NHTSA Complaint #10496266 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

THE NEW VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON 9/3/12. CALLS TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BEGAN ON 9/5/12 FOR COMPLAINTS OF 'BUCKING AND JERKING' OF THE CAR IN LOW SPEED SHIFTING. THE CAR WAS ACCEPTED ON 9/8/12 FOR REPAIR OF MULTIPLE PAINT CHIPS ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND FOR EVALUATION OF THE SHIFTING IRREGULARITIES. UPON DELIVERY OF THE CAR (53 ODOMETER MILES) THE CUSTOMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE PAINT CHIPS HAD BEEN REPAIRED AND THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER WAS RESET. THE COMPUTER RESET WAS NOT RECORDED ON THE SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR THAT DATE. ON 12/5/12, THE CAR ABRUPTLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND METAL GRINDING PREVENTED USE. THE CAR WAS HELD FROM 12/5/12 UNTIL 1/8/13 (35 DAYS, ODOMETER READING 7,068 MILES) FOR REPAIR OF A BROKEN REAR WINDOW CHANNEL, REPAIR OF TRANSMISSION WITH REPLACED CLUTCH. ON 1/23/13 THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AGAIN DUE TO NOT STARTING DURING MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS BY THE OWNERS AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE OWNER ON 1/25/13 WITH A SERVICE REPORT NOTING A WEAK BATTERY. THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND NO OTHER SERVICE CODES WERE REPORTED. ON 1/28/13, THE STEERING WHEEL REQUIRED BOTH HANDS TO TURN AND THE CAR NARROWLY MISSED GOING OFF OF THE ROAD. UPON ATTEMPT TO RESTART, THE IGNITION WAS WEAK AND MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS DISPLAYED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ODOMETER READING RESET TO '0' AND THE MPG READING WENT BLANK. THE CAR HAD SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN IGNITION SOUND AND WITH UNCHARACTERISTIC HUMMING NOISE AND WAS TURNED OFF AGAIN. WHEN THE CAR WAS ON THE TOW TRUCK WITH THE IGNITION OFF, KEY OUT, AND DOOR OPEN, THE RADIO BEGAN PLAYING AND COULD NOT BE MANUALLY TURNED OFF. THE CAR WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. AS OF 2/3, THE CAR HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR 46 DAYS DUE TO MULTIPLE INFRACTIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD SYMPTOMS OF STALLING, FAILURE TO START, AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING. ALTERNATOR BEING REPLACED 2/4. *TR