2003 Ford Focus

I OWN A 2003 FORD FOCUS AND BACK IN FEBRUARY 2006 I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A RECALL TO FIX DOOR HINGES THAT BECOME HARD TO OPEN OR ACTUALLY BREAK. THEY COMPLETED THE WORK. AS I WAS DRIVING THE OTHER DAY MY REAR PASSENGER DOOR JUST SWUNG OPEN AND THE DOOR WILL NO LONGER LATCH. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID SINCE THEY PUT SOME GREASE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON MY DOOR BACK IN 2006 (THEY NEVER PUT A NEW LATCH ON THE CAR) THAT I AM OUT OF LUCK AND HAVE TO PAY THE $336 MYSELF TO FIX THE LATCH THAT I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE. TWO OF MY OTHER THREE DOORS ARE GETTING HARD TO OPEN AND I FEEL IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY COMPLETELY BREAK ALSO. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND THANK GOD ONE OF THEM WAS NOT IN THE BACK SEAT THE DAY THE CAR DOOR JUST DECIDED TO SWING OPEN. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2003 FORD FOCUS FOR MY DAUGHTER AND SHE WAS STRANDED AFTER DRIVING IT TO WORK WHEN SHE COULDN'T GET THE STEERING WHEEL UNLOCKED TO USE HER KEY. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER IT IS COMMON IN FORD FOCUSES OF THIS YEAR. THIS HAS RESULTED IN THE SHAFT NEEDING TO BE REPLACED FOR $500 AND THERE IS NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE OF THIS MAKE/MODEL OF CAR. THIS IS RIDICULOUS SINCE FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ISSUED TO DATE. UNACCEPTABLE! *TR

THE CAR HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE LOCKS FOR A WHILE NOW. WE CAN NOT PUT THE KEY INTO THE DOOR TO UNLOCK IT BECAUSE IT WONT ALWAYS WORK. THE HANDLE ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR HAS BROKE ONCE AND WAS REPLACED. NOW THE KEY FOR THE IGNITION WILL NOT TURN TO START THE CAR. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE KEY TO TURN TO START THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. SUDDENLY, THE GEAR SHIFT LOCKED AND BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION CYLINDER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

NO INITIAL INDICATIONS OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT HAPPENED, A SUDDEN ONSET. ONE DAY, I GOT IN MY CAR, TRIED TO START THE ENGINE, AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. I TRIED TURNING THE WHEEL TO GET THE KEY TO TURN, AND STILL NO ABILITY TO TURN THE KEY IN THE LOCK AND START THE CAR. I TRIED A SECOND KEY THAT IS NOT USED, JUST IN CASE IT WAS A WORN KEY, BUT STILL NO ABILITY TO TURN THE KEY IN THE COLUMN LOCK. FINALLY, AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF TRYING TO JIGGLE AND FINAGLE THE KEY TO TURN, IT DID. SINCE THEN, I HAVE FOUND THAT IF THE KEY IS REMOVED, AND THE STEERING WHEEL IT TURNED UNTIL A POSITIVE CLUNK IS HEARD AND FELT, INDICATING THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK HAS ENGAGED, THE PROBLEM REPEATS EVERY SINGLE TIME. IF I REMOVE THE KEY AND MAKE SURE TO NOT TURN THE WHEEL SO THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK IS NOT ENGAGED THEN I CAN RELIABLY INSERT THE KEY AND TURN IT IN THE IGNITION LOCK AND START THE CAR. I CALLED FORD TO ATTEMPT TO REQUEST A "GOOD WILL REPAIR" BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN A GOOD AND LONG TERM FORD CUSTOMER (I HAVE OWNED A FORD PINTO, A FORD FOCUS, A FORD CONTOUR, AND A FORD ESCAPE BEFORE THIS FORD FOCUS) BUT THE AGENT THREW UP A LOAD OF RESISTANCE. NOW I AM TOLD THAT THEY WILL DO NOTHING UNTIL I TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALER AND PAY FOR AN INSPECTION TO VERIFY THE PROBLEM. THIS "SERVICE" TO VERIFY WHAT I CAN RELIABLY REPRODUCE EVERY AND ANY TIME, IS UNNECESSARY AND WILL COST APPROXIMATELY HALF OF WHAT IT WILL COST ME TO HAVE MY LOCAL GARAGE EFFECT THE CHANGE AND MAKE THE REPAIR. I AM JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO SUFFER DUE TO THIS DESIGN DEFECT THAT FORD MUST KNOW ABOUT. *TR

I GOT INTO MY 2003 FORD FOCUS LAST SUNDAY AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. IT HAD BEEN ACTING UP IN RECENT DAYS BUT ON THIS DAY NOTHING WOULD WORK. THEREFORE MY CAR WAS RENDERED USELESS. LONG STORY SHORT...TOWED IT TO THE DEALER THEY TOOK THE LOCK TUMBLER CYLINDER OUT AND SURE ENOUGH--DEFECTIVE MECHANISM. FORD REFUSES TO COVER IT IN A WARRANTY OR EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN AND NOW I AM OUT OF POCKET $400 PLUS THE TOW TO EVEN GET MY CAR TO TURN ON. DID SOME "INTERNET RESEARCH" AND WE FOUND THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, THE WATER PUMP, THE THERMOSTAT, AND ALL RADIATOR HOSES. THE CAR OVERHEATS DAILY STILL. THE STEREO CUTS ON AND OFF AND CAN'T BE TURNED OFF BY THE POWER BUTTON. THE REAR LEFT SEATBELT IS STUCK WHERE IT CAN'T BE USED. THE DRIVER WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR, WHEN THE PANEL WAS REMOVED IT SHOWED THAT THE WHOLE WIRE SYSTEM HAD SNAPPED. THE DRIVER DOOR ALSO CAN ONLY BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. WHILE PARKED IN THE BACKYARD, THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE REAR WINDOW BLEW OUT. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE WINDOW. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE LOCKS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE DEALER REPAIRED THAT FAILURE AS WELL. AFTERWARDS, THE IGNITION CYLINDER BEGAN TO FAIL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR AND HAD TO PAY $300. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 5,000. UPDATED 05/21/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRUNK NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AS WELL. UPDATED. 05/20/08. *JB