Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Nhtsa recall 02-v-288-000:certain passenger vehicles equipped with zetec engines, loose or broken attachments and misrouted battery cables could lead to cable insulation damage. this recall failed.*ak

Problem with the ignitioin cylinder. i have been informed by ford that no one has reported a problem with this, but i find that to be extremely contrary noting the excessive complaints on just this website alone. the key will not turn in the ignition. they are asking no less than $300, and i find if you multiply that estimation by the number of complaints they know nothing about, they have quite the racket going on.

The turn signals on the dash appeared to work fine (left and right) but the rear turn signals did not work at all. the consumer stated he received a ticket. *nlm

Went to turn car on, key would not go into ignition switch, then after a few tries it went in but the ignition would not turn. at all. called five lock smiths, all refused to come out to attempt to fix my jammed ignition switch, all five stated they have this type of call on this car (2000 ford focus) all the time and that they can't fix it, i need to bring it to the dealership and have the ignition cylinder replaced. had car towed to dealership - $80 - dealership said that the ignition cylinder needed replacing, that yes, it is a very common problem, that there is a service bulletin out on it but no recall (said to me they felt it should be recalled), and that it was going to run me about $475 to get it fixed!! i purchased the car used, contacted the prior owner, they said the same problem happened to them with the car around 15,000-16,000 miles ago and they had the ignition cylinder replaced at that time and that they were told by dealership that it was an "improved" cylinder and that it should not go bad again. well, it's gone "bad" again, and now i'm having to pay to have something fixed that should last many thousands of miles. this is ridiculous. i've owned other brands of cars for 200,000+ and 300,000+ miles and never had to replace ignition cylinder on any of those cars, this car has 55,000 miles and it's the second time! i say defect!! :) *nlm

I have a lot of problems with my ford focus. the inginiton froze up on me and i couldn't get the key out. it cost $500 to get it fixed,

Key ignition problem. key wouldn't turn / stuck in ignition. *tr

When i parked my vehicle to get gas and the pump wasn't working i proceed to insert my key to moved vehicle to another pump but the key wouldn't go in. i called my wife to verify if she can bring the spare key to try to start the car with it; her key wouldn't go in either. i proceeded to call the cust. serv. dept. at ford motor credit and informed the problem; they asked to try again to inserted the keys and had no results. we have no previous warnings. the customer service representative then told me we are to called a tow truck to towed the vehicle; at first he express we will have to pay for it and then he confirmed that i have extended guarantee and that towing was covered but that the problem with the ignition wasn't covered. the vehicle was towed to ford dealership closer to my area. after the service department at deland ford check the vehicle i was informed that the cost of repairs will be 350.00 for the ignition switch replacement. i indicated that at this moment i couldn't come up with that amount of money and that i understood that having my extended warranty this manufacturing defect will be covered. they indicated that is not covered and they suggested for me to apply for a line of credit to see if i was approved to fix the problem. i said will not apply for the credit and left the car there to see if we can come up with a satisfying agreement. at this moment i have not have any other communication withe the service dept. or the ford motor credit office; i think that after investigating the amount of complaints for the same matter and the same results the most get into an agreement with the customer. if this is going to be a recall item; ford should be more receptable to the complaints and already make a recall for this vehicle. after searching, i have found almost a 100 complaints for the same reason, and unfortunately none has a good turn back. my vehicle still at the deland ford service area.*ak

This morning my ignition cylinder went bad. went to go start the car and it wouldn't turn. *nlm

Vehicle has a major electrical problem. while driving vehicle gauges will go "beserk". door chime activates, all lights flicker on and off, transmission changes gears,and the vehicle stalls.*ak

While placing the key inside of the ignition switch vehicle will not start up at all. *ak

Turned off car, got out, put in gas, got back in car, key would only go in half way. *nlm

Nhtsa 00-v-411-000 vehicle description: passenger vehicles. a deck lid wire harness can fatigue and develop broken wires in the bend area of the wire harness. consumer has the same problem. however this vehicle was not part of recall due to vin. *ak

While placing the key inside of the key ignition vehicle will not start.*ak

After recall repairs were performed vehicle would not start. dealer stated it was not their problem. *ak

