NHTSA Complaint #10447685 — 2008 FORD FOCUS

DRIVERS SIDE, PASSENGER DOOR CANNOT BE UNLOCK BY ANY MEANS. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHILE A CHILD WAS IN A SAFETY CHILD-SEAT AND COULD NOT BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE DOOR. THE UNLOCK BUTTONS ON THE DRIVERS DOOR HAD NO EFFECT, THE UNLOCK BUTTONS ON THE KEY BOB HAD NO EFFECT AND THE MANUAL LOCK/ UNLOCK BUTTON CAN NOT BE MOVE FROM THE LOCK POSITION. THE DOOR REMAINS LOCKED UNTIL REPAIRS CAN BE MADE. A QUICK WEB SEARCH SHOWS THAT THEIR IS NO SHORTAGE OF FOCUS OWNERS HAVING EXPERIENCE THIS SAME SAFETY ISSUE. WHAT IF THE CAR HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE CHILD HAD TO BE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED? I FEEL THAT EVEN ALLOWING VEHICLES TO BE MANUFACTURED THAT DOES NOT HAVE FOOL PROOF MANUAL LOCK RELEASES FOR EACH DOOR IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND A GROSSLY NEGLIGENT THREAT TO EVERYONE EACH TIME THEY ARE IN A VEHICLE. IS IT REALLY THAT MUCH OF A STRETCH TO IMAGINE A VEHICLE INVOLVE IN AN ACCIDENT AND LOSING ELECTRICAL POWER AND NONE OF THE DOORS COULD BE UNLOCKED? SO, MY COMPLAINT IS NOT THAT SOMETHING BROKE OR FAILED TO WORK, BUT THAT ITS FAILURE COULD UNNECESSARILY CAUSE SUCH AN EMINENT UNNECESSARY THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. *TR