Problems with 2003 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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. 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.

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

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

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.

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

Ignition lock cylinder stuck leaving us stranded. *tr

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. 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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.