Problems with 2001 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Became harder and harder to get ignition cylinder to work properly. it would lock and take half an hour or more to get it to start. had to replace ignition switch and cylinder; required a locksmith, a mechanic and $222. *jb

Recall 02v288001 concerning battery cables. consumer said that the battery cables were routed too close to the engine which resulted in an under hood fire. consumer contacted the manufacturer, and was told that this vehicle was not eligible for recall due to vin even though the vehicle experienced the same defects as described in the recall. *ak

Complaint involves 2001 ford focus station wagon. left turn signal malfunctioned for a few days, and then the ignition froze. unable to release the steering wheel, i had the car towed and sustained damage from the towing. apparently this defect is well known to dealers and to ford. my car has 49k miles on it and is never abused.*ak

I am the owner of a 2001 ford focus and have always had problems with it. on 10/28/2004 i stopped for gas with my two small children. after re-fueling, we all got back into the car to leave and the key wouldn't turn. my whole stering column had locked up-the steering wheel wouldn't budge, the shifter was locked as well as the brake pedel. although many strangers tried to help me start my car, me adn my children were stuck at the gas pump for over an hour. after having my car towed the driver told me that this was his seond focus that day with the same problem and his company tows several a month.

Stranded in parking lot when key wouold not turn the ignition. had to get toed to dealer to get fixed. haven't got it fixed yet because it just happened today and i found all the other complaintes here. i am wondering why there is no recall because it is a serious failure. i was lucky and had a phone handy and if it had been my wife, something terrible could have happend and we may not had any way to get there.*ak

We own a 2001 ford focus. we went out to start it 2 days ago and they key would not turn in the ignition. apparently this is a common problem for ford focus cars. *jb

Vehicle caught on fire in the parking lot. consumer has no idea as to why the vehicle caught on fire. *ak

The ignition swith lock has seized. this makes it impossible to turn the ignition to start the car. *ak

Without warning, ignition locks up and key will not turn. the car cannot be started and must be towed in for repair. the same problem has occurred on three separate occasions over the life of the vehicle. since the car cannot be started, the driver has been stranded until the car can be towed in and repaired. to repair the failure, the lock cylinder must be drilled out of the steering column and replaced completely.*ak

Ignition switch locked up and i cannot start the car because the key wont turn this is the second time it has done this i was lucky the first time it came loose and allowed the car to start

Unsure of exact date- ignition switch has gone out three times car has to been towed away all three times. prestige ford mechanic says it is how the part is made wont cover after 36,000 miles because it is electrical. dealership admits is recurring after warranty defect but ford company will not take responsibilty for bad part. *ak

My steering wheel locked and i was unable to turn my key when trying to start my 2001 ford focus lx. i tried all the usual, pull the wheel this way, turn the key that way, even tapping the key, and nothing worked. i had to have it towed to the dealer to replace the ignitiion tumblers, or whatever, and it cost $300.

2001 ford focus ignition lock cylinder will not turn. this has happened numerous times. it failed last year, and left my wife stranded. it then worked perfectly. about a year later, it failed again. i now have to beat the key into the cylinder to get it to start.*ak

The ignition lock failed to accept the ignition key. i manipulated the key for about 15 minutes before the lock would accept the key. it finally accepted the key after jarring the car by slamming the door. i can never be sure the car is available in an emergency. *jb

I tried to start my car (2001 ford focus) and the key wouldn't turn at all in the iginition. i spent the better part of 2 hours trying to get it to turn and it didn't. i ended up having to have my car towed - and have been told that it is my lock cylinder that is shot and needs to be replaced. it can't be replaced without tearing half my dash/steering column apart.*ak

While placing the key inside the ignition switch vehicle failed to start. when the key was removed from the ignition switch a loud noise was heard coming from the ignition. consumer contacted a lock smith, and also will contact the dealer in the morning. *ak

