Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Ignition key will not turn on our 2000 ford focus. i have lubricated the lock mechanism for several years after learning of this problem, prior to having mine occur. sometimes key will insert but not turn. other times key will not fully insert. in both cases i am left stranded. key problem is not affected by position of steering wheel, shift lever interlock position, etc. problem appears to be within the key-tumbler mechanism. with such wide spread knowledge of this problem, why hasn't ford done a voluntary recall? this problem could occur during a life-threatening situation e.g. rush to hospital., robbery attempt, etc. the reported frequency of incidents, as viewed on internet sites, would indicate a magnitude in excess of ford's previous suv-tire failure rollovers. the key issue is more than an inconvenience, it is a safety issue! *tr

On the ford focus, the key won't turn in the ignition. the ignition lock needs totally replaced. *tr

Never had any issues with the ignition but then all of a sudden my key wont turn and the wheel locks up when trying to start the car. have not fixed it yet. *tr

Due to a failure of the power lock actuators in a 2000 ford focus se (s/w), the passenger door and the rear passenger door have jammed door locks. the doors can not be opened any longer by key, by inside door opening handle or by the remote fob. the consequences are that the only egress from the particular car is via the 2 driver side doors, making half of the car unusable. passengers who should enter via the functioning doors of the vehicle into the side of the vehicle with the jammed doors do not have an escape route in case of accidents that involve the functioning side of the vehicle. this is an extremely dangerous situation for any driver or passenger. an internet search for "focus jammed door" or "focus jammed door lock" returns numerous instances of the same problem, occurring on all ford focus doors including trunk/hatch. drivers enter their vehicles through the passenger side or even through the trunk because some door locks are jammed due to failed power lock actuators, with all safety-related hazards and consequences. the jamming can occur at any time; there is no way to predict it and to take preventive measures. a repair is exorbitantly expensive due to the fact that the doors cannot be opened by key or door opening handle to gain access to and replace the power door actuator that is the cause of the jamming. ford is neither willing to acknowledge this widespread problem nor participate in the cost of repairs, thus forcing people to take unacceptable safety risks. because of the serious safety hazard that the jammed doors present and the unpredictability of an occurrence of the problem, a safety recall action should be initiated by the nhtsa to force ford to make repairs free of charge. *tr

2000 ford focus- the ignition locked up, the car cannot be started, the steering wheel is locked and it cannot be put into gear. after looking on the internet, it is apparent that this is a wide spread problem with this year, make and model and ford is ignoring this and letting their customers pay for an obvious manufacturer defect. *tr

Ignition failure after replacing it roughly 1 year ago. 2nd ignition cylinder to be replaced in this car. *tr

There is no indication or warning to when this problem will occur--it is purely random. it has happened to my wife three times in the past year. when the key is put into the ignition, it will not turn. thus, leaving the driver stranded. a locksmith had to be called to work on the ignition. fortunately, this time she was stranded at church (the first time was at a shopping mall and the second at work). but, should she have been somewhere unfamiliar or isolated, this would have made her quite uncomfortable being alone. *tr

I have had issues with the key sticking in my ignition, but last night my key refused to start the car at all. leaving me stranded miles from home. the tow truck driver told me that he had towed 3 ford focuses in the last 2 days with the same problem. *tr

My daughter went to drop off lunch to my other daughter and the ignition locked and the key wouldn't turn. according to clarence ditlow with auto safety .org this is the number 1 reported defect in the 2000-2003 ford focus, so why isn't ford recalling this vehicle problem??? my daughter called ford customer service about this issue and the rep told her that this is a problem that has been happening and that they would probably have to recall this issue. i then called ford customer service several days later and the representative told me that there is no record of any problems relating to the key locking and not being able to drive the vehicle. i was very upset and said goodbye and went on the internet to do my research and found that this was a common problem with this vehicle. i will never buy another ford if this is the way they represent their vehicles. i then called ford back after my research and inquired why the other rep had told me that there was no record of any issues of this type with the focus. all i want is for ford to stand behind their product. nothing my daughter sis could of prevented this issue and now ford wants me to pay for the ignition to be replaced at a cost of $400 to $500 according to research shown. unbelievable... please help... *tr

