Problems with 2003 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I left my car for 5 mins to grab something in my home and when i returned to start my car the ignition wouldn't even budge, now i am going to have to get the ignition replaced. *tr

I was getting into my car and suddenly the key would go into the ignition but would not turn. i called a locksmith and i soon as they heard that it was a ford focus they didn't want to so anything because they stated that this is a dealership problem and they had to help me. they stated that this problem was very common with my type of vehicle and that i should check to see if there was a recall for it since it is a safety issue. when i called the dealership the person on the phone stated that they needed to check the vehicle and just to look at it they would charge me a fee of $87.00 to tell me that the key doesn't turn. after that they stated that they would give me an estimate as to how much i would have to pay to get it fixed. nothing has been done yet to correct the problem as i feel that it is completely ridiculous that they will not take responsibility for their faulty parts. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. after leaving the grocery store, the contact placed the key into the ignition but could not turn the key. she attempted to wiggle the key in the ignition to start the vehicle; however,the vehicle failed to start even after several attempts. the contact's friend owns a ford focus and instructed her to tap on the key while it is in the ignition. the contact heeded this advice and, after a few attempts, she was able to start the vehicle. she took the vehicle to the nearest dealer, where it is currently being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 80,000. updated 10/07/08. *lj

I own a 2003 ford focus zx5 and i have had repeated key ignition problems. my key tends to not work in the ignition and has forced me into tough situations. the most recent was being stranded on the 4th of july in a city i am not from in a bad part of town after a fire works show. i also have had previous problems with the same matter and when i contacted ford about it they could offer no solution other than a steep price to fix a problem they caused which i believe to be robbery and unacceptable. i have researched consumer complaint sites and noticed that this has not only happened to me and that there is a class action suit against ford in california for such a problem. i have now lost my job because of no transportation to work due to fords mishap. *tr

2003 ford focus car key ignition problems the key will not turn in the ignition and left me stranded. i took it to the dealership to be fixed were they informed me that the ignition has to be rebuilt. *tr

We have a 2003 ford focus and apparently this type of vehicle has a reputation of having the ignition lock up and just wont start again. apparently ford dealership is aware of the problem but there is no recall on this item yet. my daughter and granddaughter have been stranded for 4 hours trying to get this fixed. *tr

My 2003 ford focus was previously owned by one person, my own sunday driver grandmother and is currently only driven by myself and my mother. it had only 47,800 miles on it when the key would not turn in the ignition leaving my mother stranded at one place and me stranded across town waiting for a ride. the faulty ignition cylinder locked up randomly potentially making the car a roadside and/or traffic hazard. *tr

keys would be hard to turn in the ignition the today keys would not turn in the ignition...left stranded. *tr

Key would not turn in the ignition. this has happened several times. after some repeated attempts to start, eventually the key would work. this time, it has refused to budge. seems to be connected to the steering wheel being turned but that locks up too, so it can't resolve itself. research on internet such as consumer's report shows this to be a frequent complaint with this model. defective ignition! the other day it left me stranded with two small children. i would classify that as a safety concern! *tr

Ign key will not turning key gets stuck left me stranded in a bad high crime area i under stand that this is a problem on all the focus why is a recall mot been done. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition locked so the key wouldn't turn. we had to have a locksmith come out to remove the ignition lock pins, which he reported commonly malfunction in this way. this is a commonly reported problem on 2000-2005 year ford focus vehicles, but ford will not issue a recall, even though it can result in drivers being stranded, unable to start their vehicles. *tr

Ignition key/cylinder had to be replace. key would not turn to start car. *tr

2003 ford focus the key will not turn in the ignition rendering the car undrivable. *tr

Place key into the ignition and the key would not turn. there is only 50k on the car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while parked in the backyard, the contact started the vehicle and the rear window blew out. the dealer repaired the window. a few days later, the locks on the passenger side door would not unlock. the dealer repaired that failure as well. afterwards, the ignition cylinder began to fail. the contact took the vehicle in for repair and had to pay $300. the current and failure mileages were 5,000. updated 05/21/08 *bf the consumer stated the trunk needed to be repaired as well. updated. 05/20/08. *jb

