NHTSA Complaint #11297012 — 2014 FORD FIESTA

MY RADIO STARTED ACTING STRANGELY ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO. WHEN THE RADIO WAS ON THERE WAS IRREGULAR SQUEALING COMING FROM IT. WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, THE SQUEALING WAS ONLY WHEN THE RADIO WAS ON AND I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. LATER, THE SQUEALING ALSO STARTED TO INCLUDE LOUD POPPING NOISES, VERY MUCH LIKE AN OLD STEREO SPEAKER LOSING ITS WIRE CONNECTION. THE LOUD POPPING WAS VERY INCONSISTENT . IT THEN STARTED HAPPENING EVERY TIME I WAS IN THE CAR. IT DIDN'T MATTER IF THE RADIO WAS ON OR NOT. I EVEN TRIED TURNING DOWN THE VOLUME, WHILE THE RADIO WAS OFF. THE POPPING NOISE WAS EXTREMELY LOUD AND DISTRACTING WHILE TRYING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE . MANY TIME BECAUSE THE POP WAS SO LOUD I WOULD JERK THE STEERING WHEEL IN ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER. PASSENGERS THAT RODE IN MY CAR DURING SOME OF THE INCIDENCES HAD COMMENTED ON IT HURTING THEIR EARS AND MAKING THEM JUMP OR JERK IN THEIR SEAT. THEN, ONE DAY THE POPPING WAS HAPPENING ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY AND THEN JUST STOPPED. NOW LEAVING ME WITHOUT A RADIO AND PHONE CONNECTION. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON DEFECT IN THE FORD FIESTA. THE ERRATIC LOUD POPPING IS A VERY DANGEROUS DISTRACTION WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING AND I FEEL IT IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY HAZARD.