NHTSA Complaint #11374632 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

I BEGAN TO NOTICE MY VEHICLE HAVING LIGHTING ISSUES, INCLUDING DIMMER INSIDE DOME LIGHTS, FLICKERING LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS, AND IT WAS POINTED OUT TO ME THAT MY BACK UP LIGHTS WEREN'T FUNCTIONAL AT ALL. I WAS PARKED PARALLEL WITH OTHER VEHICLES IN A PARKING LOT. THEN AFTER STARTING MY VEHICLE, I SHIFTED MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE GOING ONLY ABOUT 2 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO BEEP, ALONG WITH A WARNING THAT MY LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT DOOR WAS OPEN. IN THE SITUATION, THE BEEPING WAS VERY DISTRACTING AND COULD HAVE INCREASED THE RISK OF CRASHING. I IMMEDIATELY RE-PARKED MY VEHICLE SO THAT I COULD INVESTIGATE. I OPENED , THEN FIRMLY CLOSED ALL 4 OF MY DOORS, THEN TIRED TO OPEN THE TRUNK , ONLY TO FIND THAT MY TRUNK WOULDN'T OPEN. THE BEEPING PERSISTED UNTIL I PRESSED THE OK BUTTON ON MY STEERING WHEEL. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE HOME SAFELY, ALTHOUGH THE WARNING REMAINED ON MY DISPLAY THE ENTIRE DRIVE HOME. MY TRUNK WOULDN'T OPEN WHEN PRESSING ON THE TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON ON MY SMART-KEY EITHER. I DROVE THE VEHICLE IN THAT CONDITION FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO LOCATED THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER DOING AMPLE RESEARCH ON OTHER 2012 FORD FOCUS DRIVERS THAT COMPLAINED OF THE SAME SYMPTOMS. SO I ACCESSED MY TRUNK BY FOLDING MY BACK SEATS DOWN, THEN PULLING THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE LEVER. I THEN LOCATED THE FAULTY WIRES THAT WERE CAUSING ALL OF MY SYMPTOMS. I HAD THE WIRES REPAIRED BY A PROFESSIONAL. THAT SOLUTION WORKED FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS BEFORE REOCCURRING.