NHTSA Complaint #10568043 — 2009 FORD FOCUS

EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN OTHER ENTRIES ON THIS SITE, AND SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE NYTIMES TODAY ABOUT GM CARS (ALTHOUGH MINE IS A FORD- PROBABLY THE SAME FAULTY COMPONENT IS IN BOTH GM AND FORD). NUMEROUS TIMES AND AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, INCLUDING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR WILL INEXPLICABLY "STALL OUT"- THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF AND NO LONGER ACCELERATES. FIRST TIME WAS WITH MY WIFE DRIVING WITH OUR BABIES ON THE HIGHWAY. SHE WAS TERRIFIED, AND DID A HEROIC JOB OF GETTING OVER TO THE SHOULDER. SHE TURNED THE KEY OFF AND THEN WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR. A FEW WEEKS LATER IT HAPPENED TO ME ON A COUNTRY ROAD- WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE GOING ABOUT 40 MPH. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC. THEY DROVE IT OVER A HUNDRED MILES AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. IN ANOTHER WEEK OR SO, IT DID IT TWICE IN ONE DAY, BOTH CITY DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I'D PUT ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS, COME TO A STOP AND RESTART THE CAR. TOOK IT BACK TO THE MECHANIC. THEY DROVE IT ANOTHER 75 MILES WITH THE SAME LACK OF DIAGNOSIS. THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS ON AN EMPTY STRETCH OF OPEN ROAD GOING ABOUT 40, AND I WAS ABLE TO JUST SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE COASTING AND TURN THE KEY OFF AND BACK ON TO RESTART THE CAR WHILE NEVER ACTUALLY STOPPING IT. REALIZING THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN STOPPING TRAFFIC AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, THIS IS HOW I HAVE RESTARTED THE CAR AND RESUMED ACCELERATION IN THE SEVERAL TIMES IT HAS DONE IT SINCE. BUT I AM A VERY SKILLED DRIVER- SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE WHILE COASTING IN TRAFFIC IS DEFINITELY NOT A SOLUTION FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON HAVING THIS PROBLEM, AND I AM NOT ADVISING ANYONE TO DO IT. I'VE PUT A TON OF MILES ON THIS CAR QUICKLY, SO OTHER PEOPLE WITH 2009 FOCUSES MAY NOT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. BUT MORE WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE IT AS THEIR CARS GET OLDER. PLEASE RECALL. *TR