NHTSA Complaint #10220163 — 2002 FORD FOCUS

APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS AGO, WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE (~65 MILES PER HOUR), A COOLING SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON (2002 FORD FOCUS, MANUAL TRANSMISSION, 46,000 MILES), AND INSTANTANEOUSLY, THE CAR STALLED. IT ALMOST THREW ME INTO THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAR RECOVERED AND DID NOT DIE, AND I WAS ABLE TO GET TO WHERE I WAS GOING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN (~20 MILES PER HOUR). I BROUGHT IT TO PEP BOYS, WHO COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. IT STALLED AND DIED TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM PEP BOYS, SO I BROUGHT IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK ON ANY RECALLS BECAUSE I HAVE NOTICED THAT MANY FOCUSES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THEY CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS DEFINITELY THE THERMOSTAT , THERMOSTAT HOUSING ASSEMBLY AND O RING, AND I NEEDED AN OIL CHANGE (WHICH WAS DONE AT PEP BOYS ONE WEEK EARLIER). THEY WANTED $1100.00 TO FIX IT, SO I TOOK MY CAR HOME. TODAY, I DROVE IT TO A MECHANIC, AND IT KILLED TWICE, AND STALLED THREE TIMES (DRIVING NO MORE THAN 30 MPH). THE HAZARD LIGHT CAME ON BY ITSELF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE MECHANIC JUST CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THE FUEL PUMP IS BAD, AND THAT IS WHAT WAS CAUSING THE STALLING. IT IS A SHAME THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THIS CAR, AND NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN DONE ON THE 2002 FORD FOCUS FOR FAULTY FUEL PUMPS. *TR