2003 FORD Focus

The key won’t turn the ignition cylinder. Thus, the car cannot be started, nor can it be pushed/steered to somewhere else. I had to have it towed to the dealership while I walked home. Given where I was, that was not a huge problem….but I could have been anywhere – at a highway rest stop, in some strange city, in the middle of the desert. Ford knows about this problem, but thinks it is not important. I think being stranded for a known bad piece of equipment is important.

Key won’t turn in the ignition. This is a known issue with the Ford Focus. Ford refuses any assistance or to issue a recall.

the key in the ignition will not turn, its stuck. will not turn on or anything

Key would not turn ignition leaving me stranded for over 4 hours without my cardiac medication.

Key will not turn in ignition. Again!

Igniton locks preventing car from starting

anti-theft activated while driving. pats key will not start car.

The key will go into the ignition but will not turn. After calling Ford Customer Service and getting no where, I read online to call a locksmith, hopefully they can help. I wonder why Ford has not issued a recall for this problem? This is the most common problem for Ford Focuses.

Ignition lock cylinder will not turn

Key will not turn in the ignition. Car has been sitting in a parking lot for 3 days. We are calling a lock smith tomorrow to see if he can fix it.

Ignition Switch won’t turn in bad part of town. Major safty issue.

Key in ignition and will not turn.

key would not turn in ignition

One morning, ON MY WAY TO WORK, I got in my car tried to start it, and the key would not turn. I freaked out called my dad he told me to wiggle the steering wheel, turn the key, hit the key in the ignition a little etc etc. After about ten minutes it turned. I thought it was just a fluke, but it happened again today ON MY WAY TO WORK!!! I was pissed. I had read on this forum that people called a locksmith so I did. They said it would cost around $250. I said no thanks I will call elsewhere. I ended up calling AAA and they sent roadside assistance, who did nothing but tell me to tow it to a Ford dealer and have them fix it. Yeah so I can spend $500 dollars for the same part that failed, no thanks! I called AAA back and told them to send me a locksmith. One came an hour later, I had to call work and tell them I couldn’t come! Pop-A-Lock who replaced the ignition was very nice and professional, unlike FORD, and it only cost me $112 with the AAA discount.

Key will not turn in the ignition no matter how many attempts by multiple people. Called a Ford dealership and they said that the problem is common and that the only way to fix it is replace the whole ignition!!

Key won’t turn in ignition/ignition stuck

Key froze solid in ignition . My steering wheel locked. Key would NOT turn. Locksmith had to drill out fACTORY INSTALLED IGNITION AND REPLACE IT WITH A STRATTEC REPLACEment ignition cylinder part# 707592. . The locksmith reitierated what I have read on the internet how they are very familar with this problem in the Ford focus.

Key wouldn’t turn in the ignition

Ignition switch locks up. At this point, I have been able to operate without getting it replaced, but replacements don’t seem to fix the problem as delay it momentarily.

Ignition key will not turn!

Ignition switch problem/Key locked and will not turn

The ignition is locked up and the key won’t turn at all. I am told that it can cost me around $500 to have the entire ignition replaced. It seems to be an EXTREMELY common problem for this car between 2000-2003 models.

key will not turn in ignition. have to leave key in ignition and not turn completely off or will become stuck.

Ignition locked up

The ignition locked up suddenly leaving the car sitting in a loading zone unable to be moved except by towing. Research shows this is a design defect that Ford refuses to recall.

Key won’t turn in ignition, can leave you stranded.

Key won’t turn in ignition windows down at night ready for theft

Key won’t turn in ignition

Ignition key would not turn in ignition. Had to get a ride to go home 35 miles away. Came back the next day and had a locksmith replace the ignition lock.

I have a 2003 Ford Focus SE/4 door/automatic. The igniton switch cylinder has been acting up for quite sometime. The cylinder will slide completely out of the steering column when you try to remove the key. This has happened on three occasions. I bought this car used and have not been to a dealer to repair the problem yet. I was able to place the cylinder back in the ignition and continue on. But, this could occur at any time. I have read several forums of other owners experiencing same or similar issues. At this point ford does not consider this to be a safety issue. I beg to differ it is an issue that needs to be dealt with.

The ignition froze, called Ford, they will not fix!!!! Wanted $400 to replace with same faulty ignition cylinder. Called a locksmith, he came to me, replaced igniton, and was only $150

Key won’t turn in ignition. I understand this problem is common in Ford Focus automobiles, but Ford has not (for some ridiculous reason) issued a recall for this problem. Also, the repair cost indicated includes towing charges.

Key failed to turn in ignition cylinder. I have not had the money to get the problem fixed. For two years, used the "hammer technique" I found online to fully engage the key. On 11/30/2010, was unable to get the key to engage and was stranded with my son in cold weather for 10-15 minutes. I was able to get the key engaged, and am now forced to leave the key in the ignition cylinder and not completely turn the key when shutting the car off.

Ignition cylinder/ tumbler broken and needs to be replaced

Ignition – Key won’t turn in ignition

While my 2003 Ford Focus was being vacuumed at the carwash, the side passenger airbag of my car deployed. My car was parked and there was no impact. I had my car towed from the carwash to the dealership where I purchased my car. Their service department has failed to give me a solid reason as to why the airbag deployed. Their theories ranged from damage to the undercarriage, the force of the vacuum at the carwash, to the possibility that I ran over a tire. All theories elude me especially because my car has not been in any accident and I did not run over a tire! Ford service has noted that the airbag replacement/repair will not be covered under my warranty. I sought the help of my insurance company. They agreed with me that the whole incident is incredible, but concluded that the estimated cost to pursue a case against Ford will be more than the cost of repairs. My out-of-pocket expenses will include paying for the deductible and the rental car.

When running the ac on the car, there is an extremely bad odor which can be smelled both inside the car and out. It appears to be some kind of burning or chemical odor. It will actually affect the body by making your eyes burn and making you feel sick. It can not be driven. We have taken it to the dealership three times with the problem unresolved. The third time, we were told that the car was fixed; however, upon testing at the dealership, it was clear that the problem was unresolved. We have been told that Ford’s engineers are coming in to assess the problem, as the service manager pulled three new cars off the lot and found the same problem.

Vehicle stalls intermitently. Throttle valve replaced 6/06. Engine still stalls Today on Calif 405 freeway, vehicle stalled in center lane at 65MPH, almost causing an accident and stopped all northbound traffic. Number of stalls since 2/06 approximately 25-30

Trunk is not linning up. Driver side door, the plastic frame is falling apart. Fell in on my husband while driving the car.Paint is chipping and falling off the car on the passenger side and driver side.Windows are squealing when rolling down. Seat bealts are tighting up on passenger.There is a rattling sound in the tires dealership cant figure out why. Brakes have been squealing and rubbing since i bought the car. The car is over heating and shuts of the car.And when stopping or accelerating the car makes a popping sound. Also the car is pulling to the the right. All of these problems and I have only had this car since November.

This is not a complaint so to say, but more of an opportunity to seek information. When I first got this car, I questioned the brakes to Ford and they told me that it was normal. I also let them know that the radio was shorting out and not holding stations. They told me that it was the radio and offered to replace it. I was getting a new radio installed anyway, so I was not worried about it really. Unfortunately, it was not the radio. I had to take the car back last month because my engine light came on. They simply replaced a sensor and I have had no more problems with it. By the way, this is Koons ford of College Park, MD. These guys have always been polite and courteous. Now, this past Monday, July 5th, I was in Waldorf at my sister in law’s house and somehow my car caught fire. No one was in the car and there was family out front to verify that. I had just come back in the house from getting some CDs out of the car. The fire appeared to be coming from the rearview mirror area. :0 I would like to know if anyone else has had this problem? My insurance company is going to investigate to see how this fire occurred ofcourse, because I just don’t have a clue. I am suspecting an electrical shortage right over the rearview mirror where the dome light is…..Anybody got any experience with this?

Started off by shaking if there was less than 1/2 a tank of gas in the car. So I always had the car near a full tank. Then all of a sudden the car started shaking and the check engine light came on while I was on the highway, then immediatly stalled at 70 mph.

See failures

My ignition locked and my car was completely undriveable. This had happened a few times before but normally lasted just long enough to get me good and frustrated before starting. This time I had no such luck. I have the BaseCare extended service plan, which of course, doesn’t cover ignitions. I have a coworker who had the same problem a few months ago, and am shocked and appalled by the number of people who have had the same problem and yet Ford will not issue a recall or take care of their problem.

My ignition lock cylinder has just gone out. Someone I know is fixing it, at the cost of $150, instead of the $400 the dealership wanted. I have had the brakes go out, the transmission go out,& the alternator go out while driving on a busy street. All of my dials, stereo, and car just stopped working. My alternator just died! Less than 2 weeks after that, my transmission broke. The piece that connects the muffler to the engine broke. I can\’t believe all the problems I have had with this car!

My Brakes were not working/ low pedal in the first week of purchase. Ford Dealer changed the Master cylinder in the first repairs. This time the car had 91 miles on it. I had the same problem of brakes at 25 miles an hour and Ford service center rebled the lines to remove air. This was done at 168 miles. Problem with brakes ; low pedal & low brakes. Ford service center adjusted my rear brake shoes at 267 miles. I am not confident about my brakes; specially looking for safety of others. This can cause serious bodily injury/death.——————–Regarding my Seat belts & Air bag there was yellow light in the control panel. Per the Ford dealer who repaired my car; airbag may / may not work in that state until it was fixed. They found loose wiring & secured them .———————For A/C they REPLACED BLOWER MOTOR AND PLENUM ASSEMBLY .———————

My back seat beats have trouble coming out. you have to keep pulling and pulling so you can put it on.My brakes have gone out twice. They still make noise. I just replaced my rotors.My ignition locked and I had to get it towed.

Metal Peice on the back of the car like tie rod ends needs to be replaced it is broke and cause the car to go out of alignment and ruin all tires. have to replace the metal piece with one that is adjustable. have take the car to three different places to get the job done. We live in wyoming so that means that we have to travel a ways to get to these places. Sheidan and Gillette. Thunder basin ford is currently ordering the part so that we can get the rear alligned properly. They stated that the peice was probably bent from the manufacture.

It started out when I was driving out of the parking lot. I went down the road and all of a sudden it made this big clunk and at first I thought I hit something. It did it again for the second time and the gear slipped and started to rev on me then a few minutes it clunked back into gear. It does that every time I drive, and my overdrive does not work.Update January 14, 2006: I put one complaint in back in November and I am going to update it for you. I had my transmission rebuilt for $1,676. Just recently I had to get my ignition switch replaced which was not cheap. Now I am experiencing an electrical problem. For some reason everything electrical including the Headlights, brake lights, dome light, radio, speedometer, etc…goes out while driving. When that happens my car begins to sputter out of control so I would have to pull over and turn it off. When I got to restart the car, it would not turn over so I would have to let it sit there for about 10 minutes before it would restart. Well today I was coming home from work and I almost got into a bad wreck because of it. Before it got real bad I had taken it to Barton Ford and they did a check up on it to see if they could find the problem and you know what they told me? \"WE CAN\’T FIND ANYTHING WRONG\", which is bull crap. That same day when I got that checked is the day I got my ignition switched replaced and my rear door latches replaced for that recall. If there is anyway that you can help me out with this, I greatly appreciated. My car was a lemon from the get go, and every time I fix one problem another occurs.

Ignition would not turn after inserting key.

Ignition froze up. Can\’t turn key. Unable to start vechicle.

Ignition cylinder locked. Key cannot be turned to start car

If you pay an additional $1500 for the extended warranty (the 39,000 mile coverage between the end of the factory warranty at 36,000 miles and the end of the extended warranty at 75,000 miles) the Ford Focus is a nice 70,000 mile car. In the neighborhood of 70,000 miles the alternator, air conditioning compressor, ignition key assembly all went south; the substandard brake pads & rotor assemblies went south prior to 36,000 miles.Our Focus has the 2.0 liter sohc version of the Ford Escort\’s 1.9 liter sohc engine. The problems Ford never addressed properly on the Escort still haunt the Focus. The delta pressure sensor, pressure feedback sensor for the 2.0 liter sohc has been an ongoing problem on the Focus which Ford prefers to not address. When this part goes south the performance and fuel economy go with it, if you can call 27 mpg highway fuel economy. The performance and acceleration becomes noisy and ragged and you wondered why you ever purchased this car.The brake pads and rotors were gone before arriving at 36,000 miles and this was under predominantly highway driving conditions. When I took the rotors into the shop to be turned, I was told they were out of specs and could not be turned; they needed to be replaced. I told the Ford service rep that rotors that are unusable after 36,000 miles is reprehensible and should be a recall item. Not at Ford; Ford lets you eat the cost on these substandard items too . . . if you\’re stupid enough to purchase that particular \"genuine\" Ford part again.The transmission is now behaving as though it were a bucking bronco; when it does engage, it slams you against the seat. A Focus afficionado with whom I have become acquainted indicated it has a $1300 internal problem. I forget to ask if this covers both the repair and the installation or only the repair. He assured me the problem should not cause the car to break down immediately but is a problem the Focus has also had for a long time.We replaced the genuine Ford alternator, at our expense, with another genuine Ford alternator. Luckily, we were yet 644 miles short of the 75,000 mile warranty going out when the air conditioning compressor died. Ford, with the assistance of our $1500/39,000 additional mile warranty – and our 10% co-pay, replaced the genuine for air conditioning compressor with another genuine Ford air conditioning compressor. Ford ate all but our deductible 10% co-pay of $75 or so.As the Focus now has approximately 123,000 miles on it, I suspect the car will require an additional genuine Ford air conditioning compressor, genuine Ford alternator, and genuine Ford ignition key assembly shortly. The second genuine Ford ignition key assembly began acting similarly to the failed original genuine Ford shortly after its installation. Geez . . . The Focus has had nasty \"half shaft/bearing/front end dying sounds\" for a long time. Prior to the genuine Ford 100,000 miles drivetrain warranty going out, we had the transmission, half shafts, and any other drivetrain related pieces/parts inspected. It cost an additional $100 for the Ford techs to tell us everything was \"okie dokie\" . . . I have my doubts.Definitely a substandard product and our last Ford/Mazda/any predominantly Ford owned product . . . Oh, I forgot to mention. The passenger seat belt locks up continuously and must be released and re-engaged each time this happens. The trunk opens whenever it wants to do so. These issues have been since day one and . . . Ford indicates to us that if they do not experience the situation when it is in the shop they will not deal with the problem. Definitely, our last Ford!

I was driving. My air bag deployed tearing a gash in my seat. Ford wants me to use my privite insurance for repairs. There reasoning is because they have never seen it happen before.

I have had problem after problem with this car. After I bought this car the thermostat went out, seatbuckle broke, driver rear door don’t open right or close right. The window regulator broke off in my hand, I have a cliking noise in the driver front tire, and just recently the same seatbuckle broke again. The car has 50,000 mile on it and is out of warrenty, almost everything that is wrong with this car has a recall on the 2001 and 2002 models. I have e-mailed ford and get no response. I have a real concern about the safty belts in this car. In 50,000 miles the buckles have broke twice. I have 3 children and need to rely on the belts. This is the worst car I have ever bought.

I have had numerous problems with my Ford Focus and now I am attempting to trade it in and cannot recieve anything for a trade in value because of the problems I have had with the car. The engine was the first problem. I had to have the engine replaced becuase of flood damage. The second problem I had was the guage cluster completely stopped working and the service manager at the dealership gave me a run around and tried to take me as a fool. She told me that the cluster did not work because I had tampered with the guage bezel, which is the piece covering the guage cluster. After I proved her wrong by speaking to another ford parts manager she responded by saying, “thats not the issue. We do not know how many miles are on the car becuase the odometer isn’t working.” They did not want to compensate me by providing a rental car for the 3-4 weeks they wanted me to wait or compensate for the money I wouldn’t be making from missing out of work due to lack of transportation. The next problem I faced was the window cranks breaking off at the metal pegs. Not just one of them, but both of them. The pedal covers on the clutch and the break both fell off because they had been stretched from use. But the use wasn’t enough only being at just over the 30k miles I had on the car before the guage cluster went out. I have also had the ignition repaired once and replaced once. A total cost of the two amounting over $300 and it not being covered under warranty or a recall. This is one huge issue that Ford is having with the focus but still continues to not recall it. I am now and have been trying to purchase a vehicle and everywhere I go tells me the biggest problem I have is the amount that I still owe on my car and it not being worth anything because of the engine being replaced and the odometer not working. So now, thanks to Ford Motor Companies huge lack of customer service, I am stuck with this burden of a car. This car, without a doubt, had done nothing but ruin my life and has been more of a burden than a mode of transportation. The ENTIRE guage cluster does not work. The gas guage, tachometer, odometer, temperature guage, warning lights, shift light, and speedometer. This is putting me at risk for recieving a speeding ticket (which has already happened once) and leaving me stranded without gas. I am willing to do anything to make Ford reimburse me for everything that they have failed to do. That being, providing me with a reliable vehicle that should at least last 100,000 miles with out these major problems. I cannot use the car as a trade in becuase of the amount owed and the value of the car being nothing short of nil.

I had damage inflicted on my wheel about a month ago. I went to a retailer and two dealerships trying to find a factory replacement wheel for my 2003 (purchased in Feb. of this year) Focus. The only things that the dealership was able to come up with is that the wheel I need is considered by Ford to be a “production” only part at this time. The wheel won’t be available to the public or dealerships until October. Needless to say the spare I am driving on won’t wait until October. I contacted Fords customer service center and was told that there was nothing they could or would do to help me and my situation.

I get 16 to 19 miles per gal. I am 74 years old & do not drive fast. Ford says I should get 30 to 32 miles per gal. When I take it in I am told there is nothing they can do. I bought it for the gas milage.

i can be driving and it will be like it loses power and jerk real hard while i am driving down the highway. the brakes makes a noise when you applay them and the pasenger seat belt keeps geting tighter.

I broke down with my 2003 Ford Focus . I called emergency number and they arranged to tow to Healey Ford in Middletown NY. There was a terrible burning smell and everything on dash went out and car just stopped. First they said it needed to be checked and called me back and said needs alternator. Then there were still rough running problems after installation and new plugs and a/c switch needed to be installed. I called for help, they said I have powertrain warranty. I was not covered but no one really knew how this happened. I had to borrow a car for a week, had to pay nearly 900.00 for this repair and missed almost 3 days of work with all of this. Had to use vacation time. I notice in complaint log against Focus there are numerous fire/alternator issues. I am a single mom just about making it and I feel like something is really wrong here. My stepdad is a retired Ford man and cannot understand how this could not be covered or I am not being reimbursed for something. I have the best coverage through GEICO and I do not understand. Can someone please research this before I need to take further action. The gentlemen at Healey Ford and Debbie the secretary were very nice but that still did not help with this problem. I just want to assure you that customer service there was decent. I appreciate your time and I expect to hear back from you with some positive input.sincerely, Ellen Gillespie Waugh

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_focus.htmlRobert of Long Beach CA (03/20/07)Several times when placing the key in the ignition switch (column) the key would jam and not turn, but after about 20 attempts of turning the key upside down, switching sides, and reinserting-eventually somehow the key would turn and could finally get on my way. I had NO idea there was a problem from Ford on this – and after reading thousands of horror stories, FORD should have done a Call Back. Thanks to the writers on this site; I took my Focus over to the local Ford dealer. they confirmed the ignition switch was bad to the tune of: $290.49 and now it supposedly) is fixed? let’s hope so. Parts like this – they should last the lifetime of the vehicle. If there was an inferior part and it was known to be defective after a certain timeframe, it is up to the manufacturer to step up to the plate and take responsibility for the replacing the defective part. Ford did not do this and I am very upset that they have taken this standpoint of making money rather than producing Quality. I just hope Ford is not reverting back to the 80’s where nearly every car produced was a POS. I am really concerned about the safety of others ~ this defect can cause serious accidents while driving, not to mention being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no other option other than being towed. If there are groups of people that want to file a lawsuit, I would be willing to join in. Ford wasn’t thinking when they decided to turn their heads the other way on this – for the safety of others, this defect should of been recalled. All of the people that laid out hundreds of dollars and have been inconvenienced should be reimbursed by Ford.

front coil spring failure

Front and rear camber and toe in out of spec. Resulting in excessive tire wear of inner tread. Ford adjusted cambers and toe in but refused to replace tires. Suggested that I buy new tires and save receipt and someday they may have a recall.

Ford place told me that the screeching noise was normal in windows when you roll them down. The heat makes them do that. Also, my front wheels have made clicking noise since I bought the car but the mechanics at ford don\’t seem to hear it. The problems have been happening since the 36,000 mile warranty ran out. The transmission jumps into gear. The ignition went out completely on 11/20/2005. Don\’t know much it is gonna cost to get all of these things fixed. In February 2005 I had the brakes on the front done because they were completely gone. The back brakes haven\’t been done yet because the hubs are completely rusted shut. I don\’t know what to do. I am a mother of a disabled child and need my vehicle to transport him. Now it is sitting in a parking lot and can not be moved till I can find a mechanic who can work on the ignition. They can\’t tow it because they would have to knock out the steering column.

engine: All motor mounts in the car were gone and needed to be replaced… at 500km and I am not responsible for it, I received the car in this condition unknowingly.transmission: Fails to shift properly to 4th gear when at apex of incline while in cruise control under normal driving speeds.Other: rear window defogger didn\’t work, and rear window was chipped all around the edges. (they replaced it.)Currently the front end vibrates at any speed, possible tire out balance or tie rod gone bad.Rough idle: engine knocks and is very rough idle, has been this way since I have owned the car and is still the same at 14000km now. Parkway Ford states it is in my head.accelerator/throttle: Car would not come off of 3000rpm mark when approaching red light and almost killed me 2x, dealership says they cannot find the problem. Or reproduce it. Also the car was supposed to get 44 mpg it barely gets 24 mpg city. I went on a 3500km trip with it and showed them the receipts at 33 mpg highway they said that is normal for the car. Yet they advertised the car at 44 mpg and the computer states the car was getting 44 mpg. which is a total lie.I am tired of this crappy car I purchased they forced me out of my 30 day return by telling me I had to break the car in before it would get any gas milage. That was 5000miles or 8000km. I first started to complain about the car after its being in the shop 5 times before it had 1000kms on it.Now I am just plain lost I have no Idea what recourse I have or what I can do about this vehicle.

Driving in bumper to bumper traffic most of the time when you go to stop the car\’s engine surges with power and the brake pedal is stiff. The car did it once in November 2006. I thought I had accidentally hit the cruise control. I hardly drove the car from November to March. In April the problem became more frequent. Only way I could stop was to pop it into neutral. I called Ford in Michigan several times before they told me I had a 5 yr/100,000 mile warranty on the engine and to take it to a Ford dealer. On April 23, 2007 I took it to Vision Ford. They could not find a problem and would have to call the engineers at Ford. Ford told them they had some complaints on this but not enough for a recall. On April 24, 2007 they told me to bring it back in and replaced a brake booster. They made a deal with me to pay 400.00 if I would pay the 100.00 deductible. Picked up the car on April 25. On April 26, 2007 I was driving and I almost rear ended a dump truck. Spoke to Ford in Michigan who told me to take it back to Vision Ford. On April 30, 2007 I dropped the car off and they have had it ever since. I spoke to Service Manager on May 7,2007 Said he couldn\’t find problem and was calling Ford again.

Drivers side rear, knocking noise on city driving. Brakes squealing started in Nov. \’03. Both problems continue today, Mar. 31, 04. Had service check for both a total of 5 times combined. Still no solution. Service said brake composition has changed, asbestos removed causing more squealing noise, but assured brakes were fine.

Car makes banging nose when it goes into gear; transmission slips & does not shift correctly.. Car also stalls at low idle. Bought the car on June 24, 2003. Was in the shop for a new transmission on Oct 3rd 03 and have been back 3 more time for same problems. The experts say there in nothing wrong with the car. I personally know of 2 other young people who have been killed in the same car.

Bought new car october 2003 1st problem. started falure would not start. replaced starter 4 months after buying brand new car.2nd problem Starter makes metallic scratching noise fails to start. Ongoing, mechanics can not find problem. car has been back twice for this problem3rd when driving down road or pulling out, backing up or foward, Engine races, car will not move. I shut car off, put in park. wait. start again, imediately, even when i wait 5 -10 minutes engine imediatly starts racing and then bumping loudly now. shut off car again. Ford mechanics can not find problem. I would like to know if anybody has had a problem with any of this. or how they FINALLY get the car to run safely. I have to bring my son 3 hours to a special hospital. I am afraid it is going to happen on the highway with him. This car is my only option to getting him there. The dealership has been vey nice and has given my several rentals. I appreciate their time and how nice they have been. But I need my car fixed :) Is there any buddy that has any information

Ball Joint broke, vehicle completely out of control

At 5000 miles the car Fuel Economy decreased by half to 14 mpg on average. The car was taken to 2 Ford dealers and both said that the car was put through computer diagnostics and nothing out of ordinary was found. I called Ford 3 times and on 3 time after 2 dealers looked at the car, I got a feeling that Ford was looking to have me file for arbitration under lemon law.Besides above mentioned, the car failed due to bad shocks which were replaced, faulty hatch locking and air conditioner line which was leaking coolant.

Although i returned the car to the shop at the dealership several times to get the transmission fixed because it has been malfunctioning for months, they could not determine what was wrong and now we are waiting on a whole new transmission for the car.

After leaving my auto, I returned to find the rear window shattered, but in tact/in place. There no signs of any impact or attempted entry. The police were called and they said they could not find any evidence of anything striking the window and appeared it might be a faulty window. Upon bringing it to the dealer’s sevice shop, the manager said he would notify his Ford Rep of this problem. He said normally they would not do anything but since the auto was so new, he would try to see what he could do. Upon investigating if there was a Ford recall or similar regarding this problem, I came accross at least one other occassion where the window just shattered and was replaced by Ford under warranty. The individual said Ford claimed it was due to welding irregularities and such. When I was speaking to the service manager at Ford, he claimed that the 2003 Ford Focus rear defroster was changed and they had given it a higher amp to make it hotter. Since it has been about 6 dgrees outside, it could have been hot and shattered when cooling quickly – He did not know and was just searching for answers. Regardless, the auto had 440 miles on it and was only about 10 days old when this occurred. It could have been serious if this windowed shattered and blew out while driving, possibly causing harm to any passengers in the back – or anywhere for that matter. I believe this needs to be checked out to prevent any possible harm to anyone. The auto is a 2003 Ford Focus SE Sedan. Thank you, Michael Maleto

After leaving my apartment complex to go to work on Nov. 30 I noticed a vibration similar to that of a flat tire on my left rear wheel. I was going about 30 mph at this point. I tapped the brakes to slow down and noticed my left rear wheel rolling past me. The car landed on lower control arm and wheel did not hit on coming drivers. After further inspection by myself and the driver of the tow truck we noticed that the hub/drum was still attached to the wheel and the bearing was still attached to the spindle. The bearing did NOT seize and I was able to turn it with my hand with very little effort. Ford did NOT mention previous models having this problem and I was charged the full amount to replace the spindle on the drivers side and the drum/hub, bearing, wheel cylinders, and brake shoes for both rear wheels.

After extensive research via the telephone and internet for more than 10 hours. We discovered the clutch for the Ford Focus SVT became nationally back ordered due to Ford not manufacturing the part in a timely manner. No company had the part available and they were trying to manufacture their own to take the place of Ford\’s big blunder. A dealership has had my vehicle since July 12, 2007. I was advised that the part was supposed to be sent by 8/20/07. As of this date, no part has been delivered. This has caused an extreme inconvenience as a vehicle was needed to commute to/from work and now to/from college. He has lost wages and if he cannot commute to school, will lose his tuition. Due to the fact that he is not 25 years old, he couldn\’t even rent a vehicle.

when i tried to start my car the key would not turn in the ignition. i had it towed, and had to have the ignition cylinder replaced and keys reprogrammed

The car unpredictably stalls, and the indicator lights blink and click wildly. My dealer has not yet been able to diagnose the problems.

Our key suddenly would not turn in the ignition cylinder lock. We learned subsequently that this problem was common to Ford Focus’ that were built from 2000 to 2003. The original ignition cylinder lock, manufactured for Ford by the HUF company, was prone to having a part suddenly jam. The redesigned replacement ignition cylinder, manufactured by Strattec Security Corporation (model #707592) works perfectly. Based on recommendations found on the net, we had the repair made by a locksmith who came to our house where the Ford was parked. He was already familiar with the problem and had the Strattec lock in stock. He remarked that he replaced an average of "three to five" HUF ignition lock cylinders every week in Ford Focus’ throughout Northern Virginia (Arlington County, Fairfax County, and the City of Alexandria). Before I contacted him, I called Ford’s Customer Care hot line and was told by a representative that since our Focus was no longer under warranty, and because there was no recall issued for this defective part, Ford could not be liable and could not assist us. Most disappointing. This unpleasant and needlessly expensive episode aside, we have been very pleased with the overall quality, performance, handling, fuel efficiency, and fit and finish of our Focus. However, while Ford may be saving money by refusing to publicly acknowledge the problem with the original ignition cylinder locks, it appears to me from reading comments in the blogosphere that they have angered and lost an awful lot of current owners and potential customers. Surely their stance is unnwise. I do not blame the American autoworkers who manufacture the Ford Focus, other American cars, and the many components that go in to them. Instead, I blame the corporate types who fail to be loyal to their customers, and by so doing end up harming their long-term market position.

IGNITION WON’T TURN/STEEING LOCKED

Ignition LOCKED, key will not turn in ignition – all attempts at fixing (tapping end of key and pulling down on steering wheel while turning key) have failed.

Ignition key will not turn. Problems before – having the "wiggle" the key to get it to turn to start the car. Now the Key won’t turn at all.

ignition key will not turn and sticks

Ignition cylinder LOCKED. Had to replace ignition cylinder, re-set computer and purchase a new key !

I used several failure options above, the actual problem is with my dash board cluster. Brought vehicle in to Tower Ford in the beginning of February 2010 and they have had it since. I was told that the computer chip was at fault and that the Ford Motor company is redesigning the replacement chip since other replacement chips have also failed in other vehicles. To date I have not been able to get a firm date when my car will be fixed. Originally told mid April now it is sometime in May MAYBE. They are willing to replace the dash board with out fixing it so I have a vehicle to drive locally. I would prefer a loaner but Tower and Ford say no. Can you do anything on my behalf to either speed up or get a definitive answer to when my vehicle will be fixed correctly. Thank\ss Rudolph Popolizio These answers that I have gotten from Tower Ford are as a result of Tower Ford speaking with Ford Motor company directly.

For the past month, it has been difficult to turn my vehicle on. The key hesitates to turn the ignition. Today, I spent approximately 30 minutes trying to turn on the car. It finally did, but still continues to give me problems. After doing a quick search on the internet on cost for replacement, I found that many focus owners have had the same problem even after replacing ignition switch and that there is a class action law suit.

I have had a chronic problem with the brakes squealing and premature wearing out due to poor quality; also the door latches wouldn`t work properly; the radio wouldn`t work when I had 40,000 miles on the vehicle.

Three transmission failures and replacements. the engine, starter/ignition and 1 gear shift all replacements and other various problems. *bf four cd player replacements, the brakes failed, and 1 alarm failure. *sc the engine was also replaced. *jb

Consumer complaint regarding 2003 ford focus recall work not done, because there were no parts. *ts (recall # 05v030000) *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60 mph on normal road conditions the driver side air bag deployed. there was no impact, potholes nor bumps in the road. there were no injuries, however the driver seat was damaged. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined the sensor was too sensitive. when the manufacturer was alerted the dealers determination was confirmed. the manufacturer was not willing to take responsibility. updated 07/26/06. *jb

After leaving my auto, i returned to find the rear window shattered, but in tact/in place. there no signs of any impact or attempted entry. the police were called and they said they could not find any evidence of anything striking the window and appeared it might be a faulty window. upon bringing it to the dealer's sevice shop, the manager said he would notify his ford rep of this problem. he said normally they would not do anything but since the auto was so new, he would try to see what he could do. upon investigating if there was a ford recall or similar regarding this problem, i came accross at least one other occassion where the window just shattered and was replaced by ford under warranty. the individual said ford claimed it was due to welding irregularities and such. when i was speaking to the service manager at ford, he claimed that the 2003 ford focus rear defroster was changed and they had given it a higher amp to make it hotter. since it has been about 6 dgrees outside, it could have been hot and shattered when cooling quickly - he did not know and was just searching for answers. regardless, the auto had 440 miles on it and was only about 10 days old when this occurred. it could have been serious if this windowed shattered and blew out while driving, possibly causing harm to any passengers in the back - or anywhere for that matter. i believe this needs to be checked out to prevent any possible harm to anyone. the auto is a 2003 ford focus se sedan. thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Drivers side rear door will not latch just flies open. *tr

The sub frame broke while driving the car. entire sub frame had to be replaced. almost caused an accident. struts had to be replaced. caliper and rotor had to be replaced. control arm had to be replaced. just replaced the ignition switch tumblers after the switch locked up and refused to work. there are no recalls listed for this car. service manager said that focus are notorious for these problems. car has 34,000 miles on it. the brake line running from the front of the car to the rear rusted out causing a lose of brakes. the car is dangerous. *tr

The needles on the instrument cluster have stopped working 80% of the time. they will also jump around, along with the mileage screen flicker to "8888888" or "--------" whenever the vehicle is off. battery and connections are all fine and the alternator has been replaced.

Both rear doors on my 2003 ford focus do not stay latched and will fly open during driving maneuvers. i cannot have passengers in the back seat of my vehicle because of fear that they could fall out while driving. my model and year were recalled by ford in 2005 for this issue. when i recently took my vehicle to the ford dealer to have the issue evaluated i was told there was no issue with the vehicle. the service manager said they didn't need to evaluate the vehicle for the recall from 2005 because the vin was not in their system and would not report the issue to ford directly because it was not a safety concern.

The key was stuck in the ignition. could not turn off. out of town so this was definately an unsafe situation because i either had to stay with the car until the gas was out of gas since i didn't have cash for repair. the car was driveable

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving 65 mph, the contact drove over a bridge expansion joint and the vehicle fishtailed. the contact stated that the vehicle became almost uncontrollable. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the rear shocks needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 127,000.

Emergency brake locks up. car has to either be forced to move by either gunning the engine, or rocked by a person until it releases. car had to be towed due to brake lock up after mechanic could not release it at my home. new brake was installed. continues to lock up. car had been in park for all incidents. this vehicle has a standard transmission, which for safety requires the use of an e-brake. this has happened more often in last 5-7 years. i thought the problem would resolve after new e-brake was installed.... it hasn't.

Car starts but when put in gear, stalls out. engine will run with foot on gas pedal but stalls our when placed in gear. **happens only in very hot weather temperatures. search web for ford focus stalling out in hot weather. hundreds and hundreds are reporting this problem but no solutions from anyone including ford. very dangerous to have car quit running at stop signs, intersections etc. no answer from ford in spite of numerous complaints on the web. must use two feet with one on gas pedal and one on the brake. ford has no bulletin on this problem that effects so many ford focus owners.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key did not start the vehicle. the driver contacted an independent mechanic who gently tapped the key several times until it turned. the technician diagnosed that the ignition was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was driven home and parked. the vehicle would not restart. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to nhtsa. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that all of the doors failed to unlatch without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the air bag indicator remained illuminated when the vehicle was started. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure was not remedied. the vin and failure mileage were unknown. updated 01/26/2017*ct updated 7/13/18*jb *tr

Ignition issues. the key will not turn in the ignition. cannot start my vehicle or turn the steering wheel. my car only has just over 56,000 miles. i am seeing that this is a common complaint and could be a safety issue. i am elderly and disabled and it could be a serious issue to my health if i am stranded somewhere in bad weather

Drivers side rear door will not latch just flies open

2003 ford focus. consumer writes in regards to inadequate structural steel. *ld the consumer stated the steel on the control arms were poorly manufactured. while driving the vehicle, it suddenly dead stopped, turned right, making a cracking noise. the control arm had snapped and dug into the tar, braking the tie rod and creasing the breakline. *js

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford focus. while the contact's husband was driving 60 mph on the freeway, the vehicle began to hydroplane, crashed into a guardrail, and spun around. the vehicle came to a stop in the middle of a highway. the air bags did not deploy. the contact's husband sustained back injuries, facial bruising, and whiplash. the following day the driver sought medical attention for his injuries. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to an impound lot where they refuse the contact to view/take photos of the vehicle unless a fee was paid. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. the cause of the failure was not determined. the failure mileage was approximately 267,000.

Had to replace transmission at 104,000 went out without any warning.

New onset burning smell while driving in suburban environment. parked car, then it wouldn’t start. upon inspection found battery cables/sheath melting. replaced battery, car started. car parked and 1 hr later wouldn’t start- new battery is dead. replaced with 2nd new battery, hooked up cables and sparks came from battery (installed correctly). car still won’t start.

2003 ford focus automatic lock malfunctioned doublelocking the door creating a deadlock effect resulting in not being able to open the door

I was leaving a parking lot doing no more than 5 mph when the car made a sudden jerking motion. had the car towed to a garage. the damages were severe rust, sub frame rotted, right front axle broken, right front control arm broken, sway bar bent. the tow driver said the wheels could have fallen off my car and i could have been seriously injured or killed because of the thing that went wrong. i put myself and my family in danger with this death trap. supposedly this car was inspected february 2018. with everything that went wrong with it and the damages, i dont see how it could have been. i believe there to be fraud involved and believe this matter should be investigated further for putting lives in danger. i paid $3,000 for this car in the middle of feb. 2018. it is now august and it had incurred $3,000 in damages. i sold the car for salvage at $125

Replaced the crank censor and it won’t start

The alternator was replaced less than a week ago. now, it is needing replaced again. there seems to be an issue with the electrical wiring in these vehicles! there are multiple complaints.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. on several occasions, the key could not be inserted into the ignition switch and the vehicle could not be started immediately. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the local dealer (parks ford & lincoln of gainesville located at 3333 n main st, gainesville, fl 32609) and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 10,000.

Skids to side and spins on wet road even if the tires are good even at 30mph. too much side ways shift on little bumpy roads.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving 25 mph, the steering wheel detached from the steering column. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the local dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to nhtsa. the failure mileage was 96,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition failed. the failure recurred several times. a local dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to nhtsa. the approximate failure mileage was 23,700. the vin was not available.

Carhop car lots, not only in tulsa, but in surrounding areas, are selling cars that are unsafe, at any cost. the problems range from warped frames, cracked stress points, leaky fuel systems, electrical issues that couldn't be fixed by duct tape, even though it's visible where they re-taped things. exhaust coming inside the vehicle, engine drive train issues that have been temporarily repaired, so they will run temporarily, but need further repairs.

Due to poor design the bulb melted the surrounding headlight assembly resulting in the entire unit having to be replaced.

My complaint stems from faulty electrical wiring/ subpar workmanship. my car has developed another wiring harness issue. the rear electrical harnes wires have completely corroded away. the plastic insulation completely cracked leaving the wires exposed and touching each other. this is the second time i have had this issue. the first time it created an issue with the hatch not being able to close properly. the wiring harness was previously replaced( with oem harness) this time the third break light as it is called stopped working completely.. i was stationary when the problem was discovered. i took apart the rear electrical boot after using a bolt meter to test for electrical conductivity at the brake light system. there was no current so i took the next step.

The back door locks on this car do not work. they say a lubricant was used to fix the recall issue, however, if that was the fix, it did not work and the locks should have been repaired. that ford will not address this is insane to me, as door locks should not just go like that. the "fix" was not a fix at all. also, the lights on this vehicle are horrible. it cannot be driven at night in an unlit area. there is no visibility. i was told once a recall was performed it was then done, however, i do not believe the lock was taken care of properly, therefore, i feel ford should take care of this. i have applied the lubricant as they instructed to the doors and this does nothing. neither door will stay closed & opens if driven.when this happened the first time, there was a child in the back seat. we were very lucky we were in a 25 mph zone and were able to immediately pull over. the doors have to be corded shut until a lock is installed. i do not feel i should have to carry the burden of this repair and do not understand how they say a lubricant can fix this problem. it is my opinion the locks should have been replaced during the recall, not just sprayed with a lubricant. i cannot believe i'm the only person with this issue. i feel that ford saying this recall was completed is far from incorrect and they are responsible for making this right. again, i understand once a recall is completed it is closed, however, i feel you should look into ford having not really completed this recall, as the issue was not fixed. it should not have been closed. all they did was put a temporary band-aid on it and did not take full responsibility.what it comes down to is ford took the cheapest way out at the time and did not truly fix the problem and did not take their full responsibility. doors that were recalled and are not working were not fixed.i have had contact with ford with no solution

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the accelerator pedal was getting stuck and failed to release. the contact constantly had to maneuver the accelerator pedal due to the failure. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic more than twice for repairs, but was unable to provide a solution to prevent the failure. in addition, the vehicle was taken to a dealer (advantage ford lincoln, 1031 central ave, duarte, ca 91010, (877) 386-3673) who provided no specific diagnosis or the option for a loaner vehicle so they could test drive the contact's vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while at a stop light, the vehicle lost power without warning and failed to restart. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the battery was replaced. the vehicle was restarted. while driving, the instrument cluster and lights became inoperable. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the rear doors failed to latch. the contact had to use a bungee cord to keep the doors closed; however, they would open every time a turn was made. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not included in a recall. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000. ..*bf *tt

My car lost all electrical power, but was still running then finally it died. i lost all lights and electric battery was dead so i bought new battery then it happened again, so i bought new alternator because old alternator was bad, then new alternator died within a month. same problem, then i went online and found a forum about the hatch back focus and its wiring problem inside the protective sleeve. so i peeled back protective sleeve and sure enough there were exposed wires just like the thousands of posts from other people, this is very dangerous luckily i was able to pull my car off the road before it died, but with severity of this problem there needs to be a recall for this problem.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle lost power, and the battery and engine lights illuminated on the instrument panel. in addition, the hazer light failed to function. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 74,000.

Rear sub frame crossmember rusted away and broken causing rear of car to bang and twist while driving.

The ignition cylinder has had issues with turning when first inserting key. on two (2) separate occasions has left me stranded. once was while i was leaving work and another when trying to go to work. this issue has now cost me a days pay and a lot of headache. ford has claimed that the ignition cylinder not turning is not a safety issue and therefore will not issue a recall. at this time i feel that there have been more than enough people with this issue that ford needs to do right by their customers and fix the issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving 25 mph, the contact heard a dragging noise and pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. the contact noticed that the radiator fan was detached. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 105,153.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that after the ignition key would not turn to the on position, the vehicle failed to start without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition needed to be replaced. it was unknown if the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 76,000. updated 05/11/16*lj *tr

The car stalls randomly while driving. all power is lost for steering and brakes. highly dangerous situation and i don't feel safe driving the car. happens in all conditions and unexpectedly. car will restart. appears to be a current "recall" of ford cars for the same issues. dealer has no idea what to fix and claims to have no knowledge of the problem. however, this appears to be a never ending problem with fords based on the information i see online. have already replaced air hose, spark plugs, valve cover gasket, wires. it has been suggested by others online to clean the maf sensor and throttle body, but the dealer doesn't really know if that is the problem or will fix the problem. to them there is no problem. i can see from information posted by others along with the recent recall that this is not a new problem for ford. i have almost been hit and have almost hit others when the car stalls. the problem has been occurring for more than 1 year. recently stalled 2 times in a week while driving.

My rear door does not latch. back door flung open while i was driving and turned left.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition switch failed to unlock the steering wheel when attempting to drive the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 84,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving approximately 20 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic. the failure occurred on six occasions where the battery and alternator were replaced each time. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford focus. while driving 55-60 mph, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle crashed into a retaining wall. the contact stated that both air bags were deployed. a police report was not filed. the contact sustained an injury to the right knee, which did not require medical attention. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to the contact's residence. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 89,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. when the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the battery was dead. a tow truck was called to jump start the vehicle. the failure recurred the following day. the oil and the seat belt warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the failure was not caused by the battery. the technician diagnosed that a cluster under the dashboard, which controlled all the light signals, was faulty and needed to be "repaired or replaced." the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 46,000. updated 04/08/16*lj *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while parked, the vehicle was not able to start. in addition, the key was not able to turn. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

The piston shattered at 109,000 miles. after doing some research, i have found many more complaints of the same thing. come to find out that there is a design flaw in the engine when it comes to the valve seat. this happened in the #3 cylinder. the walls of the cylinder wall is so scored from the damage that it will require a new engine to fix the problem. when this happened, i was in a parking lot after shopping. i turned the key and it would not start. it also made a terrible noise. before that, it was running fine. i had no trouble with my car except having to change an alternator. that's it. i changed the oil every 3,000 miles. i bought the car used at 90,000 miles. it was from a friend who is obsessed about keeping cars maintained. he would get a tune up, serviced, and change the oil when it was time. the car was well maintained by him. i found out there was a design flaw in the engine. but yet, there is no recall to fix the flaw. and when calling ford, they say that there is no recall and has no intent at opening one for the faulty engine.

While parking the car on a city street the steering wheel came loose and control of the car was lost. was able to brake and stop the car at the curb. we determined that the bolt that holds the steering wheel on the shaft had loosened to the point where the steering wheel was no longer making contact with the splines on the shaft.

The driver's side seat belt is coming to pieces. it looks like something is chewing on it.

I was using my passenger seat heater while i was driving to pick something up from the mall when i started smelling a burning smell. when i got to the mall,i looked over to find a large scorch mark on the passenger side front seat

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus equipped with firestone primewell pz900 tires, size: p205/50z/16 (na). while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a roar and felt a vibration from the front passenger side of the vehicle. upon examination of the tire, the contact noticed a large crack on the sidewall of the tire and replaced it with the spare tire. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer and the tires were not replaced. the tires were replacement tires. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unknown. the approximate vehicle failure mileage was 124,000 and the tire failure mileage was 25,000.

The ignition switch would not turn. although i had both keys with me, and both will still unlock the doors, neither would turn the ignition switch. between towing and replacement of the switch, i had to shell out $450. ford knows this is a problem with this vintage focus, but does not think it important or a safety matter. as a woman who often travels alone, i think it is a safety matter. i have driven many, many old cars - much older than this one - and have never been stranded by something as simple as a faulty ignition switch. although i was stranded in familiar territory and not far from home, it might easily have been otherwise. ford knows of this problem, it was caused by their use of faulty equipment, and they should fix it.

When riding down the road the doors will automatically lock by themselves. the steering wheel has locked several times over the years. when i bought the car used, it came with many keys. well, this time when it locked, the steering wheel locked and the ignition locked and i had to get it towed from smithfield nc; approximately an hourly from my home. the mechanic can not get it unlocked because the steering wheel has to be turned to unlock it, vice versa, and the steering wheel is locked. also the lighting is very poor with the head lights and i see this on all the vehicle for that year and make as i ride down the road. my car is parked because i cant afford to fix it. i have found many complaints about this steering and ignition lock issue. i am wondering why this vehicle has not been recalled for the issue. it is a hazard. i have contacted the ford manufacturer concerning the matter and was told that they can't assist me with it because my car has no warranty. also, there was a recall on the real door lock. ford dealership informed me that it was repaired by team ford dealership prior to me owning the vehicle; i informed him that the problem was still a issue getting the rear door to lock securely at times. he informed me that it could only have been fixed once under the recall. these issues have occurred repeatedly since i bought this vehicle in 2009. they all put me at risk of great danger.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving at 20 mph, the passenger side door became ajar. the contact was able to safely pull the vehicle off the roadway to close the door. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000.

Key won't turn in the ignition, its getting stuck and im getting stranded in areas that are not safe.

On feb 11, 2015 i was driving to go to the vet. i had not been down that road in about 6 months. i came upon an area that was a very bad chunk of road...patches over patches and very bumpy. then all of a sudden my car tilted to the right and there was a loud bang. it took me a couple seconds to realize what had happened. my airbag on the passenger side (side airbag) had deployed. scared me! i had no idea why it had gone off. but the car seemed to be driving ok still so i continued to the vet about 1-2 miles away. i wondered if a deer had hit the side of my car but when i got to the vet and checked my car, there was no damage to the side of my car. since then i have read on the internet that others have had their airbags deploy when hitting a pothole. the next day i went back and took pictures of that area and a video.this was by a guardrail with a huge drop off on the side. i am lucky i didn't lose control of my car when the airbag exploded right next to me and possibly go through the guardrail and off of that steep drop off. things could have been much worse. it was a very frightening situation and thank god, nobody was in that seat. i know exactly where it was on that road because when i looked over i saw a big white circle (didn't know what it was at first...thought my window had broken) and i saw the end of the guard rail where it angles down at the end. i was not speeding, or on the phone. just driving down a county road and had $1700 worth of damage done to my car. i only have pl/pd on that car so my insurance won't cover it.

Car comes to a traffic stop and dies. had been shaking prior and had a diagnostic done only to spend $150 to have it no better . took it to a better mechanic who said the valve seat dropped. i owe 2k on this car and it is worthless not to mention i am a student who has to go to work and classes with absolutely no recourse here. how do i keep my job or my status in college shame on ford you started me out with a really big problem and now i have to pay for a car that wont go anywhere and will not run on a 2k debt. and no transportation shame on ford.. *tr

Key will not turn in ignition. again! has happened several times. *tr

Break in front driver-side suspension coil while backing up. *tr

Key locks inside the igniton doesn't allow the car to start i replaced the igniton lock 3 times but the problem still happens... *tr

I have been having a problem with my ignition not turning. i looked up and saw over 300 complaints since 2011 on this problem.. i contacted ford motor company and they stated that they could not assist me. i am now taking my car to a company that handles this problem and i have to pay over $150.00!!! i believe this is a big problem with no recall. the owner has stated that he is fixing at least one car (ford focus) a week with the same problem, yet there is not recall!!!!!!

The drivers seat back support has snapped. the seat needs replacement. this was not caused by any accident just normal driving. i must say i've never heard of a seat breaking like this before. needs to be replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated as the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the valve seat fractured which caused the engine block to crack. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

I had to replace ignition kit about a month after getting it replaced again i put up with it until dec5 and had ir replaced again 1 day later keys is stuck in ignition again its a total of 7 ignitions i have replaced and ford again says there is no problem with ignition,. i have seen hundreds of blogs about same problem and ford doesn't replay to any of them what can be done? i am tired opf paying 250-200.00 to replace this. *tr

I had to replace ignition kit about a month after i bought car new approximate date by this time the ignition started draining my battery and alternator and had to have them both replace along with new ignition kit and was told i needed new keys this lasted about a month then key got stuck on ignition again continuously at that time i called ford again and was told they have no problems with ignition and nothing they will do for me. my nephew went to ford school to become a mechanic and told me ford has know about this problem since 2002 and doesn't want to do a recall. *tr

I had to replace ignition kit about a month after i bought car new approximate date. *tr

I had to replace ignition kit about a month after i bought car new approximate date. *tr

I had to replace ignition kit about a month after i bought car new approximate date. *tr

I had to replace ignition kit about a month after i bought car new approximate date. *tr

I had to replace ignition kit about a month after i bought car new. *tr

I have had issues with the ignition locking. i'm going on my 3rd repair for the same exact issue. first the ignition was re-keyed and/or replaced. next the ignition again was replaced. the steering column had to removed. this time, i'm imaging the same thing. i'm very upset that ford has never offered to repair at discounts or to repair at all. very upset that they never recalled it, knowing this was stacking up for buyers, as an issue. i come from a family with faithful ford, lincoln/mercury ties, which include employees, retirees, and a family that supports ford, no doubt. as a focus owner, i am very disappointed how this has been handled. *tr

Sidewall of tire blew out. tires are not even 2 months old. i have seen other complaints about the same issue. douglas xtra trac ii 185/65/14. *tr

I took my car to have a oil change, and my mechanic saw that the left side rear suspension cross stabilizer bar is rusted and the bolts are rusted. he said to call ford there should be a recall. there is not so i called ford and they just filed a complaint.i can not take my car on the interstate or go over 40 mph if i did my mechanic said if the right side broke off the car would flip. my concern is does something have to happen first i transport my grand kids but i can't go over 40. can you help me with this. *tr

Airbag warning system light flashes on indicating possible failure or defective system but does not remain on. light goes out about 1 hour or so of driving. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the positive battery cable became extremely hot and melted. when the air conditioning was activated, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who diagnosed that the positive battery cable needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. when the vehicle was started, the exterior and interior lighting flashed intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that all of the ignition cable cords needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 210,000.

Wheel stud on front, driverside broke off while car was in motion. because of stud failure, wheel nuts and wheel flew off vehicle, crossing oncoming lane. if defect occurs on other vehicles on a hwy or at highspeeds. severe injury could occur. fortunately this occurred at low speed and on an empty street. ford reported no way of checking its databases for similar defects. *tr

Rear center mounted stop light failed and the trunk latch mechanism would operate while driving. the license plate lights failed shortly thereafter. the wiring harness has failed at the trunk lid junction. wires are shorting together causing erratic operation. *tr

In march 2013 i took my ford focus in to replace motor mounts, returned in april for the same awful vibration while heater was on and while idling. the mechanic checked and found that one of the motor mounts was faulty and he replaced. i am taking my focus back for the third time because it is still vibrating while in idle while the ac is on. the first few times after he replaced the faulty motor mount it did the same thing and the mechanic told me that it'll just run like that and that he ran a diagnostic and the transmission, all mounts look good. and my sometimes my steering is off at 35 miles per hour. i only use my focus for in town i don't use to travel out of city or state. i am not a mechanic but i am disabled and i need my car running good. i don't want to lose it. thank you. *tr

While waiting in a parking aisle for a car to exit a parking place the engine accelerated to very high rpm. as my car was stationary and my foot on the brake and in drive the car did not seem to move. placing the car in neutral or park made no difference. shut off engine and restarted with same result. after waiting several minutes while responding to an interested person i tried again and everything appeared normal. drove the car home and left it parked. this is the only time this has occurred . *tr

(1st) it was passenger rear door latch wouldn't stay latched, door come open during driving, (2nd) a month later trunk wouldn't latch, then (3rd) 2 months later driver side rear door came open during driving, wouldn't latch. daughter almost fell out and car almost hit door when it flew open. i had to use seat belt to tie door shut to make it home. *tr

My wife complained that the front driver side heated seat was so hot it was burning, resulting in a mild burn. i investigated the problem and found that the driver side back cushion heating element had malfunctioned and burnt into the seat cushion and back lining of the seat fabric. i have pictures and have held onto the defective part. the heating element has been replaced however we are concerned that the passenger side may have the same issue. i have read of occurrences of this incident including reports of fires. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that part of the unibody was rusted. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 124,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the contact lost all control of the vehicle and crashed into a guard rail. the front passenger was thrown into the windshield and as a result of the impact, the contact’s hip was dislocated and she sustained severe bruising and a laceration that required thirteen stitches. a police report was filed of the incident. the manufacturer and the dealer were not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was 100,000. the vin was not available.

While driving passenger side leather heated seat caught on fire filled the car with smoke in flames. *tr

Everything shuts off. has happened multiple times. most of the time it will start again in approx. 3 seconds. now it is happening more frequently. it has even happened while the car is running. i made a right turn, and the car totally died. i quickly put on my flashers, put the car in park, and luckily it started. this has happened twice. right now my car is in my parking lot and is totally blank. no power whatsoever. i took the car in once to my auto mechanic, he did a diagnostic (and since the car was up and running) he found nothing wrong and all he did was clean the mass air flow sensor. i know gm is having problems right now, but i don't think mine is an ignition switch problem (but what do i know!) i was thinking of having the car towed to the ford dealership but i'm afraid that this would cost me an arm and a leg. any thoughts? thank you. *tr

While driving, an odd odor could be smelled, but went away after a minute. came back once briefly. 20 minutes later, as i was about to turn into my work's parking lot, my car turned itself off. when i tried to turn it back on, it would not turn over and all the gauges went haywire. after i stopped trying to start it, i took the key out of the ignition and the car attempted to start itself. immediately after this, the inside of the car filled up with smoke. the fire originated near the battery. an officer showed up less than 2 minutes after this all occurred, and he sat there and watched my car burn. he pulled out a fire extinguisher 10 minutes later so my car wouldn't create visibility issues for the cars driving past (it died in the middle of a four lane road). they told me it was most likely an electrical fire. two weeks prior to the incident, i had my alternator replaced. the new alternator was a ford manufactured part. *tr

When driving on snow or wet roadways the handling becomes very unstable at speeds over 35 mph with the rear of the vehicle wanting to veer/pitch sideways causing the driver to have to quickly oversteer to avoid oncoming traffic. vehicle has 85,000 miles, new goodyear tires. this car is not safe to drive in these conditions and is getting more unstable even on dry surfaces making the vehicle feel like it's following every groove in the roadway. numerous complaints seem to be everywhere on the internet. how many accidents/injuries/deaths is required before ford is made to take this seriously and stop putting sub standard parts on their cars? *tr

Key will not turn in ignition. *tr

Tl - the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key failed to turn in the ignition preventing her from turning the vehicle on. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 130,000. pm

Key cannot turn - vehicle cannot be started. unacceptable and hazardous condition with a poorly designed and/or low quality part on all ford focus and likely other ford products. i got around this by pounding on the key with a small hammer i keep in the glove box - i had lived with this for more than 3 years. same thing happened to my brother-in-law's car (he reomved all the tumbers so any key can start his car). it is obvious from reading through the complaints that this is a very significant percentage (>50%?) of all of the numerous complaints against this vehicle. dealerships want $400 to fix it - that's bs. actions by nhtsa or a class action lawsuit against ford is appropriate. it appears that ford is using this design defect as an opportunity to profit after having put 1000s of consumers in dangerous situations.