About 3 months ago my key started to get stuck in the ignition. i drive a 2001 ford focus. it seems to do it every other day or so. i couldn't lock my doors, and was afraid that someone would steal something. now every time i drive my car i bring two sets of keys with me, so that i can lock the doors. however, having keys stuck in the ignition is asking for someone to break into my car. i have looked into this problem, and it seems that many are having a similar problem with their 2001 ford focus. i will give you an estimate of the first incident date. thank you. *ak

Dt: the rear tail lights do not come on when lights are turned on. the dash panel lights also do not come on when headlamps are on. the turn signals work, and rear tail lights do work when brake pressure is applied. the consumer replaced a fuse several times, and it continued to blow out, indicating a short in the electrical system. between the hatch and the body there is wiring harness, and inspection of that wiring harness discovered that the shielding of the wiring separated or cracked, indicating the wires are stressed. the consumer feels this is a problem indicated on a recall for prior model years. the consumer contacted ford, who said this was not covered under warranty, and was not involved in a recall. the consumer has not taken vehicle to a dealer at this time. there have been no repairs or corrections made other than the electrical tape that was placed on the exposed wires by the consumer. *ak

I have a 2001 ford focus lx sedan. the ignition lock mysteriously locks up about once a year and the car has to be taken to the dealer to be fixed. this will be the fourth time the ignition has locked up. can you say "lemon law"? i have read literally hundreds and hundreds of posts on the internet about this problem. my ford roadside would not cover the tow and i had to use my insurance roadside assistance to tow it this time. anyhow, the tow truck driver shows up at my house and states that "he has towed at least 50 of these cars," and every one of them was for the same exact problem. he stated that he never towed one for any other problems. why is this not a recall yet??? the design is piss poor and something needs to be done about it! please help us. *jb

2001 ford focus - steering wheel locked & key won't turn. *ak

When attempting to brake, the consumer down shifted and the safety ignition switch malfunctioned and was caught under the clutch, causing the relay to slow down. the consumer pulled the emergency brake to stop the lurching, but it was too late and the consumer scraped another vehicle in a parking lot. *ak *sc

I have had my car in 5 times to fix the ignition. the first two times i believe the a cylinder in the ignition was replaced, the third time the same part was replaced and i was given a new key. the four time the car started at the dealership and i was told i just didn't try to start my car properly and did i know how to start a stick shift (i have had a stick for the last 14 years). the fifth time they replaced the whole ignition system. nothing happened to cause any of these problems i would just go out to start my car and the key would not turn all the way and the vehicle would not start and would have to be towed. all of these have happened in less than one year. also periodically thought out this whole time the ignition would stick and the car would not start, after several attempts however it would work. the incident date i am using is this fifth time. *ak

Ignition switch locked.as a result, key was unable to turn the switch in order to start the vehicle. *ak

Consumer was unable to turn the key in the ignition switch. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *ts

Ignition key inter lock failed . as a result, consumer was unable to start the vehicle. *ak

My 2001 ford focus zx3's ignition switch failed. when you put the key into the ignition cylinder, it doesn't turn. i tried the usual things like jiggling the key while moving the steering wheel, and i tried a spare key. *jb

I bought the car used the previous owner told me he had the ignition cylinder replaced. well its a couple years later now and my ignitions cylinder is bad too. my key barely goes in and it does not turn the lock, and will not start my car. this is a known problem with ford and they refuse to issue a recall or even an extended warrantee on it. i have researched and it seems that every focus 2000-2002 that is around 3 years old has this problem. my car is currntly parked in a wendys parking lot where it happened. i dont have a lot of money and cannot afford the assinine amount of money ford wants to fix this problem (about 300$) and it seems they dont want anyone fixing it themselves either, the ignition clyinders do not come with keys and you have to but the keys and have them cut to your key and then have the ignition cylinder bored out to the shape of the key (this is as backwards as ive ever seen) so no one is capable of just buying a new cylinder and fixing it themselves!! so basically there are alot of po'd people that ford is refusing to help, and im adding my name to the list thank you. *ak

