2003 Ford Focus

2003 FORD FOCUS. WENT TO DRIVE THE CAR GOT IN PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND IT WON'T TURN. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. 3/4/10, THE FIRST TIME, IT "FINALLY", AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES TURNED AFTER PUTTING THE KEY IN AND OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE SECOND TIME ON 3/5/10, IT JUST WOULDN'T TURN. THE CAR IS SITTING, WILL HAVE TO CALL A LOCK SMITH TO GET IT FIXED. *TR

I WAS HOLIDAY SHOPPING ON THE 23RD, JUST CAME BACK TO MY 2003 FORD FOCUS SVT IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE MALL AND THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN. TRIED AND TRIED AND TRIED. NO LUCK, I'M STRANDED, IT'S SNOWING OUT AND IT'S 10:00PM. WHY MOST I RUNE A FRIENDS EVENING TO COME AND PICK ME UP BECAUSE OF A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. $130 DOLLAR TOW AND AN ESTIMATE FROM MY FORD DEALER TO FIX IT FOR $490. I'VE ALREADY RESEARCHED THIS A LITTLE AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE IS NOT A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO GET STRANDED FOR THIS TO GET FIXED? I JUST PAID OFF THE CAR AND IT HAS 91,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS ZX5 AND THE REAR HATCH LATCH DOES NOT ALWAYS ENGAGE SO HAVE TO SLAM IT DOWN A FEW TIMES TO GET IT TO LATCH. I NOTICED THE RECALL, BUT I LIVE IN NEBRASKA AND THE RECALL DOES NOT APPLY THERE. I BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED. ALSO THE DOOR LATCHES ARE GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO OPEN, IS THERE ANY RECALL ON THEM. ALSO I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COLUMN ADJUSTMENT LEVER IT WILL NOT STAY, IT RELEASES AS YOU ARE DRIVING CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BOUNCE UP AND DOWN. NOT SAFE. *TR

I OWN A 2003 FORD FOCUS ZTS THAT HAS 140,000 MILES. I KNOW MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE IGNITION HAS BEEN GIVING ME PROBLEMS THAT SCARE ME FROM TIME TO TIME THAT I MAY GET STRANDED. YOU PUT THE KEY IN, GO TO TURN THE KEY TO START AND THE IGNITION ACTS LOCKED. YOU TRY AGAIN AND AGAIN BUT STILL NOTHING. THIS HAS LEFT ME TRYING TO TURN MY IGNITION FOR UP TO 10 MINUTES SO FAR. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, ONCE A WEEK. NOW IT HAPPENS EVERYDAY, NOT EVERY TIME, BUT AT LEAST 2 OUT OF 5 TIMES I GO TO START MY VEHICLE IT HAPPENS. THIS IS DEFINITELY GETTING WORSE VERY QUICKLY. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2000-2003 FORD FOCUS MODELS. I HAVE HEARD THAT EVEN IF I TAKE MY VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE IGNITION REPLACED WHICH WILL COST UP AROUND $500, THAT THE NEW IGNITION WILL PROBABLY DO THE SAME THING DUE TO FORD NOT CORRECTING THE PROBLEM IN THE DESIGN OF THE IGNITION. I WILL TRY CALLING A LOCKSMITH DUE TO THE COST BEING LESS. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM OCCURRING AND SHOULD BE CHECKED INTO AS A RECALL MATTER. I DO NOT HAVE THE PATIENCE TO WAIT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN NOR DO I HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GET MY VEHICLE STARTED SO I WILL GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. *TR

THE KEY WAS STARTING TO STICK THEN I COULD NOT GET THE IN THE IGNITION SWITCH TO START THE CAR SO MY SON THAT WORKS FOR FORD SAID TO TAP ON THE KEY THEN IT SHOULD START SO I DID AND IT WORKED IT IS AN ON GOING THING I THINK THAT IF FORD KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM THEY SHOULD DO A RECALL ON IT THE CAR IS A 2003 FORD FOCUS AND IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY LIKE THE OTHER OWNERS THAT HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM SO NOW I HAVE TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED LIKE ALL OF THE OTHER OWNERS IT HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY DAY I GO TO GET MY CAR STARTED IT IS VERY ANNOYING. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS ZX5 HATCHBACK. IT ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT, BUT WE HAVE HAD A HUGE PROBLEM THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR. THE IGNITION LOCKS UP FREQUENTLY, AND THE KEY WILL NOT TURN. THIS PROBLEM HAS LEFT ME STRANDED ON MANY AN OCCASION. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME 5 TIMES. EACH OF THOSE TIMES, I HAVE MANAGED TO GET IT WORKING AGAIN BY VIOLENTLY JAMMING THE KEY AND JIGGLING IT IN THE IGNITION, OR WAITING A WHILE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO INSERT THE KEY AGAIN. TODAY, HOWEVER, NONE OF THESE METHODS WORKED, AND THE IGNITION SEEMS TO BE PERMANENTLY STUCK. AFTER CAREFUL RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD FOCUS 2001-2003. IT HAS LEFT MANY DRIVERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY STRANDED IN INOPPORTUNE TIMES AND LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS COST THEM HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS EACH TIME THAT THE WHEEL LOCKS UP. THE SHEER VOLUME OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM INDICATES THAT THIS PROBLEM IS QUITE COMMON. IT SEEMS THAT THE PROBLEM ARISES FROM SUBSTANDARD ENGINEERING ON FORD'S PART. PLEASE LOOK INTO FORCING A RECALL. *TR

2003 FORD FOCUS DOOR LATCHES BROKEN. DOORS FLEW OPEN WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY AND LOCAL STREETS. SOMEONE COULD HAVE FALLEN OUT OR ANOTHER CAR COULD HAVE HIT THE DOOR WHEN IT FLEW OPEN AND HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS CRASH. FORD HAD A RECALL ON THE 4 AND 5 DOOR FOCUS BUT NOT ON A 3 DOOR WHICH IS MINE. ONE DOOR HAS BEEN FIXED $293 AT A DEALER AND THE OTHER DOOR NEEDS TO BE FIXED. I FEEL FORD SHOULD REIMBURSE ME AND FIX THE OTHER DOOR FREE OF CHARGE. THIS CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND FORD KNOWS THEY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THESE DOOR LATCHES. IF SOMEONE GETS KILLED FORD WILL PROBABLY HAVE A LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM. *TR

I WAS STRANDED MANY MILES FROM A HIGHWAY BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET MY IGNITION KEY TURNED, STEERINGWHEEL TURNED OR AUTOMATIC SHIFTER MOVED. ALL BLOCKED. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO GET A RIDE BACK TO WHERE I COULD USE MY CELLPHONE. A FRIEND CHECKED THE INTERNET ON THE PROBLEM AND HE FOUND THE SUGGESTION TO HIT THE KEY. LATER MANY TAPS THIS ACTUALLY WORKED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. *TR