NHTSA Complaint #10453291 — 2003 FORD FOCUS

HAVING AN ONGOING STALLING PROBLEM STARTING ON 5/20/11. SITUATION USUALLY HAPPENS IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER DOING JUST A COUPLE OF LOCAL, SHORT DISTANCE ERRANDS. THE CAR WILL START BUT IMMEDIATELY STALL AFTER TAKING FOOT OFF THE GAS. USUALLY STARTS AFTER WAITING @ 45 MINUTES/AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE (TOWED 5X, 1 TIME WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AFTER 45 MINUTES). REPLACED FUEL FILTER, FUEL PUMP, OXYGEN SENSORS (TWICE), FUEL PUMP DRIVER BY REGULAR MECHANIC. HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN PAST TWO WEEKS: BROUGHT IT TO LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE LATEST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, AFTER THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER WAS REPLACED, I WAS ABLE TO DO FOUR ERRANDS BEFORE THE STALLING OCCURRED. ALSO, I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE BY KEEPING ONE FOOT ON THE GAS WHILE THE OTHER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND CONTINUE MOVING UNTIL BRAKING FOR A STOP SIGN/TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AT WHICH POINT IT WOULD STALL. NINE "STALLS" LATER I MADE IT HOME; AN "IMPROVEMENT" OVER BEING STRANDED AT THE POST OFFICE OR THE MALL BUT CERTAINLY NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS CALLED TO SAY THEY THINK IT IS THE FUEL PUMP AND WANT TO REPLACE IT WITH A "GENUINE FORD PART," AS OPPOSED TO AFTERMARKET PART MY REGULAR MECHANIC PROBABLY USED. I HOPE THIS IS THE END OF THE "REPLACING PARTS" ROUTINE BUT AM NOT OPTIMISTIC DUE TO OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. *TR