Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have a 2000 ford focus. i have had the ignition key cylinder lock leaving me unable to get the key into the ignition or turn the key to start the car. ford is well aware of the problem, as the service technician at my local ford dealer told me. with this being a known problem, ford still wants over $300 to fix a the problem. if this is a known defect, why is the consumer the one that has to pay for the problem???

There was no prior problems with the key and the ignition , then on 5/4/05 the key went into the ignition and would not turn or start the car , i tried my second key and that also would not turn . i had to have the car towed to local dealer , total cost for repair and tow was a wooping $350.00 .the dealer did not seem surprised that my ford focus had this defect , the tow driver said it is common to have this problem with focus and i spoke to a few local locksmiths and they also say it is common for focus . i see on the internet that hundreds of people also endured this high expense for the same repair . it does not seem fair that there is a defect and ford does not have a recall for this issue , plese help all us owners and push for a recall .. thank you

Ford focus 2000 ignition problems. first, the key would not insert fully into the ignition and would get stuck preventing it to turn. when the mechanic shook the key around a bit it would loosen up and would then insert fully allowing the car to be started. that was only a temporary solution. the second problem was when the key would insert fully but would not turn the ignition. after hearing that two of my friends who own ford focus' from the same year had the same exact problem, i began to research. i have found that this is not an isolated incident, or normal "wear and tear." this seems to be a widespread problem within vehicles of this year, make and model. i feel that it is unfair that the consumer must pay for a problem that existed when the car was on the showroom floor. having an ignition replaced is not cheap considering the labor and part charges combined.

Replaced the ignition swith twice key gets stuck and some cases steering locks.

Had ignition lock up. vehicle had to be towed. found out on internet a lot of people having the same trouble. *ak

On two separate occasions the ignition switch would not turn, to allow the consumer to start the vehicle. jb

Have a 2000 ford, focus se. occasionally the cars ignition will lock up. sometimes the ignition will turn and gauges, radio will work, but car will not start. it will not make any sounds, just does not start. having difficulty even turning ignition switch. been in shop several times, but dealer could not find any problems until 04-19-05 when the ignition tumbler needed to be replaced. never have seen this before on a 4-5 year old car. not covered under any warranty. this failure very often has left me and my 3 year old sitting in the car in extreme temperatures unable to start vehicle. currently, i am stuck with a $250 bill, that the ford mechanic stated probably had nothing e to do with the vehicle not starting!!!*ak

My wife was driving the car and stopped to get a drink. when she got back into the car, the key would not go into the ignition. after i looked at it, the key went in a bit further, but was not enough to turn the ignition. the key still will not go in all the way or turn.*ak

Defective ignition switch cylinder, failed cylinders resulted from a sub standard manufactured cylinder which rapidly deteriorates with use and eventually fractures and jams. ford is well aware that these fragile cylinders are made of sub standard materials and are breaking and jamming at an alarming rate. *ak

Frozen ignition lock, tumblers fall into lock space and prevent key from entering. *ak

The ignition lock seized. consumer put the key into the ignition but it would not turn over. the floor shifts was still in park. consumer had the vehicle towed home because of this defect. *ak *bf *nm

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that when she tries to turn the key in the ignition it won't turn. she has to hit it with a mallet to get it to turn. the contact stated there are numerous complaints online about this failure. the manufacturer was contacted and they are aware of the failure but stated there is nothing they can do. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was about 30,000. the current mileage was 100,000.

Ignition cylinder locked up. the keys won't turn in the ignition cylinder. had to call the locksmith as per locksmith ,its a known issue with ford focus 2000/2001 models. ignition cylinder replaced to fix the problem. check this for similar issues: http://www.automotivetalk.net/showmessages.php?id=1275

I've had the car for over 3 years now and always had problems inserting the key into the ignition. one day, i drove the car to my friend's house and was ready to leave and inserted the key into the ignition. the key would not go into the ignition and therefore, i was unable to turn the key. the steering wheel was also locked. i had to call a locksmith and he had to drill into the ignition to remove it and replace it with a new one. he also had to program a new key. the locksmith told me that this is a common problem with the ford focus. i am surprised that there has been no recall as of yet for this problem. i feel that ford needs to take responsibility for their product and issue a recall. we as consumers should not have to foot the bill for this problem. by not solving this issue, this allows others to benefit from repair costs to these vehicles everytime they are stranded and have no one else to turn to except the only locksmith in the area who can charge whatever to repair the ignition.

