2003 Ford Focus

1ST- TRUNK LATCH DOES NOT DISENGAGE, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN MY NEAREST TOWN. AFTER 3-4 TIMES OF ADJUSTING AND OILING, IT STILL DOES NOT RELEASE CORRECTLY, WHEN YOU PUSH THE DASHBOARD RELEASE, OPEN THE TRUNK IT CLOSES THE LATCH ON ITS OWN, YOU CANT CLOSE THE TRUNK UNLESS YOU REPRESS THE DASH RELEASE, WHICH IS DIFFICULT WITH ARMS FULL, OR PULL THE SAFETY RELEASE PROVIDED FOR NOT GETTING LOCKED IN THE TRUNK, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR. 2ND- MY IGNITION FROZE UP YESTERDAY MORNING. NO FOR WARNING. HADN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS. NOW I HAVE TO GET BACK TO MY CAR AND GET IT TO THE GARAGE. BEING NEWER TO THE AREA AND NO OTHER VEHICLE AT MY DISPOSAL IT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO COST ME NOT TO MENTION THE REPAIR COST. 3RD- OH MY GOD--- I JUST READ ABOUT THE BACK DOOR PROBLEMS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING, I TRANSPORT VERY PRECIOUS CARGO BACK THERE, MY GRAND CHILDREN, BEING THAT THERE ARE 3 OF THEM TWO HAVE TO BE BY THE DOOR. I WILL HAVE THE SERVICE AREA CHECK MY DOORS WHEN THEY FIX THE IGNITION. WHY WASN'T I TOLD ABOUT THIS. *NM

FAILURE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 2003 FORD FOCUS SE. KEY SWITCH JUST STOPPED TURNING. REPLACEMENT OF SWITCH: PART $89, TOWING: $60, LABOR $250...GETTING THE STEERING WHEEL FIXED LATER, AFTER IT WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY: $100. I HAVE DONE A SEARCH ON THIS FAILURE...THERE ARE MANY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE FORD FOCUS ENTHUSIASTS SITES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE STARTER FAILED. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE FLYWHEEL AND THE STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THIRTY TIMES FOR THE FOLLOWING FAILURES: BRAKES ROTORS WERE REPLACED FOUR TIMES; BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED; THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO REPAIR IT. THE ELECTRICAL WIRING UNDER THE DASHBOARD HAD TO BE REWIRED. THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE VALVES; THE REAR DOOR LATCHES WERE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO RECALL # 05V300000. THE DEALERSHIP HAD NOT CORRECTED THE NOISES FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO COOPERATED IN FINDING A SUITABLE RESOLUTION. THE LAST PROBLEM FOUND BY THE DEALERSHIP WAS THE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE HEADS. THE ENGINE HEADS WERE ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE FRAME.

THE VEHICLE IS A 2003 FORD FOCUS WITH LESS THAN 45,000 MILES, THE IGNITION CYLINDER LOCKED UP WITHOUT WARNING AND THE CAR REFUSED TO START. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF NEUTRAL, MAKING A TOW DIFFICULT. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM, FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RISK OF DRIVERS BEING STRANDED IN UNSAFE PLACES WHERE THEY COULD BE RAPED, ROBBED OR MURDERED. FORTUNATELY, THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE AND I IN OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX, HOWEVER THERE ARE REPORTS OF OTHER PEOPLE NOT BEING SO LUCKY. HIXSON FORD CHARGED US $289.69 TO REPAIR THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER PLUS WE PAID $65 TO TOW THE VEHICLE. BELOW IS A LIST OF WEBSITES DOCUMENTING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OF THE FORD FOCUS IGNITION LOCKING UP AND RENDERING THE CAR INOPERABLE. SOME EVEN COMPLAIN OF IT HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING: HTTP://CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/FORD_FOCUS_IGNITION.HTML HTTP://WWW.FAZMICLAW.COM/FOCUS.HTML HTTP://WWW.WJLA.COM/NEWS/STORIES/0706/347339.HTML HTTP://CBS5.COM/INVESTIGATES/LOCAL_STORY_041015136.HTML HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/FOCUSIC/PETITION.HTML HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.EEA50DC HTTP://FORUMS.TREEMEDIA.COM/FB/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-493.HTML HTTP://THS.GARDENWEB.COM/FORUMS/LOAD/CARS/MSG062031202524.HTML?20 HTTP://WWW.COMPLAINTS.COM/DIRECTORY/2004/DECEMBER/12/7.HTM HTTP://WWW.COMPLAINTS.COM/DIRECTORY/2005/JULY/5/17.HTM HTTP://FORUMS.FOCALJET.COM/PROBLEMS-SERVICE-RECALLS/416401-PLEASE-POST-IF-YOUR-IGNITION-HAS-LOCKED-13.HTML THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN PROVIDE. *JB

MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE IGNITION CYLINDER LOCKING UP ON MY 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE IGNITION LOCKED UP ON ME AS I WAS LEAVING MY MOTHER'S HOUSE AUGUST 12, 2006. WHEN I INSERTED MY KEY I FOUND THAT IT WOULD NOT TURN AT ALL AND THE STEERING COLUMN HAD LOCKED UP AS WELL. LEAVING ME STRANDED, I CALLED A TOW TRUCK WHO TOWED MY CAR TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP IN WHICH I PURCHASED MY CAR. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOLD ME I WAS THE FOURTH FOCUS HE HAD TOWED THAT WEEK WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENED ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, SO I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY MORNING TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG AND GET MY CAR BACK. THIS LEFT ME STRANDED ALL WEEKEND, WHICH MEANT I MISSED WORK ALL WEEKEND. I AM VERY UPSET THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR THIS TO BE FIXED ON MY CAR, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT THESE FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES FOR YEARS. MY MAIN CONCERN FOR THIS PROBLEM AND REASON I AM SO UPSET IS THAT FORD HAS SAID THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL ON THE PROBLEM. I SAY TO THEM THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. WHAT IF YOUR CAR STALLS OUT ON TRAIN TRACKS AND YOU CAN'T GET IT TO START UP AGAIN? I THINK THAT WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. WHAT ABOUT IF YOU LIVE NEAR THE COAST AND YOU HAVE TO EVACUATE DUE TO A HURRICANE OR SOME OTHER NATURAL DISASTER? WHAT IF THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TO SOMEONE IN NEW ORLEANS DURING KATRINA? ARE YOU GOING TO TELL THEM IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE? ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO COME AND DRILL OUT THE IGNITION CYLINDER BEFORE THEY CAN EVACUATE? I THINK THAT FORD SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES AND THEY SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. I KNOW I WILL NEVER BE BUYING ANOTHER FORD AGAIN. *JB

I OWN A 2003 FORD FOCUS, AND LIKE MANY OTHER FORD CUSTOMERS I HAVE READ ABOUT, I HAD MY IGNITION LOCK JAM UP TO THE POINT WHERE IT CANNOT BE STARTED WITH THE KEY. IT WILL PROBABLY REQUIRE A NEW CYLINDER, WHICH, ACCORDING TO OTHER COMPLAINTS, WILL BREAK JUST AS EASILY. CLEARLY FORD SHOULD STEP UP AND TAKE SOME CREDIT FOR SUCH AN INCONVENIENCE. IT'S JUST FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE CAN BECOME INJURED FROM THIS PARTICULAR CASE OF BAD ENGINEERING. *JB