The seat back adjustment to recline the front drivers seat broke, therefore we are unable to incline or recline the position of the seat. *tr

Ignition lock cylinder stuck leaving us stranded. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while parked with the key in the ignition, the key failed to turn. after two hours of repeated attempts, the key was finally able to be turned to the accessory position. the vehicle was no longer being driven due to the safety hazard the contact stated was involved with the failure. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

Steering wheel/key lock. the key doesn't turn in the ignition. *tr

The ignition has gone out on my 2003 ford focus. i attempt to turn the key and it seems locked. i attempt to turn the key back and forth and no success. if i hit the key a few times it might turn. this is a safety issues because without being able to turn the key, i have to access to anything power in this vehicle and i could become stranded at anytime without warning. i hear this is a very common problem with these cars. i believe the manufacturer should take responsibility to fix this issue at no cost to the car owners. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the piston valves and the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 125,000. updated 10/29/13*lj

In past week and a half, 90% of the time i attempt to start the car, the ignition is locked and won't release. i have to attempt to rock the key back and forth many times before it finally releases. this is of great concern because it is the only vehicle i own and my teenage daughter drives it as well. i feel like this should be classified as a safety issue because i or my daughter could end up stranded some where at night. ford has been made aware of the problem because it is rampant on focus between 2000 and 2003. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition switch could not be engaged. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection. the failure was located at the ignition switch. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 72,000.

My drivers side rear brake drum separated at the bearing and my entire wheel assembly flew off of the vehicle and caused me to lose control temporarily and also become totally stranded and immobile. there seems to be no direct cause for this as the bearing inside the drum was not seized or malfunctioning. the mechanic that serviced the repair has over 30+ years experience and could not recall ever seeing this happening on any vehicle ever. i frequently drive this vehicle on highways and interstates (and had done so just an hour prior this day) and i am thankful to the powers above that this did not happen at highway speeds or this could have been catastrophic for me and my family. this type of failure should have never occurred as this is of primary importance that the wheels of the vehicle stay on the vehicle during normal driving conditions. my car is just 10 years old and has only 133k miles (avg of 12,000 miles per year), this is something that should not happen even at twice the mileage !!!! i am now fearful that this could happen again to the other rear wheel as this shearing of the brake drum just cannot be explained. *tr

I purchased a 2003 ford focus in february of 2012. immediately after purchasing it, i had to spend $700.00 to fix the motor mounts, bearings in the front wheel, something regarding a cover for the tail pipe/muffler area, a/c, (twice repaired, and went out). fuel pump, door jams in front (2 door), locks on the doors would automatically lock whether you wanted them locked or not. door on passenger side refuses to open from the outside. spent over $4,000 in fixing, replacing, engine & body parts.etc. just when i bought a second set of new tires last week and did the 3 month oil change, it konked out on me, after a shrilling, high-pitched noise. just got off the expressway. found out from a repair shop that this model, especially the 2003 is known for transmission, shoddy parts, and is a safety hazard! the pump inside the transmission broke. this car came with 124,000 miles and over 2 years, spent $4,000.00 on top of the used private purchase of $2,400.00. car repair shop wants $2,400 (what i paid for it) to put a new transmission in. one thing after the other went wrong. i plaint experienced, and it has cost me so much money, i feel ford needs to replace every penny us consumers paid on this model. never again need to recall the whole car, it is a death trap. *tr

Right front coil spring broke. while checking consumer reviews on an auto parts website for a replacement, others have had the same spring failure. *tr

I started the car in the drive, put it in reverse, began to back up and heard a loud clunk. after some investigation, my husband (a former auto mechanic) found that the front coil spring on the driver's side was broken, and the tire was at risk of damage/potentially damaged. i am very, very glad this did not happen while i was driving on the road. *tr

This vehicle has been plagued with electrical issues since the day it was purchased. now last night the engine, steering and brakes lost all power. the result is now 4 people getting injured and 2 cars damaged. no fatalities but all 4 experienced their first car accident. they are all sore and bruised. i cannot believe that ford has not recalled these cars to fix this obvious issue. i guess someone may have to lose their loved one before ford will acknowledge that they made a lot of bad cars! better not be my loved ones!!! i'll make someone pay dearly!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph over a pot hole, the air bags deployed inadvertently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the air bag sensor was defective and both the driver's seat and the air bag needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 140,000. *tr

Bought the 2003 ford focus new from mallon ford (currently lakewood ford), in tacoma, wa. car advertised at 27 to 36 mpg. actual mileage on hwy was 42 mpg. yesterday (march 14, 2013) car owner, [xxx], said car had stopped and was making lot of noise. i told her not to try and start it anymore but that i would be there in 30 minutes. so i arrived and restarted the car. i shut off the engine and raised the hood. i found a connection to the air flow sensor disconnected. re-connected it and the engine ran but lots of noise in valve train. like spark knock on steroids. checked with stethoscope where the noise was coming from. it was emanating from the top of #1 and 2 cylinders. engine oil is clean and full. so, as a long time mechanic, i am reasonably certain that the valve seats dropped and where broken by the valves in either number one or number two cylinder. that means the engine might be toast or it could be that the cylinder head is toast- - engine has not been dismantled but i am almost certain that the valve seats have dropped on one or more cylinders on the 2003 ford focus sohc 2.0 liter engine. ford motor company should man or woman up and fix these factory defects.local ford service managers told me it was a common problem with that engine. in my opinion, that is a dangerous factory defect designed to cause catastrophic failure. it would have been simple to either pin the valve seats or use another rmethod (such as screw in and pinned) to make sure the seats stay in place. this car used no oil, got great mileage and was otherwise defect free. it is about time that ford does something about the problem before someone files a class action lawsuit. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Right side coil spring broke, cut into tire. ford will not fix, they know the focus spring breaks tsb expired sept 2012 ( i called ford!); don't drive these cars. replace your springs first. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that all attempts to start the vehicle failed. the contact also mentioned that the ignition failed. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000 and the current mileage was 61,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the front passenger side seat belt buckle and retractor was inoperable. the seat belt warning lights was constantly illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that they would replace the seat belt system. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 93,000.

The key won't turn in the ignition - apparently a notorious ford focus problem. the car left me stranded miles from home in freezing weather. i will never buy a ford again because they have not issued a recall. *tr

The driver side exterior door handle is not working. this has happened before and lasted a few days then somehow started working again but now it is back. when i try to pull it open it is as if there is nothing attached to the other side. i pull it out and it stays out and loose. we have had a recall on this same vehicle for the rear doors having this same exact issue except we have never had a problem with the rear doors, only the front. my dealer says they can fix the rear doors for free but i will be charged for the front. i find this funny because ford is willing to work on my doors that work fine for free but won't do anything for the broken and hazardous doors. can we please update this recall to affect all the doors on the 2003 ford focus before we have drivers rolling out of their cars? *tr

Ignition switch won't turn. happened in bad part of town. this is a serious safety issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that all attempts to start the vehicle failed. the contact also stated that the key was unable to be removed from the ignition and the contact had to use excessive force to retrieve the key. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified and they stated that the vehicle needed to be taken to a dealer. the failure mileage was 43,000. .... updated 03-28-13 *bf updated 04/22/2013 *js

This vehicle is a total lemon.at 4,900 miles 5 disc cd player had to be replaced. at 15,000 miles the vehicle began leaking coolant and had to have the radiator replaced, luckily it was still under warranty. at 22,000 the vehicle needed a new alternator because it would not crank. at 24,000 miles the key became stuck in the ignition and would not even turn over so the ignition was replaced. 26,000 the center console broke of hinges. 27,356 miles the car would not turn over the starter had to be replaced.32,000 miles the air conditioner went out. 36,000 miles alternator went out again and had to be replaced.38,000 miles complications with the air conditioner again. had no problems until 54,000 then everything spiraled out of control. the water pump went out, the pump housing was leaking. the starter coil was bad a few fuses had blown that i hadn't know about. i had a full tune up, sparkplugs and new wires and also purchased a new battery. 61,000 the window lever to roll windows up on passenger side completely broke off, the door handle on passenger and driver side became very stiff and had to be aggressively opened until the passenger door handle broke and does not open from the inside or out. 68,000 miles waterpump adapter cracked and sprayed antifreeze everywhere. 72,000 light oil leak from the top of the engine, coolant leaked into the spark plug compartment and only days later the alternator went out. so this little problematic baby is parked in my garage with only 73,263 miles on it because i cut her off at nearly $4k in repairs. i don't know what to do with it besides send it to the junk yard because i would hate to sale it and pawn this money consuming vehicle off on someone else. ford should just buy it back from me. *tr

Ignition switch failed to turn. internet research indicates defective switch. tapping key with hammer allowed the switch to work properly and continue to work properly as long as the key is not removed. once the key is removed, the ignition switch again freezes and will not turn. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 5 mph and applying the brakes, the brake pedal traveled completely to the floorboard. the vehicle also would not stop. the contact was able to avoid a crash. the vehicle was inspected and it was determined that the brake pads had become detached from the metal plate. the contact attempted to call the dealer but was unable to do so. the contact then replaced the brakes and rotors on both the passenger and driver's side of the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileage was 35,500.

I have been in the wrecker business for 20 years, this being the second ford focus involved in an accident this year. i have noticed that this vehicle does not perform adequately when involved in a crash, therefore putting the passengers at risk of severe injury or death. the driver of the vehicle mentioned above lost control, and slid sideways into oncoming traffic resulting in an impact to the passenger door and resulted in a fatality of the driver..the area of protection surrounding the passenger compartment is inadequate in that it does not provide safety upon impact. this being the second focus towed recently, it has become aparent to me that these light weignt vehicles propose a safety hazard to the public and should be re-examined. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated while driving various speeds, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was restarted and began to function normally. the contact also stated that the trunk latch failed to function correctly and the ignition failed; however the ignition switch was replaced. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the failure could not be replicated. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 84,000 and the current mileage was 93,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving approximately 65 mph, the contact attempted to activate the cruise control but the cruise control function had become inoperable. additionally, the brake lights would not illuminate. the failure recurred intermittently. while parked, the contact was unable to shift the vehicle into park because the gear shifter had become stuck. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician advised the contact that the wiring harness in the tail gate mechanism was causing the failure and would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired because the part was no longer available through the manufacturer. the approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

Ignition switch will not turn preventing you from starting the car. my daughter got stranded at work at 11pm for 45 minutes until someone was able to help her get the key to turn. i took to a repair shop and they said a ford dealer would need to replace as the 2000-2003 focuses have a lot of ignition switch problems. the dealer wants $350 and will only warranty the part for 1 year!! *tr

The left rear door doesn't latch properly, causing the door to fly open on it's own. thank goodness kids were not in the car when this occurred. since the first incident, the door will not latch and is now tethered with rope and can't be used. ford know about this problem as they have a current recall notice nhtsa campaign id number: 05v030000 ford claims that my vehicle is not covered. the issue for my vehicle is that it was purchased in the state of florida in 2003 and registered in the state of florida in feb of 2005 when the recall came out. (it is now registered in the state of ny where it has been since 2006. if the recall came out one year later, my car would be covered?) covered or not, ford knows that the car is unsafe. a remedy would be to re-issue the recall again so that it covers any 2003 focus as i am certain that my car is not the only car sold in a state not covered, but that has since relocated to a state where corrosion can occur due to salt and winter conditions (unbeknownst to consumers). i am lucky that my kids were not hurt, but someone else might not be as lucky. *tr

The ignition key fails to turn. keys are fine and hitting the key worked a few times to get the key to turn. with this problem, a person can easily become stranded in unfavorable conditions. also, should anything happen where the engine dies while driving, the steering could become locked with no way to turn key. *tr

I went to start the car and the key will not turn. the steering wheel is locked and will not move. i was unable to got to my doctors appointment.. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while parked, the contact inserted the key into the ignition but was unable to start the vehicle because the ignition cylinder would not turn. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

Ignition key will not turn in lock. unable to start car. wife stranded. brought her other keys, same problem. finally got lock to turn by viloently wiggling and pounding on key. drove car home. internet search seems to indicate this is a very common problem. we are the original vehicle purchasers. *tr

While driving on the interstate at approx 70mph, i signaled my left turn signal. as i changed into the left lane, my driver's side airbag deployed for no reason. the driver's side window was open so some seat foam and smoke exited the vehicle and made contact with the vehicle behind me. i pulled over and the other driver stopped to see what happened and checked to see if i was okay. i was able to continue home. *tr

Key will not turn ignition switch. tried turning steering wheel back and forth and no success. this is my only means of transportation. car is just sitting. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that she inserted the key into the ignition but could not start the vehicle. the contact mentioned that the steering wheel was locked and she verified that the vehicle was shifted into park. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 133,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key was not able to operate in the ignition switch and the key got stuck. the dealer was not notified. the manufacturer was notified and was aware of the failure. the manufacturer stated that they had received numerous complaints about the failure, but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 97,000 and current mileage was 98,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the rear passenger wheel emitted a loud whining noise, overheated, and caused the engine rpms to increase. the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic several times for the failure. the local mechanic replaced the rear passenger wheel drum assembly several times. the failure was not corrected. the rear passenger wheel continued to emit a loud whining noise, overheat and cause the rpms to increase. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 118,000 and the current mileage 121,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle could not be started. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 75,000. updated 07/25/12 *bf a lock smith determined the lock wafers were bent, due to it being made of cheap metal. updated 07/30/12

I was driving my 2003 ford focus on the road when this incident happened. suddenly i heard a crash sound in the right front side of my vehicle. i felt there was a force on the right front side tire. then i noticed black smokes behind my car and then i stopped. i called aaa to have roadside assistant. the aaa guy came and checked my car and told me the coil spring was broken and the broken part damaged my tire too. i found there was a recall for the coil spring on 2000-2003 focus then i called a local ford dealer to get it fixed. however, the local ford dealer told me my focus was not eligible for the recall. clearly this is the fault of ford. the aaa guy told me if this happened on the freeway, i would probably be killed. i urged the nhtsa to contact ford about this issue before this actually killed lots of people. i also urged ford to place a recall to check all the coil spring on all cars they make to make sure this part has no problems. *js

When i try to start my car, the key won't turn when i put it in the ignition. this happened three times just today. i can wiggle the key back and forth and luckily it's ended up working, but this is not the first time this has happened. i've read online that this is a problem with the focus. this should be recalled. *js

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side and the contact’s vehicle spun around. the air bags did not deploy and the front driver’s seat belt did not restrain the contact. the contact sustained bruises, contusions, a tear to her spine, a broken rib, and heart problems as a result of the impact to her chest. in addition, the driver of the second vehicle involved in the crash was injured. a police report of the incident was filed. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was declared destroyed. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key could not be turned in the ignition. the dealer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. the manufacturer was also contacted who offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,000.

The ignition wouldn't turn, although the key can go in and out of it. hired a locksmith before i knew the dealership might fix it for free because i needed it fixed quickly. *tr

I was shopping with my child about an hour from home. we left a store and got into my car to return home when the key wouldn't turn in the ignition. the wheels were straight but the key wouldn't budge. i tried releasing the steering wheel but nothing worked. i had to have it towed which cost me $100 for 4 miles. i was told it was the ignition cylinder which i was told was a common problem area for 2000-2003 ford focus models. after doing research online, i found that it really is common...like hundreds of people on one site alone complaining about the same issue i have and even a class action lawsuit in california. if this is so common why haven't they been recalled? i was left stranded with a child because of this malfunction and even though i have an extended warranty, it wasn't covered and cost me $374. why is that type of malfunction only in those model years? maybe they knew about the flaw and changed it in later years. they should have to change it in every year they sold these defective ignition cylinders. for them, it would be a minor inconvenience and a little money to get these properly taken care of. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that both the driver and passenger side rear doors failed to open. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic and the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 140,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while parking, the steering wheel seized while the power steering warning chime sounded. in addition, the key would sporadically fail to turn when inserted into the ignition. the contact stated that the vehicle would start after approximately thirty minutes of repeated attempts. the dealer was made aware of the failure but the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 140,000.

The ignition cylinder will not turn it is locked and the car will not start. key get stuck in the cylinder. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The left rear seatbelt shoulder strap harness caused my passenger, a young child, to almost be strangled, leaving marks and bruises to the neck. child was unable to unbuckle seat belt on the right he pulled with both hands on the part of the seatbelt that crossed over his neck, to get out, the tension on seatbelt released, and stretched as he turned to the left and then tightened up, the seatbelt had to be cut to save him. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the bracket for the front driver's seat fractured and caused the seat to lean to one side abnormally. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. a local mechanic attempted to repair the seat but the failure recurred. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 114,000.

Manufacturing defect places the plastic inner fender against the front left brake line. the plastic inner fender is allowed to rub a hole in the front left brake line. the front left brake line leaked due to wear caused by the plastic inner fender. loss of brakes due to a hole in the front left brake line. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition locked and prevented her from inserting the key to start the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 85,000.

Having an ongoing stalling problem starting on 5/20/11. situation usually happens in the afternoon after doing just a couple of local, short distance errands. the car will start but immediately stall after taking foot off the gas. usually starts after waiting @ 45 minutes/amount of time it takes tow truck to arrive (towed 5x, 1 time was able to drive after 45 minutes). replaced fuel filter, fuel pump, oxygen sensors (twice), fuel pump driver by regular mechanic. has happened three times in past two weeks: brought it to local ford dealership to see if they can diagnose the problem. the latest time this has happened, after the fuel pump driver was replaced, i was able to do four errands before the stalling occurred. also, i was able to put the car in drive by keeping one foot on the gas while the other foot was on the brake and continue moving until braking for a stop sign/traffic signal, at which point it would stall. nine "stalls" later i made it home; an "improvement" over being stranded at the post office or the mall but certainly not acceptable. the dealership has called to say they think it is the fuel pump and want to replace it with a "genuine ford part," as opposed to aftermarket part my regular mechanic probably used. i hope this is the end of the "replacing parts" routine but am not optimistic due to other complaints i have read concerning this problem. *tr

Leaking brake line. the leak was caused by the front left plastic inner fender rubbing against the brake line. i have digital pictures available. *tr

Ignition switch locks and cannot turn key to start vehicle. have to use hand or something to hit the key to start the car. happens at random and without warning. get in the car and can't start it. understand that this is a very common problem but ford refuses to do anything about it. *tr

Key will not turn in ignition after multiple attempts by more then one person. called ford dealership and they said the problem is really common and to tap the key with a hammer and it will turn and that i need to go in and have the ignition replaced for $500!!! tried their hammering suggestion and the lock still won't turn! because of this i have missed a whole day of school. *tr

Leaving work at the end of the day i went to start my vehicle and the key would not turn in the ignition. it was very cold and after adjusting the steering wheel several time for about 5 minutes i was able to start the car. i have since had difficulty turning the key in the ignition of my vehicle everyday. the last incident was while at the gas station, which took almost 15 minutes to get the vehicle started again. i have researched the issue online and found that many other people have also had this issue, with no recall placed on the vehicle as it is not an immediate risk to safety. although i have now found my self uncomfortably attempting to start my car in less that safe environments on more than one occasion. *tr

I was on my way to work when i stopped to get gas, i got back in my car and the ignition would not turn to star the engine. i was stuck at a gas station in the winter and no one was able to help me. after twenty minutes of trying different things to get it to start it worked. the next day i got in my car and the same thing happened, except this time nothing i did would start it. i ended up paying $112 for a locksmith to replace the ignition in my car. i have read on several forums that this is a common problem with this year of ford focus and there has yet to be a recall. this could be a dangerous situation if someone has children and is stranded and unable to move their vehicle to a safe location. *tr

Key won't turn in ignition/ ignition stuck. *tt

Key froze solid in the ignition . steering wheel would not turn nor the key. left stranded and had to call a locksmith to physically drill out the factory installed ignition and replace it with a strattec replacement part # 707592. locksmith reiterated what i read on the internet with this being a known problem with the ford focus. *tr

The ignition cylinder will not turn. a key can be inserted into the ignition, but it can not be set into the "on or acc" position. the car cant be started and is now, in effect, a one ton paper weight. after researching the problem online, it seems to be very common. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus se. the contact stated that the key could not be turned while in the ignition and the vehicle could not be started. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 102,000 and the current mileage was 102,542.

Failure to be able to turn ignition. had to take it to a dealer and spent $400! inconvenience? yes! *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that in an attempt to turn the key in order to start the vehicle, it refused to turn. a local mechanic replaced the ignition and reprogrammed the key and door locks. the vehicle was repaired. the dealer was notified, but denied any assistance with repairing the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 25,000 and the approximate current mileage was 25,200. updated 02/09/12*lj the consumer stated the key would not turn in the ignition. the old ignition had to be drilled out and replaced. updated 02/13/12

Upon opening, three hard clicks are heard - and lock opens on occasion. often refusing to latch and on many occasions, i am unable to open the door. it appears to be as stated in nhtsa campaign id number: 05v030000 i have spoken with dealer and ford on many occasions the past several years, and they insist this car was not part of the campaign and refuse to inspect, or view, or assess. *tr

This vehicle with 110k miles turns out the valve seat of cylinder #4 broke off inside the engine and irreparably damaged the piston, cylinder and cylinder head of which the only way to fix this is with a replacement engine. this option is more than what the car is valued. on further research of both my mechanic and i as we searched the web, it appears that this happens more frequently than it should. it seems that ford should put a recall to fix these valve seats before anymore people will have to unnecessarily spend thousands to repair the engine or lose thousands of dollars on a undrivable junk car, such as myself. could you please investigate this matter further and let me know if this is indeed an inherent problem that needs to be corrected. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key could be inserted into the ignition would could not be turned to start the vehicle. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure, nor was the vehicle diagnosed or repaired. the current and the failure mileages were 134,000.

Was traveling at 65mph on the highway when driver side airbag deployed for no reason. there was no impact. dealership has been contacted. at this time there has been no resolution. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition was locked and the key would not turn to start the engine. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch). after the vehicle was repaired, it was difficult for the rear drivers side door to remain closed. while driving approximately 50 mph the rear drivers side door opened while a child was seated in the rear seat. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the door latch was extremely corroded. the rear drivers side door would no longer latch. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact noticed that the air bag warning light illuminated and as a result the horn was inoperable. the dealer informed the contact that the clockspring was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified nor was the vehicle repaired. the current mileage was approximately 76,000. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

The steering column locks. i have already had it fixed once before and now it has happened again. *kb

On 8/1/2011, going 40mph i hit a deer. the whole hood of my car is pushed in,my radiator is pushed in, i cannot open the hood, the deer is dead and both of the airbags failed to deploy. however my airbag deployment light did come on. what a defect. at 10 mph i could possible understand but at 40 mph, i bought the car brand new in 2003 for safety, now even if it were fixed i would be scared to drive it. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that both rear door locks no longer functioned. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch). the failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 145,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that when closing the right passenger rear door, it would not close completely; making it dangerous to drive. the vehicle was performed under nhtsa campaign id number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch), but the failure recurred. the dealer and manufacturer were contacted, but they were unable to provide any assistance. the failure mileage was 91,000 and the current mileage was 95,000.

Trunk latch failed at 37,000 miles on 2003 ford focus. could not get the trunk to latch to drive home. cost over $400 to replace the part which is not in yet. driving around another week with my only car's trunk tied down. *tr

Key won't turn in ignition. luckily, my car was parked at home when this happened but could leave you stranded if away from home. i now have to leave my key in the ignition until i get the problem fixed.

Key would not turn in the ignition, so vehicle was unable to start and had to be abandoned.

My key will not turn over and my wheel is locked up. the problems started and i would just turn the wheel and sooner or later it would turn over. now im stranded in my driveway with the wheel locked up and no turning the key over. missed work and money. i searched the internet on this and the was over 300 diff people with this problem. i bought this car (ford) to save gas and money. i think this should be recalled if this many people are having this problem. i don't know why it hasn't yet. *tr

Key wont turn in ignition windows down in a bad neighborhood. *tr

Ignition key cannot be extracted from vehicle and we couldn't turn the engine off for a period then, couldn't restart it afterwards. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition failed and locked abnormally. the manufacturer was contacted they advised there were no recalls for the failure and would provide no further assistance. the vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 100,000.

Late night 35 miles from home. key would not turn in the ignition. had to get a ride home. returned the next day and had a locksmith replace the ignition lock with a strattec ignition lock. *tr

The door handles on my 2003 ford focus have a recall on them, but only on certain ones and mine isn't one of them, although all four of my handles are broken. the first incident that happened with the door handles was i got out of my car at a store and left my four year old daughter in the car with it running to get a paper, and when i went to open the driver door, the door handle broke and all of the other doors were locked (because they automatically lock when you put the car in gear). i was 8 months pregnant at the time and was stranded at the store with my daughter locked in the car for about an hour. and then, on may 27th 2011, i went to leave my house and i usually keep the driver's side window down because the only doors that we can open are the driver's door and front passenger door and only from the inside. but on this day it had rained so i put the window up and when i went to leave my house i had already went outside and went through the whole "procedure" of getting the back door opened so i could put my 3 month old son in the car and i guess when i went back inside to get him, the drivers door got blown closed by the wind, because whenever i put him in and shut his door, i went around to the driver's door and it was shut and my 3 month old was stuck in the car!! it took 30 minutes for my husband to get to the house (because i had to call him home from work) and he had to climb in through the trunk and manover the carseat out of the way so he could wiggle in there and get the baby out. my son was covered in sweat from head to toe and was having a hard time breathing whenever we got him out because he already has breathing problems and he was in the car with all of the windows up for 30 minutes. i believe that the ford company should fix our door handles because if that isn't a safety issue, then i don't know what is!! *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus and the thermostat housing unit is cracked. when it cracked, and started to leak, it caused a lot of smoke, and when it started to leak, due to the temperature of the coolant inside, it burned through other hoses attached and almost started a fire. the part is made out of plastic (should be made of some type of metal such as aluminum due to the high temperatures involved consistently), and 4 certified auto technicians that i talked to said that they replace dozens of them on ford focus every year. they say that "it is a known problem with ford's various focus years, and should have been recalled a long time ago." even the ford dealership said the following "yeah, ford knows it's a problem; that's why we always keep that particular part in stock." literally, there are tens-of-thousands of online complaints regarding this part, and how it has caused serious harm and damage. the problem starts by some coolant leaking slowly, and within a week (even after continuously adding coolant), the leak becomes larger and larger, causing the damage listed above, and causing the heater to not work. why is this a very well-known problem to ford; a problem that can cause serious safety issues, yet they do nothing for the tens-of-thousands of people that have encountered this problem? the part is $75 from ford and then you have to pay labor too, which is about $150-$200. the ford replacement part# for the defective part is rh157. i have the old part available for inspection if needed. *tr

I purchased a used 2003 ford focus se/4 door/automatic. the ignition key cylinder has been acting up for sometime. on three different occasions the cylinder with the key when turned to the off position will completely come out of the steering column when removing the key. again, this has happen on at least three occasions and could happen at any time. i have not been to a dealer to repair the problem yet. but that is my next stop. i am wanting ford to issue a recall and repair this problem. thousands of other focus owners have had similar or same problems. this has happened to so many people who have become stranded because of this malfunction. not to mention, this is an obvious safety issue due to the possibility of injuries in a moving vehicle. *tr

Key would not turn the ignition, stalled the car and then could not turn the car back on in the middle of rush hour traffic, on christmas eve none the less. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving approximately 40 mph, the engine stalled without prior warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they informed the contact that the timing belt fractured and resulted in complete engine failure. the technician stated that the engine would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 120,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while the vehicle was parked there was a noise in the heater vents and the heat was not working. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or a local mechanic for diagnostic testing. the approximate mileage was 121,000.