Engine check light comes on, and vehicle starts to shake ,and then shuts off. dealer notified. *ak

Consumer concerned about the amount of recalls on vehicle. *mr the consumer had to replace the cable shifter when the vehicle was only 2 years old. the alternator had to be replaced, the door lock actuators, tires, sun roof control. *jb

Other than the recalls and the brakes squeaking constantly, everything was fine with my 2000 focus up until 1 month after the warranty expired. almost one month to the day, the instrument cluster stopped working. ford would replace it at a cost of at least $500, so i replaced it myself by ordering a part on line for a total of $45. a couple of months later, the ignition cylinder would not allow the key to fit all the way in and as a result the car was not able to start, resulting in a cost of around $300 to replace. i am beginning to see the stalling problem from the faulty fuel pump. now my automatic door locks and trunk release just stopped working and the car is making a very odd grinding noise when you turn. it would be one thing if i was the only one with these problems, but the facts are out there and many, many, many people are all having the exact same problems! i have written to ford main offices and my local ford dealership serveral times on these matters and i have never heard anything back. i honestly am never buying a ford vehicle again.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. when the key was turned in the ignition, the vehicle would not start and the steering wheel locked. the key that is used to start the ignition is also used for the doors. the key stopped working for the passenger side door and the trunk. the vehicle does not have power locks. the dealer stated that the ignition switch needed to be replaced, however, they did not suggest a remedy for the doors. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 17,000. update 01-15-08. *kb updated *jb

On june 1, 2003, my car had to be towed to the dealer for replacement of the ignition cylinder which was done on june 2, 2003 at stoneham motor co. i previously had the car towed to the dealer for the same problem and same repair on two other occasions -- february 11, 2003 and april 21, 2003. this was previously reported in a complaint to your agency (confirmation no. 10018431). the dealer attempted to replace the steering column so that i would not have this problem again, but was unable to accomplish this successfully. although a new ignition cylinder was installed, i understand that this problem may continue to occur repeatedly because of a design defect which does not require the key to be inserted fully. the tow truck driver told me that one consumer with a similar problem leaves his key in the ignition, thinking that if the car gets stolen that will solve the problem. he said that another consumer has a hammer in his car which he uses to tap the key before turning it. i have no complaint with the dealer who performed all three repairs at no charge, but i believe that the manufacturer should have some responsibility for this problem, both to me and my dealer. *nlm

Key will go into the ignition but ignition will not turn, second time. *jb

Placed key in ignition would not turn. many tsb's on same problem. have extended warranty. ignition switch covered with no specific part # listed. dealer says part # for defect not covered. had fixed. research with nhtsa lists 7 tsb's and many complaints for same defect. referred to ford customer service they said nothing could be done. extended warranty does not list specific part #s when purchased but when warranty work is requested it becomes part number specific. also if there are so many tsb's and customer complaints why doesn't ford do something about this. *jb

Ignition cylnder is stuck. *jb

Upon trying to start the vehilce the key sticks and will not turn either way. it is sometimes hard for the key to go into the ignition. *ak

The consumer stated the vehicle had electrical problems. the lights were turning on and off. the cause is undetermined. *jb

While driving the traction control module failed. *nlm which failed every few days. the vehicle would shut down with dash light warnings. *scc

When the key was placed inside of the ignition, the vehicle failed to turn over. *jb

Key won't turn in the ignition, steering wheel is locked also. was told we would have to tow it to nearest dealership and pay for repairs. *nlm

Car stalls. sometimes dies while driving even at highway speeds of 55 mph. have towed car several times to dealer but once there, the car starts and they can't find anything wrong so i have to pay the towing. last trip to dealer (about a week ago, they did find something wrong and of course what they found was not under warranty) now it happened again....this time we got stranded out of town. this is a very serious problem with the ford focus. i bought this car so my son would have reliable transportation but has become more of a problem than not having a car at all. need help to resolve. *jb

When the key was placed inside of the ignition, the key became stuck. *jb

-2000 ford focus lx - bought used on april 14th. both interior and exterior of car in excellent condition, ran extremely well, one owner repo, clean title. -was rear-ended in very low speed, low impact collision, no frame buckling, bending, or damage to

