NHTSA Complaint #10928501 — 2016 FORD FOCUS

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TWICE TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR ISSUE WITH THE COOLANT SENSOR AND ASSOCIATED WIRING HARNESS. FAULTY COOLANT SENSOR/WIRING HARNESS/OTHER CAUSES CEL TO ILLUMINATE. DURING NORMAL DRIVING, VEHICLE WILL GO IN TO 'FAILSAFE MODE' WHICH DRASTICALLY LOWERS POWER OUTPUT. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND RANDOMLY. VEHICLE MUST BE RESTARTED FOR IT TO FUNCTION NORMALLY AGAIN. ONLY TO GO BACK IN TO 'FAILSAFE MODE' SHORTLY AFTER. THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE DURING MERGING, PASSING, STEEP UPHILL DRIVING, AND ANY OTHER INSTANCE WHICH REQUIRES POWER TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH A MOVING VEHICLE AND/OR STATIONARY OBJECT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE IN 2 DAYS. I WAS MERGING ON TO THE HIGHWAY. I TRY TO MATCH THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC BUT IS UNABLE TO DUE TO THE 'FAILSAFE MODE' MY VEHICLE WAS IN. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. LUCKILY, THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH NOT TO HIT ME. AND FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO OTHER VEHICLE BEHIND THEM. MY INABILITY TO MERGE SAFELY IN TO TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY PRESENTS A HUGE SAFETY RISK FOR MYSELF AND OTHER MOTORISTS. *TR