NHTSA Complaint #11503407 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact then refilled the fuel tank, however, he noticed that there was a significant amount of pressure coming out of the fuel tank. The contact was able to continue driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the fuel gauge frequently provided inaccurate reading and would indicate that there was approximately 100 miles left of fuel while the fuel tank was empty. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank had expanded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who provided the same diagnostic information. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the dealer had only reprogrammed the PCM. The dealer informed the contact that the fuel tank could not be replaced under the recall since the recall was marked as completed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as the fuel tank was in good condition at the time the recall repair was completed on the vehicle a year and half prior. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.