NHTSA Complaint #764390 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

REAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED AT 55,000 MILES. FORD REFUSED TO MAKE REPAIR UNDER RECALL .FORD REFUSED TO SELL ME THE IMPROVED OR REDESIGNED WHEEL BEARING PARTS, BUT INSTEAD WOULD ONLY ALLOW ME TO PURCHASE ANOTHER SET OF THE SAME DESIGN BEARINGS THAT ALREADY DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY ARE SUBJECT TO EARLY FAILURE, AS THEY HAD ALREADY DEMONSTRATED BY FAILING AT 55,000 MILES. I AM NOW DRIVING A FORD VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE SUBJECT TO UNEXPECTED AND PREMATURE WHEEL BEARING FAILURES BECAUSE IT ENCOMPASSES AN ADMITTED FLAWED COMPONENT, THIS EXPOSES ME AND OTHERS DRIVERS ON THE ROAD TO AN UNWARRANTED RISK INVOLVING VEHICULAR SAFETY AND POTENTIAL PERSONNEL INJURY TO MYSELF AND OTHERS THAT COULD INCLUDE A CATASTROPHIC EVENT. IN THE INTEREST OF PERSONNEL AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND TO DEMONSTRATE ADEQUATE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, I FEEL IT IS FMCS RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WHAT I WANT:1) FMC SHOULD REPLACE THE FLAWED COMPONENTS (REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLIES) WITH THE NEW APPROVED DESIGNED COMPONENTS AT THEIR COST, ON A RECALL OR OTHER BASIS. 2) FMC SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR MY COSTS TO PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF THE DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLIES PRESENTLY ON THE CAR. 3) I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT FMC SHOULD REVIEW AND REVISE AS NECESSARY THEIR INTERNAL PROCEDURES AND POLICIES TO CORRECT THIS TYPE PROBLEM WITH OTHER APPLICABLE FOCUS OWNERS.