Problems with 2003 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I am currently leasing a ford focus zx5, i've been driving this car without any problems for just over 6 months. after stopping at the grocery store with my 17 month old daughter, my key doesn't turn in the ignition!! not only is this frustrating it is dangerous. my daughter was crying from the cold that night and i had to walk home with her in my arms!! so in conclusion i feel that the fact that the ignition cylinder can go at any time without warning is a definite and unnecessary risk to safety. my daughter is now sick because of this! *tr

My key will not turn. there for i can't start my car. i have two small children and i have been stuck places numerous times. i fear for my safety. at any time i could be stuck anywhere! the only thing i can do is carry a hammer with me, so that i can tap the key in the ignition and get the key to turn so i can start my car. i feel it is not safe to carry a hammer around but have no other choice to start my car. *tr

After fueling, my daughter tried to start the car (2003 ford focus wagon), but the key would not turn. we got the car to the dealership where we purchased it, and the key cylinder had to be replaced by a locksmith. the total cost of the repair, plus the towing, cost over $200.00. meanwhile my daughter's car was stuck at the gas pump, where other customers wanted to fuel, but could not do so. i'm glad my daughter had not run over a nail, like i did the other day, having to pull over to the side of a busy interstate highway, and then have this problem occur. depending on where this kind of thing happens, this could be a very serious safety concern. not only with the vehicle, but with the place the vehicle is stranded when it occurs. i have found out that ford has known for quite some time about this problem, but they refuse to recall cars to fix this problem, and continue to use this defective part in their ford focus vehicles. the extended warranty i bought was the most expensive one, and yet it covers everything but the ignition switch, it seems. unless ford decides to reimburse me, i will never purchase another ford product. this is the fourth ford focus we have purchased. if i don't find satisfaction with this problem, it will certainly be the last. on top of all of that, my focus has had squealing brakes since the day i bought it, and ford has refused to repair this, as well, saying that it's "normal." no way this noise is normal. i'm fed up with ford at the moment. *tr

While in dangerous situation my ford focus again had a key fail in the ignition. i had taken it to ford, while still under warranty, and asked for it to be replaced and they said, "oh, it's ok, just jiggle it." that does not work. eventually it will come free, usually, but now it seems to be permanently stuck. no, there is no tension on the steering wheel from a partly turned front wheel. if this happened to my wife or daughters in a dangerous neighborhood, i would just go berserk. *tr

In july 2007 the ignition key locked up and could not be turned to start the engine. i managed to get it to turn (no, it was because the steering wheel was holding) and drove it to the ford dealership. they had to replace the key cylinder for nearly $400. despite numerous complaints and a 100,000-mile warranty, this service was not covered. the mechanic suggested that the keys were worn out and that i needed to make a new key to prevent future failure. i did so and only use the new key to start the car. now, only 3 months later, the ignition periodically sticks as if it is about to start locking up again. if i push the key in firmly, it will turn normally. this is a poor quality mechanism and ford should recall this before it happens to someone on a 40-below winter night. i will never buy another ford because of this issue.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key would not turn when it was inserted in the ignition. he had to shake the steering wheel and move it for 15 - 30 minutes before the vehicle would start. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the ignition cylinder switch needed to be replaced at the cost of $512. the current mileage was 93,000 and failure mileage was 92,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. when attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition switch failed. it took the contact approximately 20 attempts to start the vehicle. the ignition cylinder is currently being repaired by a local mechanic. the contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer. the current and failure mileages were 59,000. updated 03/14/08. *lj

The ignition on my ford focus 2003 has locked up for the second time in 75,000 miles, and this is getting to be a huge problem to have replaced. ford actually has the balls to charge me for this defect in their craftsmanship, using substandard parts in their ignition switches, and making me pay to cover up their faulty workmanship when getting it repaired. *jb

Without warning, and with no prior occurrence, the key would not turn in the ignition of my 2003 focus. a friend rescued me and drove me back to work the next morning. i contacted my local ford dealer, where i had purchased this car brand new - along with a 7 year extended warranty. first, the service department rep tried to play "dumb' when i stated that i'm having the "ignition problem" and he later told me that it's not covered by my warranty. i have pulled out and read the warranty. ignition switch is covered by my basecare policy. (i will bring it in hand when i have the car serviced in 2 days.) meanwhile, another person at the service desk hinted that i may be able to tap it with a hammer so that it will turn and could drive to the dealer and not have to be towed. sure enough, a tap of the hammer allowed me to turn the key. i will leave the key in the ignition through the weekend and am struggling with the thought that a replacement from ford will be another defective part. whether my warranty covers it or not, i don't want another bad ignition switch! from all that i have read, it seems that a locksmith would replace it with a better quality device than ford dealers service departments are using. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while attempting to shut off the vehicle in the parking lot, the ignition locked up and prevented the contact from turning or pushing the steering wheel. he took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and they informed him that the repair would cost $400. the current and failure mileages were 58,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition would not turn when she inserted the key. as of september 28, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. the powertrain was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 65,000.

2003 ford focus/ ignition won't turn it looks like this is a huge problem by all the different websites and blogs about it. this defect should absolutely be a recall and when i called the dealer to find out the fix and price they laughed and said $600 to $700 dollars. this is outrageous and i am appalled. *jb

At approximately 5:00 p.m., my ignition locked up on me, with my car parked in a parking lot close to my home (thank goodness). i have just learned that this has been a major widespread issue, and that i am definitely not alone. *jb

(1) not sure (2) steering wheel and ignition are locked and can not be moved anymore (3) new lock *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the steering wheel has to be unlocked for the vehicle to start. on september 09, 2007, after many attempts, she was finally able to place the key in the ignition and unlock the steering column. on september 14, 2007, the contact had to leave the vehicle at her job because the steering column failed to unlock. the vehicle was towed to her residence. she scheduled an appointment with the dealer for september 22, 2007. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 24,000. *updated 12/12/07 *bf the consumer stated the igniton module was repalced. updated 12/12/07

2003 ford focus. *tr

Ignition cylinder total failure. key would not turn at all. search term "ignition cylinder""ford focus" on the net and you will be amazed how big of a problem this. why a safety issue. well, what would happen if i stopped the car somewhere and was stuck in the desert in the 112 degree heat, which by the way is the temperature that existed when it happened in mesa az. i was lucky the car was home. *tr updated 12/12/07 *tr

My car was running fine then suddenly the ignition switch won't turn. tumbler broke $350 at dealership. common problem with these cars, yet dealer won't warranty. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition locked, which prevented the key from being turned. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of failure. the current mileage was 108,000 and failure mileage was 100,000. updated 01-14-08. *kb the dealer stated the cylinder needed to be replaced. updated 12/12/07. *jb

The weekend of july 28th i had family in town. we were doing the attractions. the car started everytime we were going or leaving anywhere. went to go home and the car wouldn't start. we had the battery jumped and it wouldn't hold a charge. purchased a new battery and made it home. the next day replaced the alternator. car ran fine for 1 week. went to leave work on the 6th of august and it wouldn't start at all. the battery was completely dead. took the car to have the new battery and alternator tested. nothing wrong w/either one. took the car to ford dealership they spent 1 1/2 hours on it and said they couldn't find the problem. something is pulling on my battery causing it to die. took it back home and now it maybe the computer. have 110,000 miles on it. i wouldn't think this would start happening already. *tr

During the past week had been having trouble turning the key in the ignition, and a couple of days ago the ignition was completely stuck. after 4 hours of trying to get it too turn i had to have the vehicle towed and it was being repaired as of right now. i have had the vehicle less than 2 and a half years and have yet to even surpass 50,000 miles on it. this wa s a problem that is quite widespread among ford focus owners i felt the need to make my problem known also. *ak

(1)from the time i bought the car 1-1/2 years ago, the ignition switch would sometimes freeze, disabling the car from being started. at first, i just had to turn the wheel in the car and then the ignition switch would work. (2)about a month ago, the ignition switch completely froze. i had to have the car towed to my home. i was told by one of the tow truck men who came to tow my car that this ignition switch was a factory defect in almost every american-made car. (3)i wrote to ford in detroit and filed a complaint. they did not even grace my complaint with a response. i then got an estimate of the cost to repair from the service director at capistrano ford. he told me it would be $260 to $280. i had to wait until this month as i am on social security disability income and had already allocated my money going out for june. on july 3 i was finally able to have my car towed to the dealer. when i spoke to the service manager, he informed me that i was quoted wrong on the cost of repair and that it would be $403 to repair. i complained, reached the director of the service department again and told him of my complaint regarding the higher pricer. the service director told me he could knock off $70 of the bill by taking the cost out of his technician's hide. i disputed that as being unfair, and told him that ford (in detroit) should be paying for this, not his technician. he told me he would try to knock off even more of the cost. later in the afternoon, the service manager called to tell me my car was ready. when asked how much the charges were, he told me "$50 bucks!" he told me they had decided to charge the service to ford in detroit and did the work as a courtesy service with a $50 deductible. again, this ignition switch is known by tow truck people to be a factory defective part in just about every american-made car. my car is only 4 years old and has less than 25,000 miles on it. please recall this ignition switch ...

