NHTSA Complaint #10577251 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. CAR HANDLED ERRATICALLY ON WET / SLICK SURFACES. ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS TRACTION CONTROL RELATED. BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND FORD SERVICE (ALL AMERICAN FORD, HACKENSACK, NJ) SAID THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS OPERATIONAL. WE SPECIFICALLY SUGGESTED IT MIGHT BE THE TIRES, AND FORD SERVICE INDICATED THE TIRES WERE NOT PROBLEMATIC / AN ISSUE (INCOMPETENCE OR DISINTEREST). SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THAT FORD INSTALLED "SUMMER ONLY TIRES" INSTEAD OF "ALL WEATHER TIRES". AUTOMOBILE WAS PURCHASED IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY. EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE TO EQUIP AUTOMOBILES WITH SUMMER ONLY TIRES IN THE US NORTHEAST (IF NOT ILLEGAL, PERHAPS IT SHOULD BE). ON FEBRUARY 15, 2014, AUTOMOBILE SKIDDED OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A SNOW BANK IN PRINCETON NEW JERSEY. NO INJURIES. IN LIGHT OF THE NOW HIGHLY PUBLICIZED GM THOUGHT PROCESS TOWARDS IGNITION SWITCHES ON COBALT AND G5 MODELS, WE FEEL IT IS APPROPRIATE TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. SENT A LETTER TO [XXX] ON MARCH 6TH. TRIED TO SPEAK WITH THE DEALERSHIP ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS (NO FOLLOW UP). FORWARDED A COMPLAINT CONCERNING SAFETY AND SERVICE SUPPORT VIA THE FORD WEBSITE. NO FOLLOW UP FROM FORD HQ. REPLACED THE TIRES AT OUR EXPENSE (COST OF APPROXIMATELY $1,000) IN LATE FEBRUARY / EARLY MARCH, AND DISPOSED OF ORIGINAL TIRES. THE NHTSA SHOULD RAISE THE SAFETY MATTER WITH FORD GIVEN THEIR APPARENT DISREGARD FOR SAFETY AND LACK OF FOLLOW UP / INTEREST IN THE MATTER. IN OUR VIEW THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHICH POTENTIALLY PUTS LIVES AT RISK AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR