This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
In January, I was involved in a traffic crash. I applied the breaks to my vehicle (giving plenty of time to come to a stop and only traveling 20 mph ) but the vehicle did not come to a complete stop. As a result, I hit a vehicle in front of me. I do not know what the vehicle would not stop. It was as if the breaks were not working correctly.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Focus. While driving at various speeds, a rattling type noise was heard coming from the rear wheel area. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear passenger shock absorber punctured through the wheel well. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that the failure was due to rusting and corrosion of the wheel well. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,000.
While driving the vehicle stopped running suddenly. My daughter saw steam or smoke coming from the front engine compartment. Within a minute or so the whole front of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire was intense, the top of the engine was melted, the interior of the dash was destroyed, and the vehicle was damaged beyond repair. It looks like the most intense fire area was around the fuse panel. I did contact Ford through several avenues but they appeared to be disinterested.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the rear passenger side door would not remain closed and the rear driver side door could not be opened from the exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection of repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
- Fulton, NY, USA
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The door handles, interior and exterior, fail to open the doors. The problem has been intermittent, and can be sometimes be mitigated by using a key to lock and then unlock the door, though this doesn't always work. The problem has been getting worse with time. This is a problem with safety and security, in the event that one cannot enter the vehicle.
The cigarette lighter after being pushed in getting hot popped out of the holder and landed either on the occupant's lap or on the carpeting. When this was shown to the rental company, and a demonstration was done, the lighter burned the representative's legs. This was a budget rental vehicle.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Worth, IL, USA