NHTSA Defect Investigation List for the 2000 Ford Focus
The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) is an office within the NHTSA which investigates serious safety problems in the design, construction or performance of vehicles. The NHTSA is authorized to order manufacturers to recall and repair vehicles, if the ODI finds a safety issue. NHTSA investigations for the 2000 Ford Focus, both ongoing and closed, are listed below:
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BURN INJURIES DUE TO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT NHTSA Defect Investigation #EA02017
Component: Air Bags
Summary: All of the consumer complaints allege an incident in which deployment of the driver frontal air bag caused some type of burn injury. Most of these injuries are due to contact and/or abrasion with the air bag and are of relatively minor to moderate severity. It is possible that some drivers may have sustained burn injuries to the skin as a result of hot gases exhausting from the vents of the air bags in the subject vehicles, but the number of such incidents appears to be low. Further details of the investigation are contained in subsequent pages of this report. Based on the above, further expenditure of Agency resources on this investigation does not appear to be warranted. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency may take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #EA02017 »
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INAPPROPRIATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE02026
Component: Air Bags
Summary: Allege air bags may deploy in the absence of frontal vehicle impact or during very low speed vehicle impact.
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE02026 »
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AIR BAG BURN INJURIES/VEHICLE FIRES NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE02020
Component: Air Bags
Summary: Allege deployment of air bags may result in burn injuries to driver and/or vehicle fire
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE02020 »
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ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES NHTSA Defect Investigation #EA02014
Component: Electrical System
Summary: Alleged engine compartment fires on the driver's side in the area of the battery
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #EA02014 »
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ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE02032
Component: Electrical System
Summary: Allege that the engine compartment fires on the driver's side in the area of the battery
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE02032 »
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ENGINE STALLING NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE02040
Component: Engine And Engine Cooling
Summary: Alleged loss of engine power may occur at low speed or high speed
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE02040 »
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ENGINE STALLING NHTSA Defect Investigation #EA02022
Component: Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump*
Summary: Clogging of the fuel delivery module (FDM) filters in the subject vehicles can lead to stalling and other related symptoms. These symptoms become increasingly obvious to the driver as the clogging gradually increases over extended periods of driving. Stalling in these vehicles is most likely to occur when accelerating through a right hand turn such as merging into freeway traffic when the fuel level in the fuel tank is less than 1/4 full. More than 90% of the stalling complaints pertain to the "original" design FDM installed in MY 2000 and 2001 (partial year) focus vehicles. Ford has decided to conduct a campaign (03V-482) to address stallingin these vehicles. The smaller number and rate of complaints associated with the "interim" and "current" FDM designs indicate improvement but also reflect a shorter time in service for these designs. Accordingly, ODI will monitor the stalling performance of MY 2001 - 2002 focus vehicles equipped with "interim" and "current" design fdms.
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #EA02022 »
* This defect investigation is filed under 3 related vehicle components.
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REAR DOOR LATCH FAILURE NHTSA Defect Investigation #EA04023
Component: Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch
Summary: This investigation was opened on April 8, 2004 as PE04-033 and upgraded on August 18, 2004 to EA04-023. The complainants alleged that the rear door latches failed to keep the doors in a closed position, resulting in rear doors coming open while the vehicles were being driven. Some complainants reported that at timesa rear door, or doors, could be difficult to close. Others reported that corrosion of the door latch mechanism caused binding of the latch. Ford has identified a condition of corrosion in the "pawl pivot" area of the door latch assembly that prevents proper engagement of the door latch "catch" to the latch striker on the vehicle body. By letter of February 1, 2005, Ford Motor Company notified the Agency that it will conduct a safety recall on model year 2000 through 2002 four and five-door focus vehicles registered in, or originally sold in, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Dealers will inspect rear door latches and replace "binding" latches as required. Dealers will also lubricate all rear door latches to prevent future corrosion and binding. A lower rocker seal will also be added to the rear doors. See safety recall 05V030 for details.
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #EA04023 »
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REAR DOOR LATCH FAILURE NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE04033
Component: Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch
Summary: This investigation was opened on April 8, 2004, based on 17 reports that one or both rear door latches did not function properly. The complainants alleged that the doors were difficult to closeand that the door latches would not remain latched while the vehicles were being driven, resulting in a door coming open. Several of the complainants reported that corrosion of the door latch mechanism caused binding of the latch. Ford's response to the preliminary evaluation information request provided 19 consumer reports and 28 warranty claims attributed to the door latch where the doors came open while the vehicles were being driven. Three (3) of the 17 opening ODI reports were duplicated in Ford's response. This investigation has been upgraded to engineering analysis EA04-023 for further study.
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE04033 »
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FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARM NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE02044
Component: Suspension
Summary: Allege that the front suspension lower control arm allegedly fractures while driving
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE02044 »
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FRONT SUSP COLLAPSE/WHEEL SEPARATION NHTSA Defect Investigation #EA02023
Component: Suspension:Front:Control Arm*
Summary: See attached report.
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #EA02023 »
* This defect investigation is filed under 4 related vehicle components.
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Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit NHTSA Defect Investigation #AQ10001
Component: Unknown Or Other
Summary: The Agency, particularly in recent months, has been informed of incidents involving allegations of personal injury and death claimed to have been caused by safety defects and failures to conform to minimum Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) on rental car vehicles for which a safety recall to remedy the safety defect or noncompliance had allegedly not been performed prior to the rental car company's lease of the vehicle. NHTSA understands that there is presently a petition before the federal trade commission (ftc) seeking to prohibit at least one rental car company from renting vehicles on which safety recall campaign remedies remain outstanding. The purpose of this audit query (aq) is to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on the above-listed safety recall campaigns. These campaigns were chosen due to their inclusion of vehicles used in the rental market. This information is expected to provide the Agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets, in general or individually, perform necessary recall-related repairs or other remedies on the vehicles owned and then leased for use on the roadways. This aq is opened.
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #AQ10001 »
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REAR WHEEL BEARING NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE02016
Component: Wheels
Summary: Allege rear wheel bearing failure with a potential loss of vehicle control and/or wheel separation
NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE02016 »