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while checking the brake light bulbs, the contact noticed that the wires were cracked. the dealer stated that the wire harness needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 73,281.

2003 ford focus ignition switch failed, causing the tires, steering wheel and ignition to lock. therefore, car became inoperable. a subsequent tow damaged the car before being taken to repair shop.*ak

Ignition lock failure on ford focus zx3, 2003. multiple occurrences. purchased car used at 39,000 mi; now at 47,000 mi. have owned for less than one year. *tr

I had to replace ignition kit about a month after i bought car new approximate date. *tr

2003 ford focus. steering wheel will not unlock after inserting key . *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key will not turn in the ignition. she has had to strike the key while it was in the ignition for it to turn and start the vehicle. currently, the key does not work at all while in the ignition. she has notified the dealer and the manufacturer and they stated that it would cost approximately $800 for the repair. the vehicle is not under a recall. the current mileage was 57,000 and failure mileage was 52,000.

I went to start the car after work like always and the ignition was stuck in lock! i have been reading online all day about all the people that this happened to. please make ford recall this product or at least refund the consumer the cost to fix a product that is obviously defective. i have yet to get to see the final bill on the fix.*ak

The ignition won't work. i cannot turn the key in the ignition. i have had trouble turning it before, but usually after turning the steering wheel or jiggling the gear shift it would work. nothing is working today.*ak

Key would'nt turn the ignition on my2003 ford focus zx5. happened at various times, till it would'nt work at all. had it repaired at dealership at a cost of $365.00. they replaced the ignition lock.ak

My 2003 ford focus has a locked ignition that i found out is a very common problem since 2000. it was told that it would cost me $500.00 to fix it. *tr

Ignition turned fine, parked car overnight and when i returned (very late that night) to leave the key would not turn. the ignition was locked. nothing would fix this. i spent nearly 30 minutes trying to turn the key without being able to start the car. the neighborhood was very scary, and my inability to drive away made me feel extremely uneasy, especially at such a late time of night. *jb

When the car is parked, wheels turned, steering wheel locked, the ignition cylinder will not turn i.e. the key won't turn the ignition. this happened in the morning. when pushing in on the key, the key was able to turn the ignition. in the afternoon when the same situation occurred the key was not able to turn in ignition. i talked to two dealerships and they were both aware with the problem and the temporary solution. i talked to the tow truck driver and he said he as see this happen multiple times. he told me that ford stop using this type of ignition system however, chevrolet started using this system and he has seen the same problems occur with new chevrolets. *tr

Ignition switch failed

My left tail signal light went out. when i went to change it according to the instructions in my manual i could not remove the taillight capsule from the housing. i went to coons ford fairfax, va to see if they could change it. i was told that the electrical output of my car melted the taillights to the lens on both sides of the car. the estimated repair is $500. i got on the phone and talked to someone at ford's main customer service line. after our conversation they gave me 15% off on my repair bill. after retrieving my car the other taillight died. someone on ford's assembly line did not wiring my car correctly. how is this my fault and why did i have to pay $421.20 for a mistake they made? for safety reasons i got the repairs done. i would like a full investigation of this matter. i have in my possession both broken taillights for anyone to check out.*ak

2003 ford focus - an apparent "known defect" yet still not a recall or reimbursable expense to fix. we are unable to start the car. the key goes into the ignition, but won't turn the switch... ford's fix is to replace the cylinder at over $300.00 and a new security key at $150.00.

