NHTSA Complaint #10489621 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

HEADLIGHT FAILURE. WITH ENGINE RUNNING, WHEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED ON, THE HEADLIGHTS (BOTH) DO NOT ALWAYS GO ON. ALSO, AFTER BEING ON FOR A WHILE (OFTEN WITHIN 10 MINUTES, ALMOST ALWAYS WITHIN 20 MINUTES), BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL SUDDENLY TURN OFF ON THEIR OWN. WHEN HEADLIGHTS GO OFF, DASHBOARD LIGHTS, AND OTHER OUTSIDE LIGHTS, REMAIN ON. WHEN THE SWITCH IS ON, BUT HEADLIGHTS HAVE GONE OFF, IF THE HIGH BEAMS ARE TOGGLED ON AND THEN OFF, THE HEADLIGHTS WILL GO ON (FOR A WHILE). THIS SEQUENCE OCCURS REPEATEDLY. UNLESS IT IS DARK (E.G. IF IN TWILIGHT OR IN DAYTIME RAIN), OR UNLESS I CAN SEE THE HEADLIGHT REFLECTIONS, I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THE STATUS OF MY HEADLIGHTS. DEALERSHIP INITIALLY REPLACED A RELAY, WITHOUT SOLVING PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP THEN REPLACED THE "MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH" CONTROLLING TURN SIGNALS AND HIGH BEAMS, WITH SEEMING SUCCESS. I AM IN POSSESSION OF THE FAILED ORIGINAL-EQUIPMENT "MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH". DEALERSHIP WAS UNDERSTANDING AND HELPFUL, BUT WOULD NOT TREAT THIS INTERMITTENT, SUDDEN, REPEATED HEADLIGHT FAILURE AS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE UNDER WARRANTY. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO GAS PUMP FAILURE, AND TO FRONT SUSPENSION SPRING BREAKAGE, WHICH WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. [NOTE ALSO THAT CAR DESIGN DOES NOT ALLOW HEADLIGHTS TO TURN ON OR STAY ON WHEN ENGINE IS OFF - THIS MAY SAVE ACCIDENTAL BATTERY DRAIN, BUT DEPRIVES OPERATOR OF ILLUMINATION OR SIGNALING ABILITY THAT MAY BE NEEDED IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.]