NHTSA Complaint #10734185 — 2013 FORD FUSION

ONE OF FORD'S ADVERTISED SAFETY SYSTEM IS THE CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT (CTA) AND BACKUP SENSORS THAT ALERT THE DRIVER TO SOMEONE IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE VEHICLE OR APPROACHING THE VEHICLE FROM THE SIDES. WE NOTICED THAT WE COULD NOT HEAR THE SAFETY ALERT FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. I DECIDED TO MEASURE THE LOUDNESS OF THE ALERTS TO SEE HOW THE THEY COMPARED TO NORMAL LEVELS. ALL MEASUREMENTS WERE TAKEN AT THE DRIVER'S SEAT USING DBA SINCE THIS WEIGHTS THE SOUND TO MATCH THE CONTOUR OF THE HUMAN EAR. THE FORWARD SENSORS MEASURE AT 55 DBA WHICH IS AT THE MID-POINT OF NORMAL COMMUNICATION (50-60 DBA) AND IS QUITE NOTICEABLE UNDER ALL CONDITIONS. THE REAR SAFETY ALERT MEASURES AT 40 DBA WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT ABOVE A SOFT WHISPER. NORMAL COMMUNICATION IS BETWEEN 10 AND 100 TIMES LOUDER. WHEN YOU GET IN YOUR HOT CAR IN A PARKING LOT THE A/C IS ON HIGH IT MEASURES 70 DBA. THIS IS WHEN YOU NEED THE SAFETY SYSTEM TO WORK WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. PROBLEM IS THE NOISE FROM THE A/C IS 1,000 TIMES LOUDER THAN THE SAFETY ALERT RENDERING IT INAUDIBLE UNLESS YOU TURN YOUR HEAD AND LEAN INTO THE BACK SEAT AREA, THEN A FAINT SAFETY ALERT CAN BE HEARD. I COMPLAINED TO FORD AND THIS WAS ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER CAS-4970853. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY CAR BECAUSE A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A FUSION ENERGI SAME YEAR AND HIS IS A LITTLE LOUDER ABOUT 46 DBA. THE DEALERSHIP COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND FORD SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO FIX IT. I ASKED FOR THE SPECIFICATION ON THE SOUND LEVEL SO I COULD VERIFY MY CAR WAS WITHIN SPEC. I WAS TOLD THEY DO NOT HAVE A SPEC, WHICH MEANS AS LONG AS IT MAKES A SOUND IT'S GOOD. IF THIS IS TRUE IT'S AN UNFORGIVABLE LAPSE IN QUALITY. I WAS TOLD ALL THE HYBRIDS ARE MUCH LOWER LEVEL THAN THE NON-HYBRIDS WHICH MAKES THIS A FLEET-WIDE SAFETY ISSUE. WORKAROUND: TURN YOUR RADIO UP AND IT WILL MUTE WHEN A SAFETY ALERT OCCURS