2004 Ford Focus

WE OWN A 2004 FORD FOCUS ZX3. IT HAS AROUND 50,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR IS PRIMARY USED FOR COMMUTING, 150 MILES ROUND TRIP EACH DAY. LAST WEEK WHEN GOING TO LEAVE WORK MY HUSBAND INSERTED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION BUT THE LOCK WOULD NOT TURN. HE HAD TO SLAM ON THE KEY TO FINALLY GET THE KEY TO TURN SO HE COULD COME HOME. IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE AND THIS MORNING THE KEY IS UNABLE TO TURN AT ALL. WE'VE BARELY HAD THE CAR TWO YEARS. WHEN LOOKING ONLINE FOR A FIX/RECALL NOTICE I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHER AMERICANS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, SOME OF THEM SEVERAL TIMES. AT WHAT POINT DOES FORD ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR USING SUBPAR MATERIALS AND FIX THE THING ON THEIR TAB? I AM NOW SITTING WITH A CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY, UNABLE TO EVEN BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER WITHOUT A TOW TRUCK. IT IS BLOCKING MY GARAGE WHICH HOUSES OUR ONLY OTHER FORM OF TRANSPORTATION. I AM GOING TO BE OUT AROUND $100 TODAY FOR TRANSPORTATION COSTS AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN INCLUDE FIXING THE FOCUS. *JB

DT: CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. NO PARTICULAR SPEED OR CIRCUMSTANCE. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES ON INTERSTATE. WHILE GOING 70 TO 75 MPH. THE CAR SHUT DOWN, NO BATTERY, NO LIGHTS, AND IT WAS VERY HARD TO STEER. IT HAPPENED AT STOP SIGN OR AT SPEEDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH .AFTER PUTTING VEHICLE IN PARK THEN IN NEUTRAL OR PARK IT WILL START BACK UP. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 WEEKS. MECHANIC RECALIBRATED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (PCM) ,AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE OKAY. TOOK IT OFF THE DEALERSHIP AND WITHIN 10 MILES INCIDENT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN. FLIGHT RECORDER WAS INSTALLED ON OCTOBER 6, 2005 WAS TOLD TO PUSH A BUTTON EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THERE WAS ELECTRICITY GOING TO ANYTHING TO MAKE THE FLIGHT RECORDER SHOW THE PROBLEM. *AK

I PURCHASED MY 2004 FORD FOCUS IN APRIL OF 2004. THE BATTERY WENT DEAD IN MAY 2005. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE FORD DEALER AND THE EALER REPLACED THE BATTERY. CAR WAS DEAD AGAIN JULY 4. THE CAR WAS JUMPED AND TAKE TO THE DEALER. DEALER SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM AND CHARGED THE BATTERY. IT WAS DEAD AGAIN ON JULY 9TH. I HAD DEALER COME GET THE CAR AND THEY SAID IT WAS A BAD CELL IN THE BATTERY AND REPLACED THE BATTERY AGAIN. I WAS DEAD AGAIN ON JULY 21ST. HAD THE DEALER COME GET THE CAR THEY JUMPED IT AND TOOK IT IN. THEY CHARGED THE BATTERY AND STILL TELL ME THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR.

DT: CONTACT STATES DAUGHTER CAME HOME FROM WORK ON 7-15-05 AND SHE HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS. THE NEXT DAY ON 7-16-05 SHE NOTICED THE CAR HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE IT WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE FIRE HAD ALREADY GONE OUT. SHE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE MECHANIC SAID FORD WAS COMING ON 7-19-05 TO INSPECT THE CAR. SHE TALKED TO SOMEONE WHO HAD JUST RETIRED FROM WAYNE ASSEMBLY PLANT AND HE SAID THEY HAD BEEN HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL LINE COMING OFF DUE TO INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE FORD FOCUSES. SHE HAS NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL NOTICES. SHE DOES NOT KNOW WHERE THE FIRE ORIGINATED. THE CAR IS AT THE CLINTON MICHIGAN FORD DEALERSHIP. *AK

VEHICLE HESITATED/STALLED WHEN APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM A STOP POSITION. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME DEALER REPLACED THE COIL ASSEMBLY, SPARK PLUGS AND SPARK PLUG WIRING. WITHIN TWO WEEKS OR LESS THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE LAST TWO TIMES DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK