Ford Motor Company: Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery › Cables
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Nov 6, 2002 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 291,854. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ZETEC ENGINES, LOOSE OR BROKEN ATTACHMENTS AND MISROUTED BATTERY CABLES COULD LEAD TO CABLE INSULATION DAMAGE.
The risk
THIS, IN TURN, COULD CAUSE THE BATTERY CABLES TO SHORT RESULTING IN HEAT DAMAGE TO THE CABLES. BESIDES HEAT DAMAGE, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT MAY ILLUMINATE, THE VEHICLE MAY FAIL TO START, OR SMOKE, MELTING, OR FIRE COULD ALSO OCCUR.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BATTERY CABLES FOR THE CONDITION OF THE CABLE INSULATION AND PROPER TIGHTENING OF THE TERMINAL ENDS. AS NECESSARY, CABLES WILL BE REROUTED, RETAINING CLIPS INSTALLED, AND DAMAGED BATTERY CABLES REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 10, 2003. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Ford Focus | 1,761 | 14 | 47 | 172 |
| 2000 Ford Focus | 3,686 | 18 | 118 | 248 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 02V288000.
Full record for the 2001 Ford Focus → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →