Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car is a lemon. radio has failed multiple times. door locks and ignition lock have failed multiple times. current problem is car stalls at intersections. emission light is on and stays on. deal can not fix.*jb i consider the stalling at intersections to be very dangerous. if someone is moving forward assuming the car will move, and it does not because of the stall, a crash may result.

Ignition switch failure. *ak

2000 ford focus ignition switch is stuck. cannot start car. this is a huge problem for hundreds of consumers: see(http://www.autowhiz.com/messageboards/message.php?id=1784&page=12), due in my opinion to poor manufacturing. it is a potential safety issue. apparently ford denies the problem, but there are hundreds of complaints on bulletin boards to document this situation. please help us fix this situation. i believe it should/could come under a recall notice at no cost to the consumer. thank you, bob lambert *jb

(1) i parked my 2000 ford focus on a hill with the wheels turned (2) the key ignition would not turn even after playing around with it for 4 hours! i had to leave my vehicle behind. there was no advance signs that this problem was about to occur. while this is not a moving safety issue, this can be a very serious problem since it can strand you without any warning in an unsafe area. (i carry spare gas, jumper cables, car jacks, antifreeze, extra oil etc.. i even had enough tools to take apart the steering column and try hot wiring the car, but to no avail.) this is a serious mechanical defect. (3) i later bought an owners manual to try fixing the problem myself. but the first step to removing the broken ignition cylinder is to turn the key!! a catch 22. *jb

When key is put in ignition the key will not turn to allow the vehicle to start. also once the key is in it will not come out.*ak

Couldn't turn the key in the ignition to start the car. had car towed and the ignition switch replaced at a cost of more than $300. the car is 5 years old with only 43,000 miles on it. *nm

While driving 70 mph consumer noticed a burning odor, and then the vehicle stalled. vehicle was towed to a repair shop, and mechanic determined that a piece a metal cut and shorted the wiring harness connection to the headlight switch.*ak

Http://www.autowhiz.com/messageboards/message.php?id=1784&page=1 has many people that are having troubles with their ignition switches on 2000 and 2001 ford focus ford is aware of the problem but unwilling to make it right. i hope you can assist us in this matter more than ford is..in fact when i contacted ford directly they sent me an automated email on recalls on vehicles that i do not even own that did not address my complaint or the complaint of many others. *ak

Key will not turn the ingintion switch on, and sometimes can barely be removed from switch.*ak

Steering wheel ignition locks and will not allow the key to turn and start the car. *ak

There is no event leading up to failure that was recognizable. when you put key in the ignition, it seizes and will not turn to start the car. this has happened to me twice now!! in a year and a half. the first time it occurred was 6-27-03 and i had it fixed. the tumbler and ignition switch had to be replaced. i thought it may be a one off--i had bought the car used from the dealership. however, this has now occured again 1-25-05 and i will now have to pay again for something that should never have happened once--nevermind twice! i called ford and they were very uninterested and said there was no recall--but i bet there are other with this problem. it mean is takes 2 weeks to order the parts and fix so it is a hugh inconvenience because i have a small child and am pregnant again. i have to have the car towed to be serviced and am very upset and feel this needs loked into further since ford dont really seem to give a toss.*ak

I own a ford focus 2000. after leaving the store late one evening, i placed my key in the ignitinon and it would not turn. i was very frustrated because this had happened a few years ago as well. after doing some research, it seems that this is a very common problem. this is a safety issue! who will be to blame when something happens to the person stranded in the dark parking lot? the best part is, my car like many others- is at the dealer getting repaired. there goes my bill money. *ak

Coming home from work my engine light came on , i took it to a friend and he check it and said it was as cylinder misfire he reset he code(?) and said that he didn't guarantee that it wouldn't come back on . it work fine the rest of the day , but when i was again coming home from work the next day it came on again ,i immediately turn around and took it to the garage where i get repairs done . he also said it was a cylinder misfire and suggests i replace my spark plugs and wires , he also cleaned something else and something iac ( you can tell i don't know squat about cars)i paid 149.00 for this service . a day and half later i was back in the garage with the same problem (engine light on) this time he says it something with my transmission code and to call the co. and see if there is or was a recall on it . some thing about flashing the computer. i have only had this car since august 2004 and have trouble with all this and with the key not working but the car was still under a 30 day warranty and the car salesman took care of that problem. i am just wondering what next ,how much , money does not grow on trees around here. after reading all the complaints on this here website i wonder why i even bought a ford focus. i also have very squeal brakes constantly , and my rear passenger tire has a problem and my son won't even let me drive my car till i get it check out there is more money. my car only has 44,000. miles on it. *jb

The ignition cylinder on my 2000 ford focus has locked up several times, but now it is completely gone. the key will not turn for anything. i have been informed that ford will charge around $450 to fix this problem. it is an ongoing problem with many focus owners. the car has done this before but it just did it for the first time in months last night, leaving my husband stranded. ford has corrected this problem on the 2005 models but what about the rest of us! my husband was late for work because of it and i myself had to leave work to go pick him up.

At 9:00 am my wife drove to work and parked her car in the employee parking lot. at approximately 6:00 pm when she was leaving the office, she was not able to get the key to go into the ignition switch. she was stranded. when i arrived at her office about 6:45 pm, i tried but was also unable to get the key into the ignition. on 1/22/05 8:00 am i called our local ford dealer who said to try some wd-40. if that doesn't work we would have to tow it in to let them take a look. tried wd-40, didn't work, had vehicle towed to ford dealer at 9:45 am same day. while at the dealer, i asked service mgr if this is a common problem - he said it happens once in a while and it is usually caused by having too many keys on the key ring. when i gave him my keys, we was surprised there were no other keys on the same key ring. dealer called monday 1/24 and said they have to drill out the old lock cylinder and replace - it will cost $285 + the tow was $75, total u.s. $360. our concern is we do not feel not safe driving a car that we cannot be confident that the key will work as intended. imagine the potential danger a person could be left in not being able to start their car. we were amazed to find out the large number of owners of this same vehicle that have had the same problem and there has not been a recall issued for this defective part. we plan on repairing this vehicle and replacing it as soon as practical. *nm

Ignition switch failure. car unable to start. had to be towed to dealer to have ignition switch replaced.

I was leaving work late the other night and my key would not turn over in order to start my car. i had a friend pick me up and i called a locksmith the next day. i had my ignition replaced, then three days later i could not take my key out of the ignition. i once again called the locksmith he came back out and replaced my ignition once again, yet the key got stuck again. the third time i called him he told me this is a problem with focous and it was going to cost me an additional $250. to fix, on top of the $190. i had already spent to replace the ignition.*ak

Ignition switch jammed and won't turn. left me stranded. appears to be a major problem with ford focus. *jb

2000 ford focus, locked ignition. key won't go in and won't turn. many complaints about this problem for this car. *jb

Went to start my 2000 ford focus after leaving store and ignition tumble would not turn. has happened once before. now everytime i go to start my vehicle i have to hit the key hard into the ignition for as many times as it takes to start. brought my vehicle to my ford dealer. now it's going to cast me over $300 to replaced this part and that they say ford is aware of the problem but will not recall this part. i spoke to service reps, managers and tech's. they all say the same....ford knows but wont recall it! so on top of my car payment i get to pay more than my monthly payment to fix a part that ford acknowledges as defective. excellent services and care for your customers. then again i am only an average person not a muli-million dollar company. *jb

Vehicle: ford focus zx3. my: 2000, purchased in: san gabriel, ca currently in: dublin, oh. events: i went to my car one evening, sat in the driver's seat, pulled my key out and it would not go in the ignition cylinder. it was if something were stuck in it and the tip of the key was the only part that would go in. no amount of pushing seemed to help. the steering wheel was in the locked position and i even attempted to turn it to see if it would free whatever was stopping the key from going in.*ak consequences: i was stranded. the tires were turned to the left and the steering wheel was locked. to have it loaded onto a flatbed tow truck was impossible without causing more damage to the body of the car or wheels. it took over an hour to get it loaded on a tow truck. correction: i took the car to germain ford for service and they replaced the ignition cylinder in the steering column. the service technicians said they had seen this on other ford focus. other comments: i researched this online some and others have experienced the same issue.

