2003 Ford Focus

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.

I WAS OUT DOING ERRANDS AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION EVEN WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOOSE. I TRIED A FEW TIMES AND IT FINALLY TURNED. LATER THAT EVENING WHEN LEAVING THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN AGAIN, EXCEPT THIS TIME IT DID NOT EVER TURN AND I ENDED UP HAVING TO BORROW A CAR FROM MY IN-LAWS. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING QUOTES TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND FIXED OR REPLACED. *TR

SO FAR, I HAVE ONLY HAD THE PROBLEM OCCUR ONCE AND AM STILL WORKING TO GET IT REPAIRED. NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED TO WARRANT THE PROBLEM HAPPENING. IT SEEMED TO JUST HAPPEN RANDOMLY. IN MY 2003 FORD FOCUS, THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED. SO FAR, I HAVE HEARD HUNDREDS OF CASES OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR, ALL FOR FOCUSES RANGING FROM YEAR 2000 TO 2003, AND THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMS TO FIX IT IS TO ACTUALLY HAVE MAINTENANCE DONE. SPEAKING WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT WOULD NOT ISSUE A RECALL SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. I EXPECT TO HAVE TO PAY A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH FORD REALIZES ITS AN ERROR ON THEIR PART AND THAT A DEFECT WITH THEIR CAR IS WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A COMPANY TO KNOWINGLY KEEP SOMETHING DEFECTIVE ON THE MARKET, EVEN WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS. *TR

THE IGNITION LOCKED UP IN THE CAR. THE IGNITION KEY WOULDN'T TURN OR DO ANYTHING. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. I HAVE A 12 WEEK OLD BABY AND LIVE IN NORTH DAKOTA. I HAD MY BOYFRIEND'S 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WITH AS WELL. ME, AN INFANT, AND A CHILD STUCK WITH A CAR THAT WON'T START IN WEATHER THAT IS BELOW FREEZING WITH THE WINDCHILL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD MY KEY FAIL TO WORK IN A LOCKED IGNITION OF MY 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE FIRST OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR WA PURCHASED IN 2004 AND NOW IT HAS RECURRED. THE FIRST WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT THIS IS NOT. APPARENTLY FORD IS QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM AS SEVERAL FOCUS OWNERS HAVE FIXED THIS COMPLIANT ON LINE. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? WHY SHOULD FORD GET A BAIL OUT WHEN THEY LEAVE THEIR CONSUMERS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FOR REPAIRING A PROBLEM OF THEIR MAKING? *TR

IGNITION STAYS LOCKED, FAILS TO TURN TO START ENGINE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. OCCURRED OVER A DOZEN TIMES TO ME. CAN LEAVE A PERSON STRANDED. VERY COSTLY FIX, $150 FOR NEW IGNITION SWITCH, PLUS LABOR, $200 TO $350 TOTAL COST FOR FIX. MANY, MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS FOR SAME PROBLEM FOUND ON WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM AND OTHER FORUMS. *TR

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