2003 ford focus key not able to turn ignition issue that has been reported previously. vehicle stranded until ignition lock assembly removed and replaced. *tr

Driving to work, no rain, no ice on road, normal but cold conditions (30f) and couldn't stop my vehicle with low roll resistance tires. when i applied brakes my car immediately went into a slide/skid and i hit another vehicle from behind. was going around 35 mph and should have had plenty of space to stop. *tr

For the past few months my car ignition has been getting stuck, making it very difficult to start my car. this past weekend my key would not turn at all stranding my family away from home while trying to visit my grandmother in the hospital. luckily we were not her means to get to the hospital as it seems that i have purchased an unreliable car. as i have done my research on this problem, i have discovered that it seems almost all ford focus owners are encountering this problem. i have even read that this is not a safety concern hence the lack of recall! i like billions of americans rely on my car in good times and bad. i hope to god that i do not have a ford focus if anything desperate should become of me and i need safety because apparently they don't like to even start! *tr

My ignition key cylinder has gone bad. my key will not turn therefore i cannot drive my car. being that i am a young female, i found this experience to be horrific and highly unsafe. my county has one of the highest murder rates and being stuck without a way to get away from a troubling situation has left me to highly regret the purchase of my ford focus. i see on your website that hundreds of people have complained about this issue. i don't understand how a defect in a car cannot be recalled! this venture is costing me over 600 dollars which i like everyone else do not have to spare. i find it a shame that ford does not own up to their mistake. it makes you question the quality the american auto industry puts forth. i have always been a believer of supporting our local business and industry however i have learned that american industry like to burn people and sell unsatisfactory products. i appeal to you to recall the ford focus cylinder before someone makes the ultimate sacrifice to prove that this is indeed a high risk safety concern! *ln

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle was left unattended for approximately fifteen minutes with the engine running and the defroster activated. when the contact arrived back to the vehicle and opened the front drivers door, smoke began pouring from the drivers seat. the contact stated that she did not realize the heated seat was activated as well. the contact burned two of her fingers as a result of attempting to extinguish the fire. the contact then poured water on the seat and was able to extinguish the fire. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was advised that there were no recalls on the vehicle pertaining to the failure. the manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. the vehicle was left with the dealer where the contact was awaiting repairs. the failure mileage was 54,677. updated 3/8/11 *cn updated 03/14/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact was driving approximately 30 mph over wet road conditions when the rear end of the vehicle began to skid uncontrollably. the contact was able to gain control and continued to drive. the failure occurred whenever encountering snow and wet road surfaces. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they performed a four wheel alignment and tire balancing. also, the rear suspension arm was replaced. the failure persisted after the repairs. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the technician informed that the vehicle performance was a manufacturer design. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

The driver side seat belt is stuck and will not move, can not put seat belt on to drive. pulled on belt it will not budge.

My daughter and wife were out shopping and turned on the seat warmers in the front seat. as my daughter was driving she began to complain of a smell of something burning in the car. soon after realized her back side was hot ! summary- driver side seat burn marks visible and her winter coat ruined; it burned it too. why hasn't this been addressed with ford? several complaints have been filed stating this exact description. *ln

Ford focus 2003 - key won't turn to turn on car - ignition cylinder/tumbler was broken and need to be replaced. i was stranded in a store parking lot. had to have a tow truck tow my car to dealership. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the vehicle was parked when the contact noticed that the rear driver's side tire was severely worn. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer as well as an independent repair shop where the suspension was realigned approximately 4 times. the contact also stated he had to purchase a set of tires every 20,000 miles. the failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 241,000. the vin was unavailable.

My driver's seatbelt is not properly clicking shut, so the seatbelt is not properly secured. *tr

I was turning and i heard a very loud snap! my car then began to pop extremely loud everytime i turned. it turned out to be a snapped front coil spring. this is very dangerous because the spring could very easily have ripped into the tire causing a "blow out" which leads to accidents in many occasions!! the more i talk about it, the more people who say they have had the same thing happened on their focus! *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus zx3 at 37000 miles the alternator and battery went bad and had to be replaced at a cost of $700.00. now at 67000 miles they have both gone bad again and must be replaced at a new cost of $800.00. additionally i had a 2000 ford focus and at 55000 miles both the alternator and battery had to be replaced. also we have a 2006 ford focus and at 16000 miles it needed both an alternator and battery. it is worth noting that the car was three years old and out of warranty when the failure occurred, it is a very low mileage car, and is only drive 10 miles a day. we really like the focus as it is a great value and a fun car to drive but after having to replace 4 alternators in 18 months we are rethinking our love of this little car. i will be filing complaints for my other two foci as well. *tr

Key won't turn in ignition. for a couple of weeks, i was able to tap on the end of the key while it was in the ignition lock, and the key would turn. now, i am unable to get it to turn at all -- even after tapping on it with a hammer. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph with the passenger side heated seat activated, she noticed smoke. she cut out the foam in the seat and removed the entire passenger side seat. the contact called the dealer who referred her to the manufacturer. the manufacturer had not been notified. the failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The key would not turn in the ignition of my 2003 ford focus zts, thus, the vehicle would not start. after a call to the local locksmith, i was surprised to hear "this is a common problem for a ford focus". when arriving, the locksmith proceeded to explain to me why the stock ignition switch of my car is a defective design, comparing to a new switch they were about to install. upon further research online, i could not find any information about a recall for the defective item. i did find, however, plenty of complains of ford owners having the exact same problem. i am surprised such a critical component has not been recalled since it jeopardizes the reliability of the vehicle. *tr

Both rear tail lights have melted the bulb socket and the light housing. my local ford dealer says this is not a problem and he has never heard of this happening. the vehicle's charging system is putting out about 15.5 volts to everything electrical he also says this is not a problem. also while driving the car the cabin fills with the smell of burning rubber also again i was told this is no problem. *tr

The ignition was locked solid. the key could be inserted and removed but the ignition would not turn. replacement seems the only viable solution. it seems to be a design defect as so many cases of the lock-up have been reported.

Safety hazard-- upper motor mount on 2003 ford focus malfunctions/ disintegrates within three months of installation; whether by garage, dealer, or owner. in seventeen months, i have had to replace the mount (when caught) four times and found it again needs replacement. the oem parts say guaranteed but it constantly cost to remove, repackage, ship, and then replace. *tr

I was parked outside my girlfriend's dr's office waiting to pick her up. it was a cold day and she didn't want to take the bus. when i tried to start the car the key would not turn. i attempted repeatedly to turn the key, but it would not budge. this had happened twice before (i had only owned the car a couple months), but the key had turned with some fiddling. this time it wouldn't turn, no matter what i did. i eventually had to have it towed. the mechanic called me today and said the ignition cylinder needs to be replaced and the key has to be reprogrammed. i read several sources online that said this is not necessary that anyone who tells you this is padding their own pocket, but what can i do? i'm not a mechanic and i'm not about to call this guy a liar. i have to bite the bullet and pay for the repairs as he describes them. *tr

Failure to turn ignition switch with key...takes several attempts (at times for 1/2 an hour) and happens several times a day and getting worse. after a quick search on-line, i noticed that their was a class action lawsuit in california and that many other focus owners have had similar problems. i will first contact ford customer service, but based on other focus owners, i do not expect much and hopefully soon will be contacting a locksmith to replace the switch. *tr

The key in my 2003 ford focus will not turn the ignition. we were stranded in the middle of nowhere. the key is fine..the actual ignition mechanism is locked and will not turn. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact owns a 2005 dorel child restraint seat, model number 22-391mlo, manufactured on september 2, 2005. (n/a) the contact was driving 55 mph, and observed the child in a rear facing infant seat removing the warning label and eating it. immediately, the vehicle was pulled over to remove the plastic from the child's mouth. the child restraint seat was installed by the seat belt system. the manufacturer had not been notified. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Brake lockup under abs. when the vehicle is engaged in a braking event sufficient to activate the abs system, all four brakes lockup and do not release until the vehicle has come to a complete stop. this has happened under winter conditions (snow/ice), in the rain and in the dry. the incident in the rain occurred when attempting to take an exit ramp off of an interstate. the car briefly hydroplaned enough for the abs to activate, and then went out of control with the tires locked up. the car slid off of the exit ramp and into the grass, where it finally came to rest. luckily no one was hurt. the incidents in the dry took place during an auto-cross on a closed course and were sufficient to severely flat-spot the tires. this happens every time abs is engaged under hard braking. occasionally, it is possible to down-shift and "drive through" the brakes without coming to a complete stop. there is no dash light or anything to indicate a problem. the rear-wheel tone rings have been replaced and the front-wheel tone rings have been cleaned. all four sensors have been cleaned and electrical connections checked for looseness. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that both of the rear doors failed. the rear driver side door would not open and the rear passenger side door would not close. the dealer advised the contact to speak with the manufacturer in regards to the failure. the manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch). the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileage was 90,050.

Car stalls without warning when stopped at a stop light or when driving down the road at 40 miles per an hour. car taken to shop a number times. no codes found in computer. car passes electrical check. spark plugs and fuel filter replaced. , throttle body cleaned car stalled less often after air control motor replaced. car has 75,000 miles on it and all scheduled maintenance has been performed as suggested by ford. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition will not turn engine over nor unlock steering. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition lock-up. every time the key is removed from ignition and then reinserted, it is very hard to get it to unlock to turn and start. we have been stranded in parking lots during 110 degree weather while trying to get the key to turn. we will have to either replace the ignition or call a locksmith. this is an everyday problem now. *tr

The ignition has been sticking for a couple months, making it difficult to start the car, more recently it has been a daily occurrence that the ignition would not turn without great difficulty. what this ultimately lead to was getting stranded due to the car being unable to start ( ignition wouldn't even turn). i am now going to have to get the car towed and either re-keyed, or a new ignition put in which will cost a good amount of money. *tr

My 2003 ford focus will not start due to the fact that ford has apparently used defective lock cylinders on the 2003 ford focus. i walked up to my local ford dealership and was told that it would cost 350 to repair the car. (not including charges for getting the vehicle to them) this has prevented me from driving a car that i am still making payments on. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition key will not turn now. *tr

My ignition is locked up/steering wheel. *tr

My 2003 ford focus has ignition problems. my key could not turn in the ignition. and as i search online, a lot of ppl have the same problems. this is a recurrent problem with ford focus and specifically 2003 ford focus. this is very severe. image you're in a hurry to start the car, the key could not turn and you are stuck. so why is there is nothing done about it by ford? i just asked the dealership and they told me it is around $450 to replace the ignition. i don't think i should pay this money due to ford's fault. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus se. the key will not turn when you put it into the ignition. *tr

I was stranded with my 2003 ford focus because they key would not turn in the ignition. i finally was able to get my car towed to a mechanic at 2am and was able to get a ride home. i am very fortunate nothing happened to me - who knows what could have happened that late at night. i had to get the ignition replaced which cost $400. it is ridiculous that this has not been recalled. *tr

Ignition cylinder locked unable to drive ford focus 2003. cost of ignition cylinder, new key (1), reset of computer = $480.00. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated the vehicle was parked with the engine running when the engine began abnormally jumping. a local mechanic was contacted who advised that the timing belt was fractured. the vehicle was towed to a local repair facility where the contact was awaiting repairs. the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 114,000.

The power steering pressure hose on my 2003 ford focus zts (2.0 liter, dohc) leaked power steering fluid onto the hot exhaust manifold, causing an engine fire. the power steering pressure hose is routed directly over the exhaust manifold. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus wagon. while driving 55 mph the passenger side air bag suddenly deployed. there was no crash or road hazard that caused the deployment and none of the warning lights illuminated. the contact was able to drive to his residence without incident. the contact did not notify the dealer or manufacturer. the failure and current mileages were 49,000.

In 2007, two weeks after purchasing a 2003 ford focus i was left stranded on a sunday evening in blizzard like conditions in anchorage alaska after the ignition on the focus suddenly stopped working. there was no warning prior to the part failure that there was any problem, the vehicle operated perfectly one moment, then i was unable to even turn the ignition key the second. i ultimately had to have the vehicle towed to a dealership for the part to be replaced with a new but unimproved ignition (that may fail again - again stranding me - perhaps in a less populated area). additionally, my fiancee has a 2000 ford focus whose ignition failed on him tonight - also stranding him. the fact that the ignition fails without notice is dangerous and leaves the operator of the vehicle in an unsafe situation. *tr

July 2010 ignition is locked, key will not turn in ignition. it was happening every now and then but today, july 7, 2010, it will not turn at all even with tapping lightly on the end of the key and pulling the steering wheel down while turning the key nothing has yet to be done as i am still waiting for ford to decide if they want to pick it up! june 2010 driverside spring coil snapped - no letter to the owner of the ford models when the problem was a known safety issue and was covered under a warranty extended by ford (because they knew of the problem) june 2009 - driverside firehawk gta factory installed tire blew right off the steel rim, leaving the steel from the tire on the rim ... this happened in my driveway and not while i was driving the vehicle, thank goodness. *tr

2003 ford focus involved in front end collision car was totaled and air bags did not deploy. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus and the ignition and the key suddenly won't turn in the ignition. i have looked this problem up online and it looks like a far too common problem. my wife is 8.5 months pregnant, and i thank god this didn't happen any later as it is our only vehicle. please take prompt action against ford and make them issue a recall! thank you. *tr

My 2003 ford focus is having an ignition problem - my key will not turn in the ignition - i am now stranded and have to call aaa for help - they just left - have to have ignition replaced by dealer. *tr

After warranty expired, put key in ignition and could not turn car on. this was due to a suddenly failing ignition system. had to replace entire ignition column and was stranded for three days while we figured out the problem. this is a safety issue considering it is a well known problem and many people have been stranded in bad areas or during bad weather. *tr

Key will not turn ignition. it is progressively getting worse. last night i was stranded late at night and had to call someone to come get me. i tried for over an hour to get it to turn. from what i am finding out this is not a problem that i have. there have been many many complaints of this. this part should be recalled! *tr

2003 ford focus se 4 door sedan -- right rear turn signal socket has melted to tail light assembly where it cannot be removed. both tail light assembly and socket have to be replaced. left rear appears to be damaged also, but bulb is not out yet. is this a fire hazard? it does create a problem because it's taken my garage and the ford dealer 3 weeks to find the correct socket to fit the tail light assembly. *tr

Key fails to turn after driving to work. 03 ford focus. can not start. will call for repairs and find cost. ford would not replace or offer solution due to mileage. *tr

Key gets stuck in the ignition. ignition will not turn. this happens just about every time an attempt is made to turn the car on for approximately one year. multiple attempts must be made and excessive force to engage key must be used. after contacting several locksmiths and being repeatedly told that this problem can only be repaired by a ford dealer due to the computer needing to be programmed to match a chip in the ignition and key, a local ford dealership was contacted. a customer service employee reported that it can be replaced for $250. but that it is a common problem with no guarantees that the ignition would not need further replacement for the same problem in the future. ignition will no longer turn at all resulting in the key snapping in the ignition. entire ignition will need to be replaced. *tr

Key would not turn in the ignition on my 2003 ford focus wagon. was stranded at a drive in movie theater at 2am with 2 small children and the windows down as it started to rain. *tr

When accelerating at low speeds, turning and driving speed bumps a horrible rattling, vibration, metal on metal sound is heard inside the care on the passenger side behind glove box. continues to get worse and 2 aaa approved mechanics could not find it. *tr

Ign key will not turning key gets stuck left me stranded in a bad high crime area i under stand that this is a problem on all the focus why is a recall mot been done. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated when starting the vehicle and attempting to reverse, the vehicle would not respond and would intermittently stall. the vehicle would sporadically start and would operate as normal until the failure would recur. the contact replaced the battery but to no avail. the dealer was not contacted nor was the vehicle taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the failure mileage was 81,000 and the current mileage was 82,007.

2003 ford focus has a locked ignition and will not turn even to roll up windows. froze up once last week and was able to jiggle it and get it working. now it will have to be towed to ford. ford dealership in bozeman montana says it is a common problem with this make and model but ford will not do anything about it. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus. sometimes the ignition locks and the key will not even turn in the ignition, leaving me stranded. this problem began a few weeks ago. it has gotten progressively worse. until tonight, when this problem has occurred, the key would turn the ignition after 5 - 10 minutes. tonight, the problem lasted for over an hour and i had to call a tow. i was stranded in a bad area. having looked up this issue online, i can tell it is an all too common problem for ford focus model years 2000 - 2003. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition switch became stuck and she was unable to start the vehicle for three hours; she also noted that the steering wheel would not move. the steering column had to be taken apart so that the steering wheel would move so the wheels could line up in order for the vehicle to be towed home. the contact had not called the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

Ignition cylinder lock sticks, unable to turn key and start car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated when he placed his key in the ignition, the ignition switch locked and would not turn over. the dealer was contacted and advised him to bang on the steering column to allow the key to turn the ignition. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the ignition switch was replaced. the failure mileage was 53,600 and the current mileage was 53,850. updated 7/20/10 *cn updated 07/23/10*jb

The original ford car key for my 03 ford focus will not turn in the ignition sometimes. ill say about 25% of the time it won't. and i haven't fixed it yet. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition won't turn over the past month the ignition has been slowly increasing in the number of times that it will lock up and won't turn. it used to work for me to put the key in pull out, wait a few seconds then put it back in and it would work. on 5/3/10 my ignition would no longer work and i was stranded in a parking lot on my way home from work. no repair has been completed yet, but i will be looking into it. *tr

Key won't turn in the ignition of our 2003 ford focus just happened today - no prior problem with ignition will most likely call a locksmith. *tr

2003 ford focus se ignition key would not turn to unlock steering wheel and start car while car was parked. ignition cylinder removed & replaced with a better part by locksmith in 25 minutes at a cost of $317. this part should never fail. *tr

No previous indication of any problem, just went to my 2003 focus and could not turn the key. went in the house and got the other key. it would not turn. the ignition column is permanently locked. ford has known of this failure for 10 years and done nothing??? why is there no recall for such an ongoing and known defect? i'm surprised i have not heard of deaths related to this as weather conditions, robbery or rape could certainly contribute to this fixable problem. shame on ford. *tr

The ignition of my 2003 ford focus se, locked up on me and left me stranded in a parking lot. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that abs indicator light and brake indicator light illuminated on the instrument panel and illuminated on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership for a diagnostic test where the contact was informed that there was corrosion around the circuit board of the instrument panel. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the contact felt that the failure was a safety hazard because the circuit gave false warning indications. the current and failure mileages were approximately 75,000.

Ignition locks up and can not turn key to start engine. *tr

I just recently bought my 2003 ford focus. just this week the key would not turn in the ignition and my steering wheel would be locked. i was always able to get my car started after a few tries or 10 minutes or so. today i sat in my car for 40 minutes trying to get my key to turn; it would not. i had to leave my car at the school which i work at, since i am a teacher, and be picked up. i have just read online that many people have or are having this same issue and that there is no recall on the ignition yet. i am confused as to why. this is a safety hazard as it leaves you stranded and to not be able to get your car started is a big deal. if it was just my car, fine, i would get it fixed with no issue. but to read that hundreds or thousands of people and ford focus' are having this same issue is a little outrageous and something needs to be done. thank you. *tr

2003 ford focus, zx3, 2.3 liter. the key will not turn in the ignition. this has happened about 6 times, leaving me stranded twice. we are calling a lock smith to re-key the ignition and doors again. *tr

My 2003 ford focus has a ignition switch problem all of a sudden the key will not start the car it has left us stranded and has taken us as long as 30 minutes to start car. we have tried several remedies like silicone spray, tapping on key so it will start this problem has effected a host of focus owners with costly repairs and we will soon have to spend money to repair this obviously flawed design. *tr

The ignition switch (that is, where the key goes to start the car) would not turn. i was stuck and had to have the car towed. there had been no warning, that is, the key was never hard to turn, i never had to jiggle the steering column, or anything liked that. i just parked the car in front of a store, and five mints later, went out and found out they key would not turn. (i could remove and re-insert the key, it would not turn) . further more, the dealer and aaa, of course, say to try jiggling the steering wheel. all that did was lock the front wheels in a turned position and made it very hard to move the car get it to a position to be towed. having the wheels lock in a turned position, as is common, could be a hazard too. the aaa guy could not free (turn) the ignition switch it either. i had first cell-phoned called the dealer, they had no suggestions. i see i had the same problem so many other 2003 focuses have reported. the dealer guessed that the cause was that one of the pins in the lock just slipped out of place. the ford dealer had to replace the ignition switch. it was not cheap. i called ford motor company they would not pay for it, or part of it. *tr

Unable to turn key in the ignition. had occurred sporadically leading up to the date when it was then unable to be used at all, leaving family stranded. had to have vehicle towed to dealership to have ignition replaced. subsequent research revealed this is a common failure problem with this vehicle. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus. we cannot get the key to turn in the ignition and has left me stranded numerous times. i have read this is a problem with many ford focus owners. this has been going on for a year on and off. i find this to be offensive that it has not been issued as a recall when i see the numbers of people having this very same problem. clearly it is a design flaw in the ignition. *tr

2003 ford focus. went to drive the car got in put the key in the ignition and it won't turn. this is the second time it has happened. 3/4/10, the first time, it "finally", after about 10 minutes turned after putting the key in and out of the ignition. the second time on 3/5/10, it just wouldn't turn. the car is sitting, will have to call a lock smith to get it fixed. *tr

Ignition key will not turn, and vehicle can not be started, removing key and inserting again and again would allow it to start this happened every time. now it will not turn at all. *tr

2003 ford focus zx5--key won't turn in the ignition, so can't start car. steering wheel locked up and no amount of cranking, jiggling, etc., would allow me to turn the key in the ignition and start the car. was an intermittent problem for about two months, then tonight i couldn't get the car started at all; neither could a kind stranger; neither could my husband. snowing and cold. i had to leave the car in a grocery store parking lot overnight and hope it will be unharmed in the morning. will probably have to have car towed to a dealership. could have been worse: two weeks ago i was 120 miles from home for three days and would have been terribly stranded. i understand that ford will replace this defective part (ignition switch) with the same switch, which will also be defective, and that i can look forward to getting stranded again when the key will not turn in the ignition switch again. cost will be between $350 and $400, plus time away from teaching school (not a good idea and frowned upon by administration). the $350-$400 will only buy me another faulty ignition switch. this is potentially a life-threatening situation. others have been stranded in freezing, snowy weather nowhere near a repair shop, in extreme heat with small children in the car, in unsafe neighborhoods at night (see http://www.fordproblems.com/focus/key-wont-turn-in-the-ignition.shtml complaints). ford should fix this problem at no cost through a recall and installation of a reliable ignition switch. *tr

I am a woman who was left sitting when my ignition locked up and the key would not turn in my 2003 ford focus. i called triple a and had the vehicle towed to the dealer for repairs at a cost of $278.00 i have since discovered that this is a problem that apparently has not been fixed by ford and could easily happen again. of course, this would result in another large amount of out of pocket expense for a neglecting act of ford. it seems to be a common expensive problem that should have a recall. it's a dangerous thing for anyone to be left sitting without a functioning vehicle, let alone a woman by herself. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact attempted to start the ignition. however, the engine failed to start. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the failure was contributed to the security system; pass security switch. the repair part was ordered. the vehicle has not been repaired due to the unavailability of the part. the contact had concern of the safety issue involved. the failure mileage was 132,000.

The front passenger suspension spring snapped causing a blow out of the tire on my 03 ford focus, vehicle was taken to dealership who advised that the recall for this problem on this vehicle was no longer in effect as the vehicle was manufactured some 3 months after the close out of the re-call. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus. since i had the car from 2004 on, i have had to replace the driver side front seat because the seats driver door side back welding failed. the broken welding causes the seat to twist to the right. seat was replaced at my cost and replacement also broke at the same place. dealer refuses to acknowledge issue. i believe that may have also been a major contributing factor to a recent injury of my lower back since i had not received any trauma from any other source that i am aware of. a cursory review of the internet turns up dozens of complaints for the same issue. please note the date provided for the incident is the approximate date the second seat broke. the first one broke in 2006. both seats are available for your inspection should you want to review. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition. we tried 3 keys and the ignition will not turn. we did a little research and this seems to be a very common problem. over 116 so for that have submitted such complaints about this vehicle. recall necessary!!!!! *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus sedan and the ignition locked up one day and wouldn't start. it wasn't the steering column locking and i had to call aaa thinking i'd need to get towed. the aaa guy actually told me this was a very common ford problem and that i was lucky i wasn't stranded too far. i was finally able to start the car by hitting the key with a small tool to "unlock" the ignition. i've tried leaving the key in the ignition to prevent the problem happening again, which makes me feel unsafe, but the problem occurs every time i take the key out and made me worried about being stranded or paying towing costs. i finally took the car to the ford dealer and it is going to cost me almost $500 to get the ignition replaced. *tr

I'm unable to turn the key in the ignition switch, which left me stranded at work after 5:00pm at night. when this happens, the car becomes inoperable until repairs are made. this did happen to me once before around 09/2009. i had my car towed to a locksmith and they were able to fix it. they told me this was a known issue with my car. i looked this issue up online and there are thousands of people who are having the same issue with the ford focus. this issue should be rectified by ford through a recall. i called ford customer service and they said all we can do at this point is log your call. because of this issue i've been stranded twice in the pm. this is a safety issue that should be rectified by ford. *tr

My 2003 ford focus with only 40,000 miles on it would not start. apparently the ignition has a defect leaving me stranded at work. as a soldier there are many people that rely on me to be at a certain place at a certain time. this is a safety issue and should be recalled. apparently the defect is widely reported for ford focus years 2000 to 2003. it could cost me dearly if i was stranded in weather, a remote location without a cell phone, or if my baby was sick and needed to be rushed to the er. *tr

My ignition will not turn on my 2003 ford focus. this is a known defect (or so i have been told by ford), yet is not on any recalls. it needs to have the complete ignition replaced -- at my own cost! apparently the parts are poorly made and they fail. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. whenever the contact attempted to start the vehicle, the contact noticed that the ignition and steering wheel suddenly locked and could not be moved once the key was turned to the lock position. the key also could not be removed from the ignition. the dealer stated that the ignition needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 60000.

My daughter has been stranded several times in her 2003 ford focus. she cannot turn the key in the ignition. the dealer is going to charge $800 to fix this common problem and we do not have that kind of money. i have researched this online and have found that many people have had this same problem. please help. *tr

Ignition in 2003 ford focus fails to work. know issue with ford focus which should be a recall issue due to potential safety factors. *tr

To whom it may concern,recently i was stranded on the road late at night when the ignition switch on my 2003 ford focus failed to turn over. i later found out this is an all too common problem with the ford focus. as a female stranded alone this could have led dire consequences! now i find that the ford dealership wants to charge me some$500 to repair the switch..to be put in jeopardy then charged an obscene amount for their design flaw is outrageous. please help. *tr

No events to indicate a potential problem. the failure, occurring now sporadically and w/o warning, results in an inability to turn the ignition leaving us stranded for the unsafe and silly reason of being unable to turn the key. no old parts were available and close to 400 dollars later, the mechanic replaced the ignition. however, only one month after having it replaced, the ignition failed to start again (it is impossible to return the key) and alas, the problem continues. *tr

After a two-week vacation, i was going to drive my 2003 ford focus to work. as i was backing out of the garage, i noticed that the brakes were extremely soft. the repair shop that diagnosed and repaired the problem told me that i had a total failure of the master cylinder which controls both the clutch and brakes. they also said that this is the second incident that they were aware of. repair included a new master cylinder and replacement brake fluid. i do not know if it was coincidence or not, but they also discovered that my rear wheel cylinders had also "exploded." repair required cylinder and disc replacement. old parts have been retained. *tr

2003 ford focus steering wheel lock. with the key inserted, the ignition cannot be turned on. believe to be a tumbler problem. i have read hundreds of these problems in the last two days. this should be recalled. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2003 ford focus. the vehicle slid on an ice patch , which caused her to loose vehicle control. the vehicle spun around several times and then collided on an embankment. none of the air bags deployed. she received injuries to her neck, feet, and ribs, the passenger received injuries to the spine. the insurance company concluded that the vehicle was completely destroyed. also the ignition switch had to be replaced at an expense of $450.00. she also paid $300.00 to repair the door locks. the transmission needs to be replaced. the sheriff report number was 09004117. the failure and current mileages were 94,000.

