NHTSA Complaint #10605040 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

MY EMAIL TO AVIS IS AS FOLLOWS: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AVIS CUSTOMER SERVICE [email protected] CONTRACT # [XXX] CAR FORD FOCUS 2014 RENTAL TAMPA AIRPORT DATE: JUNE 18 2014 DEAR AVIS I RENTED A FORD FOCUS TO DRIVE ACROSS THE STATE TO STUART, FL FROM TAMPA AIRPORT I LEFT AROUND 1 AM. THE CAR BUCKED AND SPUTTERED ONCE ON THE BELTWAY I 275 SURROUNDING TAMPA. AT HIGHER SPEED THE ENGINE SEEMED TO SETTLE DOWN. I USED STATE RT 70, AN OFTEN SINGLE LANE ROAD TO CROSS THE STATE GOING THROUGH ACACIA AND OKEECHOBEE. AT RED LIGHTS, THE CAR STALLED OUT TWICE. THIS ON A DARK SINGLE LANE ROAD IS VERY DANGEROUS. I USED THE EMERGENCY FLASHER TO WARN TWO LARGE TRUCKS COME AT ME ON THE SINGLE LAND BEHIND ME. WHEN I DROPPED THE CAR OFF THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 18, I REPORTED THE STALLING OUT TO THE OFFICE PERSON [XXX] AT AVIS ON FEDERAL HIGHWAY, STUART SHE TOLD ME THE FOCUS HAS A HABIT OF SPUTTERING AND BUCKING AND ASKED IF I KNEW ABOUT THAT. I SAID I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE CONDITION BUT THAT THIS CAR STALLED OUT. I SAID THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS ON A DARK ROAD. I HAD TWO INCIDENTS THAT NIGHT WITH LARGE SEMI?S COMING AT ME STALLED AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. SHE SAID SHE WOULD WRITE UP THIS CONCERN IN COMMENTS TO AVIS. IN MY VIEW, A CAR THAT CAN STALL OUT IS SIMILAR TO THE GM CARS THAT STOPPED WITH A DEFECTIVE KEY. THIRTEEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THOSE GM STALL OUTS. I WILL SENT THIS SAFETY CONCERN TO AVIS MANAGEMENT, THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION AND TO FORD, WHICH SO FAR HAS NOT HAD ANY KEY RECALLS. IF THE FOCUS STALLS OUT OR MISFIRES, THIS SEEMS LIKE A SIMILAR SAFETY ISSUE. FORD SHOULD REMEDY THE FOCUS STALL OUT AND AVIS MAY NOT TO CONSIDER LETTING THE FOCUS OUT AS A RENTAL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR