2000 Ford Focus Seats Problems

I HAVE A 2000 FORD FOCUS ZX3. I PUSHED HARD ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID A COLLISION AND MY BUCKET SEAT SNAPPED IN HALF. *TR

RE: NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 00V-418 - - IN JULY 2007 WE BOUGHT A 2000 FORD FOCUS WAGON AS A 2ND CAR. UPON LOWERING THE BACK SEAT TO LOAD ITEMS, THE SEAT SEPARATED FROM THE HINGE. RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET I LEARNED OF THE ABOVE NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN AND CONTACTED FORD. THEY STATE THAT NO RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR MY VEHICLE AND REFUSE ANY FURTHER COMMENT, EVEN THOUGH THE DEFECT IN MY CAR IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE. I EVEN REFERRED THEIR "CUSTOMER RELATIONS" OFFICE TO YOUR WEBSITE AS AN "FYI" BUT THEY ADAMANTLY REFUSE TO REPLY WITH ANY MEANINGFUL RESPONSE. ALTHOUGH I INTEND TO HAVE THE DEFICIENCY REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE, I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH FORDS "STONEWALL" TACTIC AND DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES I REFER THIS MATTER TO YOUR AGENCY IN THE EVENT THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONFIRM WHETHER, OR NOT, MY VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A RECALL FOR THE PARTICULAR ITEM CITED IN CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 00V-418 AND/OR IF FORD IS IN VIOLATION OF THE RECALLS MANDATE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR

FOCUS 3 DOOR SEAT BACK LATCH FAILURE. SECONDARY RELEASE TO ALLOW ACCESS TO REAR SEAT FAILED AND WILL NOT HOLD SEAT BACK IN UPRIGHT AND LOCKED POSITION. *JB

THE FOCUS SEEMS TO HAVE A DRIVERS SEAT RECLINER DEFECT. WITH OUR ZX3 THE RECLINER HANDLE BROKE OFF. WE NOW USE A SCREWDRIVER TO RECLINE THE SEAT, HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO FIX IT YET. MY SISTER WHO ALSO OWNS A FOCUS HER SEAT DOES NOT RECLINE AT ALL. SHE USES A PILLOW TO HELP WITH THE RECLINE. SHE IS A COLLEGE STUDENT HAS NO MONEY TO FIX IT. HOWEVER I DO THINK ITS FUNNY THAT BOTH CARS ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS BOTH WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER, BOTH ARE 2000 FORD FOCUS.*AK

THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT IS JAMMING FOR THE FOURTH TIME. THE BELT WILL NOT RETRACT OUT WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE BELT THREE TIMES NOW AND GOING BACK FOR THE FOURTH ON FEBUARY 11 2005.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED DRIVER'S SEAT ROCKED FORCIBLY DURING ACCELERATION AND STOPPING. *AK

THE FRONT DRIVERS SEATBACK HAS COMPLETELY FAILED: I.E. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SEAT BACK HAS COLLAPSED WITH NO WARNING, WHILE DRIVING, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT! AFTER REVIEWING THE NHTSA LISTING OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS I REALIZED THIS IS NOT THE FIRST COMPLAINT OF THIS KIND. *AK

THE BOLTS FELL OUT OF THE SEAT, WHICH CAUSED THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT TO COLLAPSE . *JB

DEALERSHIP SAD THAT PARTS TO RECALL 00V180000 CONCERNING SEAT HINGE FAILURE WERE ON BACK ORDER.*AK

WHILE EXITING THE REAR SEAT, THE PASSENGER SEAT BACK RELEASE ASSEMBLY BROKE (PART NUMBER YS426161184AA). WHEN I EXAMINED THE BROKEN PART IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE CLEVIS HAD BROKEN FROM "METAL FATIGUE" FAILURE. I BROUGHT MY FOCUS INTO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY. TO MY SURPRISE, I DISCOVERED THAT ANOTHER FORD FOCUS, SAME YEAR, SAME MODEL, HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE, SUGGESTING THAT THE CASTING / FORGING FOR THAT PART IS FAULTY. THE PARTS DEPARTMENT JUST RECEIVED THE PART TO REPAIR THE OTHER FOCUS. THE DEALERSHIP IS INVESTIGATING, FOR ME, THE MILAGE OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. I WILL UP DATE THIS REPORT WHEN THE MILAGE OF THE OTHER FOCUS IS KNOWN.*AK

