NHTSA Complaint #759970 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

ON 3-22-02 AT NIGHT, PARKED, I TRIED TO UNLOCK THE RIGHT REAR DOOR AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DOOR. THE PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE MADE A CRACKING NOISE AND THE DOOR HANDLE APEARED TO BE LOOSER THAN BEFORE WITHOUT THE TIGHT RETURN TO ORIGINAL POSITION. THE DOOR OPENED AND CLOSED PROPERLY. I DID NOT THINK THIS WAS A PRIORITY REPAIR SO WAITED UNTIL MY SPRING BREAK THE NEXT WEEK. ON 3-27-02 I HAD THE REAR RIGHT DOOR OPENED, I CLOSED IT AND DROVE OFF. WITHIN HALF A BLOCK THE DOOR SWUNG OPENED AT A STOP LIGHT AND A PASSING MOTORIST TOLD ME ABOUT IT BEFORE I DROVE OFF. I CLOSED THE DOOR AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE HILL, WITHIN 3 BLOCKS THE DOOR SWUNG OPENED AGAIN. I CHECKED THE HANDLE AND FOUND IT POPPED OUT INTO AN OPEN POSITION. I FORCED IT BACK INTO PLACE, THERE WAS A SIMILAR CRACKING NOISE TO THAT MADE WHEN THE ORIGINAL DAMAGE WAS CAUSED. I DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE FOR 3-29-02. I DID NOT CARRY ANYONE IN THE BACK SEAT UNTIL THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. THE SERVICE ORDER DESCRIBED THE REPAIR AS, "REMOVED RIGHT REAR DOOR PANEL-REPLACED INNER HANDLE-BROKEN & OUT OF POSITION IN RATCHET ASSEMBLY-RETEST-OK. THE DEALERSHIP TREATED THIS AS A WARRANTY REPAIR. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS NOT A FLUKE ACCIDENT, AS THE LOCKS AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGE WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO GEAR, AND UNLOCKING THE REAR DOOR AT NIGHT WOULD BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE. PASSANGERS COULD BE AT RISK, ESPECIALLY SMALL CHILDREN. *AK