NHTSA Complaint #762346 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

MY VEHICLE HAS JUST BEEN TURNED INTO OUR DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING, FOR THE SAME REPEATED PROBLEM OF ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMING ON WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. THIS IS OUR 5TH VISIT, AND WE ARE ON OUR 4TH EGR VALVE. SAME COMPLAINT, THE CAR DRIVES SLUGGISHLY, SHUTTERS AND ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED WHILE MY 14 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TRAVELING THROUGH A MAJOR INTERSECTION AT NIGHT. WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF A LEFT HAND TURN, AT THIS PARTICULAR INTERSECTION, 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC ARE TURNING LEFT AT THE SAME TIME. WE WERE ON THE INSIDE LANE, MAKING OUR TURN AND THE FOCUS SHUT OFF. WE WERE NEARLY REAR ENDED, AND BARELY AVOIDED A LARGE INTERSECTION ACCIDENT WITH TRAFFIC BEHIND US QUICKLY BRAKING AND SWERVING INTO THE OTHER LANE. IT WAS TERRIFYING! WE HAVE HAD THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED, AND EACH TIME OF OUR COMPLAINT, THE DEALER CANNOT DIAGNOSIS THE DIRECT PROBLEM. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS ARTICLES REGARDING OTHER FORD FOCUS VEHICLES HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. JUST RECENTLY HAVE READ ABOUT THE PAINT CHIPPING OFF FROM THE INSIDE OF THE GAS TANK, CAUSING A BLOCKAGE, SO THAT FUEL CANNOT FLOW THROUGH INTO THE PUMP. THERE IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM. HOW MANY OTHER FOCUS OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THESE SAME REPEATED DIFFICULTIES? I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FOR A GOOD RELIABLE CAR FOR MY 16 YEAR DAUGHTER TO EVENTUALLY HAVE, AND CONSIDERING THE EXPERIENCES I HAVE HAD WITH SHUTTERING, SHUT OFFS..DO NOT WANT TO PUT HER BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THIS CAR FOR SAFETY REASONS. OUR PAPERWORK FROM THE DEALERSHIP SEEMS TO ACCUMULATING, WITH NO DIRECT ANSWERS.*AK