Ford focus 2003 ignition problem. key will not turn in ignition. have been told no longer covered under warranty. ignition must be replaced at a cost of over $450.00. *tr

I am an owner of a 2003 ford focus that has had ignition problems for the last 1.5 years. the key will not turn in the ignition, leaving me stranded now three times. i have called ford motor company and reported this issue to them asking them for a "good will" repair, and to no avail. i am not the only owner of a ford focus to have this problem, and wish that the nhtsa would get involved and seek out ford motor company to force them to fix this problem and require them to reimburse the consumers that have had this repair performed. i would also like to see ford motor company forced to recall the vehicles for this problem, and fix it since this is a safety issue. i have had to leave a key in the ignition thus making it very easy for a thief to steal the vehicle. thanks for your attention to this matter. *tr

My wife has a 2003 ford focus. she was in town at an appointment with my daughter. when she got in her car to return home the key wouldn't turn in the ignition. she was stuck. i see numerous complaints online from people with the same issue, even a class action suit in california. my concern is what if it was late and she was stuck, at night, in the middle of no where? i had to have the car towed to the ford dealership and have it repaired for $450. *tr

I went to put my key in the ignition and the key would not turn while in the ignition. this has happened me approximately 3 times. after several attempts to start my car the key finally turns and the car starts. my fear is, that i may get stuck in a bad area when traveling and will be unable to start the car. *tr

The ignition lock on my 2003 ford focus locks up and the key will not turn in the ignition. it started out as just sticking a little bit but working after turning the steering wheel several times. it ended with it completely locking up. i had to have the car towed to a safe place and a locksmith came out and repaired the pins in the ignition tumbler. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus zx5 that has an issue with the key turning in the ignition. at random times and locations when returning to the car, i will find that i am no longer able to turn the key in the ignition. i must work at it (longest has been an hour) to get the key to turn. this creates really big problems when you are stranded with kids at different locations and you never know when it is going to occur. from my research on the internet, many other ford focus owners have experienced the same issue and the fix has been to replace ignition switch (something about tumblers not engaging) and the ford service teams are very aware of the issue and the repairs. what i don't understand is why consumers must pay for a wide reaching manufacturer's defect. *tr

The ignition lock of the ford focus completely jammed/locked without warning in a questionable part of town due to substandard manufacturing. i was stranded for over 3 hours. *tr

I was holiday shopping on the 23rd, just came back to my 2003 ford focus svt in the parking lot of the mall and the ignition would not turn. tried and tried and tried. no luck, i'm stranded, it's snowing out and it's 10:00pm. why most i rune a friends evening to come and pick me up because of a faulty ignition switch. $130 dollar tow and an estimate from my ford dealer to fix it for $490. i've already researched this a little and i can't believe there is not a service bulletin on this problem. how many people have to get stranded for this to get fixed? i just paid off the car and it has 91,000 miles on it. *tr

I was preparing to run some errands on a saturday, but when i went out to start my car, the steering wheel was locked and i could not get the key to turn in the ignition. after around 15 minutes of working the steering wheel i was able to get the key to turn so i could start the car. this kept happening all day off and on, until finally the next day i was out at the grocery store with my mother and when we went to go home, the key would not turn no matter how much i moved the steering wheel. after spending an hour and a half trying everything i could to start the car, i finally had to call a tow truck driver who was able to start the car. the next morning the car would not start and i had to have someone help me get it to a mechanic. the mechanic told me that i needed a new key cylinder and new keys (which have to be programmed because the keys are coded) which would cost over $300. since this just happened out of the blue without any warning and can cause me to be stranded by not being able to start my car, i think that this is a safety issue that needs to be addressed. i tried contacting ford directly, but was basically told they could do nothing about this. from what i have read on this, it seems to be a fairly common problem with the focus (i have a 2003 ford focus zx5) and i believe something needs to be done. *tr

I was going do the interstate in my ford focus zx3 when all of the sudden i lose all power, im in the middle lane surrounded by 18 wheelers and other cars, and they have to swerve to avoid my car because the alternator went out! this car is terrible! *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus and the key would not turn in the ignition this happened to me 3 times already why is this not a recall???? it seems to be a big problem.... *tr

2003 ford focus ignition will not unlock with the key. i have had multiple problems with this. the first time was approx on the date listed below. after about 30 mins of jimmying the key in the ignition it finally unlocked. it has happened several more times since then and with about the same amount of time messing with it i was able to get it unlocked. today, though, it locked up again and no matter what i do it will not unlock. why is there no recall mandated on this issue since it seems to be a severe problem with the 2000-2003 ford focus. what if i were in an emergency situation and i could not get my car started? i have heard problems from fellow focus owners that even after replacing the ignition the same problem continued and all they get is a "sorry" from ford. this is unacceptable!!! *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus zx5 and the rear hatch latch does not always engage so have to slam it down a few times to get it to latch. i noticed the recall, but i live in nebraska and the recall does not apply there. i believe this needs to be expanded. also the door latches are getting harder and harder to open, is there any recall on them. also i have a problem with the steering column adjustment lever it will not stay, it releases as you are driving causing the steering wheel to bounce up and down. not safe. *tr

The ignition switch on my ford focus wagon (2003) jammed. ford charged me $430 to fix it, even though the part is defective and needs to be replaced in many, many vehicles. *tr

Key in ignition will not turn, can not start car! will have to get it towed to ford dealer for $300+ repair. daughter could have been stuck anywhere. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact attempted to start the vehicle and observed that the key would not turn inside of the ignition and suddenly, the steering wheel locked. a local mechanic stated that the ignition lock needed to be replaced. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 55,000. updated 1/11/09 *cn the ignition lock had to be replaced because the key or the steering wheel would not move. the consumer stated she can feel the ignition starting to give her trouble again. updated 01/14/10.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact was attempting to exit the vehicle and the key would not release from the ignition. the contact also noticed that the gears would not shift into reverse. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 75867.

On my 2003 ford focus the ignition is gone it won't work. i was told by yankee ford that this is a regular problem with this type of car. it's something to do with the locking chamber it cost 400.+ dollars to fix. it i think this is a safety recall because something bad could happen be it on the road or in a parking lot late one night ..........say if someone is getting out of work and there sitting trying to start their car and it won't and then they get mugged robbed of raped...all because of fords faulty ignition lock chamber..... *tr

I had taken my vehicle to the supermarket and when i returned to my vehicle the key would not turn and the steering wheel was locked. i researched this and found that the ford focus has a large amount of complaints of this same nature. i have been unable to get the steering column unlocked and will have to have the car towed for repair. *tr

The ignition cylinder will not turn. *tr

My 2003 ford focus zts left me (a female) stranded last night for two hours at night while waiting for a friend to give me a ride home because when i came out of the store my key would not turn in the ignition. i tried a number of things for two hours and finally had to leave it at the store overnight. i tried again this morning, but same thing, key would not turn at all no matter what i did! this morning i went on the internet to ask.com and found that this is a major problem with the ford focus. there are over 100 complaints from other focus owners of also being stranded. this is a serious safety issue!!!!! some woman/teenage girl is going to get abducted/raped and murdered because she is left stranded because the dumb key won't turn in the ignition!!!! of course, first thing i did was go to ford to see if there is a recall on the ignition and found out no, there is no recall on this stupid car part!!! the ford dealership said it would cost me probably between $300 and $500 to fix it!!!! and it's a manufacturers defect!!!!! i will never, ever buy another ford vehicle of any type and i will tell everyone i know that ford makes piece of ¿!@#$% cars and to never buy one!!!! *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus zts that has 140,000 miles. i know my vehicle is out of warranty. the ignition has been giving me problems that scare me from time to time that i may get stranded. you put the key in, go to turn the key to start and the ignition acts locked. you try again and again but still nothing. this has left me trying to turn my ignition for up to 10 minutes so far. this started about 2 months ago, once a week. now it happens everyday, not every time, but at least 2 out of 5 times i go to start my vehicle it happens. this is definitely getting worse very quickly. this seems to be a common problem with the 2000-2003 ford focus models. i have heard that even if i take my vehicle to a ford dealership to have the ignition replaced which will cost up around $500, that the new ignition will probably do the same thing due to ford not correcting the problem in the design of the ignition. i will try calling a locksmith due to the cost being less. i just wanted to let you know this is a common problem occurring and should be checked into as a recall matter. i do not have the patience to wait for that to happen nor do i have the confidence that i will be able to continue to get my vehicle started so i will get this problem fixed. *tr

My 2003 ford focus stranded me on 11/1/2009 because the key would not turn in the ignition. this is a known issue with this car for years 200 - 2003 and ford has done nothing about it. it cost me $300 to get the lock changed out in order to drive the car. this should have been recalled as it is very dangerous to strand owners like this. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition wont turn resulting is a stranding situation, possibly in dangerous areas. *tr

Upon leaving work last night, i put my key into the ignition and it would not turn. 4 people tried to turn the key, still without success. i tried to wiggle to steering wheel, the gear shift and lock and unlock the car before trying again. finally, my car had to be towed. the towing man stated that this is the most common complaint on all the ford focuses he tows, as do many websites i have recently located. overall, it seems that once i finished paying off my ford focus, it has been needing mechanic work ever since on various parts. i always get my routine oil changes and mileages check-ups. my car is now at the mechanic and i am awaiting an estimate. *tr

The driver's seat 2003 ford focus wagon ztw (purchased new in 7/2003, currently 55k miles) seems to have had a seat heater malfunction and burned through the seat cover, and the clothes of the driver at the time. the seat heater button would not turn the heater off. the fuse had to pulled to get it to turn off. there was never a problem with the seat heater before this event. the dealer (quirk ford in quincy ma) says it's only an out-of-warranty repair and wants to charge $600 to fix it. i think this is a major safety hazard that could have caused a significant fire and personal injury. *tr

I bought a 2003 ford focus from an auto dealer in august, 2009. i am having constant problems with the ignition cylinder - the key keeps getting stuck in it. i was told by the ford dealership here that they would charge $450 to have it repaired. researching this online, i've found that it is a common problem with the 2003-2004 ford focus cars! please consider a recall for the defect. *tr

With no warning, the key will not turn in the ignition. this happened immediately after i purchased the car, and it's happening again five years later. *tr

Key won't turn in ignition of 2003 ford focus. this happens fairly often, but after several tries the key will usually work. now the key won't work at all. had to leave the car behind. *tr

Steering wheel locked, ignition locked and shift gear locked!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the transmission slipped out of gear while driving 25 mph. the steering column also needs to be replaced since it can be turned 360 degrees. the manufacturer could not identify the cause of the failures. the current mileage was 120,000. the failure mileage was 80,000.

I have been driving this car for almost 2 years with no ignition problem. i drove to work, and ran a few work related errands throughout the day. as i was preparing to leave work for the day i put my key into the ignition and it felt as if it were completely locked. more than 3 people tried to turn the key and offered different ideas as to what the problem was. triple a was called out and he explained this is a common problem with this model. he informed me the tumblers in the ignition have suddenly stopped dropping and recognizing my key. he then placed the key in the ignition, tapped in a few times to release the tumblers and it started. we then turned the vehicle off and struggled a bit to get the key out. it is now 2 days later and the situation has gotten worse and is affecting my transportation. i do not understand how it worked fine all day without a "sticking" feeling or a resistance to turn and now it is completely impossible to get in and turn the key with ease. it is simply stuck and no one can really explain why, other than poor quality within the ford motor company. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition key and tumbler switch. i put the key in the ignition and it won't turn. i have been stranded numerous times. i understand the repairs are $400 +. *tr

We drove our 2003 ford focus to the grocery store. upon returning to the car, the key would not turn in the ignition and stranded my wife, 4 year old and 6 month old children and myself wondering what we could do. *tr

Ford focus key/ignition problem. the key won't turn in the ignition. after doing some research on this problem i found that this is a common problem for the years 2000 - 2003. also found information that the oem parts used to fix this problem have the same defect. luckily my daughter was in the parking lot at her apartment. but this could have happened anywhere, i.e. highway, road, isolated area, etc... bottom line is that ford is aware of the defective part and has made no effort to correct the defective part, other than making the owner pay $400 plus dollars to put in another oem defective part. someone needs to investigate this part at ford. *tr

On tuesday my car operated normally. wednesday morning i went to leave for work and my key would not turn. fortunately i was at home, however i could have been stuck somewhere. i could have had an emergency and not been able to use my car. i had to have it towed to a dealership, miss 3 days of work and am out $510. *tr

The key was starting to stick then i could not get the in the ignition switch to start the car so my son that works for ford said to tap on the key then it should start so i did and it worked it is an on going thing i think that if ford knows there is a problem they should do a recall on it the car is a 2003 ford focus and is not under warranty like the other owners that have complained about the same problem so now i have to pay to get it fixed like all of the other owners it happens almost every day i go to get my car started it is very annoying. *tr

Ignition locks and i am unable to turn the key to start my ford focus 2003. i was left stranded with my sixth mo. old son while running errands at a gas station. i had to have my vehicle towed and had to have the ignition replaced for $290.00 in addition to towing fees. this is the first time it has occurred, but was informed that this is an ongoing problem with the ford focus and was warned by the tech that replaced the ignition, that there is a very good chance it would happen again. i live in a minnesota where winters are very cold, and am concerned i will be stranded again with an infant because of a manufacturing default. *tr

Ignition switch will not turn. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus and the key will not start the car until it is gently tapped with a hammer (i learned how to do this by reading all the complaints about this problem on the internet) this is a safety problem for instance a person is alone in an unlit area after working the late shift they cant start their car cause the ignition mechanisms are defective ford recognizes the problem but for some reason has not been legally required to fix this defect by recalling all affected vehicles another safety issue is the fact that i have to carry a hammer in my car wherever i go the cops could say i am carrying it as a weapon. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus. a few months ago the key would not turn in the ignition at times. usually after a few tries it would finally turn over. this past tuesday while at a grocery store my luck run out. now the key will not work at all. the ignition is locked up. i called the dealerships and they said this was a common problem with this car. if it is a common problem then why isn't something being done about it? the tow truck driver and the place i had my car repaired where also familiar with this problem with this car. what do consumer's have to do not be taken advantage of by the ford company. does someone have to be stranded out somewhere and killed before ford admits to a problem. i have always bought fords but after this i will never purchase another one. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus zx5 hatchback. it only has 80,000 miles on it, but we have had a huge problem that many others have had with this car. the ignition locks up frequently, and the key will not turn. this problem has left me stranded on many an occasion. it has happened to me 5 times. each of those times, i have managed to get it working again by violently jamming the key and jiggling it in the ignition, or waiting a while before attempting to insert the key again. today, however, none of these methods worked, and the ignition seems to be permanently stuck. after careful research on the internet, it seems that this is a common problem with ford focus 2001-2003. it has left many drivers across the country stranded in inopportune times and locations, as well as cost them hundreds of dollars each time that the wheel locks up. the sheer volume of people with the same problem indicates that this problem is quite common. it seems that the problem arises from substandard engineering on ford's part. please look into forcing a recall. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus. i just hit 70k miles yesterday, and starting today my ignition is completely locked up. my car is in park, the tires are not turned, etc. i went back in the house to try and find a solution and upon searching i found site after site, complaint after complaint about 2000-2003 ford focus' locking up like this after 70k miles, and that it costs $500 to fix. my car is no longer under warranty. this is clearly a manufacturing defect but is not covered by ford and has not been recalled yet. i do not have the money to replace this and now my car is useless and can't even be moved. i can only move the steering wheel about an inch and a half either way and the key in the ignition does not move at all. *tr

My 19 year old son a full time college student, was stranded in a parking lot a distance from home because the key would not turn in the ignition. a few times he has had to, jiggle the key to start the car. and now it will not turn at all. the car is still stranded in a parking lot because it happened on the weekend. i am in fear for my sons safety, heading back to college 6 hours from home. *tr

I have a ford focus 2003 in which the ignition key will not turn and everytime i need to start the car i have to rock the steering wheel real hard right to left. one occasion the car locked up on me while back but fortunately i was able to stop it as i was moving very slow. this ignition problem is a very real safety issue and steps need to be taken to make ford fix the problem before someone gets killed. you only have to go to the internet and put in the search window "ford focus ignition problems" and it will tell you all you need to know. in fact i found out in california there is a clss action suite against ford for this very same problem. i will probably have a locksmith fix the ignition as i don't want topay double to the ford dealer. *tr

My brake lights and cruise control failed: the result of the wiring harness being constantly abraded in the hinge of the hatchback. all of the wires were exposed, and it caused not only a driving safety hazard, but a fire hazard as well. in the year 2000, this same problem caused a recall of the 2000 ford focuses, but i have written to ford and they deny any responsibility for my car. "thank you for contacting the ford motor company customer relationship center regarding the wiring harness concern on your 2003 ford focus. your vehicle is not involved in any recalls or customer satisfaction programs at this time." is their response. i am having the problem corrected by my mechanic: he will lengthen the wires so that they cannot be caught in the hinge. ford only will replace the entire harness, which is the same as the one that failed. *tr

Been having problems for the last four months with the ignition cylinder sticking. on aug 13, 2009 i went to start the car and the cylinder was stuck. i have a new cylinder to replace the old one. *tr

The ignition switch on out 2003 ford focus continually jams and will not allow the key to turn and start the car. this can be remedied on occasion by hitting the key while in place, but the time it takes to get it unjammed varies. we're afraid this may happen while my wife and child are out somewhere and there is no one to help them, thus leaving them stranded. we've looked online and discovered this is an inherent problem with this model. this happens at least twice in any given day; sometimes it's more often than that. the only real solution we have at the moment is to leave the key in the ignition, but this makes the car prone to being stolen, thus leaving us with no transportation. we tried contacting ford directly and were told to call back on monday. as we understand it from our online research, this problem continues even after replacing the ignition switch. as far as we know, there is no recall about this, although a class action suit has been filed in california regarding this issue. *tr

The ignition switch will not turn on my 2003 ford focus. this car only has 45000 miles and has been treated gently. i've read 100's of posts online about this same issue and yet ford is reluctant to recall this or even offer a discount. *tr

2003 ford focus door latches broken. doors flew open while driving vehicle on highway and local streets. someone could have fallen out or another car could have hit the door when it flew open and have caused a serious crash. ford had a recall on the 4 and 5 door focus but not on a 3 door which is mine. one door has been fixed $293 at a dealer and the other door needs to be fixed. i feel ford should reimburse me and fix the other door free of charge. this can cause a serious accident and ford knows they have had problems with these door latches. if someone gets killed ford will probably have a lawsuit against them. *tr

The ford focus 2003 problem, the key won't turn in the ignition, or the key gets stuck in the ignition. *tr

Coolant leak and engine overheating. fortunately noticed it before the engine seized. stopped vehicle and topped up with fluid to just make it back to home. diagnosis indicated that none of the hoses were defective. performed an internet search for the problem. many people have documented this problem on the internet - its a leak form the thermostat housing. defective part ! *tr

The key won't turn in the ignition and i was stranded at a walmart parking lot. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving the instrument panel failed to operate normally. the gas gauge and the speedometer intermittently failed to register the fuel level and speed. this occurs approximately 6 to 7 times a day. the dealer stated the cost to diagnose the failure is $70.00. a local mechanic stated that he is aware that the failure exist with her year, make and model vehicle; however, he would also have to mail the part to be repaired by another facility. the parts would be available within 2 days due to the odometer reading. the contact is requesting that the manufacturer assumes the cost to repair the vehicle. the failure mileage was 90000 and the current mileage was unknown.

The key won't turn in the ignition. this is a safety issue because i was parked on the side of the interstate to tend to one of my children and then the car would not turn back on causing me to have to call for a ride and a tow truck. the key will not turn at all. the ignition is "locked". my family and i could have been killed getting out of the vehicle on the side of the interstate to move into another vehicle. very unsafe. i have been researching this today and it appears so be a common problem with the 2000-2003 ford focus. *tr

Ford focus ignition switch froze up in my 2003 ford focus. could not start car , turn wheel or take out of park. ford company would not pay for their faulting ignition. this is dangerous especially for women who travel alone. they need to recall this part........... *tr

Car parked at mall later at night. when to try and start car but the key would not turn in the ignition. this failure caused me to have my car towed to the dealership and the ignition switch replaced which cost $427.00. the ignition switch was faulty but was most likely replaced with the same type of switch which will fail again. i was also left stranded for several hours. luckily, i was not in a deserted area or the consequences could have been life threatening.*tr

Nothing lead up to the failure other than it happened a few times. i haven't been able to get it to a shop. the ignition key does not turn, it locks. i cannot start my car. i have been stranded at various locations. i got stranded with no cash, no food or water in the heat with no shade around. dehydration was a concern. i haven't fixed it yet, trying to figure out the best way. i have found numerous posts pertaining to this problem and that's how i came to file this complaint. *tr

2003 ford focus .we have had ignition problems since we bought the car 4 years ago ( was a used car) the ignition was replaced once. now we have trouble again. my wife got stuck at a shopping center. my son, a mechanic tried to help, but couldn't get the key to turn. she called aaa. when he arrived he "hit" the ignition very hard and the key turned. she was able to get home, but we expect to have more trouble. it has been happening almost everyday. if the car were to stall on the highway, and not be able to get the key to turn, it could be very dangerous and could cause a serious accident. this should a safety recall. everyone needs to be able to at least turn the key. we will have to go to ford to replace the ignition at the cost of $400- 500.. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition switch would lock up on several occasions. the ignition would not turn when the key was inserted, which prevented the vehicle from being started. the manufacturer would not assist or assume liability under warranty since there were no recalls. the failure and current mileages were less than 82,000.

2003 ford focus zx3. ignition switch locking up and not allowing the steering wheel to unlock. this problem has occurred at least 6 time in the last 12 months. this problem has made me late for work each time. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus and 3 out of 5 of my seat belts do not work properly. my passenger seat belt sometimes has to be ripped out in order for it to come unbuckled which could lead to someone dying if they cannot unbuckle after a crash. two of my back seat belts will not buckle at all. i have contacted ford and they said i would have to pay to have them fixed. i however feel that this is a safety issue and they should fix it. i have also seen online that others have these same seat belt issues. this has been going on for at least a year. thankfully there have been no wrecks yet so no one was stuck in the passenger seat but i am very fearful of this happening. i have even tried cleaning out the buckles and it did not work at all. *tr

Ignition key mechanism would jam and not turn -preventing turning the key and locking the steering wheel. unable to tow car (luckily all 2-3 times this happened i was close enough to dealer for flatbed tow). was able to remove the ignition key and the car was still running. last occurrence that was not under warranty and ford would not reimburse even though other focus owner had this problem - some up to 10 occurrences and ford said not a defect. i only had two keys on my key ring so not a weight issue. *tr

Intermittent problem with ignition on 2003 ford focus; the wheel locks and the key will not turn. this has been a safety issue because the first time it occurred i was pulled over on the side of the interstate. after persistently wiggling the wheel and key for twenty or so minutes, the ignition enabled the key to turn. being that the ignition failed while on the interstate and that i was unable to get out of the way in a safe manner is potentially fatal to passengers and drivers of the ford focus. the consequences of the ford focus faulty ignition have been unpredictable introductions to being stranded and extremely dangerous provocations. the second time my ignition failed, nearly a month afterwards, the ignition failed on the focus was a safety issue also. the wheel locked and the key would not turn while parked in a parking garage late at night. direct results of the faulty ford ignition put drivers and passengers in danger and moreover prevent them from leaving dangerous places. it took well over a half hour in the dangerous failure of my locks also: the third ignition failure also compounding in the security system to putter out. actions to correct the second incident were from a mechanic to use wd 40 and try using a separate key, but the problem was much more complex and dangerous than anticipated. using my spare key worked and the ignition no longer locked. these actions suggested by a mechanic remedied the problem, but only temporarily. the third time this has happened was yesterday, and i'm now getting estimates for replacing the ignition and the security system. in lieu of near death, i demand a recall. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the windshield wiper motor in his vehicle would not return to the off (park) position. when he turned it off, the wipers would stop in the middle of the windshield. nhtsa campaign id number 01v258000 only included the 2000-2001 models. the manufacturer provided him with a reference number and refused liability. the current and failure mileages were approximately 44,000. updated 08/04/09.*jb

I was stranded many miles from a highway because i could not get my ignition key turned, steeringwheel turned or automatic shifter moved. all blocked. luckily, i was able to get a ride back to where i could use my cellphone. a friend checked the internet on the problem and he found the suggestion to hit the key. later many taps this actually worked and i was able to drive home. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus and back in february 2006 i took the car in for a recall to fix door hinges that become hard to open or actually break. they completed the work. as i was driving the other day my rear passenger door just swung open and the door will no longer latch. i called ford and they said since they put some grease or something like that on my door back in 2006 (they never put a new latch on the car) that i am out of luck and have to pay the $336 myself to fix the latch that i feel they should have replaced under the recall in the first place. two of my other three doors are getting hard to open and i feel it is only a matter of time before they completely break also. i have two children and thank god one of them was not in the back seat the day the car door just decided to swing open. *tr

The key will not turn in my ignition on my 2003 ford focus. i have to jiggle and jiggle to get it finally turn. it is like it locks up. going to see a lock smith about possibly getting it fixed if i can not get ford to make a good faith repair on it. took my 20 minutes to get the key to turn in order to start my car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. upon starting the vehicle, the contact was unable to turn the key in the ignition. the steering wheel would not budge; therefore, a tow truck was called. the contact previously experienced issues with the key becoming stuck in the ignition; however, she was always able to start the vehicle. the tow truck driver stated that the failure was identical to two other vehicles he towed the previous day. the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls and they had never heard of this type of failure. they were unable to assist and would not assume responsibility for any repairs. the failure mileage was 58,450 updated 07/08/09 *bf updated 07/08/09.*jb

The key will not turn in ignition to start the car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition. this was the second time that he has experienced an issue with the ignition. the ignition was previously replaced due to a separate issue. he called the manufacturer, but was unsatisfied with the outcome. the contact feels that the vehicle will be stolen if the keys are left in the ignition. the current and failure mileages were 198,156.

My 2003 svt focus takes 2 to five minutes of jiggling the key to get the ignition to work. i have read several complaints on this issue and contacted my nearest dealership and have been told they can fix it at my cost and that there is not a recall on it. the car is very well taken care of and has left me stranded a couple of times because of the ignition not working properly. *tr

My car key would always go in but no turn. once in a while if i jiggled it, it would turn over and be okay. but i was shopping and the car would not start at all, so i called aaa. they had me try a couple of things and it didn't work so it was towed to my car dealer. heir they said that the ignition went and they would have to replace it at the cost of $350. shocked because it was nothing that i could have broken. so i think that ford should recall this as a recurring problem that keeps happening and just fix the problem. my car is always in the shop every 3,000 miles for oil changes it is very well taken care of and i would like to keep it and in the future buy more ford products so i hope that this problem is taken into consideration and fixed. *tr

Valve stem failure on ford focus. *tr

Hopped in my car like normal to drive myself to work. placed key in ignition. won't turn. had to call of work after an hour of toying with it and calling my manager every 15 minutes letting them know... it won't budge.*tr

2003 ford focus, early morning squeaking, mid day, vibrating, late afternoon, car starts to shake excessively and as i drive into my driveway a really loud banging noise comes from the front of the car, so loud it scared me, i turned the car off and open the hood of the car and notice that the metal mounts that hold the engine broke in half and a piece was still on the motor. my engine was hanging from the left side, you could see it from the bottom of the vehicle. my insurance company comes out to check the damages and said in his 22 years of viewing vehicles for claims he's never seen anything like this. my mileage is 59,528, i'm still paying for this car, until 2012. this should not have happened to a six year old car with this little mileage. i called ford to check if there was a recall on this situation. i was told no. i went on the internet to search for complaints regarding 2003 ford focus, found many complaints of many things wrong with this vehicle and several regarding the vibrating of the front of the vehicle relating to motor mount problems. i had the vehicle towed to a repair shop and was told that this incident created a problem with the axel as well. this is going to cost me a lot of money. waiting for an estimate of repairs on 5/9/09. *tr

2003 focus se com. was involved in head on accident front end damaged both air bags did not deploy until after impact. *tr

2003 ford focus se com was involved in head on whole front end damaged air bags did not deploy until after impact. *tr

I purchased a 2003 ford focus for my daughter and she was stranded after driving it to work when she couldn't get the steering wheel unlocked to use her key. the dealership told her it is common in ford focuses of this year. this has resulted in the shaft needing to be replaced for $500 and there is not guarantee that it won't happen again because of this make/model of car. this is ridiculous since ford has known about this for years and as far as i know, there has been no recall issued to date. unacceptable! *tr

The ignition switch lock keeps failing on my 2003 ford focus zx3. i have had a locksmith fix it twice now. the cost to me so far is over $400. *tr

The ignition key will not turn on my 2003 ford focus. i understand that this has been a common problem on this model of vehicle. my daughter was stranded in the vehicle because of this problem. there have been no warnings or signs that this problem was impending. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the rear tires were wearing badly and the top of the rubber was leaning into the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that he needed to purchase a suspension bar to place in the back of the vehicle, which changes one degree. the contact will call the manufacturer to inquire about assistance towards the repair cost. the failure mileage was 180,000. updated 5/7/09 *cn updated 05/12/09.*jb

The ignition switch randomly broke on my 2003 ford focus. my key will not turn the switch. i was stranded with my 2 children. i contacted aaa and the locksmith that i spoke with was out of stock on the ignition cylinder because "this is common problem with the ford focus. i usually keep 4 or 5 on hand." i consider this a personal safety issue as there was no warning of it occurring. it was all very random. i drove to the location. i did my business. i got back into the car. my key would not work. this is a serious problem that the ford motor company needs to address. *tr

My 2003 ford focus ignition lock will not turn. fortunately for ford, my warranty is up. i have read reviews that this is a common complaint with the ford focus model in the years 2000-2003. i cannot drive without fearing that the ignition will lock up on me and i will be stranded. this is very hazardous to me. i was lucky to not have had an emergency to attend to when i was stranded unable to start my car. *tr

The passenger door handle had to be replaced. when my daughter opened the door something popped and you could no longer open the door - i failed an inspection and received a ticket because the door wasn't working properly. my nephew went to the junkyard to get the part because i couldn't afford to replace it new at the dealership. this happened oct of 2007. i own a 2003 ford focus. my daughter opened the back right side window and something again popped. the window wouldn't go up or down. a dealer said it would have to be replaced - again - that the plastic part that makes it go up and down popped. again off to the junk yard - $8.00 bucks what a deal. these things started right after my warranty expired - go figure. why are plastic parts being put into our vehicles - as a single mom i can not afford to replace all parts for the door handles and windows as they pop. we need to fix this problem. *tr