Ignition switch locked up and will not turn. has to be replaced. *jb

Ignition switch won't work, key won't turn, had to replace. *jb

Ignition cylinder locked up, car towed to dealer. they drilled it out and replaced under warranty. problem recurred after 18 months and 12000 miles. out of pocket $606 plus the tow. car has only 25000 miles, but is 4 months out of warranty. should be recalled! *jb

In april of 2003, i went outside to start my car, the key went into the ignition and the chimes sounded (indicating electrical connection/activity); however, my key was not able to turn the ignition switch. i am being charged $273.00 for the problem, that is clearly a manufacturer's defect. if there is ever a recall or any legal justification with the "lemon" please let me know as soon as possible. thank you. *la

Key would not go into ignition. called emergency road service. they could not help. they told me this was a common problem and that they were considering a recall. with all of the complaints registered and the number of issues on the internet, i am surprised it has not been done. ignition already replaced once. this is starting to get to be ridiculous. finally tapped the key in the car starts but the key will not come out of the ignition switch resulting in a security problem. *jb

Ignition switch will not turn. i noticed in researching the internet that many others had the same failure. i did not see a recall. this is the latest failure of many: brakes, fuel gauge, bad struts. now at 39000, i am 3000 miles out of warranty. *jb

The vehicle continued to experience a problem with the battery cable after the recall was performed. *jb

The consumer received a recall notice for the battery cable wire. the vehicle battery light was on and the vehicle was taken to the dealer to replace the wire. two weeks later the wire was replaced again. the vehicle was driven home then parked. ten minutes later the vehicle caught fire. total loss. *nlm prior to fire the battery light was on and the vehicle stalled out occasionally. *tt

The ignition did not turn off when the key was removed from the ignition. *jb the consumer suggested that wihout any warning, she was not able to insert the ignition switch. at least four dealerships said that this was a common problem with this make/model. the consumer experienced stalling and acceleration problems. *sc

Ignition cylinder seized and needed to be replaced, car has 78,000 miles and i feel that this is a poor design. cost of repairs was $185.00 and i had to replace the ignition key as well. i have old part for inspection if needed.

Key would not go all the way into the ignition. i had to call a locksmith and was told this is a common problem with the ford focus. *jb

The vehicle stalled intermittently, the dealer diagnosed the problem as a defective module, which caused electrical problems. *jb the odometer/speedometer had shutdown, the trunk opened, the keyless entry is inoperative and sometime the passenger(s) get stuck in the vehicle due to the faulty locks. scc

Key would not turn in the ignition switch. dealership stated that the ignition lock cylinder was broken due to wear and tear and cold weather. dealership removed broken cylinder and installed new ignition cylinder in march 2003. problem has recurred november 2005. *jb

Key hard to insert into ignition and will not turn. can not start the car. only 37,000 miles. if car stalls on a rail road track or a busy intersection will be doomed. this is unsafe. *nlm

I have a 2000 ford focus zts automobile with approximately 10000 miles. i just had a problem with the electric lock system. the electric lock door actuator in the right rear door failed. the entire locking system stopped working and the right forward and left rear doors both locked closed. the doors were not able to be opened manually from the inside or outside. this bothers me because i feel a possible entrapment situation could result if this occurs as a result of a traffic accident or water submerged. my failure occurred as i was loading the car for my trip home from work. i may have had the right rear and left front doors open at the time of the failure, which may explain why they were not affected. normally, the doors will open from the inside even if locked. this failure overrides that safety feature. *jb

Ignition won turn and rewire and replaced passenger door power latch. *nlm

After the recall regarding the battery cables was performed, the problem recurred.*jb

Consumer received poor service from ford motor company, as well as from following local ford dealers morande ford of berlin, ct and ray seraphin ford of vernon ct, and different opinions from ford employees concerning multiple recalls on a-frame/stereo/windshield wiper motor/rear wheel bearings, electrical system, and sudden acceleration/lurching. *ak

The ignition switch failed, the dealer charged the consumer $350.00 to replace.*jb

The consumer received a notice for recall remedy 02v288000. prior to receiving notice, consumer took the vehicle to the service dealer regarding the fraying of the battery cables. once the recall notice was received, the consumer took the car back to dealer and they tried to force the consumer to file a warranty claim for repair. *jb