Problems with 2003 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have a 2003 ford focus. the fault is that when i put the key in the ignition, the key will not turn at all. it is locked in place. it happened once this summer on this car and on a 2002 focus i sold to a friend whom works with me. i called the ford dealership to see if they have seen this problem, which they had. they told me i could tap it with a rubber hammer to get it to unlock. sure thing, it did. i checked for recalls, which none were found. i checked for tsb's, sure enough, there are numerous reports of this problem. this appeard to be a major defect. i believe this could be a serious safety problem if for instance someone went for a drive during the winter in the remote mountains and stoped to got for a walk. upon return, the defective ignition wouldn't work and they're stranded. ford didn't appear to want to listen to my complaints. look at the tsb's and you'll really get a good picture of the volume of ignation problems.

The ignition lock freezes and will not turn, which does not allow the car to start. this problem has happened on numerous occasions. the consequences have included loss of vehicle use, towing expenses, and unwanted stress. *nm

The ignition started locking several months ago, but eventually would work after playing with the key to start. today, while out at a shopping center, it locked up completely, causing me to have to tow the car to the dealer. this car is a 2003 with only 13000 miles on it.

Ignition lock of ford focus 2003 broke and we were unable to move the car away from a driveway that was blocked since it was not possible to turn the ignition key. one mechanic was paid to try to start the car but he was not successful (but he was still paid). eventually, we learned from the www that this was a wide-spread problem. a locksmith was called who replaced the lock and was paid. in addition to the financial expense, transportation to and from the location of the car and the time spent were significant costs. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while parked, the steering wheel would not unlock. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. also, the trunk would not close. the dealer was not contacted.

Dt*: the contact stated the ignition switch jammed and the switch would not turn. the service dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.

I have owned 2 ford focuses, a 2000 and now a 2003 model. both vehicles have had the ignition lock up and i was charged $400 to fix it. obviously, ford motor company is comfortable enough with this design flaw that there have been no recalls, and the consumer is left holding the bill. there are over 400 complaints about this logged on the following website: http://forums.focaljet.com/problems-service-recalls/416401-please-post-if-your-ignition-has-locked.html what does it take to get this company to admit they are putting out a faulty product? *jb

Second occurrence of key being put in ignition, steering wheel locking up and inability to start car. vehicle had to be towed to dealership and repaired. first time (11/2004) under warranty, second time(12/5/06) charged $300, reduced to $80 under protest for a known problem. no wonder ford is going under! *jb

Ignition key switch would not turn to start key. i had to replace the lock assembly on 2003 ford focus i bought brand new 12/31/2003. told by scott reynolds of reynold's ford that even one of his mechanic's wife had same problem as a number of people have.*jb

I tried to leave my best friends house but my 2003 ford focus would not start. apparently i need a whole new ignition. so i began surfing the net for prices and quotes but instead i've stumbled upon hundreds of complaint from across the country. i was told the part i will need cost $70. plus $50 to tow the car since i cannot get the car started. so far i've only missed one day of work but i might miss many more because i can't afford to get the car fixed right now. when i spoke to the ford company they told me that my total bill will be around $230. i am so frustrated with this car. i'm not sure if i will even get the car fixed. i plan to invest in a new nissan. *jb

I have had this issue come up a few times lately. when i put my key in my ignition, the key will not turn. from researching this on the internet, it is obvious that ford motor company has ignored the problem and refuses to recall a seriously faulty part. i have been told that it is not recalled because it is not a "safety" issue. when someone with a small child can not start their car in the dead of winter (stuck on the side of a road), i would classify that as a safety issue! the local ford dealership admitted to me that this is a problem that needs addressed. the tow truck driver told me that he tows over 30 focuses per year for this issue alone. the local dealership told me that they need to do an official diagnosis before they will determine the problem. what a rip off! they are trying to charge me $100 to diagnose an problem that everyone already knows. this is why ford is losing millions of customers and billions of dollars. they have lost me over a $90 ignition tumbler. *jb