The ignition will not turn on in my car. the key will go in, but it will not turn. it was hard to turn for a while, several weeks i just would keep trying and jiggling it, and it would eventually work, and now it just won't turn on at all. i was stranded in a dangerous area until my husband could come to pick me up. i called a locksmith to repair it and he said he gets this issue al the time with ford focus. *tr

Rotors and brake pads wear down faster than i can afford to fix them. rotors only last 1-2 months then before warping then i ride them out for another month (no money to keep replacing) this has been an ongoing problem for 2 years. i have receipts and mechanics proof. its crazy. i have also verified same problem on other car complaint web sites with people and ford focus' - brakes pads and rotors should not wear out monthly. i cant afford the repairs but i cant afford to have my brakes go out completely and risk the harm to myself and others on the road. please help *tr

My key won't turn in the ignition. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition key will not turn. *tr

Wheel and ignition lock up. *tr

Vehicle involved in serious frontal crash and airbags failed to deploy. *tr

I was seating in a tacobell drivethru, when all of the sudden my engine had a catastrophic engine failure. *tr

2003 ford focus zx3 ignition randomly fails. insert the key into the ignition and it will not turn. you cannot start your car for an indeterminable amount of time. major flaw in ford ignitions with no remedy from ford. *tr

Rack and pinion developed a leak. i bought my car in feb 2004 and everything was fine on it. last spring i noticed my car was making an odd sound and i raised the hood and found the power steering fluid level very low and filled it up. the noise went away. while changing the brakes on it my husband found the rack and pinion leaking fluid. the warranty was only good up to 36,000 miles and at the time this happened the warranty had expired. i currently have only 39,962 miles on this vehicle and drive it very little obviously since it is a 2003 and when we bought it feb 2004 it only had 19,221 miles on it. i am the second owner of this vehicle and as i said i have only put approximately 20,000 miles on it in 5 years. there should not be a problem with the rack and pinion on this vehicle with this little of mileage on it and not driven that often, but there is and i have not to date been able to get it fixed as the two estimates i got to get it fixed is between 550 and 600 dollars to get it fixed. no one other than the rich people can afford a major repair such as this when it is obvious that ford has a manufacturing issue on the rack and pinion on this model vehicle. it will be a total pain if this goes out before i can afford to fix it since it is has power steering and will convert to manual steering if it goes out before i can afford to get it fixed. ford should be forced to make a recall for this issue. *tr

Put key in ignition and it wouldn't turn over. spent 20 minutes trying to get it to turn. finally did. two days later, when i was supposed to go to a family funeral out of town, i had the same problem. afraid that i would have the same problem while traveling out of town, i took it to local car repair place. they couldn't fix it. i was able to work with the ignition again to drive it to the local ford dealer. there they replaced the ignition cylinder and reprogrammed keys. i was unable to attend family funeral. *tr

I drove my car to work thursday morning and everything was working fine with the car and ignition. as i tried to crank my car to go to lunch that day, i noticed that i could insert my key into the ignition but could not turn it to start the car. the steering wheel was locked and would not release since the key would not turn. i had to call aaa for them to send a locksmith out to repair my ignition switch in my car. i have already heard so many people complain about this issue and not even three months ago, my mom who has the exact same make and model car as me, had the same thing happen to her. my brother has the same make and model car as me also and now i am worried he is going to have the same issue occur to him soon too. *tr

Key ignition problem with 2003 ford focus. not very safe when my daughter cant get her key to start her car ford need to fix this asap. *tr

I went shopping got in my car and put the key in the ignition and i couldn't turn the key because the ignition was locked. *tr

Key on 2003 ford focus will not turn. started acting up 3 months of owning. no longer under warranty since it is 5+ years old. *tr

2003 ford focus zx5. ignition switch won't turn. can't start car. *tr

The car has been having issues with the locks for a while now. we can not put the key into the door to unlock it because it wont always work. the handle on the front driver side door has broke once and was replaced. now the key for the ignition will not turn to start the car. the steering wheel has locked and will not allow the key to turn to start the car. *tr

My 2003 ford focus key wouldn't not turn. it finally broke off into the ignition switch which left my daughter strained at captain d's. we had to have it towed home. we are having a hard time getting it fix when you're on a low budget. *tr

The ignition switch on my 2003 ford focus has been failing to work properly. half the time i have to jiggle the steering wheel as i turn the key in order for my start to start. this has been happening off and on for a couple of months now. then tonight, i got stranded at the supermarket and was stuck for hours waiting for roadside assistance. the dispatcher not only sent out the wrong person to assist me, but the first tow truck that came wasn't properly to tow my car due to the way i was parked so i had to wait for a second tow truck (a third person). now my car won't start at all, the wheel is completely locked up, and the only way to get it to the mechanic is to call a tow truck again. however, upon doing a google search, i found that i am not the only one with this problem. and frankly, this car is my family's only decent form of transportation, so without it we're pretty much stuck. *tr

Key will not turn in 2003 ford focus. dealership says it appears to be linkage in the steering column. *tr

I am having ignition issues. my key will not turn. it is on a regular basis that this happens. i have not taken it in for repair yet. i called for an estimate. *tr

The key will not turn in the ignition. the ignition barrel is completely stuck, impeding any use of any vehicle functions. has occurred daily or every other day for a few weeks. a few minutes of jostling may allow it to work. a few times it has been stuck for hours until finally working. this may strand some travelers in winter conditions, like myself. very stressful and potentially dangerous situation. *tr

The key will not turn in the ignition. dealer says it will cost $300-350 to fix. this is ridiculous. my daughter's roommate has a 2004 focus which the same thing happened last year, 2007. *tr

Key won't turn in ignition! you can place the key and the spare key, in the ignition and it will not turn. looked up online and found website that stated this is a very common problem. our key has to stay in the ignition because you can not take it out. very disappointed this is a safety not recall ! my wife and children can be stranded in freezing weather ! also very expensive to fix. *tr

The key in the ignition will not turn in my 2003 ford focus. it gets jammed all the time now. previous attempts of moving the steering wheel back & forth worked for awhile, but even that does not work now. the only way to start it is to tap on the key when it is in the ignition with a mallet or hammer. this usually works after a few tries. now i have to consider leaving the key in the ignition in order to start it easier or carry a hammer in the car. nothing else has been done about the problem yet. according to local ford dealer it'll cost $250-275 to repair. local (cheaper) mechanics can't repair it since they need to get a code from ford to program the part so the new ignition cylinder will recognize the key. from searching on the internet, apparently this is a common problem with the ford focus. basically a bad design and/or inferior materials used in the ignition cylinder. i have never had this type of problem with any other vehicles i've owned especially ones that are only 5 yrs old. i am surprised that there hasn't been a recall on this part yet. it seems to me that this is a serious safety issue. what do i do in the event i need to evacuate because of a natural disaster or terrorist? i won't be able to get away since i can't start my car ! and tapping on the key with a hammer will work for only so long. and of course ford will just replace with the same cheap defective ignition cylinder that the car originally came with any way. so i'll problem have the same problem in a couple years again. *tr

Went to start my car and the key would not turn and the steering wheel was locked. i tried every trick in the book. i have had this happen in the past, and by turning the steering wheel, i was able to start the car. not this time... *tr

My 2003 ford focus se has the issue where the ignition locks. it takes several attempts before i can get the key to turn. twice now i have had to get it towed because of this problem. *tr

The ignition switch on my 2003 ford focus se is stuck. the vehicle is now rendered unusable since it cannot be started. i consider this to be a safety related item because the vehicle is now stranded and will require the services of a locksmith or have to be towed to the nearest dealership to be repaired. i have read online where this appears to be a common problem with the ford focus manufactured in 2000 through 2003. *tr

My car refuses to start. you cannot turn the ignition switch to get it to come on. after searching the internet i saw dozens of complains from people having the same problem. i simply cannot afford to make the repairs and since my car is out of warranty my dealership will not help me. ford customer service hung up on me twice. the only fix is to leave the key in the ignition. i managed to use a hammer to hammer it in. *tr

Back tire sits in and keeps going through tires and had the bearing replaced and drum on both sides and shocks and it still does it and the rear end jumps to the side its bad. *tr

My ignition has locked up on my 2003 ford focus, i am currently in the process of getting it fixed. it started about 3 weeks ago and slowly has gotten worse. my car has not started in a week. i cannot get to work on my own. *tr

This is the second time i have had my key fail to work in a locked ignition of my 2003 ford focus. the first occurred when the car wa purchased in 2004 and now it has recurred. the first was under warranty but this is not. apparently ford is quite familiar with the problem as several focus owners have fixed this compliant on line. why is there no recall? why should ford get a bail out when they leave their consumers without assistance for repairing a problem of their making? *tr

So far, i have only had the problem occur once and am still working to get it repaired. nothing really happened to warrant the problem happening. it seemed to just happen randomly. in my 2003 ford focus, the ignition switch locked. so far, i have heard hundreds of cases of this problem occurring with this particular car, all for focuses ranging from year 2000 to 2003, and the only thing that seems to fix it is to actually have maintenance done. speaking with ford customer service, they did acknowledge that it was a common problem, but would not issue a recall simply because they did not believe it was a safety hazard. i expect to have to pay a large amount of money to repair this problem, even though ford realizes its an error on their part and that a defect with their car is what is causing this problem. i think it is absolutely unacceptable for a company to knowingly keep something defective on the market, even with so many complaints. *tr

Approximately 2 months ago i began to notice a difficulty in turning the key when placed in the ignition. the problem began small, a little jiggle of the key and the ignition cylinder would turn and the car would start. the problem grew to the point in which i would have to forcibly knock the key in with the palm of my hand otherwise the key would not turn at all. i tried all kinds of ways to get the car to start, but hitting the key into the ignition cylinder seemed to be the only way to make it work. finally approximately 3 days ago i was leaving work, placed the key in the car, which not to my amazement did not turn in the cylinder. so as i had grown accustom to i gave the key a smack, but it would not turn. i sat in my car for close to an hour trying to giggle, shack, smack, jimmy, and play with the key any way i could think of but i could not get my car to start. now when you work midnights and you get off work when everyone else is going to work, finding a ride is not the easiest of things. after some extensive research i found that this is a highly common problem in ford focus'. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact turned off the ignition and attempted to restart the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. suddenly, the gear shift locked and became inoperative. the contact exited the vehicle and the driver's side door automatically locked without assistance. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and they replaced the ignition cylinder. the failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 52,000.

The lock cylinder froze in my 2003 ford focus two months after the warranty expired. the repairs totaled $343. *tr

I was out doing errands and the key would not turn in the ignition even with the steering wheel loose. i tried a few times and it finally turned. later that evening when leaving the key would not turn again, except this time it did not ever turn and i ended up having to borrow a car from my in-laws. we are in the process of getting quotes to have it looked at and fixed or replaced. *tr

Ignition stays locked, fails to turn to start engine. problem is intermittent and happens without warning. occurred over a dozen times to me. can leave a person stranded. very costly fix, $150 for new ignition switch, plus labor, $200 to $350 total cost for fix. many, many, many complaints for same problem found on www.mycarstats.com and other forums. *tr

No initial indications of the problem until it happened, a sudden onset. one day, i got in my car, tried to start the engine, and the key would not turn. i tried turning the wheel to get the key to turn, and still no ability to turn the key in the lock and start the car. i tried a second key that is not used, just in case it was a worn key, but still no ability to turn the key in the column lock. finally, after about 15 minutes of trying to jiggle and finagle the key to turn, it did. since then, i have found that if the key is removed, and the steering wheel it turned until a positive clunk is heard and felt, indicating that the steering wheel lock has engaged, the problem repeats every single time. if i remove the key and make sure to not turn the wheel so that the steering wheel lock is not engaged then i can reliably insert the key and turn it in the ignition lock and start the car. i called ford to attempt to request a "good will repair" because i have been a good and long term ford customer (i have owned a ford pinto, a ford focus, a ford contour, and a ford escape before this ford focus) but the agent threw up a load of resistance. now i am told that they will do nothing until i take it to a ford dealer and pay for an inspection to verify the problem. this "service" to verify what i can reliably reproduce every and any time, is unnecessary and will cost approximately half of what it will cost me to have my local garage effect the change and make the repair. i am just another one of thousands of people who suffer due to this design defect that ford must know about. *tr

No events led to this ignition will not turn - happens each time i attempt to start the car - at times it will turn with enough jiggling - has left me stranded with no ride taking it to dealership for replacement, but this is a known ford focus problem. *tr

The ignition locked up in the car. the ignition key wouldn't turn or do anything. this is a huge safety concern. i have a 12 week old baby and live in north dakota. i had my boyfriend's 11 year old daughter with as well. me, an infant, and a child stuck with a car that won't start in weather that is below freezing with the windchill. this is a huge safety concern. *tr

Ignition switch locks and has left family members stranded.... ignition key continues to lock, dealer recommends replacement (cost est. $450.00). *tr

I got into my 2003 ford focus last sunday and the key would not turn. it had been acting up in recent days but on this day nothing would work. therefore my car was rendered useless. long story short...towed it to the dealer they took the lock tumbler cylinder out and sure enough--defective mechanism. ford refuses to cover it in a warranty or extended service plan and now i am out of pocket $400 plus the tow to even get my car to turn on. did some "internet research" and we found this is a common issue. *tr

My key will not turn. there for i can't start my car. i have two small children and i have been stuck places numerous times. i fear for my safety. at any time i could be stuck anywhere! the only thing i can do is carry a hammer with me, so that i can tap the key in the ignition and get the key to turn so i can start my car. i feel it is not safe to carry a hammer around but have no other choice to start my car. *tr

My 2003 ford focus ztw has lug nut caps that do not stay on. every year i lose several caps as the temperature changes causing the metal to expand making the caps lose. recently a cap flew off as my i was driving and hit the passenger side window luckily not breaking it. this is a design defect that needs to be fixed immediately before causing further damage. *tr

Owner of a 2003 ford focus svt. i went to the movies last night and when i put my key in the ignition the ignition switch would not turn. i since have had to have my vehicle towed and the ignition fixed. *tr

The ignition wouldn't turn with the key. very often it would turn with difficulty after some wiggling of the steering wheel. after a while it was nearly impossible once the key was removed. eventually we got the key to work and now we leave the key in and lock the doors with the remote. it used to happen as my wife would leave work in the dark which was very dangerous in some areas. i had to get an aftermarket replacement and repair it myself. i am a fully qualified mechanic though. *tr

Ford focus 2003 - ignition failure, key will not turn my key will not turn in my ignition. this should be recalled. there are thousands of us (ford customers) who have this problem. i do not understand how this is not a "safety" precaution. please recall. americans are not encouraged to buy american-made cars; sadly but true. *tr

I placed my key in the ignition of my 2003 ford focus and the key would not turn. after doing much research, i found that this is a recurring problem for focus owners, even after they have had the ignition cylinder replaced. not only is this a huge financial burden, it is also a major safety concern. living in chicago, if i become stranded and unable to start my car, i could be in a very dangerous situation (as could many other owners in different locations). *tr

Ford focus key will not turn in. i drive a ford focus zx5 2003. the ignition locked up and would not turn. as a result,i was stranded in a parking lot it has happened few times. i contacted ford customer service at no avail. they did not recognize to be an issue even though it #1 issue as many people have complaint about it. they told me that i had to pay for the repair as the vehicle is out of warranty. there was no reason for these ignitions to fail. i consider to be a safe issue. there is no public transportation so i have to rely on my vehicle for transportation regardless of circumstances. *tr

On 5 different occasions the key / ignition switch has stuck and not allowed me to start my can. this problem has left me stranded 2 times where i was unable to receive help for more than 8 hours. i contacted a ford dealership and was told that this was a common problem and that there was no safety recall for this and it would cost $400 to $600 to repair it. i did find a locksmith to repair it for $250.00 and was told by the tech that he repairs this problem on the ford focus 2 to 3 times a week. *tr

Steering column lock gets stuck. vehicle cannot be started. *tr

Ignition locked leaving me stranded. finally got the car started only to find it locked up again the next time i tried to start it. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus and was stranded and had to have my car towed because the steering wheel locked and i couldn't get the key to turn over. the care repair cost was $551 and the ignition and starter cylinder inside of the steering column had to be replaced. i believe this is a manufacturing flaw and ford motor co. should pay for the repairs as a recall problem. it's my understanding that many 2000-2003 ford focus models have this flaw. *tr

The key in my focus would not turn in the ignition. this caused me to be stranded since i could not start my car. i recently learned this is a common problem with my car. in fact, a man in the service dept at my local ford dealership said this problem "happens way more than it should." i live in a city with high crime. being stranded is a very scary situation. since this is a common problem with my type of car, the manufacturer certainly should recall and fix this part to prevent people like me from being left in dangerous situations. *tr

Had to have ignition lock cylinder replaced on an emergency basis in my 2003 ford focus; car wouldn't start (i.e., key wouldn't turn in the ignition) with either one of the two keys i have (both original keys). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that there was a recall for the rear doors on the vehicle. the vehicle was taken in to be repaired, but afterwards, the failure still occurred. the handles on the vehicle failed. the contact can open the doors from the passenger compartment, but not from the exterior of the vehicle. the doors seem to be sealed extremely tightly. the contact stated that this was a serious safety issue not being able to open the doors from the outside. the dealer did not repair the doors properly. the failure and current mileages were 118,507.

Second time having problem with ignition on 2003 ford focus. the key won't turn and have been left stranded on the highway and missed days of work to get the replacement ignition switch. this is a problem that ford needs to acknowledge and recall. thousands of ford focus owners have had the same problem. not only is it costly and is a repair that is fords' responsibility to fix due to faulty ignitions but also a safety hazard. *tr

Ignition would not turn. the first time it occurred was back in july 2008. if i played with the steering wheel it would finally turn the key. the ignition had to be replaced. ford has had this problem with the focus since 2001. *tr

My teenage daughter drives a ford focus zx3 2003. after owning the car for only a few months, the ignition locked up and would not turn. as a result, she was stranded in a parking lot alone feeling very unsafe. the same thing has happened 3 times to my husbands f250 ignition. the ignitions had to be replaced by a locksmith each time. there was no reason for these ignitions to fail. *tr

I have replaced the transmission, the water pump, the thermostat, and all radiator hoses. the car overheats daily still. the stereo cuts on and off and can't be turned off by the power button. the rear left seatbelt is stuck where it can't be used. the driver window fell into the door, when the panel was removed it showed that the whole wire system had snapped. the driver door also can only be opened from the inside. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus and had to spend $360 to have my ignition cylinder replaced as my steering wheel had locked and the key unable to turn and start the car when the car had just worked fine the previous day. luckily, it was still warm outside and i was not stranded in a remote place in a storm or in winter where harm could befall someone. i couldn't figure out what was wrong or what i needed to do, but i couldn't unlock the steering wheel. i even called the ford company who stated there was not anything they could do except that it should be taken to a dealer. i called a ford dealership whose service director did not seem surprised by what was wrong with my steering wheel, even saying that probably the ignition cylinder would need to be replaced and that the part would usually cost $350-400 to repair. he said that he had replaced quite a few for the focus. then i went online and found out that many people have had this same problem, over and over again, some having replaced this one part 4-5 times. for some reason this part has never been recalled even though it is a serious engineering flaw with possible serious ramifications in stranding people unexpectedly and without warning. something should be done and so i am turning to you to make the ford company own up to their design flaw concerning its car, the ford focus concerning its ignition cylinder. when the locksmith came and replaced the cylinder he demonstrated why the part was defective. it has something to do with the tumbler mechanism in the cylinder. *tr

The transmission was slipping,hard shifting, and not going into 4th. the car had less than 70 thousand miles. took it to repair shop and was told that it was a solenoid. also was told that it was a common occurrence in my type of vehicle. it may or may not fix the problem completely. when i questioned why he said that many of the focus transmissions have solenoid problems until they need to be replaced. i went online and did some searching and found that there are many people who have had the same problems with the same year and make of my car. when i contacted ford they said that they did not see these problems very often. when i approached them with the discussion boards that i had read and the comments from my trusted mechanic they had no comment. my car does work now after the solenoid was replaced, but it still slips and shifts hard from 1st to 2nd. i am disappointed that ford will not admit to a problem with the mechanics of this transmission. *tr

I purchased my car a year ago. it has 26,452 miles on it. i was on the interstate when a warning light came on. i pulled over, turned the car off and back on again and the light was out. i continued on. a day later the same thing happened. i took it to the garage and they pulled the codes that said the gear ratio was incorrect in 2nd and 3rd. i took it to the dealer and was told the transmission needed to be replaced....after 26,000 miles??? my powertrain warranty had expired about a month prior. i called ford. they refused to help me in any way and even went so far as to say my driving had caused the failure. they also flat out lied and told me the warranty was for only 3/36,000 when i have a news release from ford stating it is for 5/100,000. i did get the transmission replaced at the cost of $3600. ford still refuses to acknowledge that they obviously made a malfunctioning transmission. *tr

Ignition lock cylinder on ford focus is defective. the mechanism locks and is unable to turn. this yields the vehicle inoperable, posing a significant safety risk if the owner needs to use the vehicle in an emergency or the vehicle stalls on the highway. this is an issue known by ford, as evidenced by the mechanics at landmark ford, tigard, oregon stating that it is a common problem and ford has quietly updated the cylinder. in addition, there are numerous internet forums with this same complaint. all owners of focus vehicles will have this failure, it is just a matter of time. the repair is $300+. a recall should be required of ford to address the issue. *tr

The wheel/ignition locked as turned the wheel to park on a hill. this is the first time it has happened on this car and could not unlock it. i took it to the dealership and they said it would $340 that the whole cylinder would have to be replaced. *tr

Ignition is stuck and wont turn. left my wife and daughter with no way of getting home. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start in the mornings and it would idle extremely roughly. she took the vehicle to the dealer, but they could not duplicate the failure and remedy the issue. in addition, the motor mounts had to be replaced and the air conditioner would not blow cold air. the contact is in the process of determining the cause of the failures. the failure mileage was 10 and current mileage was 85,000.

After placing the down payment of $1500 and completing the paperwork. not even a week later the car began to stall on the freeway and eventually stopped on me in the middle of rush hour traffic. the car was able to restart and i drove it to freeway ford here in houston, tx. each time they couldn't find what the problem was. i hadn't enjoyed the car over a month because the car was given me problems when i had it and it stayed at the dealership. i spoke to the service manager and the dealership assistant manager and neither had an answer. *tr

I do not know for sure what caused it, but my ignition on my 03 ford focus lx locked up and would not turn over. you could leave the key in and it would always start. but if you took the key out it would lock up and refuse to turn. i have not had it fixed yet and i think it is not fair that i should have to fix it when 9 out of 10 ford focus do this. i am taking it to a lock smith to have it fixed next week and i will be selling it and i will never buy a ford again. *tr

Key won't turn in ignition. *tr

The key will not turn in the ignition. *tr

Water leaks in to my 2003 ford focus from under the dashboard onto the passenger side of the car. i googled the problem and literally found 100's of complaints. it seems it is related to the cabin air filter housing. it acts like a funnel that directs rain that escapes the cowl seal into the cabin. why isn't there a recall on this? *tr

Back in july (ish) of 07, my 4 door ford focus zx5 passenger side rear door window fell in the door while driving. on aug 8, 2008 my driver side rear window fell in the door as well. i had my 2 girls in the back seat this time. the first time this happened i took it to a ford dealership and was told that the top pulley had broken out of the door causing the window to fall. i now have 2 non functioning windows with the same thing wrong with them within almost a year from each other. just waiting for the front windows to do the same while i'm driving down the road. *tr

Comments: the ignition of my ford focus 2003 locked @ 40,000 miles. key suddenly wouldn't turn. unable to start engine. had to have it towed to ford dealer by aaa tow. aa driver said he has had many such cases. had to get ignition cylinder replaced @ dealer for exorbitant $570.($347 labor) there are thundreds of these cases but ford will not address problem. i heard that there is a class action lawsuit. would like to get more info on how to join in lawsuit or other means to get ford to issue a recall and/or pay for this part failure. *tr

Being stranded without my car starting is my issue. have 2003 ford focus ignition key would not turn to turn car on-- stranded 5 times-- one time i was 45 miles from home-- had it towed and repaired cost $90 now it happened again and had to get a ride home from work hate to see what this bill will be if ford is aware of this problem with 2000 through 2003 vehicles why are they not doing anything to help the consumer out by recalling them . *tr

Until a week ago, i was the happy owner of an '03 zx3 focus. on 7/15, i had to swerve to avoid a car drifting into my lane and hit the concrete retaining wall at about 60 mph. the shock was enough to crush most of the front and engine block and break the axle. yet the airbags did not deploy. shame on you ford. *tr

The "service engine soon light" was on off and on for a about a week prior. then i parked my car one evening and the following morning i could not turn my key in the ignition, it was locked, and therefore also i could not change gears to neutral or get it out of park. i found the same problem at a website here is the url: http://www.fordproblems.com/focus/key-wont-turn-in-the-ignition.shtml hope this helps to make this a safety issue worthy of recall. i'm blessed this happened to me at my apartment, but what would happen were i to get stuck elsewhere. i plan to call a locksmith tonight to try and fix my problem. thank you. *tr

I left my car for 5 mins to grab something in my home and when i returned to start my car the ignition wouldn't even budge, now i am going to have to get the ignition replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. after leaving the grocery store, the contact placed the key into the ignition but could not turn the key. she attempted to wiggle the key in the ignition to start the vehicle; however,the vehicle failed to start even after several attempts. the contact's friend owns a ford focus and instructed her to tap on the key while it is in the ignition. the contact heeded this advice and, after a few attempts, she was able to start the vehicle. she took the vehicle to the nearest dealer, where it is currently being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 80,000. updated 10/07/08. *lj

I was getting into my car and suddenly the key would go into the ignition but would not turn. i called a locksmith and i soon as they heard that it was a ford focus they didn't want to so anything because they stated that this is a dealership problem and they had to help me. they stated that this problem was very common with my type of vehicle and that i should check to see if there was a recall for it since it is a safety issue. when i called the dealership the person on the phone stated that they needed to check the vehicle and just to look at it they would charge me a fee of $87.00 to tell me that the key doesn't turn. after that they stated that they would give me an estimate as to how much i would have to pay to get it fixed. nothing has been done yet to correct the problem as i feel that it is completely ridiculous that they will not take responsibility for their faulty parts. *tr

I currently drive a 2003 ford focus hatchback 2.3l. after the engine is turned off the ignition and steering wheel lock completely. when attempting to turn on the vehicle, my car key will not turn and the wheel remains locked, in turn the vehicle becomes completely unusable. i call to ford road side assistant prompted me to quickly move the steering wheel left and right while turning the ignition forwards and backwards. i had been able to turn on the car up to 5 times using this system although once at the mechanic the car will no longer turn on, the mechanic must now drill a hole inside the steering wheel causing property damage. this started on my vehicle on sunday june 29th. this is a major safety concern as a car that does not allow the motorist to turn on the ignition can lead to possible crashes if the car becomes stalled in a highway etc. *tr

Rattle anf thumbing sound coming from under front of vehicle when going over every bump. reported to ford service department on three occasions. (10/11/06, 04/05/07 and 06/26/08 ) on 06/26/2008, ford charged me $288.56 to install a front end stabilizer kit. old parts are not available. *tr

Driving under normal conditions at 45 mph i heard a pop followed by a grinding noise from the front passenger side wheel. i immediately pulled over to find my car leaning noticeably to the front passenger side. car was towed to ford dealership and i was told that both front coil springs as well as the front right tire needed replaced due to coil spring corrosion and resulting failure of the front right coil spring. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus zx5 and i have had repeated key ignition problems. my key tends to not work in the ignition and has forced me into tough situations. the most recent was being stranded on the 4th of july in a city i am not from in a bad part of town after a fire works show. i also have had previous problems with the same matter and when i contacted ford about it they could offer no solution other than a steep price to fix a problem they caused which i believe to be robbery and unacceptable. i have researched consumer complaint sites and noticed that this has not only happened to me and that there is a class action suit against ford in california for such a problem. i have now lost my job because of no transportation to work due to fords mishap. *tr

Failure of front right-side oem coil spring due to excessive corrosion under rubber sleeve on coil spring. coil spring was replaced. *tr

I got into my car last night and could not start it, i have a 2003 ford focus station wagon se, the key won't turn in the ignition, i am stranded and cant get to the drug store to get my sons medication. i cant get to the grocery store and am afraid i wont be able to get to work on monday. *tr

I took my 2003 ford focus wagon into the shop because of loud noises i was hearing from under the car while driving car. when they got it up on the lift they had me come to repair bay to look at it because they'd never seen anything like this before. what they'd found was that the cradle or subframe piece that holds the engine in was completed rotted out. it was so bad you could stick your finger through it. they said this is something you'd expect to find on a 1980s car perhaps, but certainly not one that was only five years old. i asked them if they could fix it and they said they could, but this was a safety issue and that i should take it instead to the ford dealer, which i did. the service manager at the ford dealer was equally surprised by the condition of the frame and said he'd talk to the warranty about it, but they said a 2003 model was not covered for rust damage. the car only has 75,000 miles on it. so the service manager suggested instead that i contact ford customers relations about it because 1) it was a serious safety issue that may warrant a recall and 2) as a result i should be reimbursed. i talked with the customer relations people but they took the position that since the car was out of warranty for a rust condition and because there was no recall in place for such a condition they couldn't or wouldn't do anything about it. so i decided to bring it to you. *tr