Premature failure of ignition module, could have failed while driving causing serious injury. after talking to dealership and other ford sources, dealers fix at least a focus a week with the same issue, this is an extensive issue that needs to be addressed. *tr

Comments: the ignition of my ford focus 2003 locked @ 40,000 miles. key suddenly wouldn't turn. unable to start engine. had to have it towed to ford dealer by aaa tow. aa driver said he has had many such cases. had to get ignition cylinder replaced @ dealer for exorbitant $570.($347 labor) there are thundreds of these cases but ford will not address problem. i heard that there is a class action lawsuit. would like to get more info on how to join in lawsuit or other means to get ford to issue a recall and/or pay for this part failure. *tr

The key ignition is locked and won't turn on the car. *tr

Ignition switch won't turn in my 2003 ford focus. left me stranded in the parking lot at the airport. *tr

Placed key into 2003 ford focus and cannot turn key in ignition. the ignition is locked up. car has only 60,000 miles!!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. she called a mechanic and the ignition was replaced. the current mileage was 140,030 and failure mileage was 139,382. updated 04/22/08. *lj

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but was unsuccessful because the ignition would not turn. after 15 minutes of turning the key in the ignition various ways, the vehicle eventually started. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the purchase date, transmission type, fuel type, and fuel system were unknown. the current mileage was 49,000 and failure mileage was 47,000.

I got in my car and placed the key in to start yesterday and the key would not turn. the ignition had locked up. after several tries i was able to turn the key, it happened again, however, this morning. i was trying to return home and unable to start my car, i had to wait in my car for an hour until someone could bring me the key (it is currently 22 out). the key still will not turn after several tries. i am currently waiting to get it fixed to see if there is any other way. i have researched online and apparently hundreds of 2003 ford focus owners have the exact same problem. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus zx3 with 27,000 miles. for the past year and a half the dashboard lights go out suddenly. this is not a fuse problem, as the way to get them back on is to turn off the headlights and then turn them back on. often this problem will occur several times during one trip; at other times it will "solve" the problem for months. it has happened on high-speed highways and it is disconcertingly dangerous, especially when it is critical to know one's speed. i believe (from the internet) that others have had this problem with the focus. ford, however, did not acknowledge a problem, or how to fix it other than taking it to a dealer at my expense. *tr

Took the car to the dealer the same day the left tail light turn signal went out. according to the service manager, they could not remove the bulb because when the bulb "shorted," it melted plastic around the bulb. i had to buy an entirely new tail light and socket assembly for over $100. i was told by him that this happens "a lot" on the focus wagons and he had replaced 6 of them that day. when i expressed my anger and disbelief at the cost and asked why this wasn't a recall item, he said not to blame him because he didn't design it. i am angry about the cost, but also whether this is a potential safety hazard. it was 5 degrees the day this happened and such a "short circuit" may have safety implications. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus and my key wont start my car. when you place the key in the ignition the key wont turn. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. in an attempt to drive the vehicle, the contact placed her key in the ignition and it would not turn. the vehicle had to be towed to a mechanic and they replaced the entire ignition. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 90,000.

Key will not turn in the ignition of my 2003 ford focus. *tr

Ignition switch won't turn. it's like the key is from the wrong car or something. i was stuck in 5 degree weather while waiting for a tow-truck driver to take my car to the dealership, which was closed anyway. the two-truck driver told me that he's personally seen about a hundred focuses (foci?) with the same problem, and that they are "notorious" among the tow-truck drivers for this problem. he was able to get the key to turn, and i was able to get home, but now i have looked on the web and seen that there are hundreds or thousands of owners with the same exact problem. there is a class-action lawsuit in california over it. *tr

The ignition on my 2003 ford focus keeps seizing up. the only way to get the key to turn is to tap it with a hammer. i ran a google search for ford focus steering lock and found thousands of complaints for this same problem. many of which said that ford does not recognize a problem and charged them for the repair. i have not taken the car in for service yet and am reluctant to waste my time with the dealer given the complaints i see and the fact i could have it done cheaper elsewhere. ford needs to recognize this and recall or reimburse. this is a dangerous situation in cold weather. from what i understand the ignition part was redesigned in 2005 and now functions properly. *tr

Ignition switch would not turn. left stranded. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while attempting to start the vehicle, it would not unlock or allow her to start the vehicle. a professional stated that the ignition cylinder does not unlock, which prevented the vehicle from starting. the vehicle is currently being repaired. he called the manufacturer and is waiting for a response. the current and failure mileages were 60,600.

I am writing because i believe that there should be a recall for my car due to many complaints with the same problem with my car. my wife was shopping and when she went to start the car the steering wheel was locked and the key would not turn. we ended up having to have the car towed to our home. we went online and researched and saw that many people with the same car and year that we have has the same problem. our car is a 2003 ford focus and its an ignition lock problem. the average repair is between $300 - $500. i believe that it is a huge safety issue as my wife was stranded with our 7 week old and 4 year old in very cold weather with no way to start the car for any heat. its dangerous and the complaints are many. all you have to do is google it and you can see. i contacted ford to see if they will take care of the issue and they are supposed to get back to me by tomorrow at 2 to let me know. i believe that they should as again they know that this is a very common problem with this vehicle and have yet to ever issue a recall for it. thank you. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact is unable to remove the key from the ignition only in rainy weather conditions. he notified three different dealers that acknowledged the failure, but were unable to provide a solution. everyone refuses to repair the vehicle, including a locksmith. the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. the key remains in the ignition. the failure mileage was 107,000 and current mileage was 111,000.

The entire steering wheel and ignition cylinder locked on my 2003 ford focus ztw. apparently, this is a big problem, requiring replacement of the cylinder. this has left me stranded without a car. *tr

My mother purchased a new 2003 ford focus from lofink's ford in carthage, ny late in 2003 several times over the first three years she had the car, there was a problem with the ignition switch/steering column. she was unable to turn the key to start the vehicle. she repeatedly tried the key/steering wheel and was eventually able to get the key to turn. when she reported this to the dealership within the warranty period, she was told that sometimes this happened, that she should just jiggle the key/etc. she relocated to belton, tx in jun 07 to be near me, her daughter. on 30 sep 07 the car had the same issue, except that no amount of jiggling the key/steering column would allow the key to turn. the car was towed to johnson brothers ford in temple, tx. the dealership diagnostics read as follows: ignition system diag found ignition switch binding replaced ignition switch, retest sytem ok. the ignition switch would not turn had to drill out ign lock cylinder to remove. this cost: $474.67 which was not covered because the car had 16,505 miles on it at that time and was out of warranty. i pursued this issue with the repairing dealership, the selling dealership, and ford motor company (in writing) to no avail, requesting a good faith reimbursment. today the switch failed again and the car is now being towed for repair.*cn

I am having problem with my ignition. the key does not turn at all. the car has less than 50,000 miles but its already causing problem. *tr

The ignition on our 2003 ford focus failed. i was out of town visiting relatives in omaha and stopped at the omaha sams club. when i came out of the store to go home, the ignition would not turn. it was frozen so the key could not move it at all. as a result, i was stuck at a store. i called relatives and we arranged for a tow truck to take it to the ford dealership. the ignition cylinder was replaced and we were billed $339.00 for the repair. i have never heard of this type of failure on any vehicle yet it is supposedly a common problem with the ford focus. *tr

Over the past two years, we have had recurring challenges associated with removing the ignition key from the ignition cylinder/tumbler on our 2003 ford focus zx3. on december 23, 2007, i was no longer able to remove the key after hours of trying to jiggle or cajole the key and/or cylinder. i was forced to call for a tow truck. and i was without a primary car over christmas. the ford dealer has informed me that this is "a well known problem." the "resolution" was replacement of the part and a substantial service charge. *tr