Locking of ignition in ford focus. *jb

The steering wheel locked up and i couldn't turn the ignition key. i had to call aaa to send a locksmith to replace my ignition switch. he said that this happened a lot with focuses. i researched the problem and discovered that this is a common problem in ford focus, but ford has not addressed the problem. *jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 for focus with a current and failure odometer reading of 38,000 miles. the contact stated while driving at about 35 mph under dry conditions the instrument panel failed. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer, they repaired the problem. but, when she contacted the manufacturer, they stated that they would not assist her with this problem. when the contact had the vehicle at dealer for service the mechanic found that the third brake light assemble melted, causing the brake light to fail. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the engine with the keys in the ignition, the ignition locked and would not turn. after several attempts, the ignition turned and the engine started. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer, who determined the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was alerted. updated 01/19/07. *jb

Steering wheel locks and car will not start. i am finding out this is a common problem with the ford focus. this could leave us stranded. it happens more often as times passes. as this seems to be a common problem, i feel the repair should be covered by ford. *jb

Ignition cylinder locks when turning the key on a 2003 ford focus zx3. the car cannot be started most of the time. this is dangerous if the car stalls. *nm

My 2003 ford focus will not start because the key will not turn. i've tried a number of tactics to get the car to start but failed. after much research online, i've learned that this is a very common problem any my problem has all the same symptoms. luckily, the problem has occurred at home and as only left me with one very inconvenient problem; however, it could have happened where personal safety could have been an issue. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the key would not turn the ignition. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the ignition switch. updated 11/30/06. *jb

I have had ignition problems with my 2003 ford focus. first incident in july, 2006 and am now experiencing another. i have a small child and do not want to be stranded somewhere just because i can't get the key to turn in the ignition. i am now also dealing with (today) a solenoid malfunction in my transmission (3rd gear). this is the 2nd time this has happened to me as well. the car jerks like crazy and wouldn't go over 30 mph. thank goodness i was close to a side street to exit the highway. this is getting ridiculous that these issues are not being recalled. the ignition is a huge issue with enough people.... *nm

Had no previous problem with ignition in my 2003 ford focus se. left my hometown for the day to shop 2 counties away. after shopping, went to start my car and the ignition would not turn. the key would go in, but would not turn at all. had to have the car towed and am waiting now for the problem to be fixed. i have read online about all of the complaints regarding this problem in the ford focus. this should definitely be a recall since the ignition is very obviously a defective part used in the car. *nm

2003 ford focus that i bought used with only 14,000 miles on and have used as my commuter car for 3 months. at roughly 20,000 miles the key would not turn the ignition switch once but after a little shaking it worked. around a month later it happened again but this time when it did engage it would not start the engine, i rolled started the car and got home but the next day the key would not turn the ignition switch at all - tried for three days will not turn, currently learning the details of how to replace an ignition switch from friends and nice folks on the internet but i have had to borrow a car for two days and will have to rent one at the end of the week and until i can buy and install a new part just to get to work. as other articles claim ford claims this probably isn't a safety concern but is rather annoying and costly to folks like myself who bought the focus hoping for a reliable fuel efficient commuter car. *nm

Can't turn the key in the ignition, steering wheel locked, can't start the car. *nm

2003 ford focus ignition is locking up with the key in it multiple times. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the ignition locked resulting in the ignition cylinder key being replaced by the service dealer. while searching the nhtsa website, complaints were found where this occurred to vehicles and the ignition cylinder key was replaced multiple times. the contact expressed concern that this repair does not seem to be a permanent fix for the problem. also, there was an odorous smell when the heating fan was turned on and the smell occasionally occurred when the air conditioner was on. the vehicle has not been to the service dealer for the odorous smell.

1st- trunk latch does not disengage, i have taken it to the dealership in my nearest town. after 3-4 times of adjusting and oiling, it still does not release correctly, when you push the dashboard release, open the trunk it closes the latch on its own, you cant close the trunk unless you repress the dash release, which is difficult with arms full, or pull the safety release provided for not getting locked in the trunk, this has been going on since i purchased my car. 2nd- my ignition froze up yesterday morning. no for warning. hadn't had any problems. now i have to get back to my car and get it to the garage. being newer to the area and no other vehicle at my disposal it is definitely going to cost me not to mention the repair cost. 3rd- oh my god--- i just read about the back door problems people have been having, i transport very precious cargo back there, my grand children, being that there are 3 of them two have to be by the door. i will have the service area check my doors when they fix the ignition. why wasn't i told about this. *nm

