NHTSA Complaint #11234892 — 2012 FORD FIESTA

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I WAS A 24 YEAR OLD SINGLE FEMALE WHEN I WENT TO THE FOX FORD DEALERSHIP IN GRAND RAPIDS, MI IN EARLY 2012. WHEN I SAW THE FORD FIESTA IN THE SHOWROOM I THOUGHT IT WAS 'CUTE.' I TEST DROVE IT AND THOUGHT IT SOUNDED A LITTLE LOUD BUT DIDN'T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARS SO I IGNORED IT AND TOLD THE SALESMAN I WANTED TO START THE PURCHASE PROCESS. I ENDED UP LEASING THE CAR IN MARCH 2012. BY SEPTEMBER 2012, I MOVED TO ARIZONA AND TOOK A JOB WITH CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. I STARTED NOTICING MY CAR JERKED A LOT AROUND 20,000 MILES (EARLY 2013). WHENEVER I WENT IN FOR MY OIL CHANGE AT EARNHARDT FORD IN CHANDLER, AZ I MENTIONED THE SHUDDERING AND JERKING OF THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS JUST A 'CHARACTERISTIC' OF THE CAR AND IT COULDN'T BE FIXED. I MENTIONED THIS MULTIPLE TIMES BUT WHEN THE TECHNICIAN WOULD LOOK AT THE CAR, IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. THE CAR STARTED TO GET WORSE AND BEING A CHILDREN'S CASE MANAGER MEANT THAT I HAD TO DRIVE CHILDREN AROUND FREQUENTLY FOR MY JOB. I STARTED TO FEAR THAT I WOULD GET IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN TURNING SINCE THAT IS WHEN MY CAR WOULD SHUDDER AND STOP WHEN TRYING TO MAKE A TURN FROM A STOPPED POSITION. I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO START DOCUMENTING THE ISSUES IN CASE ANYTHING WERE TO HAPPEN.