2001 ford focus learches under normal driving. electriclal issues lights dimming dach lights same under normal driving. 5 trips to the dealer no identifiable cause. remedy was to replace battery cables @ 487.10 . *ak

Consumer placed the key in the ignition and it was locked. ignition would not accept the key. she called the lock smith, and was told that they have at least one of this type of problem with the focus a week. lock smith could not make the ignition accept the key. had towed vehicle to the dealership. *ak

On 2 separate occations within 1 year the ignition would not turn. locked up. ford replaced both times. *ak

The ignition locked and the key became stuck, sometimes the ignition would not turn over at all.. the turn signals will not turn off. *jb

2001 ford focus - purchased 3/2001, has 31000 miles on it. lock pin fell into ignition, key got stuck in ignition and would not turn. estimated to cost me minimum $290 - up to $500+. the mechanic at ford dealership said that 2000 & 2001 focus cars are being towed in all the time with the same problem.*ak

The vehicle stalled on two separate occasions. *jb the speedometer in the vehicle always reads zero. the milage erase on their own and pop up again days later then disappear again. the consumer stated that he has to turn the vehicle off and turn it on again to read the gas gauge. automatic locks engage 20 minutes after the consumer has started driving. the vehicle steering wheel became hard to move as the vehicle loss power and shut down on several occasions. *tc

I have driven my car for 3 years and about 45,000 miles. i attempted to start the car after having no issues, and the key would not turn in the ignition. after reviewing problems i have found this to be a common problem with the focus. *ak currently the car is not corrected. i have to replace the ignition cylinder which will cost me between 285 and 350 dollars. this part is not able to be replaced by a unsed part.

Consumer stated that ignition locked on its own. *ak the conusmer stated that he could not turn key to start the vehicle. *tc

1. ford focus ignition locks. 2. could not turn key to start car. i was stranded on the 4th of july weekend. 3. car had to be towed. dealership service dept. was closed. locksmith had to replace ignition cylinder. also, the ignition key was well worn even though it's a fairly new automobile. *nm

The ignition on my 2001 ford focus "stuck" on me this past july. i entered my vehicle and inserted the key. the steering wheel would not turn...it remained in the locked position. on 7/3/04, i had to have the ignition replaced on my 2001 ford focus. the dealership informed me that this was a very common problem on the focus, however they still charged me over $500 to fix the problem. i had to have my ignition drilled out and replaced. they said that even thought they had had many vehicles returned for this problem, that ford had not issued a recall on it. *ak

Problems with ignition being jammed on 2002 ford focus. *mr the ignition lock cylinder would not turn and was seized. *sc *jb

Consumer looked at the internet and saw that there were recalls on the ford focus ignition key switch. his vehicle had one of those defective switches. the switch would not accept the key, so he had it repaired. dealer claimed he had to reassemble the lock, and that cost him $286.00. *ak

Ignition key fails to turn on my ford focus. the ignition has been drilled out and replaced 2 times already for this problem, this is the 3rd time it has haoppened.*ak

October 14 2003, without any warning the key stopped turning, vehicle had 64 035 km or 4 035 km over warranty -ignition cylinder assembly replaced (cost 554.41$ cdn) june 12 2004, again without any warning the key stopped turning in the switch. vehicle mileage approximately. 89 000 km or roughly 5 000km after part warranty -ignition cylinder to be replace (estimated cost 341.51$ cdn) *la

Key will not turn in the ignition, steering locked. his is the second time this has happened. 1st time july 2002 - miles 14,500 - fixed under warranty. ignition drilled, tumbler replaced, new keys 2nd time jun 2004 - miles 24,000 (9500 since last time). not fixed under warranty as it was over 1yr even though i have only put 9500 on the part for 2years. ignition drilled, tumbler replaced, new keys - cost $300. *ak