When starting the vehicle steering wheel would not unlock with the ignition key. vehicle was towed. dealership was notified. consumer had the steering wheel lock repaired. *ak

When key is inserted in the ignition the key won't turn. consumer took vehicle to dealer numerous times, and dealer fixed it, but problem recurred. *ak

Key won't full slide into the ignition lock cynlider. as a result can't start the car. it apears, one or more tumblers have fallen out of place. auto has approximately 62,000 miles. when i had a lock smith look at the lock, i was informed that is was a fair common problem with the 2000-2002 ford focus model. *ak

The ignition on my 2000 ford focus is locking up to the point where i cannot turn my key. the car has 47,000 miles on it. i was stranded for 20 mins the other night trying to get the key to turn. spend up to 1 to 2 minutes now each time i get in my car reinserting the key until it finally turns. i have also tried my spare key, which is brand new, with same results. from what i have read, this is a common problem, and probably only a matter of time until i have to replace the ignition switch.*ak

After finishing work, i went out to my car and the key would not turn. i tried for an hour to get the key to turn but it never did. since i am new to the area, and i do not know anyone, i ended up having the car towed to the ford dealership. they told me the ignition switch would have to be drilled out and replaced. i was billed $325. *nm

Ignition switch failure. could not remove or turn key. had to have cylinder replaced in both vehicles that we own. quite costly and very inconvenient.

Ignition lock has failed for the second time, this time at approximately 65000 miles. i am without a car, and my wife is 36 weeks pregnant.*ak

Ignition key switch will sometimes fail to turn after the key is inserted. i have contacted the dealership and was informed that this is a problem with the focus. the service manager informed me that the problem will get progressively worse and that that he has had many people have to have their vehicle towed because of this. he also said that ford is aware of the issue but is not repairing them and that it is a $250 repair. he stated it could happen when the car is running and the key will not come out, or could cause the ignition not to work at all. i've owned many cars. i've never had the igition key cylinder "wear out". *ak

Consumer would be unable to turn the key inside the ignition switch. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak consumer adds ignition is stuck when attempting to start vehicle. both rear doors will not open due to vehicle not starting. clock spring and steering lock assembly were replaced. *tt

Consumer is unable to remove key from ignition without excessive force being used, regardless of length of time vehicle is driven . dealership removed the ignition chamber, inspected it, but found no problem. also, they have lubricated it. the problem recurred. *ak

Ford focus ignition locks fail at very high rates. our's failed for the third time this week, stranding us and requiring a tow. our ford dealer again charged us more than $300.*ak the web is full of reports of these failures. search google: ford focus ignition lock

Ignition switch failure 3 times at mileages 41097, 60405, 75504. vehicle had to be towed each time. ignition switch was drilled out and replaced each time. ignition switch bound up and would not turn with key inserted. *ak

The failure accurred in the ignition switch, the key would not go into the ignition switch thus not allowing us to start the car it had to be towed home. *ak

Ignition in 2000 ford focus has failed. we started to experience problems with turn the key--we often experienced problems with turning the key to on position. the problem has now progressed and we are unable to even turn the car on at all. we are told that the ignition will have to be replaced. we contacted the local ford dealership and we were told by their service department that they have seen this problem occuring more and more, and they have already had several cars of this make and model come in with this problem. we were also told that it will cost almost $400.00 to replace this part. i've researched this problem, and it seems there are people from all over the us who are having this issue. i contact ford customer service directly and they were of no assistance.