Vehicle experienced problems with the ignition switch. owner was unable to put the key in the ignition and turn the vehicle on. owner had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership, and had the repairs done. *ak the consumer stated that he feels there should be a recall and he should be reimbursed for the cost of the repair. *tc

Vehicle experienced an ignition problem. vehicle will not start due to defective ignition cylinder.*ak

There was as ignition switch problem. when putting the key into the ignition it was very difficult. once the key was in, it would not turn. the consumer took the vehicle back to the dealer, and currently the dealership was working on the defect. *ak the ignition had to be replaced. *sc *jb

The ignition on my 2000 ford focus zx3 will not turn. the problem has been ongoing for about 4 months. a ford technician said to lightly tap the key then try turning the ignition. this method has seemed to work. however, i have been having to tap harder and harder to the point of hurting my hand from hitting it so hard. i've read several ford internet forums where owners have had the same exact problem. if this is a known problem with ford focus ignitions there should be a recall.*jb

While going 65 mph, a vehicle pulled off the ramp in front of the consumer. the consumer applied the brakes and they failed to work. the consumer lost control of the vehicle. *sc all of the lights on the vehicles digital meters where blinking. the vehicle flipped three times and landed on the roof. prior to the accident the vehicle had electrical and brake problems. all the digital figures on the dash would blink on and off. *tc *jb

2000 ford focus -- ignition key assembly, he ignition core fell out of my daughters focus for the second time. this assembly is being warrenty replaced this second time since it was done at local dealership, however the dealership says other adjacent components were damaged (costing ~ $650). had the ignition assembly been fixed correctly the first time, there is no way the adjacent components could have failed. the dealership lithia ford of tri-cities (509-735-2511) , has refused to honor warrenty repair of the adjacent components, which is rather disturbing. i am writing this complaint so hopefully ford will someday be pushed into recalling this defect in addition to the 11 other defects on this particular vehicle. *ak

Ignition key wont work in the car it wont turn. my 19 year daughter was leaving work when she went to start the car it wouldn't work. it was dark and not a great neighborhood this is not an unusual probably with the ford focus it needs to be fixed by ford and fixed now! (2000 ford focus). *nm

After stopping at a local safeway supermarket i went to my car and was unable to turn the key in the ignition. i thought that maybe my wheel was locked so i attempted to pull on the wheel while turning the key but had no luck. i tried this for approximately 30 minutes before giving up. i contacted aaa on sunday december 26 and was told a locksmith will be out to unlock my wheel. about 10 minutes later i received a phone call from aaa explaining to me that they felt a locksmith would do no good with my vehicle since i own a 2000 ford focus and in aaa's experience my particular problem is a common defect and i should have it towed to a dealer because my ignition will most likely need to be replaced. i contact my local dealer monday the 27 and was told that they would be happy to fix the problem because they perform that repair all the time, but there is no recall so i would have to pay for the replacement. i checked online and found hundreds of other 2000and 2001 ford focus owners with the same problem, even some that had the steering mechanism lock while the car was in motion. this seems like a very serious problem. i have decided to have my own mechanic replace the ignition system, because durring research i also found that those that had the ignition system replaced at a dealer had a reaccurance of the problem.*ak

After placing the key into the ignition gear locked and the key would not turn. vehicle was towed, and the ignition switch had to be replaced for a third time.*ak *nm

Key gets stuck in ignition and car won't crank . this just happened to me again and it's 17 degrees outside and icy. *ak

Intermittenly consumer would not be able to stick the key inside the ignition. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Today, during a snowstorm, i tried to start the car and the key would not insert into the ignition - the wheel was locked and there was no way to start the car. i has two babies with me, and had to call aaa. i have checked on the web and this is a hige problem with this car, yet the ford company will not issue a recall. it is incredibly unsafe. the car was inoperable. i was stranded.*ak

The key to my vehicle has been increasingly difficult to use in my ignition over the past year. at times it would take up to 2 hours to get the key to work and the ignition started. the last time this happened, my wife and two children were stranded with no way of getting home. finally, after several attempts and a lengthy amount of time later, she was able to get the key turned and the car started. the ignition cylinder in my vehicle is now completely broken (or something similar). i am unable to use my vehicle at all now. after two days of attempting to turn the key, it has failed. the failure has not been corrected yet, but i am aware that a new ignition cylinder will need to be installed on the vehicle. this will consist of towing the vehicle to the dealership because there is no way of starting the car or unlocking the steering wheel.*ak

Intermittently the consumer would be unable to turn the key in the ignition switch. the vehicle was towed. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. the cause was not determined. please provide more information. *nm

Ignition will not turn. one minute it was working fine, and the next, the key will not turn. also, one minute my automatic locks will work, then my car totally un-programmed itself. *jb

Consumer placed the key inside of the ignition and vehicle failed to start. consumer had the vehicle towed to dealer, and mechanic determined that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. *ak the vehicle ignition failed twice. *tc

Recall 03v482000 concerning intermittent stalling. manufacturer is not allowing the dealer to honor this recall because the vehicle has a branded title.*ak

