2003 Ford Focus

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE FRONT PASSENGER WAS THROWN INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT, THE CONTACT'S HIP WAS DISLOCATED AND SHE SUSTAINED SEVERE BRUISING AND A LACERATION THAT REQUIRED THIRTEEN STITCHES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

EVERYTHING SHUTS OFF. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. MOST OF THE TIME IT WILL START AGAIN IN APPROX. 3 SECONDS. NOW IT IS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. IT HAS EVEN HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING. I MADE A RIGHT TURN, AND THE CAR TOTALLY DIED. I QUICKLY PUT ON MY FLASHERS, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND LUCKILY IT STARTED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. RIGHT NOW MY CAR IS IN MY PARKING LOT AND IS TOTALLY BLANK. NO POWER WHATSOEVER. I TOOK THE CAR IN ONCE TO MY AUTO MECHANIC, HE DID A DIAGNOSTIC (AND SINCE THE CAR WAS UP AND RUNNING) HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND ALL HE DID WAS CLEAN THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. I KNOW GM IS HAVING PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW, BUT I DON'T THINK MINE IS AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM (BUT WHAT DO I KNOW!) I WAS THINKING OF HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP BUT I'M AFRAID THAT THIS WOULD COST ME AN ARM AND A LEG. ANY THOUGHTS? THANK YOU. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, AN ODD ODOR COULD BE SMELLED, BUT WENT AWAY AFTER A MINUTE. CAME BACK ONCE BRIEFLY. 20 MINUTES LATER, AS I WAS ABOUT TO TURN INTO MY WORK'S PARKING LOT, MY CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN IT BACK ON, IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND ALL THE GAUGES WENT HAYWIRE. AFTER I STOPPED TRYING TO START IT, I TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND THE CAR ATTEMPTED TO START ITSELF. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS, THE INSIDE OF THE CAR FILLED UP WITH SMOKE. THE FIRE ORIGINATED NEAR THE BATTERY. AN OFFICER SHOWED UP LESS THAN 2 MINUTES AFTER THIS ALL OCCURRED, AND HE SAT THERE AND WATCHED MY CAR BURN. HE PULLED OUT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER 10 MINUTES LATER SO MY CAR WOULDN'T CREATE VISIBILITY ISSUES FOR THE CARS DRIVING PAST (IT DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOUR LANE ROAD). THEY TOLD ME IT WAS MOST LIKELY AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, I HAD MY ALTERNATOR REPLACED. THE NEW ALTERNATOR WAS A FORD MANUFACTURED PART. *TR

KEY CANNOT TURN - VEHICLE CANNOT BE STARTED. UNACCEPTABLE AND HAZARDOUS CONDITION WITH A POORLY DESIGNED AND/OR LOW QUALITY PART ON ALL FORD FOCUS AND LIKELY OTHER FORD PRODUCTS. I GOT AROUND THIS BY POUNDING ON THE KEY WITH A SMALL HAMMER I KEEP IN THE GLOVE BOX - I HAD LIVED WITH THIS FOR MORE THAN 3 YEARS. SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY BROTHER-IN-LAW'S CAR (HE REMOVED ALL THE TUMBLERS SO ANY KEY CAN START HIS CAR). IT IS OBVIOUS FROM READING THROUGH THE COMPLAINTS THAT THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE (>50%?) OF ALL OF THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AGAINST THIS VEHICLE. DEALERSHIPS WANT $400 TO FIX IT - THAT'S BS. ACTIONS BY NHTSA OR A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST FORD IS APPROPRIATE. IT APPEARS THAT FORD IS USING THIS DESIGN DEFECT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROFIT AFTER HAVING PUT 1000S OF CONSUMERS IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE KEY FAILED TO TURN. AFTER TWO HOURS OF REPEATED ATTEMPTS, THE KEY WAS FINALLY ABLE TO BE TURNED TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER BEING DRIVEN DUE TO THE SAFETY HAZARD THE CONTACT STATED WAS INVOLVED WITH THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

THE IGNITION HAS GONE OUT ON MY 2003 FORD FOCUS. I ATTEMPT TO TURN THE KEY AND IT SEEMS LOCKED. I ATTEMPT TO TURN THE KEY BACK AND FORTH AND NO SUCCESS. IF I HIT THE KEY A FEW TIMES IT MIGHT TURN. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUES BECAUSE WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO TURN THE KEY, I HAVE TO ACCESS TO ANYTHING POWER IN THIS VEHICLE AND I COULD BECOME STRANDED AT ANYTIME WITHOUT WARNING. I HEAR THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. I BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THIS ISSUE AT NO COST TO THE CAR OWNERS. *JS