NHTSA Complaint #10314364 — 2004 FORD FOCUS

2004 FORD FOCUS. CONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT WITH A MILEAGE UNDER 20,000. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT. *TGW IN JULY 2009, THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW BATTERY. ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED, PERIODICALLY THE CLUSTER LIGHTS WOULD MAKE A SOUND AND THE LIGHTS WOULD BLINK ON AND OFF. IT WOULD HAPPEN TWICE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, BUT DID NOT HAPPEN EVERYDAY. THE CONSUMER FOLLOWED INSTRUCTION ON WHAT TO DO. THE SITUATION WAS A LITTLE BETTER, BUT THE CLUSTER BLINKING, ETC STILL OCCURRED PERIODICALLY. A WEEK LATER, AS THE CONSUMER BACKED OUT OF HER DRIVEWAY, THERE WERE SOUNDS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND THEY SEEMED TO GET WORSE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. UPON INSPECTION, THE TRANSMISSION PLATE WHICH WAS LOCATED UNDER THE ENGINE SHOWED TRANSMISSION FLUID AN D EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF METAL FILLINGS. THE MECHANIC SHOWED THE CONSUMER THE DAMAGED PARTS WHERE THE TEETH IN THE GEARS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY WHICH CAUSED THE METAL FILLINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION PLATE. *JB