NHTSA Complaint #764216 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

MY FORD FOCUS STALLS WHILE IN OPERATION. IT HAPPENS UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS: ACCELERATING UP A HILL, ACCELERATING DOWN A HILL, WHILE ON A STRAIGHTAWAY, WHILE GOING AROUND A HAIRPIN TURN. IT HAPPENS WHEN IT'S HOT, COLD, OR NICE OUT. THE ONLY CONSTANT IS THAT WHEN THIS HAPPENS, FIRST THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON, THEN THE OIL, ENGINE, AND GAS LIGHTS COME ON; THE STEERING LOCKS UP AFTER A FEW SECONDS, AND THE BRAKES GO AFTER THAT. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS IN THE FALL OF 2000, DURING THE FIRST YEAR I HAD THE CAR. WHEN I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT MORNING, THEY LOOKED AT IT, TOLD ME THE CAR'S COMPUTER HAD NO MEMORY OF ANYTHING GOING WRONG, TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND THAT I MUST HAVE TURNED THE KEY OFF IN THE IGNITION WHILE DRIVING! IT HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW MONTHS LATER AND I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THIS TIME, THEY SAID THEY'D FIXED IT. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TO HAPPEN, HOWEVER, AND THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH IT HAPPENS ARE SO VARIED THAT I CAN'T EVEN FIND A PATTERN TO THIS PROBLEM.*AK