2000 ford focus has a defective ignition. the car will lock up at any time. problem has been fixed twice in my car, now the problem has returned. *jb

Upon placing key into ignition, the chamber fails to turn to start and turn at all. had to call aaa to get vehicle towed. driver of tow truck was well aware of the problem specific to a ford focus. he was able to tap the steering collar and the lock unbound. this is not an issue with the wheel needing a slight turn. the cylinder apparently over time wears causing the ignition lock to bind. he said it might help putting some wd 40 on the key but the lock was a well know problem that will require replacement. searching the internet, i have seen many instances of this problem, in the hundreds. *jb

Consumer received recall 02v288000 concerning battery cables. when driving at night, at any speed, headlights got dimmer, and the radio came on and went off intermittently. consumer saw this recall on nhtsa website, and believed battery cable failure was the cause of this problem. the dealer and the manufacturer were not notified. *ak *nm

This complaint is concerning clarification of our previous complaints to nhtsa regarding the 2000 ford focus : #10104088 and #10107840. i am extremely concerned about the misinterpretation of data collected by your agency and posted for public review. deaths are not posted, nor are they included as injuries. this misrepresents the seriousness of the vehicle and equipment failures reported. *jb

Fatality vehicle fire, dec. 8 2004. my husband is the original owner of a 2000 ford focus, subject to numerous service visits to bill brown ford, livonia mi for: ignition, steering column, wheel bearing, brake, rear window control, seat belt &trunk latches, overhead light and engine light. the vacuum line & fuel pump & valve assembly were replaced 2/03, followed by stalling. in 6/03, a/c compressor & manifold line replaced. fuel line & pump failure in 8/03, resulted in gasoline spill on residential street minutes after parking. bogging followed repairs, pcm reprogrammed & leaking pvc tube replaced 1/04. fuel pump again replaced. in 8/04, our 24 year old son took ownership of this problematic car. we are uncertain as to whether vehicle malfunction caused a 35 mph collision with a fire hydrant. an immediate engine explosion and fuel fed fire trapped my son and his passenger. described by police as a relatively minor crash which would not be expected to claim lives, the subsequent unexplained engine fire claimed two young lives. a malfunctioning driver's airbag was also detected. this incident was originally reported to nhtsa by my husband (#10104088). i am supplying these additional facts for your clarification. please correct your posting of "0" injuries as there were 2 fatalities. please take effective action to save lives, as these trouble plagued vehicles seem to become more lethal as they age. confirmation of receipt of this information is requested. *nm *sc *jb

consumer put the key in the ignition to start the vehicle and key wouldn't turn. consumer called ford, and the dealer stated that the ignition tumbler was bad. consumer had the vehicle towed to repair shop for repairs. *ak

Key would not work in ignition - car had to be towed to dealership to replace the lock assembly and tumbler. *nm

Vehicle did not start when the key was inserted in the ignition. consumer took vehicle to dealer for the second time, and results showed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced again.*ak

2000 ford focus. ignition locks, put key in ignition but key will not turn, no matter what is done. this is the second time this has occurred with this same vehicle.*ak

The key will not turn in the ignition. ignition had to be replaced. this is the third time it has happened, and i had to have it towed each time.*ak

I brought my 2000 focus brand new. yesterday, went to a meeting on the other side of the city. i was the last to leave and my key would only go half way into the ignition. no matter of wiggling would get it to budge. i had to call a tow truck and take it to the dealership. they replaced the ignition: total cost 394.41 with towing. learned from a friend that there has been a techical service bulletin on this for years. of course my car is out of warrenty. but i have filed a complaint with ford and asking for a "good will' rembursment to cover costs. i think this should be sent to the major networks for investigation. *ak

My ignition locked leaving me stranded. i have towed the car to the dealership. upon looking through websites (www.edmunds.com, www.autowhiz.com), i see this is a common problem. there were over 200 responses with similar problems. someone from a local repair shop tried to get the key to turn and could not. he said he had worked for ford for 38 years and believed that the cylinder was the problem. he said that he had seen a number of early ford focuses (mine is 2000) have similar problems. i have had a lot of problems with the focus. there have been more than 12 recalls on the car. the dealerships and customer service are more often than not uncooperative. i've found that dealers do not want to honor the recalls, especially if a rental car comes with it. they did not want to replace the fuel pump which was recalled unless i exhibited problems even though the fuel pump had been recalled. focus owners are spending upwards of $350 on the ignition repair although it is clearly a manufacturer's defect.*ak