NHTSA Complaint #10532202 — 2002 FORD FOCUS

I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR FIVE YEARS AND AT ABOUT 180,000 MILES I NOTICED THAT MY REAR DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH. BOTH REAR DOORS STICK AND HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO OPEN. HOWEVER, AT ABOUT 180,000 MILES THE DOOR LATCH STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. I HAD TO WRAP THE SEAT BELT AROUND THE DOOR TO KEEP IT FROM OPENING WHILE DRIVING. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE I FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 2002 FORD FOCUS DOOR LATCHES. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP BUT WHEN THEY RAN MY VIN# THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. EVEN THOUGH I WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE THAT LED TO THE RECALL THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED. THEY REFERRED ME TO THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND AFTER SPENDING 45 MINUTES ON THE PHONE I WAS TOLD TO KEEP ME RECEIPTS IN CASE THEY ISSUE A RECALL IN THE FUTURE. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT FORD DIDN'T OFFER TO FIX MY CAR KNOWING THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON OTHER CARS THAT ARE THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL. *TR