Parked car when arriving to work at 8 am. was leaving for lunch at 12 pm and ignition wouldn't turn at all. wheel locked. had to call tow truck. first truck arrived and they couldn't tow car since steering wheel locked and only a flat bed truck. then had to wait several hours for a wheel lift truck. was told by towing company that he had (8) ford focus' (same model), that week with same problem. he also told me that locksmiths do not want to touch the issue, since it is a manufacturer problem and that ford won't take responsibility for the issue. towed to dealer and was told that it would be $300 to replace ignition. warranty had just ended on vehicle. ford corporate honored a small portion of replacement cost, i ended up paying $100 (thanks to the dealers help), but this shouldn't have happened in the first place. obvious from this site that it's not just me that this is happening to. (and this problem is among many others i have dealt with on this stupid car). *tr

Dt*: the contact stated upon placing the key in the ignition, the key would not turn and the engine would not start. the contact applied pressure with a pair of pliers, which allowed the key to turn and start the engine. the dealer and manufacturer were notified. updated 10/25/2006 - *nm

(1) no event lead up to the failure; it was unexpected (2) the ignition switch failed on the vehicle,which resulted in us not being able to start the car. (3) the car has been towed to the dealership. we are awaiting to here the results from the diagnostic testing. *nm

Ignition switch failure. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's ignition would not turn. the dealer determined the ignition needed to be replaced and the contact expressed this was a defect in the vehicle.

The vehicle is a 2003 ford focus with less than 45,000 miles, the ignition cylinder locked up without warning and the car refused to start. additionally, the car would not shift out of neutral, making a tow difficult. this is a well known problem, ford refuses to acknowledge the risk of drivers being stranded in unsafe places where they could be raped, robbed or murdered. fortunately, this happened to my wife and i in our apartment complex, however there are reports of other people not being so lucky. hixson ford charged us $289.69 to repair the ignition lock cylinder plus we paid $65 to tow the vehicle. below is a list of websites documenting similar complaints of the ford focus ignition locking up and rendering the car inoperable. some even complain of it happening while driving: http://consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_focus_ignition.html http://www.fazmiclaw.com/focus.html http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0706/347339.html http://cbs5.com/investigates/local_story_041015136.html http://www.petitiononline.com/focusic/petition.html http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.eea50dc http://forums.treemedia.com/fb/archive/index.php/t-493.html http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cars/msg062031202524.html?20 http://www.complaints.com/directory/2004/december/12/7.htm http://www.complaints.com/directory/2005/july/5/17.htm http://forums.focaljet.com/problems-service-recalls/416401-please-post-if-your-ignition-has-locked-13.html thank you for any assistance you can provide. *jb

I own a 2003 ford focus, and like many other ford customers i have read about, i had my ignition lock jam up to the point where it cannot be started with the key. it will probably require a new cylinder, which, according to other complaints, will break just as easily. clearly ford should step up and take some credit for such an inconvenience. it's just fortunate that no one can become injured from this particular case of bad engineering. *jb

I have a 2003 ford focus station wagon. the ignition key will not turn. it freezes up. i have tried another key and attempted to turn the steering wheel as far as possible to the right or left with no success. *nm

Tl*- the contact stated that when driving the 2003 ford focus the vehicle shifted into neutral, then shifted back into drive. this would last anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. the contact stated that the dashboard lights and radio would flicker on and off, as well as the lighting system, including the headlights. the contact stated that the doors will also lock and she wasunable to exit the vehicle. when this happened she attempted to get out of the vehicle by manually hitting the unlock switch. the vehicle locks finally opened after approximately twenty minutes. the mechanic advised the contact to have electrical system reprogrammed, which was done in november 2006, but she continued to have the same problems. the vehicle stalled when exiting the interstate while driving at 45 mph. there were no warning lights before the vehicle lost power. the contact was unable to restart vehicle, and had vehicle towed to a mechanic. the mechanic informed contact he did not know why the vehicle lost power. the vehicle currently had 57000 miles. *ak updated 03/30/07. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's ignition locked and the key could not be turned to start the vehicle. the problem began as being rough in turning the key but gradually worsened to not being able to turn the key in the ignition at all. the vehicle has not been to a service dealer.