DRIVER'S SEATBACK HANDLE BROKE, UNABLE TO ADJUST THE SEAT. *AK

DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SEATS: THE BOLSTER SUPPORT BARS (2 PER SEAT) ARE SPOT WELDED TO THE SEAT PAN. THE END OF THE SUPPORT BAR CLOSEST TO THE REAR OF THE SEAT PAN ON BOTH SEATS IS SHARP ENOUGH TO WEAR THRU THE SEAT COVERS AND BECOME COMPLETE EXPOSED TO THE BUTTOCKS OF THE PERSON IN THE SEAT. THE DRIVER'S SEAT HAS WOREN THRU FROM THE INSIDE OUT ALL THE WAY THRU THE SEAT COVER AND HAS CAUSED HOLES IN DRIVER'S PANTS. THIS SAME THING WILL HAPPEN TO THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT SINCE THE TWO ARE MADE THE SAME. THE DRIVER'S SEAT LEFT BOLTER SUPPORT BAR HAS ALSO BROKEN AWAY FROM THE SEAT PAN NEAR THE FRONT OF THE SEAT PAN WHERE IT WAS ATTACHED. I HAVE HAD THE SEAT COVER ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND FOAM REPLACED AND NOW ABOUT 8 MONTHS AFTER THE HOLES APPEARED AGAIN AND THE DEALER LOCAL TO ME - MILLENNIUM WILL NOT FIX IT UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY PERIOD OF THE CAR. THEY SAID THAT IT HAS BEEN FIXED TO MANY TIMES BEFORE. AT THEIR REQUEST I TOOK IT TO AN AUTO UPHOLSTERER AND THE COST TO FIX IT WOULD BE ABOUT $500. THE PROBLEM THO IS INHERENT IN THE SEAT DESIGN AND NOT FIXABLE FOR THE LONG TERM. IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT I COULD POTENTIALLY AND ESPECIALLY IN A FAST STOP OR ACCIDENT DRIVE THAT REAR END OF THE BOLSTER SUPPORT BAR INTO MY BUTTOCKS. ALSO THE FRONT END OF THE SAME BOLSTER BAR HAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE WELD. FORD MAKES NO CLAIM TO THE FACT THAT WEIGHT IS AN ISSUE. I WIEGH 280 LBS AND AM 6'5" TALL. DUE TO MY SIZE AND SIZE OF MY BUTTOCKS I AM ALWAYS SITTING ON THE BOLSTER BARS AND NOT BETWEEN THEM. WHILE FORD WILL NOT ADMIT TO A WEIGHT AND SIZE LIMIT OF THE SEATS - I FEEL THAT IS AN ISSUE. LEAR CORP. WHO MAKES THE SEAT FOR FORD SAYS THAT THE SEAT IS DESIGNED FOR THE 90-95 PERCENTILE AND IS NOT DESIGNED TO ACCOMONDATE LARGER FOLKS. I AM AFRAID THAT THE BROKEN END OF THE BOLSTER SUPPORT BAR IN AN ACCIDENT OR FAST STOP MAY FIND IT'S WAY INTO MY LEFT THIGH.*AK

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT, THERE ARE NO HEADRESTS IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE FORD FOCUS, HE IS CONCERNED THAT IN THE EVENT OF A REAR END COLLISION, BACK SEAT PASSENGERS OVER 5 FEET TALL ARE AT RISK OF SPINAL NECK INJURY. *YD

