2003 Ford Focus

MY DAUGHTER DRIVES A 2003 FORD FOCUS SVT. ON FEBRUARY 28, 2007 SHE WAS RETURNING TO EASTON, PA FROM STATE COLLEGE, PA WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DESTROYED ITSELF RESULTING IN A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE GEARBOX, FLYWHEEL,BELL HOUSING AND PRESSURE PLATE. THIS TOOK PLACE ON I-80 . I FEEL YOU SHOULD BE INFORMED DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE AND SEVERITY OF THE EXPLOSION. A FIRE DID RESULT FROM THE FAILURE/EXPLOSION. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD (STATE COLLEGE FORD) AND THEIR ESP REPRESENTATIVE HAS CLAIMED THE DO NOT COVER PRESSURE PLATE FAILURE PAST 12,000 MILES AND HAVE DECLINED TO ADMIT THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION. *JB

I'VE HAD MY 2003 FORD FOCUS WAGON IN TWICE FOR REPAIR OF THE IGNITION LOCK. THE FIRST TIME I HAD THE PROBLEM THE STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T RELEASE AS THE KEY WOULDN'T FIT INTO THE IGNITION. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REMOVED THE LOCK CYLINDER. IT WAS CLEANED AND LUBED AND OPERATING NORMALLY ON 26 JANUARY 2007. ABOUT A MONTH LATER I WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS TIME I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 13,000 MILES ON IT! THEY HAD TO DRILL OUT THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AND REPLACE IT. I HOPE THIS TIME IT WILL LAST LONGER THAN A MONTH! THIS WAS A VERY COSTLY SERVICE! $267.00 FOR LABOR AND $99.91 FOR THE PART! I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY RECALLS ON THIS YET BUT IF THEY DO HAVE ONE I'M HOPING TO GET MY MONEY BACK AS THIS HAS BEEN A VERY COSTLY SERVICE TO ME - ALMOST $600.00 TOTAL FOR BOTH INSTANCES! *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING THE 2003 FORD FOCUS THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, THEN SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE. THIS WOULD LAST ANYWHERE FROM A FEW SECONDS TO A COUPLE OF MINUTES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND RADIO WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF, AS WELL AS THE LIGHTING SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS WILL ALSO LOCK AND SHE WASUNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED SHE ATTEMPTED TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE BY MANUALLY HITTING THE UNLOCK SWITCH. THE VEHICLE LOCKS FINALLY OPENED AFTER APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPROGRAMMED, WHICH WAS DONE IN NOVEMBER 2006, BUT SHE CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE STALLED WHEN EXITING THE INTERSTATE WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS BEFORE THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC INFORMED CONTACT HE DID NOT KNOW WHY THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAD 57000 MILES. *AK UPDATED 03/30/07. *JB

I HAVE OWNED 3 FORD FOCUS: ONE 2000 AND TWO 2003. ALL THREE VEHICLES HAVE HAD AN IGNITION CYLINDER FAILURE WHICH COST IN EXCESS OF $300 EACH TIME. THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION AND THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. ON THREE OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN STRANDED AND HAD TO CALL AAA TO GET BE TO A GARAGE FOR REPAIR. I HAVE CITED ONLY THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT IN THIS COMPLAINT. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND I FAIL TO SEE WHY A RECALL WAS NEVER ISSUED. FORD SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE FAULT IS THAT WHEN I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE KEY WILL NOT TURN AT ALL. IT IS LOCKED IN PLACE. IT HAPPENED ONCE THIS SUMMER ON THIS CAR AND ON A 2002 FOCUS I SOLD TO A FRIEND WHOM WORKS WITH ME. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM, WHICH THEY HAD. THEY TOLD ME I COULD TAP IT WITH A RUBBER HAMMER TO GET IT TO UNLOCK. SURE THING, IT DID. I CHECKED FOR RECALLS, WHICH NONE WERE FOUND. I CHECKED FOR TSB'S, SURE ENOUGH, THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM. THIS APPEARD TO BE A MAJOR DEFECT. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM IF FOR INSTANCE SOMEONE WENT FOR A DRIVE DURING THE WINTER IN THE REMOTE MOUNTAINS AND STOPED TO GOT FOR A WALK. UPON RETURN, THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION WOULDN'T WORK AND THEY'RE STRANDED. FORD DIDN'T APPEAR TO WANT TO LISTEN TO MY COMPLAINTS. LOOK AT THE TSB'S AND YOU'LL REALLY GET A GOOD PICTURE OF THE VOLUME OF IGNATION PROBLEMS.

