2004 Ford Focus

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 25 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR WOULD RELEASE WITH THE LOCKS ENGAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE EXACT FAILURE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V030000, LATCHES/LOCKS/ LINKAGES, DOORS) HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE CONTACT FELT UNSAFE WITH A VEHICLE OCCUPANT IN THE REAR NEAR THE DEFECTIVE DOOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

THE ISSUE I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT IS IN REGARD TO FORD FOCUS AUTOMOBILES FROM 2000 TO CURRENT DATE 2010. THERE IS A KNOW DEFECT WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH IS MADE WITH INFERIOR METAL PARTS IN THE IGNITION LOCK. WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT METAL SHAVINGS ARE PRODUCED INSIDE THE LOCK AND AFTER TIME THESE METAL SHAVINGS CAUSE THE LOCK TO JAM. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN STRANDED BECAUSE THEY CANNOT TURN THE IGNITION KEY. FORD DENIES THIS PROBLEM. JUST GO TO ANY LOCKSMITH OR TOW TRUCK DRIVER OR GOOGLE FORD FOCUS IGNITION ON THE INTERNET. EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM. EVERYTIME THIS HAPPENS IT COSTS THE OWNER BETWEEN $500 AND $800 TO HAVE THIS FIXED AT A FORD DEALERSHIP. MY 2004 FOR FOCUS CURRENTLY HAS THIS PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BY FORD AND I THINK THIS IS THE BIGGEST SCAM SINCE BERNIE MADOFF. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. THANKS FRUSTRATED FORD OWNER. *TR

ON A SATURDAY EVENING I DROVE TO GROCERY STORE. AFTER I HAD FINISHED SHOPPING I TRIED TO START VEHICLE. I COULD NOT TURN KEY IN IGNITION AND THE STEERING COLUMN REMAINED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THE VEHICLE HAD 67787 MILES. I HAD CAR TOWED TO FORD DEALER AND THEY DRILLED OUT LOCK CYLINDER AND REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE AT A COST OF $385.34. TOW TRUCK DRIVER STATED THAT HE HAD TOWED THE SAME MODEL BEFORE WITH AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT DEALER STATED THAT HE HAD SEVERAL OF THE SAME MODEL WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEM. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE PART HAD BEEN UPDATED A FEW TIMES. I AM 53 AND HAVE DRIVEN MANY VEHICLES, SOME WITH OVER 240,000 MILES AND HAVE NEVER BEFORE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL IT WAS MANUFACTURED WITH A DEFECT AND IT FAILED PREMATURELY. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE IGNITION LOCKS WHENEVER THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN WITHOUT HITTING ON THE KEY ITSELF. THIS HAS RESULTED IN THE KEY BREAKING OFF IN THE LOCK. THE IGNITION LOCK APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL, AND POSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK.. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, BUT IT HAS BECOME MUCH WORSE RECENTLY. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE TO THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS ISSUE. THE LOCAL FORD DEALERS TOLD ME IT WOULD COST BETWEEN $400-500 TO FIX, AND IT SEEMS THAT MANY TIMES, THE NEW PARTS ARE ALSO DEFECTIVE AND THE PROBLEM RETURNS. AS THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMONG FOCUS OWNERS, PLEASE CONSIDER ISSUING A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL. *TR

NO EVENTS PULLED INTO PARKING LOT LEFT CAR FOR FEW MINUTES CAME BACK AND THE IGNITION WAS LOCKED SOLID. FROM WHAT I AM TOLD THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE FORD FOCUS MINE IS A 2004. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD MAYBE NOT TO ME THIS TIME BECAUSE I WAS IN A PARKING LOT AND WAITED FOR OVER AN HOUR FOR A TOW TRUCK HOWEVER IF I WAS BROKEN DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR A FLAT TIRE AND THIS HAPPENED WHAT THEN OR IS THIS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD OF BEEN RECALLED YEARS AGO. PROTECT THE CONSUMER. *TR

OUR 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER STOPPED AT A SEVEN-ELEVEN STORE AND WHEN SHE TRIED TO RETURN HOME THE IGNITION KEY IN OUR 2004 FORD FOCUS WOULD NOT TURN. THIS LEFT OUR DAUGHTER STRANDED AND REQUIRED HER TO WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK. BEING A 17 YEAR OLD GIRL STRANDED OUTSIDE A SEVEN-ELEVEN WAS NOT A GOOD FEELING! I BELIEVE FORD IS AWARE OF MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEIR FOCUS IGNITION LOCKS. *TR

FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW, THE IGNITION AND/OR STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN I TRY TO PUT THE KEY IN TO START MY 2004 FORD FOCUS. I INITIALLY SPENT 20 MINUTES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO START THE CAR. NOW I REALIZE I HAVE TO JIGGLE, TURN, & FINAGLE EVERYTHING JUST RIGHT & I CAN GET IT THE IGNITION TO TURN IN A FEW MINUTES. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT I NOW THINK GETTING MY CAR STARTED IN UNDER 5 MINUTES IS "GOOD." THIS HAPPENS 9 OUT OF 10 TIMES THAT I TRY TO START THE CAR. I HAVE SEEN MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. SEEMS LIKE FORD NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOT IMPRESSED. *TR

WE HAVE ALREADY FILED A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT FOR ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME DEFECT WHICH HAPPENED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF OF EACH OTHER. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE FILE A COMPLAINT WITH YOU, ABOUT 2 SEPARATE/SIMILAR EVENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED DURING OUR OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE (2004 FORD FOCUS ZX-3). IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO INSERT/REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. ON THE PREVIOUS OCCASION THE KEY BECAME STUCK AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER THE ONSET OF THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, THE KEY BECAME COMPLETELY STUCK IN THE IGNITION, IT WILL TURN SLIGHTLY EITHER WAY, THE KEY WILL NOT COME OUT, BUT THE CAR WILL START. ON THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR RE-KEYED, AND BOUGHT A NEW LOCK CYLINDER AND HAD IT PROGRAMMED AND INSTALLED AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP. LUCKILY THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WE WERE AT A FRIENDS HOUSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO WE WERE NOT STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, AND THIS TIME FORTUNATELY THE CAR WILL STILL START. HOWEVER, THE KEY REMAINS STUCK IN THE IGNITION SO REALISTICALLY SOMEONE COULD STEAL THE CAR. *TR