NHTSA Complaint #10593929 — 2007 FORD FOCUS

WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 FORD FOCUS, I NOTICED THAT IT WAS MAKING UNUSUAL NOISES BUT DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT UNTIL THE NOISES GREW PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER AND MORE ALARMING. INITIALLY I THOUGHT THAT I WAS PERHAPS IN THE WRONG GEAR SO WHEN I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, I PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN. THAT SEEMED TO ALLEVIATE THE SOUNDS MOMENTARILY AND I DROVE A DISTANCE BEFORE THE SOUNDS STARTED TO OCCUR AGAIN. AS I STARTED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THESE NOISES, I NOTICED THAT THE GAS PEDAL WAS TREMBLING SO I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND CONTACTED MY UNCLE, WHO IS A FISHERMAN BY TRADE. HE HAS DONE A LOT OF MECHANICAL WORK ON THE ENGINES INSIDE OF HIS 32-FOOT, COMMERCIAL-SIZED FISHING BOAT, SO I FRANTICALLY ASKED HIM WHAT I SHOULD DO. HE HAD ME DO A SERIES OF CHECKS INCLUDING CHECKING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVELS, THE COLOR, AND THE ODOR. I REPORTED TO HIM THAT THE FLUID LEVELS SEEMED ADEQUATE AND THE COLOR NORMAL BUT THERE WAS PERHAPS A SLIGHT BURNT SMELL. THE ?OD IS OFF? LIGHT WAS ALSO FLASHING AND SO HE THOUGHT IT WAS MOST LIKELY A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM BUT THAT IT COULD BE A BELT ISSUE AS WELL. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE SAFEST TO GET BACK INTO THE CAR AND OFF THE FREEWAY, ONTO SURFACE STREETS AND RETURN HOME UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR INTO THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO CHECK IF THE TRANSMISSION COULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HE THOUGHT IT WAS QUITE STRANGE THAT I WAS HAVING THESE ISSUES AND I WAS ONLY AT 86,000 MILES. I CAUTIOUSLY DROVE THE WHOLE WAY HOME, NOT QUITE SURE IF I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT BACK. I THEN ARRANGED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE MY CAR SERVICED BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND CONTACTED AAA. *TR