NHTSA Complaint #11323774 — 2011 FORD FIESTA

RECENTLY MY DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT AS WELL AS MY TAIL LIGHTS. UPON CHECKING THE FUSE BOX LOCATED UNDER THE HOOD, I FOUND IT FILLED WITH SAND AND OTHER FOREIGN MATERIALS. FURTHERMORE, ALL OF THE FUSES WERE CORRODED AND WHEN I TRIED TO REMOVE THEM, THEY BROKE, THUS I WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THEM. IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THIS EQUIPMENT AS THE BOX DOES NOT PROPERLY SEAL EVEN THOUGH IT IS EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. AFTER RESEARCHING FURTHER, I DISCOVERED THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 2011 FORD FIESTA OWNERS AND THAT THE REPAIR FOR THIS IS VERY COSTLY. BECAUSE THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, IT WOULD SEEM THAT FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CORRECTING THIS DESIGN FLAW AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT MAKES THE VEHICLE UNUSABLE AFTER DARK. FURTHERMORE, I AM CONVINCED THAT OTHER FUSES WILL SOON FAIL AND THEN THE VEHICLE MAY NOT BE USEFUL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. IN ADDITION, I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT ENGINE STOPPAGES WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT OR WHEN IDLING IN TRAFFIC. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THIS TO OCCUR AND I SUSPECT THIS IS ALSO RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL FUSE BOX ISSUE. WOULD YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND HELP PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM A DESIGN FLAW THAT IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL. I'VE ATTACHED A PHOTO OF WHAT THE FUSE BOX LOOKED LIKE THE FIRST TIME I EVER OPENED IT. *TR