NHTSA Complaint #10357749 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

I NOTICED SLIGHT HESITATION IN MY 2000 FORD FOCUS IN JUNE OF 2009, AND REQUESTED THAT MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP CONSIDER REPLACING THE FUEL SENDER AND PUMP BECAUSE THIS WAS A KNOWN INTERNAL FORD CAMPAIGN REPLACEMENT PART ISSUE. THEY INDICATED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A SEVERE HESITATION, THEY COULD NOT PERFORM THAT WORK UNDER THE REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN. THIS HESITATION CONTINUED BUT VERY INTERMITTENTLY. THEN IN JULY 2010, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER IN THE ABOVE CAR, AND ATTEMPTED TO GET ON INTERSTATE 95. THE CAR BEGAN TO HAVE SEVERE HESITATION ISSUES WHEN I GASSED IT, AND I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR ABOVE ~ 35 MPH AS CARS SWERVED PAST ME HONKING BECAUSE I COULD NOT ACHIEVE HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I DROVE IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE WITH FLASHERS ON AND GOT OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT AND RETURNED HOME VIA LOCAL ROADS WITH THE SYMPTOMS STILL SHOWING (SEVERE HESITATION). I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS HAVING THE FUEL SENDER AND PUMP PROBLEM OF THE RECALL, BUT ALSO INDICATED THE COST WAS NO LONGER COVERED BY FORD BECAUSE FORD HAD A TEN YEAR LIMIT ON REPLACEMENT ! I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO CHANGE THIS FAULTY FUEL ASSEMBLY A YEAR EARLIER (WHEN IT WAS STILL COVERED), YET NOW ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE BUT REQUIRED ME TO PAY FOR REPAIRING THE PROBLEM, AFTER HAVING SUBJECTED MY FAMILY TO SEVERAL NEAR-ACCIDENTS ON THE INTERSTATE DUE TO THIS KNOWN SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE. THEY INDICATED I COULD WRITE TO FORD HQ CONCERNING THE ISSUE. I HAD THE WORK DONE BY THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE DONE. THE PROBLEM NOW NO LONGER OCCURS. I WROTE TO FORD'S CUSTOMER RELATION CENTER ON AUG 17, 2010, DESCRIBING THE ABOVE SITUATION. I RECEIVED A LETTER DATED SEPT. 1, 2010, INDICATING THAT FORD AGREED WITH THE DEALERSHIP'S DECISION, AND WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS BECAUSE "LIMITS MUST BE PLACED ON THOSE EFFORTS" TO RESOLVE SUCH PROBLEMS. I AM ANGRY THEY EXPOSED MY FAMILY TO SUCH DANGER YET REFUSED TO ALLOW REPLACEMENT PRIOR TO THE ISSUE AND REFUSES TO PAY. *TR