I am writing regarding my 2000 ford focus zx3. i was left stranded in a town 50 miles from my hometown. the key went in and wouldn't turn. i had to have it towed 3 times to get it to a ford dealer ( who is the only one who could fix the problem). it cost me 380.52 to get the car fixed, in which 221 of that was just labor! but since they had to program the ignition, they were the only ones to do it. after researching the problem, i have found thousands upon thousands of complaints about this problem. also, the tow truck drivers said they tow 2 or 3 of these a month because of this. ford has to be aware of this problem. it is unfair that they have not at least recalled the part. as a consumer, i can safely say i have lost a lot of respect for ford. as a child i grew up a "ford fanatic", however due to the purchase of my focus and the carelessness of the company to take care of the minor problems with the car, that has changed. ford needs to recognize this problem and do something about it. i have warned all of my friends with focuses of this problem, and they are just preparing themselves for this to happen. something must be done about this problem! until then, i am unsatisfied with ford's service, and product. *tr

After months of issues starting the car and the key not turning, the ignition now is completely locked. the key...both keys provided by the dealer at the time of purchase...will not turn the ignition. *tr

Starting 2 years ago rear hatch would intermittently unlock when brake pedal was depressed. problem was worse in cold weather. within last two weeks, rear brake lights no longer work when brake pedal is depressed, and the rear windshield wiper no longer functions. all symptoms point to a failure in the wiring harness leading from the car body to the rear hatch lid. online forums of focus owners document broken insulation and wires in this wiring harness. a similar problem was the target of a nhtsa recall of focuses from this model year, but apparently only applied to the sedans. i have an appointment with my ford dealer to repair, but without a recall i will be forced to pay out of pocket. please investigate this issue and report a recall soon if appropriate. the brake light failure and spontaneous opening of the rear hatch while driving are serious safety hazards. here is an example of other owners reporting this problem online: http://forums.focaljet.com/team-pit-stop/457417-all-zx3-owners-please-read-potential-safety-hazard.html. *tr

I went to the gas station to buy gas. after filling the tank i got in and when i tried to start the car it would not turn. not even to the acc position. i called for a tow truck and they came and got it. i called my local ford dealer and asked them about it and they told me its becoming very common for this type of car and to repair it i would have to replace the ignition cylinder and have it programmed... *tr

In our 2000 ford focus zx3, the key will not turn in the ignition about 50% of the time, which has the potential to leave my wife or i stranded out in the cold. so far, struggling/wrestling with the key will eventually work. in reading on the web, this is a very common problem on ford focus cars, but no recall has been issued. *tr

Ignition switch locked up. the key would not turn in the lock. required tow in and dealership to replace the ignition switch @ $600. *tr

Ignition barrel and steering column locking mechanism. *tr

My key will not turn in the ignition, i have never had any problems before then all of a sudden it won't turn. my warranty has expired on my car, so i am left now with finding someone to fix it. this caused a huge problem for since i was stranded with my two small children 3year old and 4 month old! i am not a happy consumer right now! *tr

Approximately 4 years ago, i had to have the key port, tumbler and the entire key system replaced on my 2000 ford focus because the key would no longer work. the tumbler, apparently, became jammed somehow. the replacement cost was $350. the exact same malfunction occurred yesterday. this time around, the cost to fix the problem was $450. after a long discussion with ford customer service representatives they basically told me that there is nothing they can do for me because it is out of warranty. this is the second time this has occurred to me, with the same car. a little research reveled that this is common problem with this mode, just search the internet under, ?2000 ford focus, key goes in ignition, but won't turn?, and you will see many instances of the exact same problem other focus owners have been having. at this point, i am simply seeking reimbursement of the $450 that i had to spend, again, to correct a problem ford is clearly denying is a recall issue. *tr

Turning the key in the ignition has become more and more difficult. to where it has taken up to a half an hour to actually get it to turn. it is most certainly a safety concern where in there is the possibly of becoming stranded somewhere. *tr

2000 ford focus zx3 battery cables. not included by ford in vin range for current recall 02v288000 " cause the battery cables to short resulting in heat damage to the cables. besides heat damage, the "check engine" light may illuminate, the vehicle may fail to start, or smoke, melting, or fire could also occur." although this vehicle suffers identical symptoms plus stalling in traffic which puts operators life at risk.. *tr

For the first time (at 100k miles), my wife's 2000 ford focus' ignition lock has failed. luckily, it happens at home, but i have read many horror stories of others who were not so fortunate. evidently, this is another common problem with this vehicle but one that ford refuses to address. nhtsa should surely initiate a recall on this problem. *tr

Ford focus key will not turn in the ignition. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving approximately 15 mph, the contact smelled a burning odor in the vehicle. he pulled the vehicle over and opened the hood, but did not find any smoke. in addition, the coolant temperature was fine; however, he felt is was extremely hot under the hood. he entered the vehicle and noticed that the service engine light was illuminated on the instrument panel. he has not taken the vehicle to be diagnosed by a mechanic. through online research, the contact discovered nhtsa campaign id number 02v288000 (electrical system:battery:cables) for the same symptoms he was experiencing in his vehicle. he had also been experiencing loss of power and hesitation in the vehicle while traveling at low speeds. he discovered nhtsa campaign id number 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch). the manufacturer stated that his vin was not included in either recall. the contact believes the vehicle should be included since he is experiencing identical failures. the current and failure mileages were 73,450.

2000 ford focus, ignition cylinder locks up and cannot turn key to turn on car. i see that there has been a lot of reported incidents of the same. *tr

2000 ford focus wagon. complaint: key won't turn in ignition. had it repaired by sv. station couple of weeks ago (still giving me problems) my son brought a focus at the same time i did and had the same problem not too long after he purchased his. my daughter called me today and said "guess what. her father in law went to start my grandsons car and the key won't turn" you guessed it, a 2000 focus. i started researching on the internet and couldn't believe all the complaints related to this problem. everybody that brought it to the ford dealers for repair were shelling out $500.00. outraged, that is what prompted me to register this complaint as far as i'm concerned this is as close to a scam as you can get. what a grand design for an easy profit! there are alot of people out there screaming recall and ford sits back and does nothing! thank you for your time. *tr

2000 ford focus the car was being driven and had just pulled into our neighborhood when the ac fan stopped running and i noticed the smell of smoke. the car was pulled over immediately and turned off. smoke started pouring out from under the dash board and burst into flames. 911 was called the fire trucks came and put the fire out. the entire interior is gone while the engine and drive train are fine. the car is totaled. *tr

This will be our 5th ignition replacement since purchasing this car new in 2000. the first three were covered. since we have to pay another 500 for this one we have been making due by leaving the key in and not completely turned off by just a hair. or on the occasion we forget and take it out we have to beat it with the back of a screwdriver to get it to engage. this has caused me to get out and leave the car in drive on several occasions since i got use to putting the car in park before removing the key i can no longer remove the key so i am distracted by digging out the clicker so i can get back into my car. this is so dangerous! my car rolled across the library parking lot and into another car. this could have been a child run over! all because of this ignition problem. i have never left my car in drive in over 32 years before this trouble! i have been stranded in relentless heat with children and freezing temps again with children. this is with out question a situation that needs to be recalled. we should not have to keep paying for a design flaw. it is not from over use or heavy key chains. there are many many days i don't even leave the house to use it. i don't stop and start the car a lot. this is a very dangerous problem and will not be taken seriously by ford. *tr

Had to replace the ignition on my 2000 ford focus wagon, and found out it is a common complaint and problem which will continue. i just don't understand why ford doesn't recall the part and have it fixed for their loyal customers. what a shame! this problem left my wife stranded over 25 miles from home. *tr

Ignition problem, key would not turn in ignition at all, replacing and will need to drill to pull out old ignition. shoddy parts quality is likely to blame. *tr

2000 ford focus key won't turn in the ignition. *tr

00 ford focus taillights not working. found that ford has a recall for the wire harness decklid. took vehicle to a ford dealership was told that my vehicle is not part of the recall. i've numerous recalls on this vehicle already. vehicle was overheating. was told by ford dealership that needed a new radiator, cost me $800. when i picked up the vehicle it was still overheating, come to find out i only needed a new water pump. *tr

Key would not go into the ignition on my 2000 ford focus. *tr

2000 ford focus: ignition seized up and key would not turn. aaa roadside assistance banged and jiggled to free it up but it seized three times again -- every time turned off the ignition, it won't turn again. i've read many descriptions of complaints about the same occurrence; plan to follow advise of going to locksmith for replacement ignition cylinder because apparently ford is using same problematic cylinder for replacements. *tr

