I BOUGHT A 2003 FORD FOCUS FROM AN AUTO DEALER IN AUGUST, 2009. I AM HAVING CONSTANT PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION CYLINDER - THE KEY KEEPS GETTING STUCK IN IT. I WAS TOLD BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP HERE THAT THEY WOULD CHARGE $450 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE, I'VE FOUND THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2003-2004 F…
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I BOUGHT A 2003 FORD FOCUS FROM AN AUTO DEALER IN AUGUST, 2009. I AM HAVING CONSTANT PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION CYLINDER - THE KEY KEEPS GETTING STUCK IN IT. I WAS TOLD BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP HERE THAT THEY WOULD CHARGE $450 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE, I'VE FOUND THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2003-2004 FORD FOCUS CARS! PLEASE CONSIDER A RECALL FOR THE DEFECT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10290129
72,000 miles · Oct 9, 2009
Electrical System
IGNITION LOCKS AND I AM UNABLE TO TURN THE KEY TO START MY FORD FOCUS 2003. I WAS LEFT STRANDED WITH MY SIXTH MO. OLD SON WHILE RUNNING ERRANDS AT A GAS STATION. I HAD TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED AND HAD TO HAVE THE IGNITION REPLACED FOR $290.00 IN ADDITION TO TOWING FEES. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS OCCURRED, BUT WAS INFORMED…
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IGNITION LOCKS AND I AM UNABLE TO TURN THE KEY TO START MY FORD FOCUS 2003. I WAS LEFT STRANDED WITH MY SIXTH MO. OLD SON WHILE RUNNING ERRANDS AT A GAS STATION. I HAD TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED AND HAD TO HAVE THE IGNITION REPLACED FOR $290.00 IN ADDITION TO TOWING FEES. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS OCCURRED, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FOCUS AND WAS WARNED BY THE TECH THAT REPLACED THE IGNITION, THAT THERE IS A VERY GOOD CHANCE IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I LIVE IN A MINNESOTA WHERE WINTERS ARE VERY COLD, AND AM CONCERNED I WILL BE STRANDED AGAIN WITH AN INFANT BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURING DEFAULT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10286927
57,000 miles · Oct 8, 2009
Electrical System
ON TUESDAY MY CAR OPERATED NORMALLY. WEDNESDAY MORNING I WENT TO LEAVE FOR WORK AND MY KEY WOULD NOT TURN. FORTUNATELY I WAS AT HOME, HOWEVER I COULD HAVE BEEN STUCK SOMEWHERE. I COULD HAVE HAD AN EMERGENCY AND NOT BEEN ABLE TO USE MY CAR. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, MISS 3 DAYS OF WORK AND AM OUT $510. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10286811
50,000 miles · Oct 7, 2009
Electrical System
2003 FORD FOCUS IGNITION KEY AND TUMBLER SWITCH. I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND IT WON'T TURN. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED NUMEROUS TIMES. I UNDERSTAND THE REPAIRS ARE $400 +. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10286679
100,789 miles · Oct 5, 2009
Electrical System
I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS CAR FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS WITH NO IGNITION PROBLEM. I DROVE TO WORK, AND RAN A FEW WORK RELATED ERRANDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AS I WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE WORK FOR THE DAY I PUT MY KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND IT FELT AS IF IT WERE COMPLETELY LOCKED. MORE THAN 3 PEOPLE TRIED TO TURN THE KEY AND OFFERED DIFFEREN…
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I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS CAR FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS WITH NO IGNITION PROBLEM. I DROVE TO WORK, AND RAN A FEW WORK RELATED ERRANDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AS I WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE WORK FOR THE DAY I PUT MY KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND IT FELT AS IF IT WERE COMPLETELY LOCKED. MORE THAN 3 PEOPLE TRIED TO TURN THE KEY AND OFFERED DIFFERENT IDEAS AS TO WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. TRIPLE A WAS CALLED OUT AND HE EXPLAINED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. HE INFORMED ME THE TUMBLERS IN THE IGNITION HAVE SUDDENLY STOPPED DROPPING AND RECOGNIZING MY KEY. HE THEN PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, TAPPED IN A FEW TIMES TO RELEASE THE TUMBLERS AND IT STARTED. WE THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND STRUGGLED A BIT TO GET THE KEY OUT. IT IS NOW 2 DAYS LATER AND THE SITUATION HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND IS AFFECTING MY TRANSPORTATION. