2003 Ford Focus

DT: THERE IS A CROSS MEMBER PIECE OF METAL BEHIND THE DASH OF THE CAR, THE CROSS MEMBER BAR BEHIND THE DASH HAS OBVIOUS RUST SPOTS. *AK THE BRACE BEHIND THE DASH WHICH EXTENDS FROM THE STEERING COLUMN TO THE RIGHT END OF THE DASHBOARD HAS OBVIOUS OXIDATION SPOTS AND RUST. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF THE CAUSE. NO WATER SPOTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THESE RUST SPOTS CAN BE SEEN BEHIND THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AS WELL. VEHICLE HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE. VEHICLE ALSO HAS A STUCK ACCELERATOR CAUSED BY FAILURE TO THE THROTTLE BODY PLATE. *TT *NM

WHEN BRAKING AT LOW SPEED THERE WAS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE FRONT/REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. *AK THE BRAKES VAVE CONSUMER PROBLEMS SINCE THEY BROUGHT THE CAR. HAD NEW ROTORS, NEVER STOPPED LIKE THEY SHOULD. FINALLY ALL THE BRAKES WENT OUT. DEALER KEPT SAYING THEY KEPT GETTING THE WRONG PARTS. STILL DON'T DRIVE AS IT SHOULD. DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDER. *BF

I BOUGHT A 2003 FORD FOCUS BRAND NEW IN FEBRUARY 2003. THE CAR HAD ABOUT 300 MILES ON IT. YESTERDAY THE IGNITION SWITCH WENT OUT COSTING ME OVER $250. THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR! I WENT INTO A RESTAURANT AND CAME OUT. I WAS STRANDED. I'VE SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR SIMILAR SITUATIONS/COMPLAINTS AND OTHER PEOPLE HAD SIMILAR SITUATIONS. I UNDERSTAND BATTERIES GOING DEAD OR WEAR AND TEAR ON BRAKES. I'VE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. I'VE NEVER OWNED A FORD BEFORE EITHER! IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH FORD? IS THIS STATEMENT TRUE?: FIXED OR REPAIRED DAILY.

ON APRIL 11, 2005, AS I WAS LEAVING WORK IN THE EVENING, I PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND COULD NOT TURN THE KEY. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I SPENT SOME TIME ON THE TELEPHONE WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS AND KEY MAKERS TRYING TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS A FAULTY IGNITION CYLINDER. ON APRIL 14 I HAD THE CAR TOWED INTO BOHN FORD INC. AT 401 N. CARROLLTON AVENUE, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119. (504) 485-2646. WHILE THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP, I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND LEARNED FROM ONE WEBSITE THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST 137 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAD. I FOUND A SECOND WEBSITE WITH ANOTHER LIST OF PEOPLE WHO WERE SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES OF THE FAULTY IGNITION CYLINDER LOCK. TWO PEOPLE WHO POSTED ONTO THE WEBSITE MENTIONED THE PO5. I UNDERSTOOD FROM THEM THAT THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN FIXED FOR $24.58. THE CAR HAD TO BE UNDER SIX YEARS OLD AND UNDER 75,000 MILES. THE STAFF AT THE BOHN FORD DEALERSHIP WAS VERY CONSIDERATE AND UNDERSTANDING OF MY SITUATION; HOWEVER, WHEN I REQUESTED A PO5, THEY TOLD ME THAT WHILE THEY WERE SURE THAT I QUALIFIED , THEIR OFFICE WAS NOT AUTHORIZED TO APPLY FOR A PO5 AT THIS TIME. MY TOTAL BILL CAME TO $396.69 TO DRILL OUT, CODE, AND REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER LOCK; AND TO CUT, ERASE, AND PROGRAM TWO PAT KEYS. THE IGNITION CYLINDER LOCK PROBLEM ON THE FORD FOCUS CAN BE TRACED AT LEAST AS FAR BACK AS 2001. THEREFORE I URGE YOU TO BEGIN A RECALL ON THE IGNITION CYLINDER LOCK. *JB

ON DECEMBER 20, 2004 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN MY FORD FOCUS ZTS. THE ROADS WERE VERY ICY, AND NEAR MY HOME, I SLID ON A PATCH OF ICE, WENT OVER A SMALL BANK, AND HIT 2 TREES IN SOMEONE'S YARD. WHILE I WAS SLIDING I WAS HEADED TO HIT ONE TREE HEAD ON, BUT I WAS ABLE TO STEER AWAY TO WHERE I HIT BOTH TREES AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME, BUT ONLY FROM THE SIDE. HOWEVER, NEITHER MY FRONT NOR SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH WAS ENOUGH TO TOTAL MY CAR, EVEN THOUGH I WAS ONLY GOING 25 M.P.H. IT WAS BRAND NEW, ONLY 20,000 MILES. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE DEPLOYED.*AK

2003 FORD FOCUS LX SEDAN - MY WIFE WENT TO WALMART ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK, AND UPON RETURNING TO THE CAR THE KEY WOULD NO LONGER UNLOCK THE IGNITION SWITCH. DESPITE MANY ATTEMPTS (A LOCKSMITH WAS UNABLE TO COME UP WITH ANYTHING) WE ENDED UP HAVING THE CAR TOWED. THE QUOTED REPAIR PRICE IS ROUGHLY $400. THERE ARE SEEMINGLY ENDLESS ACCOUNTS OF THIS VERY SITUATION WITH THE FORD FOCUS IGNITION ON FORUMS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OR FORD SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE ON THIS DEVICE.*AK