NHTSA Complaint #10399987 — 2005 FORD FOCUS

FOR TWO WEEKS I HEARD AND FELT A SLIGHT POP IN THE FRONT DRIVERSIDE WHEEL WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND THEN WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AFTER GAINING SOME MOMENTUM. TOOK IT TO GET LOOKED AT BY MECHANIC AND ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE AREA IN QUESTION MYSELF. (CONTROL ARM, BALL JOINT, CV, SWAY LINK, STEERING ASSEMBLY AND STRUTS) WE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM NOR COULD WE RECREATE THE 'POP' WITH THE CAR ON THE LIFT. WAS SUGGESTED THAT I HAVE MY ENGINE MOUNT BUSHINGS REPLACED WHICH IS FAIRLY CHEAP AND EASY. WHILE WAITING FOR THE BUSHINGS TO ARRIVE MY BALL JOINT 'FAILED'. IT DID NOT BREAK, IT JUST SLIPPED OUT. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH ON SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL ROAD WHICH WAS FREE OF BUMPS, DIPS, ETC. SUDDENLY I HEAR A BANG, THE CAR JERKS AND TIRE SCREECHES. I THOUGHT IT MUST BE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM SO I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STEER IT ONTO THE SHOULDER. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE I SEE THE DRIVERSIDE WHEEL HAS UNATTACHED FROM THE BALL JOINT AND IS NOW KICKED OUT @ 90DEGREES. THE CV IS TORN FROM TRANSMISSION, STABILIZER LINK IS TWISTED, STRUT WAS BENT WAY BACK, TIRE HAS HOLE WORN IN IT, SLIGHT BODY DAMAGE. I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT I HAD NOT MADE IT O THE HIGHWAY YET. THE BALL JOINT WAS NOT BROKEN IN ANY WAY; IT HAD JUST SLIPPED FROM ITS CUFF. I NOW HAVE THE BALL JOINT AND BOLT THAT HOLDS IT TO THE SUSPENSION KNUCKLE AT HOME FOR MY OWN INSPECTION. THERE IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE HERE. THIS IS AN ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER MADE IT PAST THE DRAWING BOARD. BASICALLY, YOU HAVE BARELY 1/16" OF THE SIDE OF THE 1/2" BOLT EXPOSED TO A GROOVE FOR ROUGHLY 1/4". I MEASURED THESE WITH A PAIR OF HIGH GRADE CALIPERS AND WAS APPALLED, I WAS APPALLED WHEN I JUST LOOKED AT THE ASSEMBLY,BUT THOSE NUMBERS ARE WEAK. MY SISTER WAS IN A NEAR FATAL AUTO ACCIDENT LAST YEAR. IT WAS NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. SHE WAS IN A COMA. GUESS WHAT... SHE WAS DRIVING A FORD FOCUS. *TR