The ignition tumbler failed. from what i have been able to ascertain, this is a common problem that ford has known about and has chosen not to issue a recall. the fact that vehicle has been recalled almost 12 times should indicate that there is massive engineering and design problems with this car.*ak

I parked my car one night, nothing unusual, no previous difficulties with the ignition. the next day i get in and can not insert key fully into the ignition. after jiggling it around, i could finally fully insert key but am unable to turn it to start the vehicle. *ak although no injury occured, this is an expensive repair (over $300 in addition to the towing fees). i have found numerous complaints of the same problem on the web and in my discussion with other focus owners; and think ford is to blame. i only have 2 keys on my key ring along with the remote keyless entry; therefore, this was nothing i've done to impair the daily performance.

Without warning or prior problems and while parked, the ignition and steering column locked up. i was not able to turn the key nor the steering wheel. all attempts to do so failed. had vehicle towed to ford dealership where the old ignition was drilled and a new one isntalled. the service manager comfirmed that this is a known issue with the ford focus.*ak

'recall campaign' ford focus 2000, has had 6 recalls. *bf the tumbler in the ignition failed. *jb

My 2000 ford focus was working fine. about 5 minutes after parking the car, i returned to the car to start it up, and my key, which had just worked fine, would not start the car. the steering column and the ignition were locked. my key would no longer go all the way into the ignition cylinder, which seemed to be jammed in some way. i called aaa, who said they see this all the time in the ford focus. they banged on the column trying to release the cylinder, but to no avail. stranded, i took a $35 cab ride home and have to return today to have it towed off a downtown street to the dealers service center, which is closed on sunday and has no emergency number...i guess i just leave it there with the hopes that they will look at it tomorrow. i have no idea how i'll get to work tomorrow, how long this will take to fix, nor how much it will cost--- but i've read other similar complaints that this happens repeatedly with the ignition cylinder due to weak metals used in the manufacturing of the ignition cylinder. this is not due to normal wear and tear. this is a faulty part and should be recalled! *jb

Turning the key became progressively harder, and finally the cylinder locked completely. this should be a recall, it cost me $450.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. when the key was placed in the ignition, it would not turn at all. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the ignition was replaced. the cause of the malfunction was unknown. prior to the failure, the vehicle was experiencing difficulty starting and the key had to be turned several times. the trunk lock failed and needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 70,000 and current mileage was 160,000.

I have a 2000 ford focus zts. the ignition lock cylinder failed. after driving the car in the morning and parking it in a parking spot i came out and was unable to insert my key in the ignition. i was unable to insert the key into the ignition and the steering wheel was frozen in place. after trying repeatedly to get the key in or jiggle the steering wheel i had to have the car towed. i needed a new steering column, ignition, lock cy, and rekey lock cylinder. there has been a vehicle: all technical service bulletin issued on this problem but no recall. ford is aware of the problem which is a plastic switch in the ignition that breaks and then causes the problems. i hope there is no car fire or deaths as a result of ford not fixing this problem. *jb

1) no known events lead up to the failure. 2) when heading to work in the morning one day, i had difficulty inserting the key into the ignition. once i got the key in the ignition, it would not unlock. i could not start my car and could not get to work 3) we had to pay $70 to have the vehicle towed to the nearest ford dealership in buffalo, mn. we then had to pay them to drill out ignition cylinder and remove it. then they built new cylinder and installed it. costing me $350. i understand also, from the ford roadside assistance (that had just expired) that this is also a very common problem for ford focus'. *nm

Ignition randomly locked up. i had some problems while driving. after i parked and turned off the car, removed the key, i could no longer turn the ignition cylinder with the key. had to replace ignition cylinder and key for a cost of $350. i have read many complaints of similar happenings by other focus owners. also received anecdotal evidence from tow truck driver and mechanic of frequency of this occurring with ford focuses. *nm

I could not insert my key more than half way into the ignition to start my 2000 ford focus zx3. i had it towed through ford to a dealership and expected the ignition problem to be fully covered under warranty (i had nothing to do with its failure).the dealership told me that it was not covered under my extended warranty and it would cost $585 to replace the ignition and re-key the car. this seems to be a very common problem with my model/year.*ak

Key goes in ignition, but won't turn. requires wiggling and multiple tries to get car to turn over and start. common problem on ford focuses. making appointment to have ignition replaced.

