NHTSA Complaint #10560939 — 2007 FORD FOCUS

WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OF A LOW BATTERY, THE CAR BEGAN TO LOSE ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE DRIVING. AT FIRST, I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN I NOTICED MY RADIO STOPPED PLAYING. UPON LOOKING AT MY RADIO, I REALIZED THE LIGHTS WERE COMPLETELY OFF, INCLUDING THE CLOCK--WHICH STAYS ON EVEN IF I TURN THE RADIO OFF. I NOTICED I WAS VERY COLD, AND MY DEFROST HAD STOPPED WORKING. THINKING IT WAS HOPEFULLY JUST A BLOWN FUSE, I CONTINUED ON MY WAY TO WORK, DRIVING CAUTIOUSLY. MY CAR DID SOUND LIKE IT WAS NOT SHIFTING GEARS AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I MADE IT TO WORK FINE, AND EVEN CHECKED ON IT DURING MY LUNCH HOUR--IT STARTED UP FINE, LIGHTS AND EVERYTHING WAS WORKING, WITH NO INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATING ON THE DASH. THINKING IT WAS FINE, I DROVE HOME THAT NIGHT WITH THE INTENTION OF BRINGING IT TO THE SHOP TO CHECK THE BATTERY OVER THE WEEKEND. WHILE DRIVING HOME (IN THE DARK) THAT EVENING, I MADE IT ALMOST TO MY APARTMENT. I NOTICED AGAIN THAT MY RADIO SUDDENLY STOPPED PLAYING. I LOOKED AT THE RADIO, AT WHICH POINT I SAW THE TEXT DISPLAY "LOW BATTERY." I BEGAN TO NOTICE EVERYTHING DIMMING--THE DASHBOARD, INTERIOR LIGHTS, AND EVEN MY HEADLIGHTS. I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO GET TO MY APARTMENT OK. THE NEXT MORNING I HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO GET TO THE SHOP. AFTER READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS OF SIMILAR DRIVERS OF 2007 FORD FOCUSES HAVING IDENTICAL ISSUES, I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT DRIVING TO THE SHOP. NOT KNOWING IF MY CAR WOULD SUDDENLY DIE ON ME, AND IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO USE MY HAZARD LIGHTS, OR TURN SIGNALS TO INDICATE TO OTHER DRIVERS IF MY BATTERY STARTED TO GO AGAIN. LUCKILY MY CAR MADE IT THE 3.1 MILES TO THE SHOP, BEFORE GIVING OUT. SAME THING--NO EARLIER INDICATIONS THAT THE BATTERY WAS LOW, THE POWER JUST STARTS SHUTTING DOWN. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, AND I WAS LUCKY THAT I READ UP ON THE ISSUE AND WAS ONLY DRIVING LOCALLY, AND NOT ON A HIGHWAY. *TR