NHTSA Complaint #10284788 — 2008 FORD FOCUS

CONCERNING A '08 FOCUS, 4 DOOR SE. CAR IS APPROXIMATELY 18MONTHS OLD AND HAS COVERED 38,000 APPROX.. REAR PASSENGER DOOR FAILED TO OPEN. WHEN USING POWER LOCKS, THE DOOR BUTTON WOULD FAIL TO MOVE. ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS (LUCKY) THE DOOR COULD BE OPENED. THEN THE SAME HAPPENED TO THE OTHER REAR DOOR. SO NOW BOTH REAR DOORS WERE INOPERABLE. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MONTANA FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS EXPLAINED. CAR WAS KEPT IN SHOP FOR FOUR DAYS WHILST BITS WERE ORDERED, AND PROBLEM RECTIFIED. WAS CHARGED $100 AND TOLD THIS WASN'T COVERED BY THE WARRANTY (ALTHOUGH A RENTAL CAR WAS PROVIDED FOR THIS PERIOD). IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED BOTH DOORS, AS LATER I FOUND OUT THAT THE OTHER DOOR HADN'T BEEN FIXED. CAR NOW HAS TO GO INTO SHOP FOR FURTHER RECTIFICATION. I REALIZE THAT IN '05 FORD RECALLED APPROX 359,000 01-02 FOCUS FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH OTHER DOOR LATCHES ON VARIOUS VEHICLES. FOR THIS TO HAPPEN ON A 08 FOCUS, WHICH HAS BEEN DRIVEN CAREFULLY BY ONE OWNER, FAIL TO SEE HOW THE FORD DEALER CAN SAY IT'S NOT A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT? ARE THEY WORRIED THAT IT'LL COST MORE FOR A RECALL THAN ANY LAWSUITS? *TR