NHTSA Complaint #10238052 — 2005 FORD FOCUS

1)THERE WASN'T MUCH LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. IT JUST HAPPENED. NOT ONE, BUT BOTH OF THE CASINGS FOR OUR REAR/BRAKE SIGNAL LIGHTS MELTED. THAT MEANT THAT THE LAMP ASSEMBLY, OR HOLE, THAT THE LIGHT BULB SOCKET GOES INTO, MELTED IN BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR LIGHTS EVEN THOUGH WE NEVER CHANGED THE BULBS BEFORE IN OUR CAR. THE CASING, OR LAMP ASSEMBLY, BECAME WARPED AFTER MELTING SO THAT WE COULDN'T EVEN TWIST THE LIGHT BULB SOCKET TO CHANGE THE BULB. 2) THIS MADE IT SO THAT BOTH REAR/BREAK LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. 3) WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING. IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN US NO MORE THAN $4 TO BUY AND CHANGE A LIGHT BULB. INSTEAD IT TOOK THE $181.89 TO REPLACE THE LEFT CASING (LAMP ASY), BULB AND SOCKET ASY. DEALER SAID PROBLEM MIGHT BE DUE TO DRIVING IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC AND THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE IN OUR CAR. WE NEED TO GET THE RIGHT/REAR LIGHT FIXED ALSO, SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS DIVISION FOR THE CAR COMPANY. THEY CONTEND THEY ARE SIDING WITH THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS A STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC PROBLEM. THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT AND SAY IT'S NOT COVERED BY MY WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE DRIVING IN CITIES WHOSE PLASTIC PARTS ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE HEAT OF THE LIGHTBULBS. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS I DON'T KNOW IF THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE IF PLASTIC PARTS, LIKE THE CASING, CAN'T WITHSTAND HEAT. *TR