NHTSA Complaint #765556 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

THE DATE LISTED IS THE FIRST FAILURE DATE. THE SENSOR WENT OUT AND THE CAR KEPT RUNNING. ON 7/1/02, THE SENSOR FAILED AGAIN AND THIS TIME A FUSE BLEW AND THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING. I WAS DRIVING 70 MPH WITH 3 PASSENGERS IN MY CAR. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER, WHO "REPAIRED" THE CAR AND I ARRIVED ON 7/3/02 TO PICK IT UP. I DROVE APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PART FAILED AGAIN. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO THE SAME DEALER, WHO TOLD ME THE PART FAILED ANOTHER TWO TIMES WHILE THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. FINALLY, THEY REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE CAR HAS RUN SINCE THEN. I FINALLY PICKED UP THE REPAIRED CAR ON 7/10/02. I CONTACTED FORD (THE CORPORATION), WHO TOLD ME THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE PART AND THEIR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT IF THERE WERE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS. I WAS TOLD BY A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT REPAIRED MY CAR, WHO TOLD ME IT WAS "A BAD FORD PART" AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT UNTIL FORD CAME OUT WITH A NEW PART. I TOLD FORD WHAT I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP, THEY CONTACTED THE TECHNICIAN WHO DENIED SAYING THAT. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO PUT SOME PRESSURE ON FORD TO ASSURE THAT THIS VEHICLE RUNS PROPERLY AND PREVENT THIS PROBLEM FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT IN PREVIOUS INCIDENTS, BUT MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY THE NEXT TIME.*AK