Tl*- contact stated while driving the 2003 ford focus lx he saw smoke coming from underneath the hood. the contact pulled to the side of the road and noticed that the vehicle was on fire. the fire department stated that the fire could have started from some faulty wire underneath the hood. the contact could provide pictures if needed. the failure mileage and current mileage were both 54,000.*ak

a ford focus wagon 2003. when i trying to start the vehicle the ignition switch cylinder lockede, would not engage. the key would not turn when inserted in the lock & icould not turn on the car. the vehiclewas just over three years old. *ak this problem happened two days in a row. called ford & they said there is no recall. i searched google for ''ford focus ignition locks''. please note the following results copied from this google search ''results 1 - 10 of about 455,000 for ford focus ignition locks . (0.39 seconds)''. i was concerned that a faulty ignition would be used if ford replaced it so i called a local locksmith. the owner was very familiar with the problem & has replaced a number of ford vehicle ignition locks. i had the locksmith replaced my focus ignition. the cost was $240.75. i am 59 years old. my family has owned numerous cars & trucks. i have never had to replace an ignition key switch in any other vehicle especially one just over three years old. ironically to add to my frustration, i just paid off the 36 month car loan on this focus. also, sent a letter to ford motor company about this problem to attn: alan mulally, president & ceo plus cc'ed to william clay ford, jr., executive chairman & nhtsa headquarters, 400 seventh street, sw, washington, dc 20590 (sending via mail & email to nhtsa)

Over the past few months, the ignition/lock mechanism has been failing. the wheel will not release and the key will not turn to the on position. sometimes if forced, the key will turn, but the lock has broken completely now. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition key gets stuck in the ignition or the key fails to start the vehicle completely. the failure occurs intermittently. the dealer stated that she needs a new key or a new ignition. the engine size was unknown. the current mileage is 55,000 and failure mileage was 50,000.

I have owned 3 ford focus: one 2000 and two 2003. all three vehicles have had an ignition cylinder failure which cost in excess of $300 each time. the key will not turn in the ignition and this happens without warning. on three occasions i have been stranded and had to call aaa to get be to a garage for repair. i have cited only the most recent incident in this complaint. this is a known problem and i fail to see why a recall was never issued. ford should be held accountable. *nm

Defect in the key ignition; key would get stuck and car would not turn on at all. your would not be able to turn on the car at all. the keys would be 100.00 each and they had to be program. several repairs finally had to replace the hold ignition for a total of 411.62. this was a defect on the ford companies part; did a small survey and everyone with ford vehicles or ford focuses had the same problem; but had to pay of their pocket for the repairs when their warranty ran out. i believe ford owes me for the repair. the doors also get stuck and won't open. *tr

I've had my 2003 ford focus wagon in twice for repair of the ignition lock. the first time i had the problem the steering wheel wouldn't release as the key wouldn't fit into the ignition. took it to the dealer and they removed the lock cylinder. it was cleaned and lubed and operating normally on 26 january 2007. about a month later i was having the same problem. this time i had to have it towed to the dealer. this car only has 13,000 miles on it! they had to drill out the ignition lock cylinder and replace it. i hope this time it will last longer than a month! this was a very costly service! $267.00 for labor and $99.91 for the part! i haven't seen any recalls on this yet but if they do have one i'm hoping to get my money back as this has been a very costly service to me - almost $600.00 total for both instances! *jb

My key stopped working, or would only work intermittently for the past month. i started carrying my spare key at all times so i wouldn't get stranded. i finally had a 2nd key made ($125 at dealership). the new key failed to work later the same day. more intermittent ignition problems for next 2 weeks. this past saturday both keys failed. when i could finally get the car to start i came home and started researching on web. found this is a widespread well-known problem. have appt. at dealership tomorrow for total ignition replacement, my time, my dime. it will be a few hundred dollars. i already work a full time and part-time job to make ends meet. i cannot afford this. i can't afford to be stranded someplace in the middle of the night, either. ford damned well knows about this, and just ignores their customers. this is the 5th ford i've owned in 20 years. it will be my last. *jb

Key will not turn inside the ignition. this happened several weeks ago as well, but i was able to jiggle it loose. this time it is stuck and 40 minutes of jiggling, wd40, and frustration did not work. i am still working on what to do about it. *nm

Electrical problem that shuts down the car. *tr

Ford focus 2003 for several occasions the ignition lock key cylinder had not worked, i was not able to turn the key and get the car to start. consequences, first i was not able to take my child to the emergency room until another vehicle arrived, another consequence, i was late to work, then it was in the middle of the night on a dangerous area of town, risking my life. finally it got stuck at the airport and had to call a tow truck. *jb

Key gets stuck in ignition. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition switch would lock up and the key was unable to be turned. a mechanic diagnosed the vehicle as needing a new ignition cylinder. the ignition cylinder has been replaced. the engine size was unknown. the current mileage is 39,035 and failure mileage was 25,700.