Keys would be hard to turn in the ignition the today keys would not turn in the ignition...left stranded. *tr

We have a 2003 ford focus and apparently this type of vehicle has a reputation of having the ignition lock up and just wont start again. apparently ford dealership is aware of the problem but there is no recall on this item yet. my daughter and granddaughter have been stranded for 4 hours trying to get this fixed. *tr

2003 ford focus car key ignition problems the key will not turn in the ignition and left me stranded. i took it to the dealership to be fixed were they informed me that the ignition has to be rebuilt. *tr

My 2003 ford focus was previously owned by one person, my own sunday driver grandmother and is currently only driven by myself and my mother. it had only 47,800 miles on it when the key would not turn in the ignition leaving my mother stranded at one place and me stranded across town waiting for a ride. the faulty ignition cylinder locked up randomly potentially making the car a roadside and/or traffic hazard. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition locked so the key wouldn't turn. we had to have a locksmith come out to remove the ignition lock pins, which he reported commonly malfunction in this way. this is a commonly reported problem on 2000-2005 year ford focus vehicles, but ford will not issue a recall, even though it can result in drivers being stranded, unable to start their vehicles. *tr

2003 ford focus the key will not turn in the ignition rendering the car undrivable. *tr

Key would not turn in the ignition. this has happened several times. after some repeated attempts to start, eventually the key would work. this time, it has refused to budge. seems to be connected to the steering wheel being turned but that locks up too, so it can't resolve itself. research on internet such as consumer's report shows this to be a frequent complaint with this model. defective ignition! the other day it left me stranded with two small children. i would classify that as a safety concern! *tr

Ignition key/cylinder had to be replace. key would not turn to start car. *tr

With no warning and 1000k out of the bumper to bumper warranty, the key would not turn or start the car. i had the vehicle towed to the dealership, a new ignition cylinder cost $258.44 plus tow. consumers do not expect a car with 37k to fail on them like this. i could have been on a family outing with my son who is a diabetic. this problem has been extensively reported yet ford has not issued a recall. dependability or lack there of, is imperative to the safety of a vehicle. *tr

The ignition has locked up on my 2003 ford focus each time i have tried to start the car for the past 3 days. i have been stranded in some dangerous places (including a parking structure in downtown los angeles at 1:30am) for up to 40 minutes trying to get the car to start. *tr

I had a crack in the coolant reservoir that i took to get repaired. i drove my car there, turned the car off while waiting for the customer in front of me to pull up. i turned the car back on and pulled it up to where the serviceman was waiting. i turned the car off. i gave them my information. the serviceman then took my car, started it, and drove it into the service bay. they did the work on the car and then without warning the ignition would not turn over. they tried and tried. it wouldn't turn. i had absolutely no warning or anything that there was a problem. i went to the ford dealer and asked them how this happens, if it happened over time, or what. the guy told me that it could happen at any time and then it would cost $400 to get repaired. just out of the blue without warning he said that the ignition could go out! i took the car to another mechanic and he only had to repair the ignition switch at virtually half the price using ford dealer parts! it doesn't make any sense that something as vital as the ignition can just stop at any time! *tr

When the car is parked, wheels turned, steering wheel locked, the ignition cylinder will not turn i.e. the key won't turn the ignition. this happened in the morning. when pushing in on the key, the key was able to turn the ignition. in the afternoon when the same situation occurred the key was not able to turn in ignition. i talked to two dealerships and they were both aware with the problem and the temporary solution. i talked to the tow truck driver and he said he as see this happen multiple times. he told me that ford stop using this type of ignition system however, chevrolet started using this system and he has seen the same problems occur with new chevrolets. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus ex. on the date of the incident, i was stopped at a red light, and i looked in the rear view mirror and saw a ford mustang barreling down on me. with no time to react, i was hit from behind at 50 miles an hour. what bothers me is that the airbags did not deploy, even though i came deathly close to smashing my face against the steering wheel. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving 60 mph, the contact heard a loud noise. he arrived home and felt as if the driver's seat back rest was leaning more than normal. he checked the seat and found that it had failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that a defective factory welding caused the seat bolt to fail. the contact will need to replace the entire seat and he feels that the manufacturer should be responsible for the cost. the manufacturer stated that they were aware of the safety concern, but they would not assist because the vehicle exceeded the warranty mileage. the current mileage was 133,000 and failure mileage was 101,000. updated 05/06/08 *bf updated 05/06/08 *tr

2003 ford focus car has (2) different type spark plugs installed at factory causing car not to run normal. ford motor co. does not have a answer for problem. *tr

Key will not turn the ignition on. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but was unsuccessful because the ignition would not turn. after 15 minutes of turning the key in the ignition various ways, the vehicle eventually started. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the purchase date, transmission type, fuel type, and fuel system were unknown. the current mileage was 49,000 and failure mileage was 47,000.

Place key into the ignition and the key would not turn. there is only 50k on the car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while parked in the backyard, the contact started the vehicle and the rear window blew out. the dealer repaired the window. a few days later, the locks on the passenger side door would not unlock. the dealer repaired that failure as well. afterwards, the ignition cylinder began to fail. the contact took the vehicle in for repair and had to pay $300. the current and failure mileages were 5,000. updated 05/21/08 *bf the consumer stated the trunk needed to be repaired as well. updated. 05/20/08. *jb

Vehicle caught on fire on april 12th, 2008. 2-3 hs after being parked on the street the vehicle was on fire. the cause has not been determined yet, but according to the fire investigation unit the fire apparently started near the console area. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. after driving the vehicle between 10-30 minutes, the vehicle will not restart after it has been turned off. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the entire coolant system. two weeks later, the failure recurred three different times. he took the vehicle back to the same dealer and they stated that due to the mileage, the contact would have to pay for the same repair again. the vehicle has not been repaired again. the failure mileage was 72,000 and current mileage was 73,371.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. when the contact placed her vehicle into park, turned it off, and then started it up again, the vehicle surged forward. the contact stated that if it is in drive, the vehicle would surge forward. in addition, the air bags failed to deploy. if the vehicle is in reverse, it would surge backward. the contact only notified the insurance company. a crash occurred and an occupant was injured. the manufacturer has not been notified. the contact stated that the air bags also failed to deploy. the current mileage was 36,600 and failure mileage was 35,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. when the vehicle was purchased, the contact noticed that the rear passenger side door was tied shut because it would not latch properly. the dealer stated that her vehicle had previously been repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch) and she would be liable for the repair costs. the manufacturer did not assist. the vehicle has not been repaired. the powertrain was unknown. the failure mileage was 96,000 and current mileage was 96,748. updated 05/06/08 *bf updated 05/06/08 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. she called a mechanic and the ignition was replaced. the current mileage was 140,030 and failure mileage was 139,382. updated 04/22/08. *lj

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact is unable to remove the key from the ignition only in rainy weather conditions. he notified three different dealers that acknowledged the failure, but were unable to provide a solution. everyone refuses to repair the vehicle, including a locksmith. the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. the key remains in the ignition. the failure mileage was 107,000 and current mileage was 111,000.

Premature failure of ignition module, could have failed while driving causing serious injury. after talking to dealership and other ford sources, dealers fix at least a focus a week with the same issue, this is an extensive issue that needs to be addressed. *tr

Ignition switch won't turn in my 2003 ford focus. left me stranded in the parking lot at the airport. *tr

When driving on freeway to pass other cars the transmission drops into lower gear the the motor revs up not shifting into another gear stalling and slowing down causing cars behind to almost hit my car. at higher speeds in traffic this can cause a accident. *tr

The key ignition is locked and won't turn on the car. *tr

Placed key into 2003 ford focus and cannot turn key in ignition. the ignition is locked up. car has only 60,000 miles!!! *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus and my key wont start my car. when you place the key in the ignition the key wont turn. *tr

I got in my car and placed the key in to start yesterday and the key would not turn. the ignition had locked up. after several tries i was able to turn the key, it happened again, however, this morning. i was trying to return home and unable to start my car, i had to wait in my car for an hour until someone could bring me the key (it is currently 22º out). the key still will not turn after several tries. i am currently waiting to get it fixed to see if there is any other way. i have researched online and apparently hundreds of 2003 ford focus owners have the exact same problem. *tr

Defect in the key ignition; key would get stuck and car would not turn on at all. your would not be able to turn on the car at all. the keys would be 100.00 each and they had to be program. several repairs finally had to replace the hold ignition for a total of 411.62. this was a defect on the ford companies part; did a small survey and everyone with ford vehicles or ford focuses had the same problem; but had to pay of their pocket for the repairs when their warranty ran out. i believe ford owes me for the repair. the doors also get stuck and won't open. *tr

On january 22, 2008 the key would not start the car, it would not turn to release the steering wheel lock. this had happened a number of time previously but we were able to turn it after considerable effort. this was an extremely cold day in michigan and could have been a serious problem if i did not get some help from my daughter. we called several locksmiths and finally one mobile locksmith came and replaced the lock. *tr

Took the car to the dealer the same day the left tail light turn signal went out. according to the service manager, they could not remove the bulb because when the bulb "shorted," it melted plastic around the bulb. i had to buy an entirely new tail light and socket assembly for over $100. i was told by him that this happens "a lot" on the focus wagons and he had replaced 6 of them that day. when i expressed my anger and disbelief at the cost and asked why this wasn't a recall item, he said not to blame him because he didn't design it. i am angry about the cost, but also whether this is a potential safety hazard. it was 5 degrees the day this happened and such a "short circuit" may have safety implications. *tr

Key will not turn in the ignition of my 2003 ford focus. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. in an attempt to drive the vehicle, the contact placed her key in the ignition and it would not turn. the vehicle had to be towed to a mechanic and they replaced the entire ignition. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 90,000.

I bought the vehicle new, it has 58,000 miles since purchased the vehicle i changed the tires 4 times. it makes a noise in the back axle, it broke twice already. i took it to the dealer alot of times they said that there was nothing wrong. the noise is still there. the noise is loud. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus zx3 with 27,000 miles. for the past year and a half the dashboard lights go out suddenly. this is not a fuse problem, as the way to get them back on is to turn off the headlights and then turn them back on. often this problem will occur several times during one trip; at other times it will "solve" the problem for months. it has happened on high-speed highways and it is disconcertingly dangerous, especially when it is critical to know one's speed. i believe (from the internet) that others have had this problem with the focus. ford, however, did not acknowledge a problem, or how to fix it other than taking it to a dealer at my expense. *tr

My cars ignition doesn't work. it will lock me out of my own car. i have to bang my key as hard as i can to get the ignition to unlock. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that she heard a noise coming from the dashboard and the steering wheel would shake while the vehicle idled. the vehicle was inspected on four occasions by four different mechanics and they stated that the motor mounts caused the failure. as of january 3, 2008, the mechanic had not repaired the vehicle. the failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 54,000.

Nhtsa campaign id 05v030000 regarding recall of ford focus models 2000-2005 for rear door latch problems (ford recall 05s27) identifies vehicles manufactured at the wayne assembly plant from may 22, 2002 through january 26, 2005 as potentially affected. my vehicle was not identified as affected by ford for this recall. however, my vehicle was manufactured at the wayne assembly plant in june 2003 and i have experienced the same door latch problems described in the recall notice. i feel that my vehicle should have been included in the recall and that ford motor company should address this problem. so far they have refused to take any action to remedy my complaint. *tr

Ignition switch would not turn. left stranded. *tr

The entire steering wheel and ignition cylinder locked on my 2003 ford focus ztw. apparently, this is a big problem, requiring replacement of the cylinder. this has left me stranded without a car. *tr

The ignition on my 2003 ford focus keeps seizing up. the only way to get the key to turn is to tap it with a hammer. i ran a google search for ford focus steering lock and found thousands of complaints for this same problem. many of which said that ford does not recognize a problem and charged them for the repair. i have not taken the car in for service yet and am reluctant to waste my time with the dealer given the complaints i see and the fact i could have it done cheaper elsewhere. ford needs to recognize this and recall or reimburse. this is a dangerous situation in cold weather. from what i understand the ignition part was redesigned in 2005 and now functions properly. *tr

The ignition on our 2003 ford focus failed. i was out of town visiting relatives in omaha and stopped at the omaha sams club. when i came out of the store to go home, the ignition would not turn. it was frozen so the key could not move it at all. as a result, i was stuck at a store. i called relatives and we arranged for a tow truck to take it to the ford dealership. the ignition cylinder was replaced and we were billed $339.00 for the repair. i have never heard of this type of failure on any vehicle yet it is supposedly a common problem with the ford focus. *tr

My mother purchased a new 2003 ford focus from lofink's ford in carthage, ny late in 2003 several times over the first three years she had the car, there was a problem with the ignition switch/steering column. she was unable to turn the key to start the vehicle. she repeatedly tried the key/steering wheel and was eventually able to get the key to turn. when she reported this to the dealership within the warranty period, she was told that sometimes this happened, that she should just jiggle the key/etc. she relocated to belton, tx in jun 07 to be near me, her daughter. on 30 sep 07 the car had the same issue, except that no amount of jiggling the key/steering column would allow the key to turn. the car was towed to johnson brothers ford in temple, tx. the dealership diagnostics read as follows: ignition system diag found ignition switch binding replaced ignition switch, retest sytem ok. the ignition switch would not turn had to drill out ign lock cylinder to remove. this cost: $474.67 which was not covered because the car had 16,505 miles on it at that time and was out of warranty. i pursued this issue with the repairing dealership, the selling dealership, and ford motor company (in writing) to no avail, requesting a good faith reimbursment. today the switch failed again and the car is now being towed for repair.*cn

Ignition switch won't turn. it's like the key is from the wrong car or something. i was stuck in 5 degree weather while waiting for a tow-truck driver to take my car to the dealership, which was closed anyway. the two-truck driver told me that he's personally seen about a hundred focuses (foci?) with the same problem, and that they are "notorious" among the tow-truck drivers for this problem. he was able to get the key to turn, and i was able to get home, but now i have looked on the web and seen that there are hundreds or thousands of owners with the same exact problem. there is a class-action lawsuit in california over it. *tr

I am writing because i believe that there should be a recall for my car due to many complaints with the same problem with my car. my wife was shopping and when she went to start the car the steering wheel was locked and the key would not turn. we ended up having to have the car towed to our home. we went online and researched and saw that many people with the same car and year that we have has the same problem. our car is a 2003 ford focus and its an ignition lock problem. the average repair is between $300 - $500. i believe that it is a huge safety issue as my wife was stranded with our 7 week old and 4 year old in very cold weather with no way to start the car for any heat. its dangerous and the complaints are many. all you have to do is google it and you can see. i contacted ford to see if they will take care of the issue and they are supposed to get back to me by tomorrow at 2 to let me know. i believe that they should as again they know that this is a very common problem with this vehicle and have yet to ever issue a recall for it. thank you. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while attempting to start the vehicle, it would not unlock or allow her to start the vehicle. a professional stated that the ignition cylinder does not unlock, which prevented the vehicle from starting. the vehicle is currently being repaired. he called the manufacturer and is waiting for a response. the current and failure mileages were 60,600.

Car had sudden acceleration that was almost uncontrollable--aug 2004 causing crash with 1 injury & car accelerated uncontrollably in reverse causing crash with damage to house...both accidents could have been fatal..owner was accused of careless driving but was not at fault either time. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus. i have the common complaint that my ignition needed to be replaced. the wheel became locked and i was unable to turn the key. i have found countless stories similar to mine on the internet and it's so common that the ford dealer and all the locksmiths that i have talked to in the last two days have known exactly what i was talking about. this problem needs to be addressed. thank you. *tr

Key gets stuck in ignition. *tr

I am having problem with my ignition. the key does not turn at all. the car has less than 50,000 miles but its already causing problem. *tr

Key fails to turn in ignition in 2003 ford focus. *tr

Ignition switch lock barrel failure. this is an ongoing well-known problem about the ford focus that ford seems happy to ignore. *tr

My 2003 ford focus, left me sitting on a friday evening because the ignition key cylinder would not allow me to turn the key. not only was the ignition key cylinder locked, but so was the gear shift and the steering wheel. i couldn't move the vehicle at all. it was dark and i was left sitting with one of my two children. i had to call for a ride, get the car towed and then pay to get it fixed. all along, ford knew that this was, as they stated on their website, "a defect". obviously this is an ongoing problem for the ford focus. i have a friend who also had this problem. it's a issue that needs to be faced and probably be considered for recall, in my opinion. i feel that paying for this "defect" is unacceptable. i believe that ford should have this on recall and take care of replacing the ignition lock cylinder for it's customers! *tr

Tire first went flat when the tire was refilled with air a bubble began to form and after that the tread began to separate from the tire. *tr

Over the past two years, we have had recurring challenges associated with removing the ignition key from the ignition cylinder/tumbler on our 2003 ford focus zx3. on december 23, 2007, i was no longer able to remove the key after hours of trying to jiggle or cajole the key and/or cylinder. i was forced to call for a tow truck. and i was without a primary car over christmas. the ford dealer has informed me that this is "a well known problem." the "resolution" was replacement of the part and a substantial service charge. *tr

The steering wheel has locked and is impossible to unlock. this happened once before but i was able to free it after some effort. i have not had any luck this time. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the ignition switch locked up constantly and the contact can no longer drive the vehicle because the steering cannot be unlocked. the dealer stated that the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced at the cost of $375. the part is not under warranty and there is no recall. the current mileage was 57,000 and failure mileage was 55,000.

I had a front right suspension spring break while the car sat in my driveway overnight. this could have killed me if it happened on the road as a jagged point was engaged with the tread of the tire. dealer admits this to be a common problem with the focus and the taurus, but would not cover the part or labor. *tr

I have had two complete transmissions rebuilt on this vehicle, the first at around 18,000 miles, the second at around 50,000. it is beginning the same sequence of events, failure to engage in 4th gear (automatic). dealer will not do anything until complete failure. i understand the 2003 transmission to have relatively frequent failure occurrence based on web and other investigation. date of first incident below is approximate. *tr

The ignition lock has locked itself and as a result we have not been able to turn the vehicle on. from what i've gathered on the internet it was not an isolated incident. i talked to one of the local repair shops and was told it was cost around $500 to have the part replaced. *tr

Ignition key would not turn. i was stranded away form home, had to call a tow truck and have the care towed to the dealer. internet research shows that this is a common problem with the 2000-2003 ford focus cars and ford has not issued a re-call, although they have issue a tsb 05-21-17 in reference to the ignition switch problems. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. on three occasions, three window motor regulators have failed in the vehicle. the failure was noticed while driving 30 mph. the front driver side and both rear windows failed and were repaired at the owner's expense. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 76,100 and failure mileage was 75,700.

I am currently leasing a ford focus zx5, i've been driving this car without any problems for just over 6 months. after stopping at the grocery store with my 17 month old daughter, my key doesn't turn in the ignition!! not only is this frustrating it is dangerous. my daughter was crying from the cold that night and i had to walk home with her in my arms!! so in conclusion i feel that the fact that the ignition cylinder can go at any time without warning is a definite and unnecessary risk to safety. my daughter is now sick because of this! *tr

When i put my key into my car it will not turn. while this may not be an "obvious" safety risk, it can lead to serious problems if you are stranded somewhere. ford knows about this problem with focus, yet has done nothing to correct it. i ended up stranded for over an hour as i waited for someone to pick me up, finally i banged the key out of frustration and i was able to turn it. this is a serious safety matter to me, as i am a single woman. ford needs to take responsibility and recall their defective ignition cylinders. i will now have to spend at least $400 to fix this, and it's something that there is no guarantee won't happen in the future, as it will be replaced with the same defective mechanism. *tr

I have had a few prior problems getting my key to turn in my ignition, which i was eventually able to fix myself. last night however, i was unable to get my key to turn in the ignition. i was left stranded in a less than ideal neighborhood after 30 minutes of trying to start my car. this ignition lock problem has happened the eve before thanksgiving which leaves me without a car on a holiday weekend. *tr

In july 2007 the ignition key locked up and could not be turned to start the engine. i managed to get it to turn (no, it was because the steering wheel was holding) and drove it to the ford dealership. they had to replace the key cylinder for nearly $400. despite numerous complaints and a 100,000-mile warranty, this service was not covered. the mechanic suggested that the keys were worn out and that i needed to make a new key to prevent future failure. i did so and only use the new key to start the car. now, only 3 months later, the ignition periodically sticks as if it is about to start locking up again. if i push the key in firmly, it will turn normally. this is a poor quality mechanism and ford should recall this before it happens to someone on a 40-below winter night. i will never buy another ford because of this issue.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. when attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition switch failed. it took the contact approximately 20 attempts to start the vehicle. the ignition cylinder is currently being repaired by a local mechanic. the contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer. the current and failure mileages were 59,000. updated 03/14/08. *lj

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving 35 mph, the clutch locked and the vehicle would not shift into gear. the contact had to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to his home. ford advised the owner that the parts for this vehicle are no longer being produced. the current mileage was 38000 and the failure mileage was 33000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key would not turn when it was inserted in the ignition. he had to shake the steering wheel and move it for 15 - 30 minutes before the vehicle would start. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the ignition cylinder switch needed to be replaced at the cost of $512. the current mileage was 93,000 and failure mileage was 92,500.

While in dangerous situation my ford focus again had a key fail in the ignition. i had taken it to ford, while still under warranty, and asked for it to be replaced and they said, "oh, it's ok, just jiggle it." that does not work. eventually it will come free, usually, but now it seems to be permanently stuck. no, there is no tension on the steering wheel from a partly turned front wheel. if this happened to my wife or daughters in a dangerous neighborhood, i would just go berserk. *tr

I recently took my 2003 ford focus in for suspension noise in the front. the shop took a look at it and said he had seen a lot of focus' and escorts that have the spring on the strut break. he said there is no warning signs. the noise he was hearing was coming from the top of the strut which he said didn't appear to be a hazard but suggest i replace both front struts just in case. he said a lot of the time people won't know that their spring is broken because it will stay intact in the bottom and top strut housing. he said on other occasions the spring will come out of the housings and possibly puncture the tire. he said aftermarket brands have a stronger steel they use in their springs and recommended using the aftermarket brand instead of ford genuine parts. that is ok with me because the aftermarket brand is cheaper. *tr

After fueling, my daughter tried to start the car (2003 ford focus wagon), but the key would not turn. we got the car to the dealership where we purchased it, and the key cylinder had to be replaced by a locksmith. the total cost of the repair, plus the towing, cost over $200.00. meanwhile my daughter's car was stuck at the gas pump, where other customers wanted to fuel, but could not do so. i'm glad my daughter had not run over a nail, like i did the other day, having to pull over to the side of a busy interstate highway, and then have this problem occur. depending on where this kind of thing happens, this could be a very serious safety concern. not only with the vehicle, but with the place the vehicle is stranded when it occurs. i have found out that ford has known for quite some time about this problem, but they refuse to recall cars to fix this problem, and continue to use this defective part in their ford focus vehicles. the extended warranty i bought was the most expensive one, and yet it covers everything but the ignition switch, it seems. unless ford decides to reimburse me, i will never purchase another ford product. this is the fourth ford focus we have purchased. if i don't find satisfaction with this problem, it will certainly be the last. on top of all of that, my focus has had squealing brakes since the day i bought it, and ford has refused to repair this, as well, saying that it's "normal." no way this noise is normal. i'm fed up with ford at the moment. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the steering column failed, which prevented the vehicle from being started. the dealer was not notified of the failure and no repairs were made. the current mileage was 18,000 and failure mileage was 17,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition would not turn when she inserted the key. as of september 28, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. the powertrain was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 65,000.

2003 ford focus wagon, tail lights melted both sides where you replace the bulb, cannot replace the brake, running, turn, bulb because you cannot pull the bulb housing out of the tail light assembly. ford service dept. said to long on the brake pedal $160 ea. *jb

(1) not sure (2) steering wheel and ignition are locked and can not be moved anymore (3) new lock *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition locked, which prevented the key from being turned. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of failure. the current mileage was 108,000 and failure mileage was 100,000. updated 01-14-08. *kb the dealer stated the cylinder needed to be replaced. updated 12/12/07. *jb

Without warning, and with no prior occurrence, the key would not turn in the ignition of my 2003 focus. a friend rescued me and drove me back to work the next morning. i contacted my local ford dealer, where i had purchased this car brand new - along with a 7 year extended warranty. first, the service department rep tried to play "dumb' when i stated that i'm having the "ignition problem" and he later told me that it's not covered by my warranty. i have pulled out and read the warranty. ignition switch is covered by my basecare policy. (i will bring it in hand when i have the car serviced in 2 days.) meanwhile, another person at the service desk hinted that i may be able to tap it with a hammer so that it will turn and could drive to the dealer and not have to be towed. sure enough, a tap of the hammer allowed me to turn the key. i will leave the key in the ignition through the weekend and am struggling with the thought that a replacement from ford will be another defective part. whether my warranty covers it or not, i don't want another bad ignition switch! from all that i have read, it seems that a locksmith would replace it with a better quality device than ford dealers service departments are using. *tr

2003 ford focus/ ignition won't turn it looks like this is a huge problem by all the different websites and blogs about it. this defect should absolutely be a recall and when i called the dealer to find out the fix and price they laughed and said $600 to $700 dollars. this is outrageous and i am appalled. *jb

Ref. nhtsa 05v030000 my daughter took her car to reemy ford of johnson city tn. to have the safety recall taken care of. reemy ford said they complied with the recall. since then the door will not latch. the recall states if the latches do not pass the evaluation they will be replaced. when reemy was call to fix the problem they told my daughter that they had complied with the recall and that was not the problem. latch does not latch, sounds like the recall notice. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while attempting to shut off the vehicle in the parking lot, the ignition locked up and prevented the contact from turning or pushing the steering wheel. he took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and they informed him that the repair would cost $400. the current and failure mileages were 58,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the engine made a very loud noise when she started the vehicle. a mechanic stated that the exhaust pipe separated, but the vehicle could still be driven. the contact stated that there was no difference in the vehicle, other than it sounding like a harley davidson motorcycle. the repair would cost approximately $900. the vin and purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 80,000 and failure mileage was 40,000.

The ignition on my ford focus 2003 has locked up for the second time in 75,000 miles, and this is getting to be a huge problem to have replaced. ford actually has the balls to charge me for this defect in their craftsmanship, using substandard parts in their ignition switches, and making me pay to cover up their faulty workmanship when getting it repaired. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the steering wheel has to be unlocked for the vehicle to start. on september 09, 2007, after many attempts, she was finally able to place the key in the ignition and unlock the steering column. on september 14, 2007, the contact had to leave the vehicle at her job because the steering column failed to unlock. the vehicle was towed to her residence. she scheduled an appointment with the dealer for september 22, 2007. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 24,000. *updated 12/12/07 *bf the consumer stated the igniton module was repalced. updated 12/12/07

Door latches are very difficult to open, both from the outside and inside, sometimes leaving me sitting in the car wondering how i am going to get out. before my warranty was up, the dealer told us that this was just typical of our model of car and that there was nothing that could be done about it. *tr

At approximately 5:00 p.m., my ignition locked up on me, with my car parked in a parking lot close to my home (thank goodness). i have just learned that this has been a major widespread issue, and that i am definitely not alone. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start when he turned the ignition. she called her insurance company and they advised her to strike the ignition with something, however, the vehicle was able to start moments later. the failure began in 2005 and has occurred six times. the contact took the vehicle to the mechanic and they stated that the ignition switch needed replacing. the current mileage was approximately 60,000 and failure mileage was 40,000.

Over the past few months, the ignition/lock mechanism has been failing. the wheel will not release and the key will not turn to the on position. sometimes if forced, the key will turn, but the lock has broken completely now. *jb

Ignition cylinder total failure. key would not turn at all. search term "ignition cylinder""ford focus" on the net and you will be amazed how big of a problem this. why a safety issue. well, what would happen if i stopped the car somewhere and was stuck in the desert in the 112 degree heat, which by the way is the temperature that existed when it happened in mesa az. i was lucky the car was home. *tr updated 12/12/07 *tr

My car was running fine then suddenly the ignition switch won't turn. tumbler broke $350 at dealership. common problem with these cars, yet dealer won't warranty. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key will not turn in the ignition. she has had to strike the key while it was in the ignition for it to turn and start the vehicle. currently, the key does not work at all while in the ignition. she has notified the dealer and the manufacturer and they stated that it would cost approximately $800 for the repair. the vehicle is not under a recall. the current mileage was 57,000 and failure mileage was 52,000.

