2003 Ford Focus

THE LEFT REAR SEATBELT SHOULDER STRAP HARNESS CAUSED MY PASSENGER, A YOUNG CHILD, TO ALMOST BE STRANGLED, LEAVING MARKS AND BRUISES TO THE NECK. CHILD WAS UNABLE TO UNBUCKLE SEAT BELT ON THE RIGHT HE PULLED WITH BOTH HANDS ON THE PART OF THE SEATBELT THAT CROSSED OVER HIS NECK, TO GET OUT, THE TENSION ON SEATBELT RELEASED, AND STRETCHED AS HE TURNED TO THE LEFT AND THEN TIGHTENED UP, THE SEATBELT HAD TO BE CUT TO SAVE HIM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WHILE THE POWER STEERING WARNING CHIME SOUNDED. IN ADDITION, THE KEY WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL TO TURN WHEN INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD START AFTER APPROXIMATELY THIRTY MINUTES OF REPEATED ATTEMPTS. THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

HAVING AN ONGOING STALLING PROBLEM STARTING ON 5/20/11. SITUATION USUALLY HAPPENS IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER DOING JUST A COUPLE OF LOCAL, SHORT DISTANCE ERRANDS. THE CAR WILL START BUT IMMEDIATELY STALL AFTER TAKING FOOT OFF THE GAS. USUALLY STARTS AFTER WAITING @ 45 MINUTES/AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE (TOWED 5X, 1 TIME WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AFTER 45 MINUTES). REPLACED FUEL FILTER, FUEL PUMP, OXYGEN SENSORS (TWICE), FUEL PUMP DRIVER BY REGULAR MECHANIC. HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN PAST TWO WEEKS: BROUGHT IT TO LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE LATEST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, AFTER THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER WAS REPLACED, I WAS ABLE TO DO FOUR ERRANDS BEFORE THE STALLING OCCURRED. ALSO, I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE BY KEEPING ONE FOOT ON THE GAS WHILE THE OTHER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND CONTINUE MOVING UNTIL BRAKING FOR A STOP SIGN/TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AT WHICH POINT IT WOULD STALL. NINE "STALLS" LATER I MADE IT HOME; AN "IMPROVEMENT" OVER BEING STRANDED AT THE POST OFFICE OR THE MALL BUT CERTAINLY NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS CALLED TO SAY THEY THINK IT IS THE FUEL PUMP AND WANT TO REPLACE IT WITH A "GENUINE FORD PART," AS OPPOSED TO AFTERMARKET PART MY REGULAR MECHANIC PROBABLY USED. I HOPE THIS IS THE END OF THE "REPLACING PARTS" ROUTINE BUT AM NOT OPTIMISTIC DUE TO OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRACKET FOR THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE SEAT TO LEAN TO ONE SIDE ABNORMALLY. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A LOCAL MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE SEAT BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION LOCKED AND PREVENTED HER FROM INSERTING THE KEY TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

LEAVING WORK AT THE END OF THE DAY I WENT TO START MY VEHICLE AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. IT WAS VERY COLD AND AFTER ADJUSTING THE STEERING WHEEL SEVERAL TIME FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR. I HAVE SINCE HAD DIFFICULTY TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION OF MY VEHICLE EVERYDAY. THE LAST INCIDENT WAS WHILE AT THE GAS STATION, WHICH TOOK ALMOST 15 MINUTES TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ALSO HAD THIS ISSUE, WITH NO RECALL PLACED ON THE VEHICLE AS IT IS NOT AN IMMEDIATE RISK TO SAFETY. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOW FOUND MY SELF UNCOMFORTABLY ATTEMPTING TO START MY CAR IN LESS THAT SAFE ENVIRONMENTS ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. *TR

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN I STOPPED TO GET GAS, I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN TO STAR THE ENGINE. I WAS STUCK AT A GAS STATION IN THE WINTER AND NO ONE WAS ABLE TO HELP ME. AFTER TWENTY MINUTES OF TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET IT TO START IT WORKED. THE NEXT DAY I GOT IN MY CAR AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, EXCEPT THIS TIME NOTHING I DID WOULD START IT. I ENDED UP PAYING $112 FOR A LOCKSMITH TO REPLACE THE IGNITION IN MY CAR. I HAVE READ ON SEVERAL FORUMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR OF FORD FOCUS AND THERE HAS YET TO BE A RECALL. THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF SOMEONE HAS CHILDREN AND IS STRANDED AND UNABLE TO MOVE THEIR VEHICLE TO A SAFE LOCATION. *TR