2000 ford focus - key will not go into ignition and start car

I parked my car. upon coming back to the car the key would not work in the ignition at all. the dealer indicated that the tumbler mechanism failed and that this is a common defect. my car is a stick shift, and if i stalled the car in traffic and the ignition switch failed that time, i would have been put in a very dangerous situation.*ak

I stopped in at a local restaurant and got a bite to eat. when i returned to my car i proceeded to put the key into the ignition but it jammed. i flipped the key and tried again and no luck. i then gave the key a good push and got the key in but it would not turn over. i called a local locksmith and told me it was a common failure on ford focus. i then took the car to a local ford dealership and got charged $450 to replace the whole ignition cylinder. i looked up other ford focus complaints and notice that this is a common problem nationwide.*ak

I bought the a 2000 ford focus car in july 2004. it is today (feb 2005) the ignition has locked up on me. the key will go in but the key will no turn. the key ding signal works and every thing. i have read many consumer complaints from autotalk.com about the same exact problem and it is the igntion cylinder is the problem and the problem keeps reacurring every year. *ak

I have had this car since 2003 and it has been nothing but trouble. i have had it into the shop for many of the previously stated repairs- ignition lock, revving/ gas line sticking, broken windshield with no outside cause, cracked side mirrors from cold, etc. this week my rear window fell into the door and would not roll up. the estimate is close to $400. i have had other problems, so many i can't recall them all now. i would advise others to avoid ford products in the future- i certainly will. *jb

Electrical system: ignition switch. my complaint is exactly the same as 10100616. a failed ignition switch that would not turn. corrected by drilling out cylinder, and replacing. certified lock smith price was $298.00. the local ford dealer quoted price was $400.00 lock smith said they have 1 - 2 of these with the focus every week.*jb

1- this specific failure, there were no events leading to it, it just happened. the ignition switch just locked. previously there were little events with the car leading up to its failure. 2- it stalled and wouldn't start, fuel wasn't getting to the engine and would lead to power failure. 3- after repeated trips to the garage and told there was nothing wrong with it. they did replace the plugs and wires and fuel pump again. now the problem is the ignition switch. *ak

Ignition lock failure on my 2000 ford focus. this i am told is a major problem by the dealer and aaa. please help. ford needs to recall these vehicles. thank you. *jb cindy drohan

About 8 months ago i purchased a 2000 ford focus. this past weekend my steering wheel locked up. i couldn't even get the key all the way into the ignition. i tried several times to start the car to no avail. i went online to find out if there were any other techniques i could try and came across several websites with disgruntled consumers who are also owners of the ford focus. they all are experiencing the same problem. i've been told by both the dealership and locksmith that the problem is the tumblers and a failed cylinder due to ford. apparently ford used a substandard manufactured cylinder which rapidly deteriorates with use and eventually fractures thus locking the wheel. i was told at the dealership that the repair would be close to $400 so i opted instead to have a locksmith come out. that cost me $60. i'm told though that it's only a matter of time before it happens again and even a new cylinder will not prevent it from happening again because the part itself is defective. apparently ford is well aware of this problem but will not do a recall which i find absurd. this is not only an annoying situation but also a dangerous one. i've had other ford owners tell me that they've had this problem happen to them while driving, at stop lights, in a parking lot etc. that is dangerous and something should be done about it. i am writing a personal letter to ford...and i plan to take this as far as i possibly can legally. thank you. amy kennedy winston salem, nc *jb

When attempting to start the vehicle the ignition locked. as a result, the vehicle was unable to start, and had to be towed to dealership for repair. *ak