Electrical problem that shuts down the car. *tr

Ignition switch failure. *jb

Rear wheel bearing failure on ford focus 2003. this part which is usually good for 75,000 to 100,000 miles failed due to corrosion on both rear wheels. the axle was almost cut off without warning. a known problem on previous model years 2000, 2001 & 2002. after this incident i was informed by my niece and brother-in-law that there ford focus models of the same year had also failed in exactly the same way. ford claims that they have no knowledge of this. this is a very serious situation. while the service department inspected the vehicle they also found a broken front spring; from corrosion; which ford acknowledges and is paying for the replacement of the springs; due to a previous recall. this is a very expensive repair at $323.00 for the axle and additional costs for alignment etc. after the parts are replaced. *tr

The weekend of july 28th i had family in town. we were doing the attractions. the car started everytime we were going or leaving anywhere. went to go home and the car wouldn't start. we had the battery jumped and it wouldn't hold a charge. purchased a new battery and made it home. the next day replaced the alternator. car ran fine for 1 week. went to leave work on the 6th of august and it wouldn't start at all. the battery was completely dead. took the car to have the new battery and alternator tested. nothing wrong w/either one. took the car to ford dealership they spent 1 1/2 hours on it and said they couldn't find the problem. something is pulling on my battery causing it to die. took it back home and now it maybe the computer. have 110,000 miles on it. i wouldn't think this would start happening already. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. approximately two minutes after parking the vehicle, the contact was unable to turn the key to start the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. the dealer made the replacement. there have not been any other failures. the current mileage was 55,000 and failure mileage was 37,000.

During the past week had been having trouble turning the key in the ignition, and a couple of days ago the ignition was completely stuck. after 4 hours of trying to get it too turn i had to have the vehicle towed and it was being repaired as of right now. i have had the vehicle less than 2 and a half years and have yet to even surpass 50,000 miles on it. this wa s a problem that is quite widespread among ford focus owners i felt the need to make my problem known also. *ak

Ignition key switch would not turn to start key. i had to replace the lock assembly on 2003 ford focus i bought brand new 12/31/2003. told by scott reynolds of reynold's ford that even one of his mechanic's wife had same problem as a number of people have.*jb

I purchased my 2003 ford focus zx3 just over a year ago and have recently had trouble with the steering wheel locking up. after jerking the wheel around a bit i've always been able to get it to start until today. but today when i went to get in my car and go to work no amount of jerking or twisting would get my key to turn and my car to start. before calling for a tow i decided to check for info on like and what do i find? that this problem has been going on in the zx3 since 2000! and nothing is being done about it! so now i'm going to have to drop over $300 on a fix for my car and from what i read i'll probably have to do the same thing again next year. why is the being allowed to go on? if ford cares so little about the people that drive their cars that they can't find a long term fix to a well documented problem than you can be sure that this will be the last ford i purchase. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition switch failed, causing the tires, steering wheel and ignition to lock. therefore, car became inoperable. a subsequent tow damaged the car before being taken to repair shop.*ak

Parked car when arriving to work at 8 am. was leaving for lunch at 12 pm and ignition wouldn't turn at all. wheel locked. had to call tow truck. first truck arrived and they couldn't tow car since steering wheel locked and only a flat bed truck. then had to wait several hours for a wheel lift truck. was told by towing company that he had (8) ford focus' (same model), that week with same problem. he also told me that locksmiths do not want to touch the issue, since it is a manufacturer problem and that ford won't take responsibility for the issue. towed to dealer and was told that it would be $300 to replace ignition. warranty had just ended on vehicle. ford corporate honored a small portion of replacement cost, i ended up paying $100 (thanks to the dealers help), but this shouldn't have happened in the first place. obvious from this site that it's not just me that this is happening to. (and this problem is among many others i have dealt with on this stupid car). *tr

Ignition lock failure on ford focus zx3, 2003. multiple occurrences. purchased car used at 39,000 mi; now at 47,000 mi. have owned for less than one year. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while checking the brake light bulbs, the contact noticed that the wires were cracked. the dealer stated that the wire harness needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 73,281.

Clutch slips during attempts to pass vehicles, especially trucks on two lane highways. during acceleration suddenly the car looses speed and the tachometer revved up, making safe pass impossible. had to slow down and merge again behind the vehicle. only seemed to happen when the car has been drive more than 100 miles non-stop. no problems in city or freeway driving. really scary when it happened so far about 9 times. *ak

(1)from the time i bought the car 1-1/2 years ago, the ignition switch would sometimes freeze, disabling the car from being started. at first, i just had to turn the wheel in the car and then the ignition switch would work. (2)about a month ago, the ignition switch completely froze. i had to have the car towed to my home. i was told by one of the tow truck men who came to tow my car that this ignition switch was a factory defect in almost every american-made car. (3)i wrote to ford in detroit and filed a complaint. they did not even grace my complaint with a response. i then got an estimate of the cost to repair from the service director at capistrano ford. he told me it would be $260 to $280. i had to wait until this month as i am on social security disability income and had already allocated my money going out for june. on july 3 i was finally able to have my car towed to the dealer. when i spoke to the service manager, he informed me that i was quoted wrong on the cost of repair and that it would be $403 to repair. i complained, reached the director of the service department again and told him of my complaint regarding the higher pricer. the service director told me he could knock off $70 of the bill by taking the cost out of his technician's hide. i disputed that as being unfair, and told him that ford (in detroit) should be paying for this, not his technician. he told me he would try to knock off even more of the cost. later in the afternoon, the service manager called to tell me my car was ready. when asked how much the charges were, he told me "$50 bucks!" he told me they had decided to charge the service to ford in detroit and did the work as a courtesy service with a $50 deductible. again, this ignition switch is known by tow truck people to be a factory defective part in just about every american-made car. my car is only 4 years old and has less than 25,000 miles on it. please recall this ignition switch on every american-made car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact pressed the unlock button to open the passenger side door and it failed to open. she had to manually pull the door three times before it opened. ford stated that her vehicle was not included in recall # 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch). the current and failure mileages were 46,898.

I had no event that lead to the failure of the (ignition) in my 2003 ford focus zx3. i was on my way to work at 10:30 p.m. and i stopped to put air in my tires at a local gas station. when i got back in to my vehicle i put the key in the ignition and tried to turn the ignition over but it would not move. i turned the steering wheel while trying to turn the key because i thought maybe the steering wheel locked up and yet nothing happend. i walked a mile back home and got my spare key and returned to my vehicle and tried it again and it to failed to turn the ignition. i had the vehicle towed to a local repair shop and i had to miss work that evening. it ended up costing me $336.28 to repair the ignition switch/tumbler. i looked online for other ford focus owners who have had the same problem and found over 30,000 other owners just on one website that have had the same problem with there ignition. i found plenty of people that have had to replace the ignition more then two to three times in there ford focus. this is a problem that ford denies having on there ford focus. the ford focus ignition is made in germany by a company called huf. the ford focus is the only ford vehicle that has the huf ignition used in it. that is very ironic considering that the only ford vehicle with numerous ignition problems is the ford focus. ford needs to correct this problem at once. ford also goes on to state that this is not a safety issue. i beg to differ, for just one example out of many that i could describe, i live in las vegas where the heat can reach over 110 everyday of the week in the summer. if the ignition broke while i was on the side of the road any where outside of las vegas i could be stranded and if i had no water i could easily die within hours. this is a safety issue and i could list a number of saftey problems that could come from this ignition problem.

One evening stopped at the store, turned car off, went back to start car, ignition would not turn over. called towing company, they were able to turn it over. informed me i needed to get the ignition switch replaced. looked around found an lock smith that could do it, charged an arm and leg. the problem is recurring and will need to be replaced again. ford is not responding to the problem, i am not the only one, a petition has been issued with over 900 signatures with the same problem. ford needs to resolve this issue with a recall. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the driver seat welds have failed and the back of the driver seat came apart. the vehicle has never been in a crash. the engine size and powertrain were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 101,000.

I was on my way to tahoe in february 2006. it was rainy and the roads were a little wet. we hit a puddle and he car spun out hit both front and back ends from spinning out of control and smashed into the side walls. we were traveling about 45-50 mph. the air bag did not go off. from smashing in to the walls the passenger seat completely broke backwards. almost in a laying down position and the seat belt was completely extended and wouldn't retract. car was totaled. at the time there were no serious injuries. but 8 months after the accident i started having grand mall seizures. *ak

Ignition switch failed

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition switch would lock up and the key was unable to be turned. a mechanic diagnosed the vehicle as needing a new ignition cylinder. the ignition cylinder has been replaced. the engine size was unknown. the current mileage is 39,035 and failure mileage was 25,700.

I went to start the car after work like always and the ignition was stuck in lock! i have been reading online all day about all the people that this happened to. please make ford recall this product or at least refund the consumer the cost to fix a product that is obviously defective. i have yet to get to see the final bill on the fix.*ak

Key would'nt turn the ignition on my2003 ford focus zx5. happened at various times, till it would'nt work at all. had it repaired at dealership at a cost of $365.00. they replaced the ignition lock.ak

2003 ford focus. steering wheel will not unlock after inserting key . *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving 30 mph, the contact heard several squeaking noises coming from the front of the vehicle. the dealer inspected the front suspension and found the spring rubbing on the strut cover. the failure affected the front shocks on both sides of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the strut needs to be replaced, but it is not under warranty. the contact had it replaced and paid $550.62. the current and failure mileages were 17,709.

Recently we purchase a used 2003 ford focus that has the blaupunkt radio. a new radio station was programmed and the button pushed to store it. right after the radio started turning on and off with music blaring then silence then blaring again over and over. there was no way to stop it even after turning the car off. i know this may seem insignificant but at the time we were driving on the highway, the passenger set the station and then this started happening which was very distracting to the driver. it could very easily have caused an accident. blaupunkt sent an email admitting this is a defect if you set a station that has blank rds information. subsequent web searches showed a lot of people have had this happen. i'm reporting it becuase ford passed it off as no big deal but i think it's an unsafe condition.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition key gets stuck in the ignition or the key fails to start the vehicle completely. the failure occurs intermittently. the dealer stated that she needs a new key or a new ignition. the engine size was unknown. the current mileage is 55,000 and failure mileage was 50,000.

Leaking of rain water onto the floor of the passenger's side. the car has been completely checked and nothing is wrong. they refuse to reinstall the windshield because they say it is a factory defect with the pollen filter seals not keeping water out. it is causing water damage to my car, mold is starting to form, and who knows what other damage this will cause! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus zx3. while driving 5 mph on 04/17/2007 a rainy day the driver hit a puddle and water was trapped inside the sport intake system which caused the engine to fail. the owners 60 day warranty has not expired. however, the dealer stated he would have to pay $6,000 to repair the engine. the current and failure mileage were 34760. *ak

My 2003 ford focus se started to shake, pull hard to the right starting around 50 mph, takes bumps hard and back-end sways. it only has 36,000 miles on it. dealer says the left rear knuckle assembly and wheel bearing need to be replaced, that it was "bent" and i must've hit something with it. this is just not true. 2000 focus had a similar problem. i think a bolt came loose, weakening the assembly and allowing it to bend through normal use. *tr

My 2003 ford focus has a locked ignition that i found out is a very common problem since 2000. it was told that it would cost me $500.00 to fix it. *tr

The ignition won't work. i cannot turn the key in the ignition. i have had trouble turning it before, but usually after turning the steering wheel or jiggling the gear shift it would work. nothing is working today.*ak

My left tail signal light went out. when i went to change it according to the instructions in my manual i could not remove the taillight capsule from the housing. i went to coons ford fairfax, va to see if they could change it. i was told that the electrical output of my car melted the taillights to the lens on both sides of the car. the estimated repair is $500. i got on the phone and talked to someone at ford's main customer service line. after our conversation they gave me 15% off on my repair bill. after retrieving my car the other taillight died. someone on ford's assembly line did not wiring my car correctly. how is this my fault and why did i have to pay $421.20 for a mistake they made? for safety reasons i got the repairs done. i would like a full investigation of this matter. i have in my possession both broken taillights for anyone to check out.*ak

I have a 2003 ford focus that i bought brand new and drove off the lot with 60 miles on it. not long after we purchased the car, it started to act as though the transmission was slipping when changing gears. we have always kept up on the recommended maintenance and no one has ever been able to find a problem with the car. about 3 weeks ago we were driving around the neighborhood, not on a busy street thank goodness, when the car shifted very hard as we slowed down for a stop sign. when we attempted to begin driving again, the car would not shift out of first gear. we promptly took it to a transmission shop where they have been working on it for nearly 3 weeks. they have pulled the transmission out to rebuild it twice and have still not found what is causing the problem. the mechanics have even taken it over to the local ford dealership and they cannot figure it out. i now have a 4 year old car with 53000 miles on it that does not run. if that had happened while we were driving on the highway we certainly would have been hit by a car behind us. this is not normal wear and tear, there is a serious problem with the transmission or the computer system. if this car ever actually gets fixed, i will certainly not feel safe driving it as the performance of the car is unreliable and there is no telling when it will suddenly quit working again. *tr

I recently purchased a 2003 ford focus zx3 with low mileage. i have an intermittment problem with it stopping. the engine surges and when you press the brake pedal it is stiff. it has always done it in heavy traffic. i have had it to a ford dealer three times. the first time they couldn't find what was wrong with it and said they were calling ford to talk to the engineers. ford informed them they had several complaints on this problem, but no recall. they replaced the brake booster on it the second time. i picked it up and the very next day i was in heavy traffic and the engine surged even more and the brake pedal was stiff . the ford dealer has had it for a week now with no communication from them so far. this car is dangerous to drive and gives no indication it it going to do it. i have had several incidents with this starting in november. since the beginning of april the problem has become quite frequent. *jb

Ignition turned fine, parked car overnight and when i returned (very late that night) to leave the key would not turn. the ignition was locked. nothing would fix this. i spent nearly 30 minutes trying to turn the key without being able to start the car. the neighborhood was very scary, and my inability to drive away made me feel extremely uneasy, especially at such a late time of night. *jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 for focus with a current and failure odometer reading of 38,000 miles. the contact stated while driving at about 35 mph under dry conditions the instrument panel failed. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer, they repaired the problem. but, when she contacted the manufacturer, they stated that they would not assist her with this problem. when the contact had the vehicle at dealer for service the mechanic found that the third brake light assemble melted, causing the brake light to fail. *ak

The driver side rear electric window of my 2003 ford focus ls has malfunctioned & failed to respond to switch control. motor function seemed to still be intact but the window didn't respond to the electrical switch on the door panel. this resulted in the window being stuck in a half down position but could be pulled back up manually with little resistance. 1 week later the passenger side rear window exhibited the exact same symptoms. after calling a few local dealerships/repair shops, i was informed that the window(s) had probably come "off track" but they could not be certain without inspection. i received an estimate of $200 just to look at the problem, the estimate did not include any additional fee's that may incur thereafter. i contacted triumph auto glass to repair the problem and was told by the technician that this is a very frequent problem with the ford focus model & that he has ran into this problem several times in recent months. he wasn't able to repair the problem at the time, but he was able to identify the problem as he had ran across it numerous times. he stated that both regulators for the window motor's had failed & estimated the repair cost to between $500-$600.00 ! i was not able to afford that expenditure at this time & opted to glue both back windows shut in the up position. so now i have essentially no rear windows (at least windows that function) & there is damage to the carpet & upholstery from the elements. not to mention the fear of possibly having the car broken into or stolen. i did wish to make you aware of this issue as it seems to be quite frequent. i have checked your site & several others for the ford focus & was unable to find any recalls or bulletins for this problem. but it's a big problem & a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed by ford and i am obviously not the only one affected by this mechanical failure. thank you for time and attention to this matter. sincerely, mark williams

A ford focus wagon 2003. when i trying to start the vehicle the ignition switch cylinder lockede, would not engage. the key would not turn when inserted in the lock & icould not turn on the car. the vehiclewas just over three years old. *ak this problem happened two days in a row. called ford & they said there is no recall. i searched google for ¿¿ford focus ignition locks¿. please note the following results copied from this google search ¿¿results 1 - 10 of about 455,000 for ford focus ignition locks . (0.39 seconds)¿. i was concerned that a faulty ignition would be used if ford replaced it so i called a local locksmith. the owner was very familiar with the problem & has replaced a number of ford vehicle ignition locks. i had the locksmith replaced my focus ignition. the cost was $240.75. i am 59 years old. my family has owned numerous cars & trucks. i have never had to replace an ignition key switch in any other vehicle especially one just over three years old. ironically to add to my frustration, i just paid off the 36 month car loan on this focus. also, sent a letter to ford motor company about this problem to attn: alan mulally, president & ceo plus cc'ed to william clay ford, jr., executive chairman & nhtsa headquarters, 400 seventh street, sw, washington, dc 20590 (sending via mail & email to nhtsa)

The key stuck in the ignition switch on my 2003 focus pzev. when it finally released it would no longer turn. i had the veihicle towed by aaa and had a aaa locksmith come to repair the ignition which i was told is not covered under my warrenty, at a cost of $300. the locksmith said it is a common problem on the focus. one month later the locksmith had to come back out to repair it again. a year later i must turn the key back a notch to remove it from the ignition. it will cost me another $300 to have the repair repeated. the locksmith says that the problem is with the part itself and will continue to happen.

2003 ford focus - an apparent "known defect" yet still not a recall or reimbursable expense to fix. we are unable to start the car. the key goes into the ignition, but won't turn the switch... ford's fix is to replace the cylinder at over $300.00 and a new security key at $150.00.

Tl* - the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving a 65 mph the vehicle lost power. the contact was able to safely pull the vehicle over. the vehicle would not restart for an hour. the vehicle had lost power four times. there was a warning light, but the contact was not able to remember which one. the failure mileage was 159,000. the contact had not taken the vehicle to dealer to be diagnosed. *ak

Tl*- contact stated while driving the 2003 ford focus lx he saw smoke coming from underneath the hood. the contact pulled to the side of the road and noticed that the vehicle was on fire. the fire department stated that the fire could have started from some faulty wire underneath the hood. the contact could provide pictures if needed. the failure mileage and current mileage were both 54,000.*ak

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

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'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

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 wipers on this car do the exact same thing my 2000 ford focus did that had a recall they don not want to return to the home position. *nm

The ignition started locking several months ago, but eventually would work after playing with the key to start. today, while out at a shopping center, it locked up completely, causing me to have to tow the car to the dealer. this car is a 2003 with only 13000 miles on it.

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

Ignition cylinder locks when turning the key on a 2003 ford focus zx3. the car cannot be started most of the time. this is dangerous if the car stalls. *nm

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

The ignition lock freezes and will not turn, which does not allow the car to start. this problem has happened on numerous occasions. the consequences have included loss of vehicle use, towing expenses, and unwanted stress. *nm

Nhtsa previous report 01v258000 (recall id 01d-258) for ford focus windshield wiper motor problems - 2001/2002 vehicles. i have a 2003 ford focus with identical problems, wiper does not stow - as there are other reported vehicles - will nhtsa direct ford to "recall" or fix later model year for this same issue? the virginia safety inspection failed my car for this issue - stated ford would fix, ford dealer has no requirement, as this is not a "recalled year". *jb

My car is only three and a half years old and for the last 8 to 10 months i have been having problems with the ignition switch. if i turn the car off it is very, very hard to get the key to turn over. i took it to a locksmith who said that they have been getting a lot of people who own ford and mercury vehicles coming in with the same kind of problems. they also said that ford has redesigned their switches several times and still come up with the same problems that i am experiencing. i was wondering why no kind of recall has been issued. *jb

Key will not turn inside the ignition. this happened several weeks ago as well, but i was able to jiggle it loose. this time it is stuck and 40 minutes of jiggling, wd40, and frustration did not work. i am still working on what to do about it. *nm

Ignition lock of ford focus 2003 broke and we were unable to move the car away from a driveway that was blocked since it was not possible to turn the ignition key. one mechanic was paid to try to start the car but he was not successful (but he was still paid). eventually, we learned from the www that this was a wide-spread problem. a locksmith was called who replaced the lock and was paid. in addition to the financial expense, transportation to and from the location of the car and the time spent were significant costs. *nm

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

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to open the trunk with the remote switch it became inoperable. the vehicle was driven to the dealer twice for this and both times the switch was replaced. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated while parked, the steering wheel would not unlock. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. also, the trunk would not close. the dealer was not contacted.

I have had this issue come up a few times lately. when i put my key in my ignition, the key will not turn. from researching this on the internet, it is obvious that ford motor company has ignored the problem and refuses to recall a seriously faulty part. i have been told that it is not recalled because it is not a "safety" issue. when someone with a small child can not start their car in the dead of winter (stuck on the side of a road), i would classify that as a safety issue! the local ford dealership admitted to me that this is a problem that needs addressed. the tow truck driver told me that he tows over 30 focuses per year for this issue alone. the local dealership told me that they need to do an official diagnosis before they will determine the problem. what a rip off! they are trying to charge me $100 to diagnose an problem that everyone already knows. this is why ford is losing millions of customers and billions of dollars. they have lost me over a $90 ignition tumbler. *jb

Second occurrence of key being put in ignition, steering wheel locking up and inability to start car. vehicle had to be towed to dealership and repaired. first time (11/2004) under warranty, second time(12/5/06) charged $300, reduced to $80 under protest for a known problem. no wonder ford is going under! *jb

I tried to leave my best friends house but my 2003 ford focus would not start. apparently i need a whole new ignition. so i began surfing the net for prices and quotes but instead i've stumbled upon hundreds of complaint from across the country. i was told the part i will need cost $70. plus $50 to tow the car since i cannot get the car started. so far i've only missed one day of work but i might miss many more because i can't afford to get the car fixed right now. when i spoke to the ford company they told me that my total bill will be around $230. i am so frustrated with this car. i'm not sure if i will even get the car fixed. i plan to invest in a new nissan. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the ignition switch jammed and the switch would not turn. the service dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.

Steering wheel locks and car will not start. i am finding out this is a common problem with the ford focus. this could leave us stranded. it happens more often as times passes. as this seems to be a common problem, i feel the repair should be covered by ford. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated when the vehicle was accelerated to 35 mph; the egr tube came loose from the manifold for the second time, made a loud noise, and allowed escaping exhaust fumes to enter the passenger compartment. the service dealer and the manufacturer were notified. updated 01/30/07. *jb

The steering wheel locked up and i couldn't turn the ignition key. i had to call aaa to send a locksmith to replace my ignition switch. he said that this happened a lot with focuses. i researched the problem and discovered that this is a common problem in ford focus, but ford has not addressed the problem. *jb

Locking of ignition in ford focus. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the engine with the keys in the ignition, the ignition locked and would not turn. after several attempts, the ignition turned and the engine started. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer, who determined the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was alerted. updated 01/19/07. *jb

I have owned 2 ford focuses, a 2000 and now a 2003 model. both vehicles have had the ignition lock up and i was charged $400 to fix it. obviously, ford motor company is comfortable enough with this design flaw that there have been no recalls, and the consumer is left holding the bill. there are over 400 complaints about this logged on the following website: http://forums.focaljet.com/problems-service-recalls/416401-please-post-if-your-ignition-has-locked.html what does it take to get this company to admit they are putting out a faulty product? *jb

Had no previous problem with ignition in my 2003 ford focus se. left my hometown for the day to shop 2 counties away. after shopping, went to start my car and the ignition would not turn. the key would go in, but would not turn at all. had to have the car towed and am waiting now for the problem to be fixed. i have read online about all of the complaints regarding this problem in the ford focus. this should definitely be a recall since the ignition is very obviously a defective part used in the car. *nm

I have had ignition problems with my 2003 ford focus. first incident in july, 2006 and am now experiencing another. i have a small child and do not want to be stranded somewhere just because i can't get the key to turn in the ignition. i am now also dealing with (today) a solenoid malfunction in my transmission (3rd gear). this is the 2nd time this has happened to me as well. the car jerks like crazy and wouldn't go over 30 mph. thank goodness i was close to a side street to exit the highway. this is getting ridiculous that these issues are not being recalled. the ignition is a huge issue with enough people.... *nm

2003 ford focus ignition is locking up with the key in it multiple times. *nm

My 2003 ford focus will not start because the key will not turn. i've tried a number of tactics to get the car to start but failed. after much research online, i've learned that this is a very common problem any my problem has all the same symptoms. luckily, the problem has occurred at home and as only left me with one very inconvenient problem; however, it could have happened where personal safety could have been an issue. *jb

2003 ford focus that i bought used with only 14,000 miles on and have used as my commuter car for 3 months. at roughly 20,000 miles the key would not turn the ignition switch once but after a little shaking it worked. around a month later it happened again but this time when it did engage it would not start the engine, i rolled started the car and got home but the next day the key would not turn the ignition switch at all - tried for three days will not turn, currently learning the details of how to replace an ignition switch from friends and nice folks on the internet but i have had to borrow a car for two days and will have to rent one at the end of the week and until i can buy and install a new part just to get to work. as other articles claim ford claims this probably isn't a safety concern but is rather annoying and costly to folks like myself who bought the focus hoping for a reliable fuel efficient commuter car. *nm

Can't turn the key in the ignition, steering wheel locked, can't start the car. *nm

After driving my 2003 ford focus 5xw (5 door hatchback) though heavy rain on the highway, the next day i noticed one head light and one fog light was out. after investigation to the cause. my fog light had just normally burned out. but the head light on the drivers side while replacing the bulb noticed all three nylon connector covers for each of the three wires had melted? changing the lights as a set the same thing happened on the passenger side head light? with the replacement bulbs now installed the drivers side still does not light , only the passengers. there is no power coming to the drivers side head light for normal mode. it will only light with the brights on. as to the melting of the electrical connector covers i'm sure that is not normal operation.? i am still investigating where the power loss is coming from and why the insulation on the connectors of both headlights melted away? fyi

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the key would not turn the ignition. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the ignition switch. updated 11/30/06. *jb

Front passenger seat belt locks against the passenger and does not allow slow gentle movement in a non-crash environment. the front driver seat belt works fine and like normal. have been to originating dealer twice to correct - no change in operation. safety defect as crushing load causes passenger to hold belt physically out when seated or otherwise defeating belting arrangement. *nm

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

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

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

Tried to put on drivers side seat belt and found it to be locked in place. full seat belt assembly had to be replaced out of warranty. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated upon placing the key in the ignition, the key would not turn and the engine would not start. the contact applied pressure with a pair of pliers, which allowed the key to turn and start the engine. the dealer and manufacturer were notified. updated 10/25/2006 - *nm

(1) no event lead up to the failure; it was unexpected (2) the ignition switch failed on the vehicle,which resulted in us not being able to start the car. (3) the car has been towed to the dealership. we are awaiting to here the results from the diagnostic testing. *nm

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

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's ignition would not turn. the dealer determined the ignition needed to be replaced and the contact expressed this was a defect in the vehicle.

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.

Dt*: the contact stated the ignition locked resulting in the ignition cylinder key being replaced by the service dealer. while searching the nhtsa website, complaints were found where this occurred to vehicles and the ignition cylinder key was replaced multiple times. the contact expressed concern that this repair does not seem to be a permanent fix for the problem. also, there was an odorous smell when the heating fan was turned on and the smell occasionally occurred when the air conditioner was on. the vehicle has not been to the service dealer for the odorous smell.

While driving, the steering system became difficult to control, which resulted in an severe accident. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's ignition locked and the key could not be turned to start the vehicle. the problem began as being rough in turning the key but gradually worsened to not being able to turn the key in the ignition at all. the vehicle has not been to a service dealer.

I have a 2003 ford focus and the ignition fails intermittently causing the car not to start. the key will not turn. this is not safe i have a two year old child and in an emergency i may not be able to drive or we may get stranded. ford refuses to help. there is no recall to my knowledge at this time. this is a known problem and ford will not acknowledge the issue. *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

I own a 2003 ford focus and today i went out to my car to get some lunch when my ignition locked. i cannot start my car. i have had people look at it and there is nothing that can be done except bring it to the dealership. *jb

I have a 2003 ford focus station wagon. the ignition key will not turn. it freezes up. i have tried another key and attempted to turn the steering wheel as far as possible to the right or left with no success. *nm

Ignition switch that manufacturer knows is bad. *nm

Several parts failures, including alternator, brakes, muffler,transmission, and ignition lock cylinder

2003 ford focus (which is driven by teenager- female) ignition lock failure. basically when it fails you are stuck (can not start vehicle)! at the moment vehicle sits in the driveway. $400.00 price tag to fix a problem - that ford is very much aware of. i am not sure i want my teenage daughter driving a vehicle that may get her stranded somewhere unsafe! *nm

I was left stranded when my ignition key would not work in my 2003 ford focus. called a locksmith and he said it take about $300.00 to repair it. my wife had to drive 1 hour to come and get me and i lost a day of work, which i could not afford to lose. *nm

Ignition locked and is impossible to start. sometimes the ignition locks for hours and sometimes days. it is absolutely ridiculous! this is a family car and it's unreliable! *nm