON NOV. 17 MECHANIC INDICATED HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION. MECHANIC PROMISED TO LOOK AT CAR AGAIN ON NOV. 18. CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE - INCONVENIENCE, POTENTIAL DANGEROUS CONDITION, OUT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR RECOMMENDED REPAIRS (RELATED TO RECALL) AND FOR TOWING. CAR STILL NOT DIAGNOSED BECAUSE CONDITION HAS NOT BEEN DUPLICATED.*AK