NHTSA Complaint #10468906 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

TWO INCIDENTS. WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 25 MILES PER HOUR, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STALLED ON AN ARTERIAL STREET. TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT, AND THERE WAS NO DANGER TO ME OR OTHER MOTORISTS. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS OUT OF GAS. THE GAUGE HAD BEEN READING 1/4 FULL AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE GAUGE CONTINUED TO GIVE FALSE READINGS (MOVED FROM LOWER TO HIGHER AMOUNTS DURING THE COURSE OF EXHAUSTING THE FUEL SUPPLY) OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. EVENTUALLY THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FUEL TANK WAS WARPED, AND REPLACED THE TANK. ONE WEEK LATER, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY APPROACHING A MAJOR FREEWAY SYSTEM INTERCHANGE, AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SHUT OFF, CAUSING ME TO HAVE IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPT TO MOVE ACROSS FOUR LANES OF MODERATELY HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS HAPPENED ON A SLIGHT UPHILL INCLINE, SO THE CAR LOST FORWARD SPEED VERY QUICKLY. DURING THE EMERGENCY MANEUVER, I WAS FORCED IN FRONT OF ANOTHER MOTORIST, NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR WAS EXHAUSTED OF FUEL, BUT WITHIN TEN MINUTES PRIOR HAD SHOWN A READING OF 1/4 TANK REMAINING. IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE GAUGE NEEDLE WAS ACTUALLY INDICATING 1/2 TANK. *TR