2001 ford focus ignition locks. unable to start vehicle. *ak

Gauges in dash along with the rest of the electrical system cuts in & out while driving. now, car will not start but displays same problems while attempting to start vehicle.*ak

Key will not turn in ignition, steering wheel locked, brake petal locked, gear shift locked. car out of warrenty. ford emergency road service won't help because of expired warrenty. called nearest ford dealershop (tom holzer), gave me the phone number of their "towing" person, tried 12 times, got voice mail, no call was ever returned. (i was "stuck" in a bank parking lot.. and they were ready to close) the bank personel were kind enough to let me use their phone and provided a phone book, besides every male in the building individually tried anything they could think of to get my car to start... with no luck. after calling @ 6 lock smiths with 24 hour emergency road servie, i finally found one that knew exactly what i was talking about... he informed me that he gets a call on the same problem approx. once a week on ford focus's. even he can't understand why there hasn't been a "recall" on this defective part?? he also told me what the dealership would have charged me to replace it... @$550.00!! fortunately for me there are still honest and kind people around, ford did "nothing" to help me!! i can't imagine i'm the "only" person that has complained about this problem, why hasn't anything been done about it? when this happens, you're definately stranded!! *ak

I own a 2001 ford focus w/ 45,000 miles. i was left stranded memorial day weekend 2004 when the ignition in my automobile locked up. i place the key in the ignition (with some difficulty) and i am unable to turn the key. i have researched this problem and it appears that many other people have had this experience w/ 2000/2001 ford focus. my car remains immobile and i am unable to address the problem until after the holiday weekend. from what i have read, i can anticipate $350-500 to replace ignition. *la

Since august 2003, i have experienced ignition lock five (5) times with my 2001 ford focus. first two "repairs" (8/03 and 12/03) were covered under warranty, and supposedly replaced the ignition cylinder. i never saw the old part. however, when vehicle was taken in for subsequent repair to the same problem (2/04), i was told that a permanent repair would require replacement of the steering column and would cost me $500+, but that the ignition cylinder could be replaced under warranty. i got no response to my inquiry about why no permanent fix had been made while the vehicle was under warranty. i directed them to perform the repair i could afford - the cylinder. i never saw the old part that time either. the car was re-keyed as well. the ignition locked again on 5/20/04, and after i contacted ford motor company, the service department notified me that they had replaced the tumblers and re-keyed the vehicle at no charge. they also informed me that any subsequent repairs would be at my expense, as they would not be covered by warranty. the ignition locked again on 5/25/04. *la the initial repair to this problem was made under warranty. it was not a permanent repair, although there were service bulletins and a significant record of complaints issued on this same problem from early 2001. at no point have i received a satisfactory answer, from the dealer or from ford customer relations, to why the permanent repair was not performed in august 2003. i feel that the dealer made no attempt to effect a repair on this problem while it was warranted, but stalled with temporary fixes until the mileage/age of the vehicle would require me to pay, both for parts and labor. as it now stands, i will be taking my vehicle to another dealer for the repair and a second opinion, and hope i can get my money back. i refuse to pay even ten cents for a repair by a service department that has already failed to make the same repair four times!

The left rear door would intermittently open when making a turn while driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the left rear door actuator. *ak the right rear and front locks were inoperative as well. the doors would not unlock by remote or key insertion. the doors had to be manually opened from within the vehicle. the radio had an internal defect. *sc

Upon starting the vehicle, the keys failed to turn in the ignition. the vehicle was towed to the dealership, who indicated that the ignition switch locked up. the dealership will have to drill the ignition switch out, to replace it. *jb this was a widespread problem that ford will not respond to. *sc *jb

Consumer complained about steering problems. when he took vehicle to the dealer for repairs consumer was told that it was ignition cylinder. consumer could not make any turns, steering locked, and could not get key out of ignition cylinder. consumer took vehicle to the dealer twice in 8 months, but problem recurred. *ak