2009 Ford Focus Fuel System Problems

FUEL TANK RUSTED WHERE THE HALVES MEET AND LEAKS FUEL. CANNOT FILL OVER HALF WAY. STARTED AS A GAS SMELL LAST YEAR, DISCOVERED A DRIP THIS YEAR. TANK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH WHEN THE CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN EVEN THOUGH I WAS DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. I THOUGHT THE ENGINE HAD DIED AND I WAS COASTING UNTIL I REALIZED THAT IT WAS STILL RUNNING BUT AT AN IDLE SPEED. I "COASTED" FOR 10 MILES AFRAID TO TURN IT OFF AND BE STRANDED. I GOT IT HOME AND TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED IT AND IT ACTED AS IF NOTHING WAS WRONG AND HAD GOOD ACCELERATION. IT DID IT AGAIN YESTERDAY (07/18/2014) WHILE TRAVELING AT 75 MPH ON THE FREEWAY. SCARED ME TO DEATH AS I WAS SURROUNDED BY SEMI-TRAILERS AND HAD TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THERE WAS LARGE TIRE PARTS AND RAN OVER THEM. I STOPPED THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT WITH NO ISSUES WITH ACCELERATION. I NOTICED AFTER THE "COASTING" INCIDENT THAT MY FUEL MILEAGE INCREASED TO 46 MPG. ON THE AVERAGE. IT WAS AROUND 35 BEFORE. *TR

THE CAR LOST POWER ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE AND THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE WAS IDLING BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND LET IT REST FOR A MINUTE. I TURNED IT BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE THE CAR FINE. THIS HAPPENED SIX TIMES (LOSING POWER) ON MY WAY HOME. I WAS TRAVELING TO AN EVENT AND HAD DRIVEN 200 MILES WHEN I HAD TO TURN AROUND. THIS WAS A DRIVING HAZARD - ESPECIALLY ON A HIGHWAY! FORD SHOULD RECALL THESE CARS. *TR

VEHICLE DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, WHILE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING. WOULD NOT START. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES NOW. TOOK IT TO FORD AND THEY SAY PROBLEM IS WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROL. *TR

THIS HAPPENED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST OCCASION, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE FOCUS AT AROUND 50 MPH, WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE CAR STOPPED ACCELLERATING (IT DIDN'T STALL) AND THE WRENCH PANEL LIGHT CAME ON. LUCKILY SHE WASN'T IN AN ACCIDENT, SO SHE PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT RAN FINE, AND THE LIGHT WAS OFF. THREE WEEKS LATER WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH WHEN THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED, THE CAR JUST STOPPED ACCELERATING, THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON, AND AGAIN WE WERE LUCKY WE WEREN'T IN AN ACCIDENT AND WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. WE RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT WAS FINE AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I CALLED FORD AND THEY AGREED TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND PROVIDE ME A RENTAL CAR. AFTER A WEEK, THEY SAID THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A THROTTLE BODY, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE IT BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO HAVE IT HAPPEN TO THEM. I TOLD THEM IT WAS UNREASONABLE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED THREE WEEKS APART, AND THE CHANCES OF IT HAPPENING WERE SLIM WITHIN A WEEK. I WAS TRYING TO URGE FORD TO COVER THIS SINCE THE CAR ONLY HAD 54K MILES ON IT, AND IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THEY SAID SINCE THEY COULDN'T DIAGNOSE IT, THEY COULDN'T FIX IT, AND EVEN IF THEY COULD DIAGNOSE IT, IT WOULDN'T BE COVERED SINCE ITS NOT UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF, AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE 99.9% SURE ITS A THROTTLE BODY (THE DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEES TOLD ME THEY'RE GETTING TONS OF THROTTLE BODY REPAIRS COMING IN AND THE PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER), THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO FIX THEM FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CONSUMER. THERE WAS NO MAINTENANCE WE COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THESE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS FROM HAPPENING. NOW I HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR ON MY OWN SO MY WIFE CAN DRIVE A SAFE VEHICLE. SO FORD'S DEFECTIVE PART HAS ALREADY PUT MY WIFE AND I IN DANGER, AND NOW IS COSTING ME MONEY I DON'T HAVE! *TR

DRIVING 65MPH - MIDDLE LANE OF THE FREEWAY - THE WRENCH LIGHT COMES ON AND SUDDENLY THE MAX SPEED I COULD GENERATE WAS 20 MPH- MADE IT TO THE PULL OVER LANE- HAD TO CHANGE MY UNDERWEAR WHEN I GOT HOME. THE CAR SAT - ENGINE OFF FOR ABOUT 30 MIN ( WAITING FOR ROAD SERVICE WHO NEVER SHOWED) THE CAR RESTARTED AND YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW THERE WAS A PROBLEM IT DROVE FINE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I WOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT OFF AS BAD GAS EXCEPT FOR INFO ON THE NET THAT MADE ME REALIZE I MAY HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. YOU DIDN'T ASK AND IT MAY NOT BE YOUR AREA OF BUT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY SAID IT COVERED ALL ELECTRONIC PARTS AND FUEL SYSTEM, BUT GEE WHIZ "WE'RE SORRY IT COVERS ALL EXCEPT THE THROTTLE BODY" THAT WILL BE $900 PLEASE. THEY ALSO MANAGED TO LOSE MY CALL FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE.. SOMEONE SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE EASY CARE CO. IF POSSIBLE I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE WERE SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED TO FORD DEALERS ABOUT THIS. SPECIFICALLY I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE PURCHASE WAS MADE FEB 2010. THANKS *TR