NHTSA Complaint #10619088 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

I NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT "TRACKING" WELL ON HIGHWAYS AT THE RECOMMENDED CRUISING SPEED OF 65 MPH. THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO "DRIFT" FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WITHIN THE LANE IN WHICH WE ARE TRAVELING. THIS REQUIRES CONSTANT ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION IN CONTROLLING THE POSITION OF THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO KEEP THE CAR GOING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. IT IS LESS NOTICEABLE AS THE HIGHWAY CURVES IN EITHER THE RIGHT OF LEFT DIRECTION. ONE GETS THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE IS FAR TOO MUCH "PLAY" IN THE STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN RELATIVE TO THE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE TRAIN MECHANISM. IN ADDITION, THE PROBLEM SEEMS EXAGGERATED DURING HIGHER WIND VELOCITIES. I ASKED MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE CAR AND SHE TOO NOTICED THE PROBLEM. I QUESTIONED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP, AT THE TIME OF MY FIRST SCHEDULED SERVICE APPOINTMENT, AND ASKED IF THEY COULD DRIVE THE CAR AND "TIGHTEN" THE STEERING WHEEL TO REDUCE THE "PLAY" IN IT. HE TOLD ME THAT THE TEST DRIVE WAS PRETTY NORMAL, THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE STEERING MECHANISM AND THAT THE "SPORT" SET-UP FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL RESULTS IN THAT "FEEL" DURING DRIVING. AS AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER OF 56 YEARS WHO HAS OWNED NUMEROUS AUTOMOBILES, INCLUDING SOME RATHER HIGH END SPORT CARS, THIS EXPLANATION MADE ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE WHAT-SO-EVER. HE OFFERED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST DRIVE A DIFFERENT VEHICLE OF THE SAME MODEL TYPE, BUT I DECLINED AS I SAW NO POINT TO THE EXERCISE. I HAD SEEN AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ON THE ABC NATIONAL NEWS PRESENTED BY [XXX] RELATIVE TO REPORTED PROBLEMS BY OTHERS IN THIS REGARD. UPON ACCESSING THIS SIGHT, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE REPORTS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. MY PURPOSE IN SUBMITTING THIS NARRATIVE IS TO PLACE ON THE RECORD A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THIS FORD PRODUCT IN THE EVENT THAT SOMEONE IS INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE STEERING PROBLEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR