NHTSA Complaint #10721064 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

ON SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015, I WAS TRAVELING EAST ON INTERSTATE 40, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. SUDDENLY THE GAS PEDAL BUMPED TWICE AND MY VEHICLE WENT COMPLETELY DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS BUSY INTERSTATE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM JUST DIED, MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS WOULDN,T EVEN WORK. IALL I COULD DO WAS CONTINUE TO LAY ON THE HORN AND WAVE MY HAND OUT THE WINDOW TRYING TO GET THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC TO REALIZE MY CAR HAD STOPPED. MY HUSBAND TOLD ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I WENT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. A GOOD SAMARITAN, STOPPED AND WAS ABLE TO PUSH MY CAR ACROSS THE TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC AND SAFELY ON THE RIGHT MEDIAN. THIS HAPPENED BETWEEN 7:30 AND 8:15 IN THE EVENING. MY HUSBAND ARRIVED ON SCENE AND WE PLANNED TO RETURN IN THE MORNING WITH A BATTERY HOPING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. I AM CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED SINCE 03/15/2015, I COULDN'T AFFORD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED. I DO NOT THINK THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE BATTERY, I THINK IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MARCH, 2013 AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE. EVERY PROBLEM I'VE HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THERE WAS IN FACT AN ISSUE WITH THE CLUTCH, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS DEFECTIVE AND MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE WARRANTY ON THE CLUTCH WAS EXTENDED TO 100,000 MILES. I HAVE A MESSAGE SCREEN ON THIS CAR. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS GIVEN TO ME. I DEFINITELY FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! WHAT MAKES A CAR COMPLETELY DIE AS YOU ARE TRAVELING 55MPH? I HAVE SPOKEN TO FORD AND THEY SAY THAT PARTICULAR MODEL DOES HAVE SOME ISSUES, BUT THEY SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT COULD HAVE GONE WRONG. I WAS TOLD TO JUST FEEL LUCKY I WASN'T KILLED. ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS WHY WOULD A CAR GOING 55MPH SUDDENLY JUST DIE, WITH NO WARNING? I GUESS SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO BE KILLED TO GET ANY ANSWERS. THANK YOU.