Key fails to turn in ignition in 2003 ford focus. *tr

Ignition switch lock barrel failure. this is an ongoing well-known problem about the ford focus that ford seems happy to ignore. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus. i have the common complaint that my ignition needed to be replaced. the wheel became locked and i was unable to turn the key. i have found countless stories similar to mine on the internet and it's so common that the ford dealer and all the locksmiths that i have talked to in the last two days have known exactly what i was talking about. this problem needs to be addressed. thank you. *tr

The ignition lock has locked itself and as a result we have not been able to turn the vehicle on. from what i've gathered on the internet it was not an isolated incident. i talked to one of the local repair shops and was told it was cost around $500 to have the part replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the ignition switch locked up constantly and the contact can no longer drive the vehicle because the steering cannot be unlocked. the dealer stated that the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced at the cost of $375. the part is not under warranty and there is no recall. the current mileage was 57,000 and failure mileage was 55,000.

My 2003 ford focus, left me sitting on a friday evening because the ignition key cylinder would not allow me to turn the key. not only was the ignition key cylinder locked, but so was the gear shift and the steering wheel. i couldn't move the vehicle at all. it was dark and i was left sitting with one of my two children. i had to call for a ride, get the car towed and then pay to get it fixed. all along, ford knew that this was, as they stated on their website, "a defect". obviously this is an ongoing problem for the ford focus. i have a friend who also had this problem. it's a issue that needs to be faced and probably be considered for recall, in my opinion. i feel that paying for this "defect" is unacceptable. i believe that ford should have this on recall and take care of replacing the ignition lock cylinder for it's customers! *tr

Ignition key mechanism would jam and not turn -preventing turning the key and locking the steering wheel. unable to tow car (luckily all 2-3 times this happened i was close enough to dealer for flatbed tow). was able to remove the ignition key and the car was still running. last occurrence that was not under warranty and ford would not reimburse even though other focus owner had this problem - some up to 10 occurrences and ford said not a defect. i only had two keys on my key ring so not a weight issue. *tr

In 2007, two weeks after purchasing a 2003 ford focus i was left stranded on a sunday evening in blizzard like conditions in anchorage alaska after the ignition on the focus suddenly stopped working. there was no warning prior to the part failure that there was any problem, the vehicle operated perfectly one moment, then i was unable to even turn the ignition key the second. i ultimately had to have the vehicle towed to a dealership for the part to be replaced with a new but unimproved ignition (that may fail again - again stranding me - perhaps in a less populated area). additionally, my fiancee has a 2000 ford focus whose ignition failed on him tonight - also stranding him. the fact that the ignition fails without notice is dangerous and leaves the operator of the vehicle in an unsafe situation. *tr

I have had a few prior problems getting my key to turn in my ignition, which i was eventually able to fix myself. last night however, i was unable to get my key to turn in the ignition. i was left stranded in a less than ideal neighborhood after 30 minutes of trying to start my car. this ignition lock problem has happened the eve before thanksgiving which leaves me without a car on a holiday weekend. *tr

Ignition key would not turn. i was stranded away form home, had to call a tow truck and have the care towed to the dealer. internet research shows that this is a common problem with the 2000-2003 ford focus cars and ford has not issued a re-call, although they have issue a tsb 05-21-17 in reference to the ignition switch problems. *tr

When i put my key into my car it will not turn. while this may not be an "obvious" safety risk, it can lead to serious problems if you are stranded somewhere. ford knows about this problem with focus, yet has done nothing to correct it. i ended up stranded for over an hour as i waited for someone to pick me up, finally i banged the key out of frustration and i was able to turn it. this is a serious safety matter to me, as i am a single woman. ford needs to take responsibility and recall their defective ignition cylinders. i will now have to spend at least $400 to fix this, and it's something that there is no guarantee won't happen in the future, as it will be replaced with the same defective mechanism. *tr