2003 Ford Focus

CAR PARKED AT MALL LATER AT NIGHT. WHEN TO TRY AND START CAR BUT THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. THIS FAILURE CAUSED ME TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED WHICH COST $427.00. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY BUT WAS MOST LIKELY REPLACED WITH THE SAME TYPE OF SWITCH WHICH WILL FAIL AGAIN. I WAS ALSO LEFT STRANDED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. LUCKILY, I WAS NOT IN A DESERTED AREA OR THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING.*TR

THE KEY WON'T TURN IN THE IGNITION. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE I WAS PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE TO TEND TO ONE OF MY CHILDREN AND THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN BACK ON CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO CALL FOR A RIDE AND A TOW TRUCK. THE KEY WILL NOT TURN AT ALL. THE IGNITION IS "LOCKED". MY FAMILY AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE TO MOVE INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. VERY UNSAFE. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS TODAY AND IT APPEARS SO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2000-2003 FORD FOCUS. *TR

NOTHING LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE OTHER THAN IT HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET IT TO A SHOP. THE IGNITION KEY DOES NOT TURN, IT LOCKS. I CANNOT START MY CAR. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS. I GOT STRANDED WITH NO CASH, NO FOOD OR WATER IN THE HEAT WITH NO SHADE AROUND. DEHYDRATION WAS A CONCERN. I HAVEN'T FIXED IT YET, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY. I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS POSTS PERTAINING TO THIS PROBLEM AND THAT'S HOW I CAME TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT. *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

INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH IGNITION ON 2003 FORD FOCUS; THE WHEEL LOCKS AND THE KEY WILL NOT TURN. THIS HAS BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED I WAS PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. AFTER PERSISTENTLY WIGGLING THE WHEEL AND KEY FOR TWENTY OR SO MINUTES, THE IGNITION ENABLED THE KEY TO TURN. BEING THAT THE IGNITION FAILED WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE AND THAT I WAS UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY IN A SAFE MANNER IS POTENTIALLY FATAL TO PASSENGERS AND DRIVERS OF THE FORD FOCUS. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FORD FOCUS FAULTY IGNITION HAVE BEEN UNPREDICTABLE INTRODUCTIONS TO BEING STRANDED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROVOCATIONS. THE SECOND TIME MY IGNITION FAILED, NEARLY A MONTH AFTERWARDS, THE IGNITION FAILED ON THE FOCUS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE ALSO. THE WHEEL LOCKED AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN WHILE PARKED IN A PARKING GARAGE LATE AT NIGHT. DIRECT RESULTS OF THE FAULTY FORD IGNITION PUT DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS IN DANGER AND MOREOVER PREVENT THEM FROM LEAVING DANGEROUS PLACES. IT TOOK WELL OVER A HALF HOUR IN THE DANGEROUS FAILURE OF MY LOCKS ALSO: THE THIRD IGNITION FAILURE ALSO COMPOUNDING IN THE SECURITY SYSTEM TO PUTTER OUT. ACTIONS TO CORRECT THE SECOND INCIDENT WERE FROM A MECHANIC TO USE WD 40 AND TRY USING A SEPARATE KEY, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS MUCH MORE COMPLEX AND DANGEROUS THAN ANTICIPATED. USING MY SPARE KEY WORKED AND THE IGNITION NO LONGER LOCKED. THESE ACTIONS SUGGESTED BY A MECHANIC REMEDIED THE PROBLEM, BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED WAS YESTERDAY, AND I'M NOW GETTING ESTIMATES FOR REPLACING THE IGNITION AND THE SECURITY SYSTEM. IN LIEU OF NEAR DEATH, I DEMAND A RECALL. *TR

I OWN A 2003 FORD FOCUS AND BACK IN FEBRUARY 2006 I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A RECALL TO FIX DOOR HINGES THAT BECOME HARD TO OPEN OR ACTUALLY BREAK. THEY COMPLETED THE WORK. AS I WAS DRIVING THE OTHER DAY MY REAR PASSENGER DOOR JUST SWUNG OPEN AND THE DOOR WILL NO LONGER LATCH. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID SINCE THEY PUT SOME GREASE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON MY DOOR BACK IN 2006 (THEY NEVER PUT A NEW LATCH ON THE CAR) THAT I AM OUT OF LUCK AND HAVE TO PAY THE $336 MYSELF TO FIX THE LATCH THAT I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE. TWO OF MY OTHER THREE DOORS ARE GETTING HARD TO OPEN AND I FEEL IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY COMPLETELY BREAK ALSO. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND THANK GOD ONE OF THEM WAS NOT IN THE BACK SEAT THE DAY THE CAR DOOR JUST DECIDED TO SWING OPEN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR IN HIS VEHICLE WOULD NOT RETURN TO THE OFF (PARK) POSITION. WHEN HE TURNED IT OFF, THE WIPERS WOULD STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01V258000 ONLY INCLUDED THE 2000-2001 MODELS. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED HIM WITH A REFERENCE NUMBER AND REFUSED LIABILITY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 44,000. UPDATED 08/04/09.*JB