NHTSA Complaint #10676901 — 2010 FORD FOCUS

I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR ITS 60K SERVICE AT APPROX 62K. ALL WAS OK. ABOUT 2 DAYS LATER I NOTICED A FUNNY SMELL IN THE CABIN. I PUT IT DOWN TO WHATEVER CHEMICALS THEY USED ON THE 60K SERVICE. ABOUT 3 DAYS LATER THE SMELL WAS GETTING WORSE, BUT ALSO THE AC WASN'T COOLING LIKE IT USED TO AND MY THEN 9 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER PASSED OUT IN THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE SMELL. I TOOK IT TO FORD AS THE INCIDENT HAPPENED STRAIGHT AFTER THE SERVICE AND THEY SAID NOTHING THEY DID WOULD HAVE CAUSED IT, BUT IT LOOKED LIKE THE AC CORE AND THE SMELL WAS PAG OIL. I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER GARAGE AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO FREON IN THE AC SYSTEM. THEY RECHARGED THE SYSTEM AFTER CHECKING FOR LEAKS AND NOT FINDING ANY. A WEEK LATER (TWO WEEKS AFTER THE INITIAL SERVICE) THE AC WAS NOT COOLING AGAIN. IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING FORD DID...AGAIN THERE WAS NO FREON IN THE SYSTEM. THEY GAVE ME THE SAME STORY AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME $1800 TO GET IT FIXED...WHY SHOULD I PAY $1800 ON A CAR THAT'S 18 MONTHS OLD? WELL, BECAUSE I NEEDED THE AC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER AND ITS THE ONLY CAR I HAVE. I COMPLAINED TO FORD DIRECTLY ASKED THEM TO PAY HALF THE COST AND THEY SAID I WAS "NOT USING THE AC CORRECTLY" AND AS SUCH WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANYTHING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO FORD AND THEY SHOWED ME THE "CORRECT WAY TO USE THE AC"...THE SAME WAY I USE THE AC. *TR