2004 Ford Focus

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS LOCKED SECURELY; AND OPENED ABRUPTLY WITH SLIGHT PRESSURE APPLIED AGAINST THE DOOR. IN ADDITION, THE REAR DRIVER DOOR EXHIBITED THE IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V030000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES: DOORS: LATCH). THE REMEDY REPAIR FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

THE IGNITION LOCK FROZE UP WITHOUT WARNING LEAVING US STRANDED ACROSS TOWN. THANKFULLY WE WERE IN A SAFE PART OF TOWN WITH ACCESS TO TOOLS SO WE GOT THE PROBLEM RESOLVED TEMPORARILY. THE IGNITION CAN BE UN FROZEN BY TAKING APART THE STEERING COLUMN AND REMOVING ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FROM THE LOCK. THEN PUT A DRIP PAN UNDER THE LOCK AND BLOW ALL THE METAL SHAVINGS OUT OF THE LOCK WITH A LIQUID LUBRICANT. DO NOT USE WD40. WE USED A FIREARM LUBRICANT WHICH WILL NOT CLUMP THE NEW SHAVINGS AND IT HAS WORKED RATHER WELL SO FAR (BREAKFREE). AS A PRECAUTION WE LEAVE THE KEY IN THE LOCK WHICH IS RISKY TO DO IN BAD PARTS OF TOWN. TO CIRCUMVENT THIS WE REMOVE THE KEY RFID SENSOR FROM THE CAR WHICH PREVENTS THE ENGINE FROM STARTING AT ALL NO MATTER WHAT THE LOCK IS DOING. THIS HAS STARTED TO CREATE PROBLEMS WITH THE IMMOBLIZER IN THE CAR AND NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT NEEDING THAT TO BE RESET EVERY SO OFTEN. THE BEST PLACE TO GET THIS FIXED IS NOT AT THE DEALERSHIP AS THEY WILL USE THE SAME CRAPPY PARTS THAT GOT YOU INTO THIS MESS TO START. GO TO A LOCK SMITH AND HAVE THEM USE NON FORD PARTS. WE ARE WAITING ON A AFTERMARKET LOCK TO ARRIVE FROM HTTP://WWW.SANDIEGOLOCKANDSAFE.COM WHICH HAS CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE ON THIS ISSUE (ALONG WITH MOST LOCK SMITHS WORTH THEIR SALT). IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU AND YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA GO HERE: HTTP://WWW.FAZMICLAW.COM/ , SEND THEM A MESSAGE AND ATTACH YOURSELF TO THE NOW PENDING LAWSUIT (08-15-2010). *TR

THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO TURN IN MY 2004 FORD FOCUS LEAVING ME STRANDED. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAD HAPPENED AND TO TEMPORARILY REMEDY THE SITUATION I HAD TO TAKE A HAMMER AND TAP THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND TURN AT THE SAME TIME TO START THE CAR. THE KEY MUST REMAIN IN THE IGNITION AT ALL TIMES NOW TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR SEAT CENTER SEAT-BELT FAILED WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE HER FIVE YEAR OLD GRANDCHILD.INSTEAD OF THE SEAT BELT LOOSING, IT TIGHTENED AROUND HER STOMACH. THE SEAT-BELT HAD TO BE CUT IN ORDER TO RELEASE HER. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 149,000.

YESTERDAY EVENING, 6/22/10, AFTER PLAYING TENNIS AT A LOCAL PARK, I GOT INTO MY '04 FORD FOCUS WAGON, PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED, AND NO MATTER HOW I TRIED, THE KEY WOULD NOT WORK. I CALLED MY WIFE TO COME AFTER ME WITH HER KEY. WITH SOME DIFFICULTY SHE WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL AND START THE CAR WITH HER KEY. I DROVE THE CAR HOME AND LEFT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. TODAY, I DROVE THE CAR TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FOCUS IGNITION LOCK WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THE IGNITION LOCK WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $410.00. I GOOGLED 'FORD FOCUS IGNITION LOCK PROBLEM' AND CAME BACK WITH NUMEROUS HITS OF PEOPLE DESCRIBING SIMILAR INCIDENTS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FIX IT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT LEFT STRANDED BY THIS PROBLEM, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED SO MANY TIMES TO SO MANY PEOPLE, IT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS A DEFECT AND A RECALL ISSUED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS, THE CONTACT BANGED ON THE KEY AND THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE DID NOT RECUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,139 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,673. UPDATED 11/9/10 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 80 MPH. WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN ABNORMALLY JERKING AS IF SHE WAS REPEATEDLY TAPPING ON THE BRAKES. THE TRANS AXLE COOLING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN SHE TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON. THE CRUISE CONTROL THEN BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT YET BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 92,590.

THE DECK LID WIRING HARNESS BREAKS DUE TO FATIGUE FROM OPENING AND CLOSING THE HATCH. IN MY CASE, 6 WIRES IN THE HARNESS HAD BEEN COMPLETELY SEVERED. BECAUSE OF THIS, MY TAIL LIGHT WAS OUT, THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT WAS ON AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ALWAYS ON WHEN THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE. BESIDES THE DANGER OF BEING REAR ENDED BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON, DEPENDING ON WHICH WIRES BREAK OR HAVE THEIR INSULATION CRACK OPEN, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BAD SITUATIONS: * ALL REAR LIGHTS COULD TURN OFF. * THE TRUNK COULD OPEN WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES. * THE TRUNK COULD OPEN WHEN YOU USE A TURNING INDICATOR. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2000 FOCUS HATCHBACK, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE DECK LID WIRING HARNESS AFTER THAT YEAR. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT HAPPENED ON OUR 2004 FOCUS HATCHBACK, AND IT CAN LEAVE OWNERS AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TO CORRECT THE ISSUE, I SPLICED THE BROKEN WIRES BACK TOGETHER. *TR