2004 Ford Focus

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

I TRIED TO START MY 2004 FORD FOCUS ZX3 ONE NIGHT ONLY TO FIND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL AND IGNITION WERE LOCKED UP. IT FELT AS IF THE WHOLE STEERING MECHANISM WAS FROZEN. I'M STILL RESEARCHING HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUES SINCE I CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR. ON-LINE RESOURCES HAVE TAUGHT ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FOCUS' YET THERE IS NO RECALL AVAILABLE AND WE ARE STUCK PAYING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *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

THE IGNITION ON MY 2004 FORD FOCUS HAS LOCKED UP IN THE PAST AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UNLOCK IT WITH A LITTLE JIGGLING OF THE STEERING WHEEL. LAST NIGHT WAS NOT THE SAME. AFTER TRYING FOR 20 MINUTES, IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER, WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD WITH ME, I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. THEY HAD TO TOW IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I AM SHOCKED TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE ON THE FOCUS, AMONG OTHER FORD MODELS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO GET THIS FIXED. I AM GLAD I WAS 10 MILES FROM HOME RATHER THAN OVER 50. IT IS THESE TYPES OF ISSUES THAT DON'T GET RESOLVED THAT CAUSE CONSUMERS TO NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE. ALSO, 2 OF MY 3 BACK SEATBELTS DON'T WORK ANYMORE. *TR

THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 2004 FORD FOCUS (MANUAL TRANS) LOCKED UP THE STEERING COLUMN. LUCKILY THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING AND PARKED IT STILL REQUIRED THE CALL OF FOUR TOW TRUCKS TO GET IT INTO THE DEALER. BECAUSE THE FRONT WHEELS WERE LOCKED IN A SLANTED POSITION WHEN I PARKED THE FIRST FLATBED TRUCK WASN'T ABLE TO LOAD IT. IT REQUIRED A SECOND TRUCK TO TOW IT TO MY OWN MECHANIC. FROM THERE HE REQUIRED IT TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER, SAME RESULTS WITH TOW COMPANY'S. THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE $357 ON TOP OF THE TOWING FEE FOR IGNITION LOCK REPLACEMENT. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 FORD FOCUS. I PARKED MY VEHICLE AT CHURCH ON SUNDAY AND WHEN I CAME OUT - I PUT MY KEY IN THE IGNITION TO START MY CAR AND IT WAS LOCKED UP. NO MATTER WHAT I TRIED I COULDN'T TURN THE KEY OR START MY CAR. I CALLED MY BROTHER-IN-LAW TO COME HELP ME. HE TRIED TO AND NOTHING WORKED. HE HAD THE SUGGESTION TO LOOK ON THE INTERNET - TO LOOK UP FORD FOCUS AND KEY WON'T TURN ON GOOGLE. I DID JUST THAT - AND THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE THAT HAD FORD FOCUS'S. A SUGGESTION ON THERE - WAS TO GET A SMALL HAMMER OR THE END OF A SCREW DRIVER AND WHILE YOU PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION - PUSH IT REAL HARD AND HIT THE KEY WITH A HAMMER. IT WORKED! MY KEY MOVED TO THE START POSITION AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR HOME. THE WEBSITE THAT TOLD US TO TRY THAT SAID - IT WOULD WORK TO GET THE CAR TO WHERE YOU WANTED IT TO GO - BUT THAT YOU WOULD NEED A NEW PART FOR THE IGNITION AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WOULD COST QUITE A LOT. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THIS - SO I JUST LEAVE MY KEY IN THE IGNITION AT ALL TIMES - AND USE MY SPARE KEY TO UNLOCK THE CAR. I FEEL THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL FOR THIS - AS MANY, MANY PEOPLE ONLINE HAVE COMPLAINED - IT SAID FORD FOCUS FROM YEARS 200-2004 (MINE IS A 2004). A PERSON CAN BECOME STRANDED AS THIS CAN HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ANYWHERE THEY PARK THEIR CAR. THIS WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY - HOWEVER, MY WARRANTY HAS LONG PASSED. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS - SINCE EVERYONE IS HAVING PROBLEMS - I BELIEVE IT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP ON THIS MATTER. TRICIA WALTER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 55-70 MPH, THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL BOTH BEGAN TO SHAKE. WHEN THE SPEED IS BELOW 55 MPH, THE SHAKING WILL STOP OR DECREASE. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT HEARD METAL ON METAL FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE FINE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,019 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,759. UPDATED 01/02/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SQUEAKED AND VIBRATED AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE. THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS REPLACED, DUE TO IT BEING BROKEN. THE SHIFTER SQUEAKED. THE RIMS WERE BENT AND THE TIRES WERE OUT OF BALANCE. UPDATED*JB

THE SHIFTER, STEERING WHEEL AND IGNITION KEY ALL LOCK UP ON MY 2004 FORD FOCUS. I SIMPLY GUIDE MY CAR TO WHERE I WANT TO PARK IT. STOP, PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURN OFF THE CAR. WHEN I GO TO START MY CAR AGAIN, EVERYTHING IS LOCKED UP AND TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET IT UNLOCKED. I ALMOST HAVE TO BREAK OFF THE KEY TO GET IT STARTED. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2004 FORD FOCUS A YEAR AGO AND THE IGNITION CYLINDER IS GOING OUT. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED PLACES SEVERAL TIMES IN THE COLD BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO MANY FORD FOCUS OWNERS. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THIS ITEM SOON AT THE COST TO ME OF $250. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS SINCE MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES. I HAVE HAD TO JIGGLE THE KEY SO MUCH MY HAND HURTS. *NM