I own a 2003 ford focus and today i went out to my car to get some lunch when my ignition locked. i cannot start my car. i have had people look at it and there is nothing that can be done except bring it to the dealership. *jb

Ford focus 2003: the ignition mechanism stopped working with no warning. the key could not be fully inserted into the ignition or turned. subsequently, the car could not be started. at first, the key could be tapped into the ignition, but that only worked a few times. eventually i had to have the whole tumbler mechanisms replaced in the ignition. *nm

Failure of the ignition switch on my 2003 ford focus se. key switch just stopped turning. replacement of switch: part $89, towing: $60, labor $250...getting the steering wheel fixed later, after it was not installed properly: $100. i have done a search on this failure...there are many hundreds of complaints on the ford focus enthusiasts sites. *nm

My complaint is about the ignition cylinder locking up on my 2003 ford focus. the ignition locked up on me as i was leaving my mother's house august 12, 2006. when i inserted my key i found that it would not turn at all and the steering column had locked up as well. leaving me stranded, i called a tow truck who towed my car to the local ford dealership in which i purchased my car. the tow truck driver told me i was the fourth focus he had towed that week with this same problem. this happened on a friday night, so i had to wait until monday morning to find out what was wrong and get my car back. this left me stranded all weekend, which meant i missed work all weekend. i am very upset that i had to pay for this to be fixed on my car, especially knowing that ford has known about these faulty ignition switches for years. my main concern for this problem and reason i am so upset is that ford has said this is not a safety issue and will not issue a recall on the problem. i say to them that this is a safety problem. what if your car stalls out on train tracks and you can't get it to start up again? i think that would be a safety issue. what about if you live near the coast and you have to evacuate due to a hurricane or some other natural disaster? what if this problem happened to someone in new orleans during katrina? are you going to tell them it is not a safety issue? are they supposed to wait for the ford dealership to come and drill out the ignition cylinder before they can evacuate? i think that ford should be ashamed of themselves and they should do the right thing and issue a recall on this problem. i know i will never be buying another ford again. *jb

Ignition switch that manufacturer knows is bad. *nm

I have a 2003 ford focus and the ignition fails intermittently causing the car not to start. the key will not turn. this is not safe i have a two year old child and in an emergency i may not be able to drive or we may get stranded. ford refuses to help. there is no recall to my knowledge at this time. this is a known problem and ford will not acknowledge the issue. *jb

I was left stranded when my ignition key would not work in my 2003 ford focus. called a locksmith and he said it take about $300.00 to repair it. my wife had to drive 1 hour to come and get me and i lost a day of work, which i could not afford to lose. *nm

2003 ford focus (which is driven by teenager- female) ignition lock failure. basically when it fails you are stuck (can not start vehicle)! at the moment vehicle sits in the driveway. $400.00 price tag to fix a problem - that ford is very much aware of. i am not sure i want my teenage daughter driving a vehicle that may get her stranded somewhere unsafe! *nm

Ignition locked and is impossible to start. sometimes the ignition locks for hours and sometimes days. it is absolutely ridiculous! this is a family car and it's unreliable! *nm

Several parts failures, including alternator, brakes, muffler,transmission, and ignition lock cylinder

The ignition key would not turn in any direction once inserted in the keylock, this leaving me on the parking lot for hours to wait for a tow-truck. the car has only 40k miles on it. the dealership wants to charge me $200 to replace the lock cylinder. that happened a few times in the past, but this time it was for real i guess. *jb

With no warning and 1000k out of the bumper to bumper warranty, the key would not turn or start the car. i had the vehicle towed to the dealership, a new ignition cylinder cost $258.44 plus tow. consumers do not expect a car with 37k to fail on them like this. i could have been on a family outing with my son who is a diabetic. this problem has been extensively reported yet ford has not issued a recall. dependability or lack there of, is imperative to the safety of a vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. approximately two minutes after parking the vehicle, the contact was unable to turn the key to start the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. the dealer made the replacement. there have not been any other failures. the current mileage was 55,000 and failure mileage was 37,000.

Ford focus 2003 key cylinder freezes. cost to customer ~ $300 repair. this happens frequently according to several ford dealer service department managers i spoke with. *jb