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKED FINE ALL DAY WITHOUT A "STICKING" FEELING OR A RESISTANCE TO TURN AND NOW IT IS COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IN AND TURN THE KEY WITH EASE. IT IS SIMPLY STUCK AND NO ONE CAN REALLY EXPLAIN WHY, OTHER THAN POOR QUALITY WITHIN THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10286314
75,000 miles · Sep 25, 2009
Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages
WE DROVE OUR 2003 FORD FOCUS TO THE GROCERY STORE. UPON RETURNING TO THE CAR, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION AND STRANDED MY WIFE, 4 YEAR OLD AND 6 MONTH OLD CHILDREN AND MYSELF WONDERING WHAT WE COULD DO. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10285245
35,000 miles · Sep 23, 2009
Electrical System
WITH NO WARNING, THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. THIS HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR, AND IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN FIVE YEARS LATER. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10285004
50,000 miles · Sep 23, 2009
Electrical System
KEY WON'T TURN IN IGNITION OF 2003 FORD FOCUS. THIS HAPPENS FAIRLY OFTEN, BUT AFTER SEVERAL TRIES THE KEY WILL USUALLY WORK. NOW THE KEY WON'T WORK AT ALL. HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR BEHIND. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10284970
140,000 miles · Sep 21, 2009
Electrical System
IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT TURN. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10284720
70,000 miles · Sep 18, 2009
Electrical System
FORD FOCUS KEY/IGNITION PROBLEM. THE KEY WON'T TURN IN THE IGNITION. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE YEARS 2000 - 2003. ALSO FOUND INFORMATION THAT THE OEM PARTS USED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM HAVE THE SAME DEFECT. LUCKILY MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE PARKING LOT AT HER APARTMENT. …
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FORD FOCUS KEY/IGNITION PROBLEM. THE KEY WON'T TURN IN THE IGNITION. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE YEARS 2000 - 2003. ALSO FOUND INFORMATION THAT THE OEM PARTS USED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM HAVE THE SAME DEFECT. LUCKILY MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE PARKING LOT AT HER APARTMENT. BUT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWHERE, I.E. HIGHWAY, ROAD, ISOLATED AREA, ETC... BOTTOM LINE IS THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THE DEFECTIVE PART AND HAS MADE NO EFFORT TO CORRECT THE DEFECTIVE PART, OTHER THAN MAKING THE OWNER PAY $400 PLUS DOLLARS TO PUT IN ANOTHER OEM DEFECTIVE PART. SOMEONE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS PART AT FORD. *TR
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH FOUR OR FIVE DOORS AND ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A BUILD-UP OF CORROSION AT THE PAWL PIVOT AREA OF THE REAR DOOR LATCH CAN CAUSE A BINDING CONDITION OF THE PAWL THAT MAY AFFECT PROPER ENGAGEMENT OF THE PAWL INTO THE CATCH. THE OCCUPANT MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY OPENING OR CLOSING A REAR DOOR, AND EVENTUALLY THE REAR DOOR MAY NOT LATCH PROPERLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF NOT LATCHED PROPERLY, THE DOOR MAY OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. IF AN OCCUPANT FELL OUT OF THE VEHICLE, PERSONAL INJURIES COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL HAVE A LOWER ROCKER SEAL ADDED TO THE DOOR AND HAVE THE REAR DOOR LATCHES EVALUATED FREE OF CHARGE. A LATCH THAT PASSES THE EVALUATION WILL BE LUBRICATED TO PREVENT FUTURE CORROSION. A LATCH THAT DOES NOT PASS THE EVALUATION WILL BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, A STICKER WILL BE AFFIXED TO THE REAR DOORS ADVISING THE OWNERS TO USE THE RECOMMENDED LUBRICANT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 9, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.
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