NHTSA Complaint #10327772 — 2004 FORD FOCUS

THE DECK LID WIRING HARNESS BREAKS DUE TO FATIGUE FROM OPENING AND CLOSING THE HATCH. IN MY CASE, 6 WIRES IN THE HARNESS HAD BEEN COMPLETELY SEVERED. BECAUSE OF THIS, MY TAIL LIGHT WAS OUT, THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT WAS ON AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ALWAYS ON WHEN THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE. BESIDES THE DANGER OF BEING REAR ENDED BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON, DEPENDING ON WHICH WIRES BREAK OR HAVE THEIR INSULATION CRACK OPEN, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BAD SITUATIONS: * ALL REAR LIGHTS COULD TURN OFF. * THE TRUNK COULD OPEN WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES. * THE TRUNK COULD OPEN WHEN YOU USE A TURNING INDICATOR. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2000 FOCUS HATCHBACK, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE DECK LID WIRING HARNESS AFTER THAT YEAR. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT HAPPENED ON OUR 2004 FOCUS HATCHBACK, AND IT CAN LEAVE OWNERS AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TO CORRECT THE ISSUE, I SPLICED THE BROKEN WIRES BACK TOGETHER. *TR