NHTSA Complaint #10520557 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

FORD MOTOR COMPANY KNEW AND HAS KNOW FOR YEARS ABOUT BAD VALVE SEATS IN THEIR 2000-2004 FOCUS'S WITH 2.0L SPLIT PORT INJECTION ENGINE. WHERE EVER THESE HEADS WERE MADE , THE QUALITY CONTROL FOR THIS PART WAS NOT EVALUATED PROPERLY. THE ENGINE DROPS A 'PRESSED IN' STEEL VALVE SEAT THAT FALLS INTO THE CYLINDER AND PUTS TOO MUCH STRESS ON THE PISTON, BORE, AND CONNECTING RODS OF THE ENGINE. UNDER THIS STRESS IT GENERALLY WILL CAUSE RODS TO BREAK, WARP OR COME THROUGH THE BLOCK WALL. (WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ENGINE). IT MAY BE A COOLING PROBLEM, IT MAY BE FAULTY DESIGN OR POOR CRAFTSMANSHIP. REGARDLESS, IF THIS CAR WON SO MANY AWARDS OVER IT'S LIFETIME FROM MOTOR TREND OR OTHER INSTITUTIONS....THEN THEY SHOULD BE BACKING THE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD TO FORK OUT THOUSANDS IN ENGINE REPAIRS AND PARTS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO SHOW UP AT VARIABLE MILEAGE...WHICH I'M SURE IS DUE TO EACH INDIVIDUALS DRIVING HABITS. AND IT'S OBVIOUS IT'S A DEFECT --DUE TO THE SIMILARITY EACH PERSON HAS EXPERIENCED. IT ALMOST ALWAYS HAPPENS TO THE SAME CYLINDER (NUMBER 4) AND IT'S ALWAYS JUST THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE...THIS IS NOT COINCIDENCE...THIS IS POOR QUALITY CONTROL...AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS SUCH. I BELIEVE A RECALL BY FORD IS IN ORDER....WITHOUT QUESTION BY FORD MOTOR....THEY'RE CEO MAKES MILLIONS...HOW ABOUT FIXING THESE CARS....IT MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY SO MANY PEOPLE STOP BUYING FORDS AND GO FOREIGN....AND I CAN HARDLY BLAME THEM WHEN THEY DO! YOU NEED TO COME HALF WAY WITH THE PEOPLE ON THIS MATTER FORD MOTOR---IT'S HURTING YOUR RELIABILITY AND DEPENDABILITY ISSUES. I REPLACED THE ENGINE FOR A WHOPPING $2896.00 AND WILL NEVER BUY A FORD ANYTHING. *TR