2003 Ford Focus

2003 FORD FOCUS IGNITION WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE KEY. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS. THE FIRST TIME WAS APPROX ON THE DATE LISTED BELOW. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS OF JIMMYING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION IT FINALLY UNLOCKED. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES SINCE THEN AND WITH ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME MESSING WITH IT I WAS ABLE TO GET IT UNLOCKED. TODAY, THOUGH, IT LOCKED UP AGAIN AND NO MATTER WHAT I DO IT WILL NOT UNLOCK. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL MANDATED ON THIS ISSUE SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE A SEVERE PROBLEM WITH THE 2000-2003 FORD FOCUS. WHAT IF I WERE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND I COULD NOT GET MY CAR STARTED? I HAVE HEARD PROBLEMS FROM FELLOW FOCUS OWNERS THAT EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE IGNITION THE SAME PROBLEM CONTINUED AND ALL THEY GET IS A "SORRY" FROM FORD. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AND OBSERVED THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN INSIDE OF THE IGNITION AND SUDDENLY, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE IGNITION LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55,000. UPDATED 1/11/09 *CN THE IGNITION LOCK HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE KEY OR THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE CAN FEEL THE IGNITION STARTING TO GIVE HER TROUBLE AGAIN. UPDATED 01/14/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND THE KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE GEARS WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75867.

ON MY 2003 FORD FOCUS THE IGNITION IS GONE IT WON'T WORK. I WAS TOLD BY YANKEE FORD THAT THIS IS A REGULAR PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR. IT'S SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE LOCKING CHAMBER IT COST 400.+ DOLLARS TO FIX. IT I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY RECALL BECAUSE SOMETHING BAD COULD HAPPEN BE IT ON THE ROAD OR IN A PARKING LOT LATE ONE NIGHT ..........SAY IF SOMEONE IS GETTING OUT OF WORK AND THERE SITTING TRYING TO START THEIR CAR AND IT WON'T AND THEN THEY GET MUGGED ROBBED OF RAPED...ALL BECAUSE OF FORDS FAULTY IGNITION LOCK CHAMBER..... *TR

MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZTS LEFT ME (A FEMALE) STRANDED LAST NIGHT FOR TWO HOURS AT NIGHT WHILE WAITING FOR A FRIEND TO GIVE ME A RIDE HOME BECAUSE WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE STORE MY KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. I TRIED A NUMBER OF THINGS FOR TWO HOURS AND FINALLY HAD TO LEAVE IT AT THE STORE OVERNIGHT. I TRIED AGAIN THIS MORNING, BUT SAME THING, KEY WOULD NOT TURN AT ALL NO MATTER WHAT I DID! THIS MORNING I WENT ON THE INTERNET TO ASK.COM AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FOCUS. THERE ARE OVER 100 COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER FOCUS OWNERS OF ALSO BEING STRANDED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE!!!!! SOME WOMAN/TEENAGE GIRL IS GOING TO GET ABDUCTED/RAPED AND MURDERED BECAUSE SHE IS LEFT STRANDED BECAUSE THE DUMB KEY WON'T TURN IN THE IGNITION!!!! OF COURSE, FIRST THING I DID WAS GO TO FORD TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THE IGNITION AND FOUND OUT NO, THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS STUPID CAR PART!!! THE FORD DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD COST ME PROBABLY BETWEEN $300 AND $500 TO FIX IT!!!! AND IT'S A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT!!!!! I WILL NEVER, EVER BUY ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE OF ANY TYPE AND I WILL TELL EVERYONE I KNOW THAT FORD MAKES PIECE OF '!@#$% CARS AND TO NEVER BUY ONE!!!! *TR

I OWN A 2003 FORD FOCUS ZTS THAT HAS 140,000 MILES. I KNOW MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE IGNITION HAS BEEN GIVING ME PROBLEMS THAT SCARE ME FROM TIME TO TIME THAT I MAY GET STRANDED. YOU PUT THE KEY IN, GO TO TURN THE KEY TO START AND THE IGNITION ACTS LOCKED. YOU TRY AGAIN AND AGAIN BUT STILL NOTHING. THIS HAS LEFT ME TRYING TO TURN MY IGNITION FOR UP TO 10 MINUTES SO FAR. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, ONCE A WEEK. NOW IT HAPPENS EVERYDAY, NOT EVERY TIME, BUT AT LEAST 2 OUT OF 5 TIMES I GO TO START MY VEHICLE IT HAPPENS. THIS IS DEFINITELY GETTING WORSE VERY QUICKLY. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2000-2003 FORD FOCUS MODELS. I HAVE HEARD THAT EVEN IF I TAKE MY VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE IGNITION REPLACED WHICH WILL COST UP AROUND $500, THAT THE NEW IGNITION WILL PROBABLY DO THE SAME THING DUE TO FORD NOT CORRECTING THE PROBLEM IN THE DESIGN OF THE IGNITION. I WILL TRY CALLING A LOCKSMITH DUE TO THE COST BEING LESS. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM OCCURRING AND SHOULD BE CHECKED INTO AS A RECALL MATTER. I DO NOT HAVE THE PATIENCE TO WAIT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN NOR DO I HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GET MY VEHICLE STARTED SO I WILL GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. *TR

MY 2003 FORD FOCUS STRANDED ME ON 11/1/2009 BECAUSE THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS CAR FOR YEARS 200 - 2003 AND FORD HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. IT COST ME $300 TO GET THE LOCK CHANGED OUT IN ORDER TO DRIVE THE CAR. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AS IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO STRAND OWNERS LIKE THIS. *TR

UPON LEAVING WORK LAST NIGHT, I PUT MY KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND IT WOULD NOT TURN. 4 PEOPLE TRIED TO TURN THE KEY, STILL WITHOUT SUCCESS. I TRIED TO WIGGLE TO STEERING WHEEL, THE GEAR SHIFT AND LOCK AND UNLOCK THE CAR BEFORE TRYING AGAIN. FINALLY, MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. THE TOWING MAN STATED THAT THIS IS THE MOST COMMON COMPLAINT ON ALL THE FORD FOCUSES HE TOWS, AS DO MANY WEBSITES I HAVE RECENTLY LOCATED. OVERALL, IT SEEMS THAT ONCE I FINISHED PAYING OFF MY FORD FOCUS, IT HAS BEEN NEEDING MECHANIC WORK EVER SINCE ON VARIOUS PARTS. I ALWAYS GET MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGES AND MILEAGES CHECK-UPS. MY CAR IS NOW AT THE MECHANIC AND I AM AWAITING AN ESTIMATE. *TR