NHTSA Complaint #11469370 — 2007 FORD FOCUS

The contact stated that her mother-in-law owns a 2007 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her mother-in-law was driving at an unknown speed, the front passenger’s side wheel detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a control arm failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that 2 weeks later the driver’s side wheel detached. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic who stated that the control arm had detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that 3 months later while stopped at a traffic light, the driver was unable to control the vehicle as the front passenger’s side wheel detached from the vehicle as well as the transmission slid into the engine. The transmission observation was by the tow truck company. The vehicle was towed to the owner's residence. The failure cause was not diagnosed by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact stated that the tow company informed her that the vehicle was unable to be towed on the flatbed due to the fact that the front end of the vehicle might detach. The contact stated that the headlights would also flicker on and off while driving. The contact stated that the independent mechanic replaced the light bulbs however, the failure continued. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.