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT, THERE ARE NO HEADRESTS IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE FORD FOCUS, HE IS CONCERNED THAT IN THE EVENT OF A REAR END COLLISION, BACK SEAT PASSENGERS OVER 5 FEET TALL ARE AT RISK OF SPINAL NECK INJURY. *YD

BOTH FRONT SEATS COMPLETELY COLLAPSED BACKWARDS WHEN VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM REAR. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER WAS PUSHED INTO AN INTERSECTION, HAD NO CONTROL OVER STEERING WHEEL, 2 PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *JB

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT CAN EASILY MOVE FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS, EVEN IF SEAT IS LOCKED IN PLACE OR NOT. HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

MY FOCUS WAS STRUCK FROM THE REAR ON I-75 BY A LARGE PICKUP TRUCK. AT THE INSTANT OF COLLISION, THE DRIVERS SEAT COLLAPSED. THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM WORKED PERFECTLY, BUT THE COLLAPSE OF THE SEAT RESULT IN WHIPLASH AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

THE REAR SEAT IS STAINED EACH TIME YOU PUT IT DOWN- THERE ARE SOME BLACK BRACKETS THAT SLIDE UP ONTO THE SEAT AND THEY LEAVE HIDEOUS BLACK MARKS ON THE FABRIC IN 8 PLACES AS WELL AS ON THE CLOTHES OF THE NEXT PERSON TO SIT THERE. MY DEALER REPLACED MY BACK SEAT FABRIC BUT FAILED TO REPAIR THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. IT MAKES ME ESPECIALLY ANGRY THAT I PAID $17,000+ FOR A CAR AND I HAVE TO PUT A SHEET DOWN TO HAVE ANYONE SIT IN THE BACK SEAT. I WANT FORD TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND REPLACE THE FABRIC ONE LAST TIME. ALSO, MY FRIEND MARGARET HAS THE EXACT EXACT SAME CAR AND HERS DOES IT AS WELL. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER FOCUS OWNERS THAT HAVE GOTTEN NO RESOLUTION FROM THEIR DEALER. THANK YOU. *AK

BOLT THAT ATTACHES SEAT TO VEHICLE FLOOR BROKE, AND THE SEAT WAS COMING APART.*AK

MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 00S55; CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER TWICE. BUT, BOTH TIMES DEALER,GRAHAM FORD IN DIXON ,TN TELE#615-740-7957, CLAIMED THERE WERE NO PARTS AVAILABLE, AND HAS BEEN WAITING SINCE JANUARY 2001. IN MEANTIME, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE.*AK

UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER CONSTANTLY GETS AN ELECTRIC SHOCK, THIS MAY BE CAUSED BY THE SEAT MATERIAL IN THE VEHICLE. NLM

BACK SEAT OF THE WAGON DOES NOT COME BACK ONTO THE CATCH AFTER IT HAS BEEN USED AS A WAGON BED. I HAVE WRITTEN FORD SEVERAL TIMES, TALKED TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES AND TALKED TO FORD THREE TIMES. EACH TIME THEY HAVE TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT USE THE SEAT AND THEY ARE REFERING THE PROBLEM TO ENGINEERING. WHAT I THINK FURTHUR COMPLICATES THE PROBLEM IS THE FACT THAT THE DEALERSHIP IS CLOSING AND THE MODEL IS BEING TAKEN OFF THE MAKRKET. HENCE NO REASON TO FIX IT.*AK

THE BUSHING BROKE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BACK SEAT CAUSING THE SEAT NOT TO LOCK INTO THE UPRIGHT POSITION AFTER BEING LOWERED TO CREATE A FLAT SURFACE. NLM

THE REAR SEAT BACK LATCH/STRIKER PLATE FAILED. *MJS

A BAR WAS PUSHING UPWARD FROM THE SEAT INTO THE BACK OF DRIVER WHEN SEATED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT WOULD TAKE APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS OR MORE BEFORE THEY COULD REPLACE THE SEAT, AND IT WAS OKAY FOR CONSUMER TO DRIVE UNTIL THEN. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK