NHTSA Complaint #10454927 — 2005 FORD FOCUS

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 2005. WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR AND A HALF I STARTED NOTICING THAT THE DASH LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, NO KEYS IN THE IGNITION. THE ABS AND BATTERY LIGHT WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF ACCOMPANIED BY A BUZZING SOUND. THE WIRELESS REMOTES STOPPED WORKING AS WELL. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO FORD AS IT WAS STILL WITHIN THE THREE YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY RE-PROGRAMMED THE WIRELESS REMOTES. AFTER THIS THE PROBLEM CONTINUED WITH THE FLICKERING LIGHTS AND BUZZING SOUND AND ALSO THE WIRELESS REMOTES STOPPED WORKING. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE DASH LIGHTS WERE MALFUNCTIONING AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO OPEN UP THE DASH, THEY QUOTED ME $700 JUST TO OPEN UP AND DIAGNOSE PLUS THE LABOR CHARGES FOR WHATEVER THE PROBLEM WAS. THIS WAS RIGHT AFTER THE THE YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD WAS OVER. I MENTIONED THAT I HAD BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE VERY SAME REASON WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. FORD SAID THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. FORD DID NOT FIX THIS ISSUE AND ALSO SAID THAT THE WIRELESS REMOTES COULD NOT BE REPROGRAMMED. IN THE YEARS SINCE THE INITIAL PROBLEM, I HAVE HAD TO PUT IN TWO NEW ALTERNATORS. THE DASH LIGHTS FLICKER ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY. THE DASH DISPLAY (SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, ETC.) HAS COMPLETELY CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIME. THE VEHICLE STILL OPERATES BUT LOSES POWER WHEN THE DASH CUTS OUT. WHEN THE DASH DISPLAY CUTS OUT YOU ARE DRIVING WITHOUT A GAS GAUGE, SPEEDOMETER, ETC. WHEN THE DASH LIGHTS COME BACK ON, THERE IS A "HICCUP" OR POWER SURGE ACCOMPANIED BY THE SAME BUZZING SOUND THAT OCCURS WHEN THE DASH LIGHTS ARE FLICKERING WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED. *TR