Page 5 of 5 · complaints 201–205 of 205

2006 Ford Focus complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2006 record →

Electrical SystemFire
Filed May 9, 20063,000 milesFL

I PURCHASED A 2006 FORD FOCUS ON 12/3/05, IT HAD 4 MILES ON IT WHEN I DROVE OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP. ON THURSDAY MAY 3, 2006, IT CAUGHT FIRE IN MY CARPORT. THE MILEAGE IS BETWEEN 2,000-3,000 MILES, I BELIEVE. I ARRIVED HOME FROM A MEETING AT A LOCAL BANK, HAVING DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES. I PARKED THE CAR IN THE CARPORT, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND ENTERED THE HOUSE. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY STRANGE NOISES OR ODORS. MY HUSBAND ARRIVED HOME ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES LATER. HE BEGAN TOOTING THE HORN ON HIS VEHICLE TO GET MY ATTENTION. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR, HE YELLED "GET YOUR KEYS." I COULD SEE FLAMES UNDER MY CAR AND SMOKE SEEPING OUT THE SIDES OF THE HOOD. I THREW HIM THE KEYS AND RAN FOR THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. HE ENTERED MY FOCUS GOT THE ENGINE STARTED AND BACKED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE CARPORT AND AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. AS HE BACKED UP THE VEHICLE, FLAMING PARTS BEGAN FALLING OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR ONTO THE CONCRETE FLOOR. HE GOT THE CAR BACKED UP ABOUT 10 FEET AND THE ENGINE QUIT AND WOULD NOT RESTART. HE EXITED THE CAR AND TRIED TO OPEN THE HOOD. THE HOOD WAS VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH BUT HE GOT IT OPENED. THE FLAMES WERE ABOUT A FOOT HIGH AT THE BACK OF THE ENGINE AREA ON THE LEFT SIDE. WE WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES WITH THE EXTINGUISHER. WE THEN EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES ON THE PIECES THAT WERE LYING ON THE CARPORT FLOOR. BOTH CONTINUED TO SMOKE FOR SOME TIME BUT THE FIRE DID NOT RE-IGNITE. WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED AND WE FELT IT SAFE TO APPROACH THE VEHICLE, WE COULD SEE THE CHARRED

Tires
Filed Apr 28, 2006OH

UPON TURNING RIGHT ONTO THE HIGHWAY THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO THE STRAIGHTENING OF THE STEERING WHEEL. IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE HYDROPLAINING. AGAIN UPON MAKING ANOTHER RIGHT 11 MILES LATER IT REACTED THE SAME WAY. SECONDS LATER THE LEFT FRONT DRIVER TIRE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DROP AND SKID LEFT OF CENTER HITTING AN ONCOMING CAR HEAD ON. A WITNESS CLAIMS TO HAVE SEEN THE TIRE LEAVE THE CAR AND CAUSE THE SLIDING TO LEFT OF CENTER. *JB

Structure
Filed Feb 27, 200640 milesOH

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE SITTING INSIDE THE VEHICLE, A TOXIC VAPOR WAS RELEASED. THE CONTACT ASSUMED THIS WAS PART OF MATERIALS BEING USED WHEN THE DASHBOARD AND SIDE PANELS WERE MANUFACTURED. AS A RESULT OF THE VAPOR, THE CONTACT HAS A HEADACHE, SORE THROAT AND ALLERGIES; ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT WAS PLACED ON ANTIBIOTICS FROM THE FAMILY DOCTOR THE SORE THROAT STILL PERSISTED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 3/22/2006 - *NM

Air BagsCrash3 injured1 killed
Filed Jan 25, 20068,000 milesVA

I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DOING A REVIEW OF SEVERAL INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE FORD FOCUS ONE OF WHICH WAS RELATING TO MY FATHER, WHERE ON INSTANCES THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY ON THE VEHICLES DURING THE INCIDENCE OF A CRASH. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE NOTED ON SEVERAL ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THE VEHICLE, WHERE IN DETERMINATION OF THE IMPACT SHOULD OF ACTIVATED THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE VEHICLES AIRBAGS BUT RATHER THE SYSTEM HAS NOT REACTED IN ANY FORM AS OF THUS FAR THERE HAS BEEN ON NOTED DEATH THAT I KNOW OF BEING MY FATHER, THEIR COULD BE OTHERS BUT UNSURE...I HAVE 5 NOTATIONS OF THIS HAPPENING THE VEHICLES WERE DIFFRENT PEOPLES, BOUGHT AT DIFFRENT TIMES, AND FROM DIFFRENT DEALERSHIPS. *AK

Seats
Filed Jan 14, 20061,020 milesWY

WHILE DRIVING AND RESTING LEFT FOOT NEAR DRIVER'S SEAT, PANTS LEG CAUGHT ON END OF SEAT ADJUSTMENT (BACK/FORWARD) ADJUSTMENT HANDLE, CAUSING DELAYED ABILITY TO UTILIZE CLUTCH. *JB

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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