Beginning in december 2005 i have had trouble with the ignition on my ford focus. at first it began with the key not turning in the ignition. it has gotten increasingly worse over the last 21/2 years. about a month ago i could not even get the key into the ignition. once the key was inserted i did not remove it again for fear i would not be able to drive the car at all. now the ignition will not turn even with the key in it. no one is able to repair the ignition, and there are apparently no after market parts.... so i have to go to a ford dealer and pay almost $400 to fix the ignition on a car that is 9 years old. this is ridiculous and i know that there a lot of other drivers/owners that have had problems with the ignition. at least 2 of my close friends also own a focus (boy are they mad i suggested getting one now) and they have both had to have the ignition replaced. it seems to me that this proves it is a manufacturing problem, and i should therefore be able to get the car fixed free of charge, of course the warranty is up, so basically i'm screwed. i hope you will issue a recall on this, because i can't afford to fix it, and i need it to get to work, or lose my job in an ever worsening economy. thanks *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that the instrument panel lights illuminate intermittently. in addition, the speedometer does not work properly at times. the vehicle will idle roughly or fast and has to be shut off in order for the idling to stop. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 00v302000 (vehicle speed control:cables). the current mileage was 106,000 and failure mileage was 105,000.

2000 for focus ignition lock. i am about to replace my ignition lock for the 3rd time. each time, i have gone to my car in the evening only to find the key won't go into the lock, it won't turn, etc. i have now been stranded approximately 9 times in sometimes rough areas. this is a well known and documented safety issue. *tr

I am experiencing what thousands of others have experienced with the 2000 ford focus. for the past year, we have intermittently had the ignition switch lock up, unable to turn the key and start the car. i have been stranded many times. my mechanic told me this is a overwhelmingly common problem with the 2000 focus and suggested tapping and banging on the ignition switch to get it to turn. this worked for about a year, however, as i am finding out by reading these complaints, it finally has frozen and will not turn. ford wants to charge people four hundred fifty dollars to replace this defective switch, only to replace it with another defective switch,which will ultimately need replacing , yet another $450.. my husband purchased an ignition switch from an auto parts store, only to have to take it to ford anyway to install because they get you by charging $150. to "reprogram the pats system on the key. at what point and how many vehicles have to be reported to be defective , how many owners have to be charged thousands of dollars to replace defective parts with defective parts and ford allowed to keep charging and recharging us to fix the same problem rather than being accountable for the problem and recalling the part?? why aren't consumer's protected against this? *tr

The key would not go all the way into the ignition. a locksmith came and fixed it, but now i can't get the key out at all and have to leave it in the ignition all the time. *tr

I own a 2000 ford focus . i among several co-workers who car pool became stranded due to a failure in the key lock ignition switch. the key wouldn't turn. my kids had to sit after school for 2 1/2 hours till i could pick them up in another vehicle once i had my vehicle towed. additionally my co-workers were delayed to their families and several of their children missed important after schools activities. in review of other testimonials online this is a chronic problem with this ford vehicle and appears to be its number 1 complaint in customer satisfaction..if this is a chronic issue ford should fix this at no cost to the consumer..so now i tow it to them so they can replace with another failing part for 500.00...it's not right..it is a safety issue for my kids were left un attended for 2 1/2 hours. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 50 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. when the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the ignition pin inside the ignition cylinder failed. he was unable to control or move the steering wheel and the brakes did not function. the vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the ignition control was the cause of the failure. the failure previously occurred two years ago. the dealer refused to repair the vehicle for free because the work that was previously done was only for a year. they are now charging the contact the same price for the repair, but he refuses to have his vehicle repaired at the dealer. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 85,000.

