Illustration2003 FORD FOCUS IGNITION CYLINDER LOCKED UP. KEY WILL NOT TURN, LEAVING ME WITH TOWING COSTS TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP.*AK
2003 Ford Focus
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2003 Ford Focus do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 864.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Focus years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
1350–25K
17525–50K
18850–75K
10775–100K
107100–150K
41150K+
753 reports with mileage · 224 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 522 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 82 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 73 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
52 crash reports17 fire reports37 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
522 reportsI STARTED MY CAR NORMALLY AND DROVE TO THE STORE. WHEN I CAME OUT FROM THE STORE I GOT IN MY CAR, INSERTED MY KEY IN THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPTED TO START MY CAR. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND MY STERRING WHEEL STAYED IN A LOCKED POSITION. I TOGGLED MY KEY IN THE IGNITION TO NO AVAIL MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I ENDED UP HAVE TO CALL A…
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I STARTED MY CAR NORMALLY AND DROVE TO THE STORE. WHEN I CAME OUT FROM THE STORE I GOT IN MY CAR, INSERTED MY KEY IN THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPTED TO START MY CAR. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND MY STERRING WHEEL STAYED IN A LOCKED POSITION. I TOGGLED MY KEY IN THE IGNITION TO NO AVAIL MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I ENDED UP HAVE TO CALL A TOW TRUCK , WHO WAS THE DRIVER SAW THE MODEL CAR IMMEDIATELY TAPPED ON THE IGNITION CYLINDER WITH A BALL PEEN HAMMER AND WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR. WHAT HE SAID IS THIS IS COMMON IN FORD FOCUS.*AK
CONSUMER PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND THE KEY WILL NOT TURN. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY IT DID NOT COVER WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND UPON STOPPING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. *AK
1. SEVERAL TIMES WITHIN THE PAST 3 OR 4 DAYS, THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN. AFTER TAKING THE KEY OUT AND TRY AGAIN A COUPLE TIME, IT WOULD TURN. HOWEVER, TODAY AS I PUT MY KEY IN, IT DID NOT TURN; TRIED FIXING IT AND TURNING IT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. NO LUCK. MUST CALL MECHANIC OR LOCKSMITH. CAR NOT FUNCTIONAL AT THI…
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1. SEVERAL TIMES WITHIN THE PAST 3 OR 4 DAYS, THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN. AFTER TAKING THE KEY OUT AND TRY AGAIN A COUPLE TIME, IT WOULD TURN. HOWEVER, TODAY AS I PUT MY KEY IN, IT DID NOT TURN; TRIED FIXING IT AND TURNING IT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. NO LUCK. MUST CALL MECHANIC OR LOCKSMITH. CAR NOT FUNCTIONAL AT THIS POINT.*AK
IGNITION SWITCH BECOMES LOCKED AND WILL NOT TURN.*AK
2003 FORD FOCUS IGNITION CEASED TO FUNCTION. EHICLE NEEDED TO BE TOWED AND SERVICED BY FORD. ESEARCH ON INTERNET INDICATES THIS IS AN EXTREMELY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMONG FORD FOCUS OWNERS, WITH MANY OWNERS NEEDING TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW YEARS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. CONSUMER HAD THE BATTERY AND THE ALTENATOR CHANGED, AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY BEING SERVICED. *AK
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START IGNITION SWITCH LOCKS INTERMITTENTLY.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED TWICE, BUT ALWAYS STARTED BACK UP AFTER A FEW MINUTES. ON ONE OCCASION, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STARTER AND ON THE ANOTHER OCCASION, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. *AK THE STARTER WAS FOUND FAULTY, THE TRANSMISSION WAS INOPERATIVE AND THERE WAS A VIBRATION WHILE GOING 40 MPH …
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WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED TWICE, BUT ALWAYS STARTED BACK UP AFTER A FEW MINUTES. ON ONE OCCASION, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STARTER AND ON THE ANOTHER OCCASION, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. *AK THE STARTER WAS FOUND FAULTY, THE TRANSMISSION WAS INOPERATIVE AND THERE WAS A VIBRATION WHILE GOING 40 MPH DUE TO SHIFTING, THE CLOCK DISPLAY WAS INOPERATIVE, AND THE ENGNE LIGHT STAYED ON. *SC *JB
Official recalls
105V030000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Feb 1, 2005
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH FOUR OR FIVE DOORS AND ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A BUILD-UP OF CORROSION AT THE PAWL PIVOT AREA OF THE REAR DOOR LATCH CAN CAUSE A BINDING CONDITION OF THE PAWL THAT MAY AFFECT PROPER ENGAGEMENT OF THE PAWL INTO THE CATCH. THE OCCUPANT MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY OPENING OR CLOSING A REAR DOOR, AND EVENTUALLY THE REAR DOOR MAY NOT LATCH PROPERLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF NOT LATCHED PROPERLY, THE DOOR MAY OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. IF AN OCCUPANT FELL OUT OF THE VEHICLE, PERSONAL INJURIES COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL HAVE A LOWER ROCKER SEAL ADDED TO THE DOOR AND HAVE THE REAR DOOR LATCHES EVALUATED FREE OF CHARGE. A LATCH THAT PASSES THE EVALUATION WILL BE LUBRICATED TO PREVENT FUTURE CORROSION. A LATCH THAT DOES NOT PASS THE EVALUATION WILL BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, A STICKER WILL BE AFFIXED TO THE REAR DOORS ADVISING THE OWNERS TO USE THE RECOMMENDED LUBRICANT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 9, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.