2004 Ford Focus

MY 2004 FORD FOCUS IGNITION SWITCH FAILED MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE KEY AND START THE CAR. LEAVING HIM STRANDED IN PROVIDENCE RI LATE MONDAY NIGHT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A CLASS PROBLEM WITH THE FOCUS AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IS PURSUING A CLASS ACTION AGAINST FORD FOR THIS. WHY IS THEIR NO RECALL ??? THE CAR HAS 70K MILES ON IT, BUT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE 100K WARRANTY AS IT IS OVER 4 YEARS OLD. *TR

UPON LEAVING A GROCERY STORE THE IGNITION KEY WOULDN'T TURN. I WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR AND CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT THEY WOULD CHARGE $391 PLUS TAX, AND THAT IF THEY DAMAGED THE STEERING COLUMN IN THE PROCESS I WOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT COST OF THE COLUMN AS WELL. NOT WILLING TO TAKE MY CHANCES WITH SUCH AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR THAT WOULD LEAVE ME WITH A NEW PART THAT WOULD POSSIBLY FAIL IN THE SAME MANNER, NOT TO MENTION POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL COSTS OF REPAIRING OR REPLACING THE COLUMN I CONDUCTED A BRIEF INTERNET SEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH 1999 THROUGH 2007 FORD FOCUS CARS. I ALSO LEARNED THAT A COMPETENT LOCKSMITH COULD REPAIR THE SWITCH FOR BETWEEN $150 AND $200. I WAS ABLE TO GET MY VEHICLE REPAIRED FOR $152, AND THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING THE STEERING COLUMN. THE ORIGINAL PART WAS REMOVED BY THE LOCKSMITH, REBUILT THE SWITCH AND REPLACED IT THUS REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. *TR

FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW, THE IGNITION AND/OR STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN I TRY TO PUT THE KEY IN TO START MY 2004 FORD FOCUS. I INITIALLY SPENT 20 MINUTES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO START THE CAR. NOW I REALIZE I HAVE TO JIGGLE, TURN, & FINAGLE EVERYTHING JUST RIGHT & I CAN GET IT THE IGNITION TO TURN IN A FEW MINUTES. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT I NOW THINK GETTING MY CAR STARTED IN UNDER 5 MINUTES IS "GOOD." THIS HAPPENS 9 OUT OF 10 TIMES THAT I TRY TO START THE CAR. I HAVE SEEN MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. SEEMS LIKE FORD NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOT IMPRESSED. *TR

WE HAVE ALREADY FILED A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT FOR ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME DEFECT WHICH HAPPENED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF OF EACH OTHER. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE FILE A COMPLAINT WITH YOU, ABOUT 2 SEPARATE/SIMILAR EVENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED DURING OUR OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE (2004 FORD FOCUS ZX-3). IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO INSERT/REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. ON THE PREVIOUS OCCASION THE KEY BECAME STUCK AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER THE ONSET OF THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, THE KEY BECAME COMPLETELY STUCK IN THE IGNITION, IT WILL TURN SLIGHTLY EITHER WAY, THE KEY WILL NOT COME OUT, BUT THE CAR WILL START. ON THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR RE-KEYED, AND BOUGHT A NEW LOCK CYLINDER AND HAD IT PROGRAMMED AND INSTALLED AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP. LUCKILY THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WE WERE AT A FRIENDS HOUSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO WE WERE NOT STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, AND THIS TIME FORTUNATELY THE CAR WILL STILL START. HOWEVER, THE KEY REMAINS STUCK IN THE IGNITION SO REALISTICALLY SOMEONE COULD STEAL THE CAR. *TR

PURCHASED CAR IN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND IT HAS SINCE DIED WHILE DRIVING THREE TIMES IN LESS THAN THREE MONTHS. LAST TIME CAR DIED, SO FAR, WAS ON A BUSY ROUTE AT A BUSY INTERSECTION WITH OUR TWO TODDLERS AND NEWBORN IN THE BACKSEAT. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM OF CAR JUST DYING WHILE BEING DRIVEN. WHEN WILL THIS GET THE PROPER ATTENTION IT NEEDS BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR EVEN KILLED BEFORE IT'S ACTUALLY DEALT WITH. NO DEALERSHIP OR MECHANIC CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CAR. HAD WE KNOWN THIS, WE WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THIS CAR. WE PURCHASED IT SOLELY ON THE FACT IT WAS ABLE TO HAVE OUR THREE CHILDREN IN THE BACKSEAT AND IT HAD SO FEW MILES, 65K. *TR