2003 Ford Focus

THE KEY STUCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 2003 FOCUS PZEV. WHEN IT FINALLY RELEASED IT WOULD NO LONGER TURN. I HAD THE VEIHICLE TOWED BY AAA AND HAD A AAA LOCKSMITH COME TO REPAIR THE IGNITION WHICH I WAS TOLD IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY WARRENTY, AT A COST OF $300. THE LOCKSMITH SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE FOCUS. ONE MONTH LATER THE LOCKSMITH HAD TO COME BACK OUT TO REPAIR IT AGAIN. A YEAR LATER I MUST TURN THE KEY BACK A NOTCH TO REMOVE IT FROM THE IGNITION. IT WILL COST ME ANOTHER $300 TO HAVE THE REPAIR REPEATED. THE LOCKSMITH SAYS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE PART ITSELF AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE IGNITION LOCKED RESULTING IN THE IGNITION CYLINDER KEY BEING REPLACED BY THE SERVICE DEALER. WHILE SEARCHING THE NHTSA WEBSITE, COMPLAINTS WERE FOUND WHERE THIS OCCURRED TO VEHICLES AND THE IGNITION CYLINDER KEY WAS REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THIS REPAIR DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A PERMANENT FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THERE WAS AN ODOROUS SMELL WHEN THE HEATING FAN WAS TURNED ON AND THE SMELL OCCASIONALLY OCCURRED WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER FOR THE ODOROUS SMELL.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE STARTER FAILED. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE FLYWHEEL AND THE STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THIRTY TIMES FOR THE FOLLOWING FAILURES: BRAKES ROTORS WERE REPLACED FOUR TIMES; BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED; THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO REPAIR IT. THE ELECTRICAL WIRING UNDER THE DASHBOARD HAD TO BE REWIRED. THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE VALVES; THE REAR DOOR LATCHES WERE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO RECALL # 05V300000. THE DEALERSHIP HAD NOT CORRECTED THE NOISES FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO COOPERATED IN FINDING A SUITABLE RESOLUTION. THE LAST PROBLEM FOUND BY THE DEALERSHIP WAS THE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE HEADS. THE ENGINE HEADS WERE ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE FRAME.

ON 4/12/06, THE IGNITION IN MY 2003 FORD FOCUS JAMMED AND WAS UNABLE TO START I WAS STUCK I CALLED THE TOW SERVICE WHO HAD ME TRY DIFFERENT WAYS TO START MY CAR HOWEVER IT DIDN'T WORK. WHEN THE DRIVER ARRIVED HE HIT THE KEY 4-5 TIMES THEN IT UNJAMMED AND STARTED UP AFTER HE TURNED THE CAR OFF HE HAD TO HIT THE KEY AGAIN TO START THE CAR WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE DEALER IN ANTELOPE VALLEY, CA THE SERVICE REQ INFORMED ME THE I HAD TO PAY $430 TO GET MY CAR REPAIRED I ASKED WHY HASN'T THE CAR BEEN RECALL HE DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR I LIKE FOR SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. *NM

DT: TACHOMETER IN VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING WHICH RESULTED IN A SHORT. THIS CAUSED THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO GO OUT. THE BRAKE LIGHTS HAD TO BE REPLACED 8 TIMES SINCE SEPTEMBER. THE SOLENOID IN THE IGNITION WAS DEFECTIVE AND RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER, WHO HAS REPLACED THE SOLENOID. BUT DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE HE COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. CONSUMER REPORTED THIS TO FORD 3 TIMES. THE ALARM ON THE CAR WAS ALSO NOT WORKING. THE ALARM WAS NOT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, BUT WAS SOMETHING THAT CONSUMER PAID EXTRA FOR THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO ADD ON VEHICLE. FORD WILL NOT REPAIR OR REPLACE ALARM BECAUSE IT WAS NOT MANUFACTURED BY FORD. *AK

THERE WAS NO FAILURE OR INJURIES. JUST A PROBLEM WITH GAS MILEAGE. THIS VEHICLE GETS THE WORSE GAS MILEAGE OF ANY AUTO I EVER OWNED EXCEPT MY 1969 PLYMOUTH GTX 440. I KEEP COMPLAINING BUT THE PROBLEM IS SAID TO BE WITH THE ENGINE TYPE. Z-TEC AND THAT IS WHY ON THE 2005 THEY FINALLY CHANGED THE ENGINE. I GET APPROX 15-17 MPG IN THE CITY NO AIR ON AND HIGHWAY IS APPROX 22-25. I HAVE YET TO GET CLOSE TO 300 MILES ON A TANK FULL OF FUEL. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE .I HAVE PAPER FROM WINDOW AND IT STATES FUEL MILEAGE SHOULD BE APPROX 25 CITY 30 HIGHWAY. THIS VEHICLE NOT CLOSE. RUNS WELL THOUGH. I WOULD CALL THIS A FAILURE OF GAS MILEAGE FACTORY ESTIMATE NUMBER OF TIMES IN BOX BELOW IS CONSERVATIVE. I FIGURED CLOSER TO 275-300 *JB

BUY THE CAR IN LIVINGSTON MONTANA 09-28-2002 THE VIN [XXX] THE CAR HAD ONLY LIKE 20 MILES WE DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. WE WENT ON VACATION THAT SUMMER WE HAD A BLOW OUT ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE. WE CALLED THE FORD COMPANY IN LIVINGSTON ,MONTANA WE WERE IN ID SO THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANY THING FOR US. WE HAD TO DRIVE TO THE NEXT TOWN ABOUT 14 MILES BACK . WE GOT BACK WE TOOK IT TO FORD COMPANY. THE CAR WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT AND SHAKING REALLY BAD AND THE TRUNK WILL NOT LOCK (IT WILL NOT LOCK IF WE PUSH THE BUTTON ) WE DO NOT USE THE TRUNK STILL ,THE CLUTCH POPS OUT THEM TOLD US TO DOUBLE CLUTCH AND IT ( STILL POPS OUT WENT YOU BACK UP SOMETIMES). WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THEY ,THEM ON 09-24-2003 THEY HAD THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS ALMOST I HAVE A LISTED OF THING WANT WAS WRONG AN STILL WRONG WITH THE CAR ,WE TOLD THEM WE WANT AN NEW CAR BUT THEY STILL WOULD NOT GIVE US ONE OR WOULD NOT WORK WITH US , THEM SAID I'M SORRY BUT WE COULD NOT DO THAT. I KNOW YOU FOLKS HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH THE CAR BUT I CAN NOT DO ANYTHING. I WAS MAD AN STILL WE BOUGHT ABOUT FOUR SETS OF TIRES FOR THAT CAR . THE CAR WAS ONLY HAS 48003 MILES, WE HAD MANY OUTS ,WE HAD A BACK BLOW AGAIN IN NOV- 2004 . MY WIFE WILL NOT DRIVE IT MUCH BECAUSE SHE IS SCARED OF IT. IT PULLS YOU ALL OVER THE ROAD IN THE BAD WEATHER WE LIVED IN WHITEHALL , MONTANA VERY SMALL TOWN IF WE WANT TO GO SHOPPING YOU HAVE TO DRIVE 20 MINS PLUS AWAY, SHE WAITS ON THE WEEKENDS TO TAKE MY CAR. SHE ONLY DRIVES THE CAR TO TAKE OUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WHICH IS A MILE THERE AND BACK. PLEASE HELP US A GET DIFFERENT CAR. THAT MY WIFE WILL NOT BE SCARED OF. *NM UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS