2003 Ford Focus

ON 5 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE KEY / IGNITION SWITCH HAS STUCK AND NOT ALLOWED ME TO START MY CAN. THIS PROBLEM HAS LEFT ME STRANDED 2 TIMES WHERE I WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE HELP FOR MORE THAN 8 HOURS. I CONTACTED A FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT THERE WAS NO SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS AND IT WOULD COST $400 TO $600 TO REPAIR IT. I DID FIND A LOCKSMITH TO REPAIR IT FOR $250.00 AND WAS TOLD BY THE TECH THAT HE REPAIRS THIS PROBLEM ON THE FORD FOCUS 2 TO 3 TIMES A WEEK. *TR

THE KEY IN MY FOCUS WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. THIS CAUSED ME TO BE STRANDED SINCE I COULD NOT START MY CAR. I RECENTLY LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. IN FACT, A MAN IN THE SERVICE DEPT AT MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP SAID THIS PROBLEM "HAPPENS WAY MORE THAN IT SHOULD." I LIVE IN A CITY WITH HIGH CRIME. BEING STRANDED IS A VERY SCARY SITUATION. SINCE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY TYPE OF CAR, THE MANUFACTURER CERTAINLY SHOULD RECALL AND FIX THIS PART TO PREVENT PEOPLE LIKE ME FROM BEING LEFT IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. *TR

IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER ON FORD FOCUS IS DEFECTIVE. THE MECHANISM LOCKS AND IS UNABLE TO TURN. THIS YIELDS THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE, POSING A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK IF THE OWNER NEEDS TO USE THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY OR THE VEHICLE STALLS ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS AN ISSUE KNOWN BY FORD, AS EVIDENCED BY THE MECHANICS AT LANDMARK FORD, TIGARD, OREGON STATING THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND FORD HAS QUIETLY UPDATED THE CYLINDER. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE NUMEROUS INTERNET FORUMS WITH THIS SAME COMPLAINT. ALL OWNERS OF FOCUS VEHICLES WILL HAVE THIS FAILURE, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME. THE REPAIR IS $300+. A RECALL SHOULD BE REQUIRED OF FORD TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR

I OWN A 2003 FORD FOCUS AND HAD TO SPEND $360 TO HAVE MY IGNITION CYLINDER REPLACED AS MY STEERING WHEEL HAD LOCKED AND THE KEY UNABLE TO TURN AND START THE CAR WHEN THE CAR HAD JUST WORKED FINE THE PREVIOUS DAY. LUCKILY, IT WAS STILL WARM OUTSIDE AND I WAS NOT STRANDED IN A REMOTE PLACE IN A STORM OR IN WINTER WHERE HARM COULD BEFALL SOMEONE. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG OR WHAT I NEEDED TO DO, BUT I COULDN'T UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. I EVEN CALLED THE FORD COMPANY WHO STATED THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING THEY COULD DO EXCEPT THAT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN TO A DEALER. I CALLED A FORD DEALERSHIP WHOSE SERVICE DIRECTOR DID NOT SEEM SURPRISED BY WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY STEERING WHEEL, EVEN SAYING THAT PROBABLY THE IGNITION CYLINDER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THE PART WOULD USUALLY COST $350-400 TO REPAIR. HE SAID THAT HE HAD REPLACED QUITE A FEW FOR THE FOCUS. THEN I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, SOME HAVING REPLACED THIS ONE PART 4-5 TIMES. FOR SOME REASON THIS PART HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED EVEN THOUGH IT IS A SERIOUS ENGINEERING FLAW WITH POSSIBLE SERIOUS RAMIFICATIONS IN STRANDING PEOPLE UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE AND SO I AM TURNING TO YOU TO MAKE THE FORD COMPANY OWN UP TO THEIR DESIGN FLAW CONCERNING ITS CAR, THE FORD FOCUS CONCERNING ITS IGNITION CYLINDER. WHEN THE LOCKSMITH CAME AND REPLACED THE CYLINDER HE DEMONSTRATED WHY THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE. IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TUMBLER MECHANISM IN THE CYLINDER. *TR

MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER DRIVES A FORD FOCUS ZX3 2003. AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR ONLY A FEW MONTHS, THE IGNITION LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT TURN. AS A RESULT, SHE WAS STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT ALONE FEELING VERY UNSAFE. THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES TO MY HUSBANDS F250 IGNITION. THE IGNITIONS HAD TO BE REPLACED BY A LOCKSMITH EACH TIME. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THESE IGNITIONS TO FAIL. *TR

I DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE WHAT CAUSED IT, BUT MY IGNITION ON MY 03 FORD FOCUS LX LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT TURN OVER. YOU COULD LEAVE THE KEY IN AND IT WOULD ALWAYS START. BUT IF YOU TOOK THE KEY OUT IT WOULD LOCK UP AND REFUSE TO TURN. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED YET AND I THINK IT IS NOT FAIR THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO FIX IT WHEN 9 OUT OF 10 FORD FOCUS DO THIS. I AM TAKING IT TO A LOCK SMITH TO HAVE IT FIXED NEXT WEEK AND I WILL BE SELLING IT AND I WILL NEVER BUY A FORD AGAIN. *TR

AFTER PLACING THE DOWN PAYMENT OF $1500 AND COMPLETING THE PAPERWORK. NOT EVEN A WEEK LATER THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL ON THE FREEWAY AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE CAR WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND I DROVE IT TO FREEWAY FORD HERE IN HOUSTON, TX. EACH TIME THEY COULDN'T FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I HADN'T ENJOYED THE CAR OVER A MONTH BECAUSE THE CAR WAS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS WHEN I HAD IT AND IT STAYED AT THE DEALERSHIP. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THE DEALERSHIP ASSISTANT MANAGER AND NEITHER HAD AN ANSWER. *TR