Key wont turn in ignition. its locked up put key in and tried to turn with no luck. *tr

2000 ford focus ignition key stuck. vehicle will not start. *tr

Unable to turn ignition to start car with key, regular mechanic unable to fix problem, had to be sent to a ford dealer to replace the lock cylinder at a cost of 350.00. *tr

Well, basically, my ignition has gone out on my 2000 ford focus for the third time. i've gone on the web and have read the same problem happening to other people. the key will not turn the ignition and it will not start. i think this should be investigated due to a safety hazard. imagine being in a remote location and being in need of medical attention and your car not starting? imaging going hiking and twisting your ankle, after suffering through agonizing pain, you realize you have to suffer much longer because you can't turn the key in you ignition. i've never had to experience any of these situations, but i have experienced my third ignition failure. the first two were $300 each, and i just got off the phone with a ford dealership and they told me it would cost $600?? price gouging in our time of high gasoline costs?? i believe these faulty parts need to be investigated. *tr

Ignition locks up and key will not turn. the steering column is locked. *tr

There was no events leading up to the failure. on 4/26/08 i put the key into the ignition of my 2000 ford focus to start it, and the key would not turn. i called my local ford dealership and was told that the problem i was having was caused by a defect in the ignition system, which id a common problem as they have fixed "too many of these ignition problems to count". however there was no recall and the would not do a "goodwill repair". searching the internet, i found that there were thousands of people who are or who where experiencing the same exact problem with their ford focuses. the consequences of this failure are that it has cost me my job, and my fiance her job, amounting to approximately 52 thousand dollars yearly in income. i have not taken any kind of repair action to remedy this as of yet, as it costs 400-500 dollars which i do not have. *tr

2000 ford focus ignition failure. car ignition locked/froze up and i had to have the car towed and the ignition replaced at a cost of some $500. this is a widespread problem with the ford focus and ford refuses to reimburse me and has not addressed the problem with a recall. *tr

00 ford focus se key won't turn in the ignition wife was on her way home from work stop for gas got into the car key will not turn $200.00 to fix. *tr

1. there were two instances over the past 3 years where my car wouldn't start initially and it took 15 minutes to finally be able to turn the key. 2. i stopped at a gas station to fill up my car which is a 2000 ford focus zx3. i had may 7 year old daughter with me and when we went to leave my ignition locked up. after an hour i had to call someone to come get my daughter as it was 9pm and she had school in the morning. i had someone else come by to see if they could fix it but that was to no avail. finally after about 3 hours total i had to call a for a tow back to my house as the steering wheel was locked up and i could not even roll the car out of the way because i couldn't turn the wheel to get around the gas pumps. i searched online to see about a recall due to this cars history and to my amazement i found web forum after web forum of complaints about this issue. all you have to do is search the web for "ford focus ignition lock" and you'll see what i mean. this is definitely an issue and can be potentially very dangerous. being stuck and unable to put your car in neutral and move it to the left or right and out of the way, being stuck in extreme weather conditions...possibly with a child or even just being stuck for hours at a time. i read on instance were a women wasn't able to get towed for 6 hours and read another example of a man who had rented a focus only to have it lock up while at a rest area on the highway. it appears that ford is simply ignoring this fault and it's costing people $400-$500 every occurrence. some people have had to pay to have it replaced 3 times or more. please look into this and try to do something about it. it has been a serious issue. 3. i have get the car towed to a dealer to pay the $400 to have it fixed and hope it doesn't happen again or i can find a locksmith who can come to my house, drill out the ignition and replace it which is cheaper than the dealership ...

2000 ford focus #1 car has been owned by me since 2001 (bought from a dealer with 13k miles on it), it gets used lightly and never goes on long trips. i use it just for local driving, to and from work. (about 5 miles a day, car has 80k miles on it) this car is a lemon! i have had some of the strangest problems and gone through more recalls then anyone should have to. #2 problems i'm having currently: suspension car's front passenger side spring has broken, makes very loud crunching noises when turning, needs repair. electrical car has smelled of burning rubber, and electrical system has started smoking on more then one occasion, have come very close to going up in flames. turning the car off then disconnecting the battery terminal cures the problem temporarily. was also told by local mechanic front axles are bad, and need to be replaced soon but do not know much more about it. problems i've had: fuel pump recall, door latch recall, and battery cable recall. have also had problems with the rear bearings of the car, paid out of pocket to fix those, because dealer told me there was no recall on them. after reading nhtsa campaign #01i017000 i have since learned otherwise. #3 all the problems i'm having with the car currently are not fixed. all the other ones were repaired by the dealer with the exception of the rear wheel bearings. the front spring is still available as is still on the car, and he electrical system is still intact. i will have to replace the spring soon but i'll hold on to it. the same goes for the front axle's. *tr