NHTSA Complaint #10494542 — 2008 FORD FOCUS

MANUAL DOOR LATCHES ON 4-DOOR, KEY ENTRY. USE OF KEY TO GAIN ENTRY ON BOTH FRONT DOORS BEGAN A GRADUAL FAILURE. HAD TO WORK THE KEY, APPLY PRESSURE TO THE DOORS, ETC, UNTIL BOTH LOCKS FAILED TO OPEN WITH KEY. TWICE HAD PUT CHILDREN IN THE CAR, ACCIDENTALLY LOCKED DOORS, THEN UNABLE TO OPEN DOORS WITH KEYS. FORD SAYS IT ISN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY, ALTHOUGHT THE PROBLEMS FIRST STARTED APPEARING WHEN THE CAR WAS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD. FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, HAD TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE UNLOCKED. EVENTUALLY HAD AN AUTO BODY MAN DISASSMBLE THE DOORS, LUBE THE LATHES, AND THE WORK AGAIN, ALTHOUGHT THEY ARE STARTING TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY AGAIN. NEW LATCHES ARE $120 TO $160 EACH IF YOU CAN FIND THEM. *TR