MY KEY STOPPED WORKING, OR WOULD ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE PAST MONTH. I STARTED CARRYING MY SPARE KEY AT ALL TIMES SO I WOULDN'T GET STRANDED. I FINALLY HAD A 2ND KEY MADE ($125 AT DEALERSHIP). THE NEW KEY FAILED TO WORK LATER THE SAME DAY. MORE INTERMITTENT IGNITION PROBLEMS FOR NEXT 2 WEEKS. THIS PAST SATURDAY BOTH KEYS FAILED. WHEN I COULD FINALLY GET THE CAR TO START I CAME HOME AND STARTED RESEARCHING ON WEB. FOUND THIS IS A WIDESPREAD WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM. HAVE APPT. AT DEALERSHIP TOMORROW FOR TOTAL IGNITION REPLACEMENT, MY TIME, MY DIME. IT WILL BE A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS. I ALREADY WORK A FULL TIME AND PART-TIME JOB TO MAKE ENDS MEET. I CANNOT AFFORD THIS. I CAN'T AFFORD TO BE STRANDED SOMEPLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, EITHER. FORD DAMNED WELL KNOWS ABOUT THIS, AND JUST IGNORES THEIR CUSTOMERS. THIS IS THE 5TH FORD I'VE OWNED IN 20 YEARS. IT WILL BE MY LAST. *JB

THE KEY INSERTION CYLINDER (LOCATED NEXT TO THE STEERING WHEEL): IT WILL EVENTUALLY LOCK INTO PLACE AND WILL NOT TURN -- MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE KEY AND DRIVE. THE SAFETY HAZARD: WHEN MY 2003 FORD FOCUS LOST POWER AND NEEDED TO BE RESTARTED ON THE ROAD, THE KEY INSERTION CYLINDER LOCKS INTO PLACE, MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO TURN THE WHEEL -- BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS WHEN THE KEY CYLINDER IS IN THE "KEY INSERT/BEGIN" POSITION. THERE ARE SEVERAL HORROR STORIES, ON THE INTERNET, ABOUT FORD FOCUS VEHICLE OWNERS WHO HAVE BEEN STRANDED BECAUSE OF A FAULTY KEY IGNITION CYLINDER; OR THEIR CAR WILL NOT TURN OFF BECAUSE THEIR KEY IS STUCK IN THE START POSITION. FORD DEALERSHIPS WILL ONLY COVER THIS ITEM IF IT WARRANTED, BUT NEGLECT THE PRODUCT DESIGN AND REFUSE TO CONSIDER A PRODUCT RECALL. THIS TYPICAL ITEM COST OVER $250 WITH LABOR. EVENTUALLY, EVEN WITH A NEW KEY CYLINDER, THE PROBLEM WILL START TO EXIST AGAIN, COSTING THE CONSUMER AND CREATING A SERIOUS HAZARD FOR OUR CITIZENS ON AMERICAN ROADWAYS. THE PROBLEM IS CURRENT IN MY VEHICLE AND I AM AUTHORIZING THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION TO USE MY VEHICLE AS AN INVESTIGATIVE TOOL. *JB

FORD FOCUS 2003 FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE IGNITION LOCK KEY CYLINDER HAD NOT WORKED, I WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN THE KEY AND GET THE CAR TO START. CONSEQUENCES, FIRST I WAS NOT ABLE TO TAKE MY CHILD TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM UNTIL ANOTHER VEHICLE ARRIVED, ANOTHER CONSEQUENCE, I WAS LATE TO WORK, THEN IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON A DANGEROUS AREA OF TOWN, RISKING MY LIFE. FINALLY IT GOT STUCK AT THE AIRPORT AND HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. *JB

FORD FOCUS 2003: THE IGNITION MECHANISM STOPPED WORKING WITH NO WARNING. THE KEY COULD NOT BE FULLY INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION OR TURNED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CAR COULD NOT BE STARTED. AT FIRST, THE KEY COULD BE TAPPED INTO THE IGNITION, BUT THAT ONLY WORKED A FEW TIMES. EVENTUALLY I HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE TUMBLER MECHANISMS REPLACED IN THE IGNITION. *NM