2003 Ford Focus

THE KEY INSERTION CYLINDER (LOCATED NEXT TO THE STEERING WHEEL): IT WILL EVENTUALLY LOCK INTO PLACE AND WILL NOT TURN -- MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE KEY AND DRIVE. THE SAFETY HAZARD: WHEN MY 2003 FORD FOCUS LOST POWER AND NEEDED TO BE RESTARTED ON THE ROAD, THE KEY INSERTION CYLINDER LOCKS INTO PLACE, MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO TURN THE WHEEL -- BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS WHEN THE KEY CYLINDER IS IN THE "KEY INSERT/BEGIN" POSITION. THERE ARE SEVERAL HORROR STORIES, ON THE INTERNET, ABOUT FORD FOCUS VEHICLE OWNERS WHO HAVE BEEN STRANDED BECAUSE OF A FAULTY KEY IGNITION CYLINDER; OR THEIR CAR WILL NOT TURN OFF BECAUSE THEIR KEY IS STUCK IN THE START POSITION. FORD DEALERSHIPS WILL ONLY COVER THIS ITEM IF IT WARRANTED, BUT NEGLECT THE PRODUCT DESIGN AND REFUSE TO CONSIDER A PRODUCT RECALL. THIS TYPICAL ITEM COST OVER $250 WITH LABOR. EVENTUALLY, EVEN WITH A NEW KEY CYLINDER, THE PROBLEM WILL START TO EXIST AGAIN, COSTING THE CONSUMER AND CREATING A SERIOUS HAZARD FOR OUR CITIZENS ON AMERICAN ROADWAYS. THE PROBLEM IS CURRENT IN MY VEHICLE AND I AM AUTHORIZING THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION TO USE MY VEHICLE AS AN INVESTIGATIVE TOOL. *JB

FORD FOCUS 2003 FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE IGNITION LOCK KEY CYLINDER HAD NOT WORKED, I WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN THE KEY AND GET THE CAR TO START. CONSEQUENCES, FIRST I WAS NOT ABLE TO TAKE MY CHILD TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM UNTIL ANOTHER VEHICLE ARRIVED, ANOTHER CONSEQUENCE, I WAS LATE TO WORK, THEN IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON A DANGEROUS AREA OF TOWN, RISKING MY LIFE. FINALLY IT GOT STUCK AT THE AIRPORT AND HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. *JB

FORD FOCUS 2003: THE IGNITION MECHANISM STOPPED WORKING WITH NO WARNING. THE KEY COULD NOT BE FULLY INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION OR TURNED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CAR COULD NOT BE STARTED. AT FIRST, THE KEY COULD BE TAPPED INTO THE IGNITION, BUT THAT ONLY WORKED A FEW TIMES. EVENTUALLY I HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE TUMBLER MECHANISMS REPLACED IN THE IGNITION. *NM

MY CAR IS ONLY THREE AND A HALF YEARS OLD AND FOR THE LAST 8 TO 10 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. IF I TURN THE CAR OFF IT IS VERY, VERY HARD TO GET THE KEY TO TURN OVER. I TOOK IT TO A LOCKSMITH WHO SAID THAT THEY HAVE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO OWN FORD AND MERCURY VEHICLES COMING IN WITH THE SAME KIND OF PROBLEMS. THEY ALSO SAID THAT FORD HAS REDESIGNED THEIR SWITCHES SEVERAL TIMES AND STILL COME UP WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT I AM EXPERIENCING. I WAS WONDERING WHY NO KIND OF RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. *JB

IGNITION LOCK OF FORD FOCUS 2003 BROKE AND WE WERE UNABLE TO MOVE THE CAR AWAY FROM A DRIVEWAY THAT WAS BLOCKED SINCE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY. ONE MECHANIC WAS PAID TO TRY TO START THE CAR BUT HE WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL (BUT HE WAS STILL PAID). EVENTUALLY, WE LEARNED FROM THE WWW THAT THIS WAS A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM. A LOCKSMITH WAS CALLED WHO REPLACED THE LOCK AND WAS PAID. IN ADDITION TO THE FINANCIAL EXPENSE, TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE LOCATION OF THE CAR AND THE TIME SPENT WERE SIGNIFICANT COSTS. *NM