Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 20 mph, the contact smelled a burning odor coming from the dashboard. he examined the vehicle and noticed two wires were melted in the wiring harness. the contact believes that the failure originated from the rear deck lid. two wires were fused together due to fatigue, one wire being 7.5 amps and the other being 15 amps. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 00v411000 (electrical system:wiring). the current mileage was 42,679 and failure mileage was 42,670.

My 2000 ford focus had a key stuck in the ignition. this caused me to drive a car with a key that would not come out causing a theft issue as i live in baltimore, maryland. there was fear of going out to start my car and having it break or not turn leaving me stuck on the side of the road. ford would not fix the problem for less then $500 which is a total joke as this is a faulty part that they put in the car. i had to pay $385 dollars to have a good locksmith replace the part for me. ford should back up the product that make and should pay back any focus owner that has had this problem. i will not support a company that will not support their own product. *tr

I recently was stranded 30 miles from my home due to my ignition locking up. my keys would not even budge and i had to have my vehicle towed and paid for the repair ($400). they replaced the ignition module. *tr

Key ignition switch became more difficult to operate over the last 6 months. first the key became stuck in the ignition one day. in order to remove the key one had to push the cylinder in while simultaneously pulling the key. it seemed strange at the time that this would happen out of the blue one day, but the new method of removing the key worked. a few months later, the key would not turn the ignition when attempting to start the car leaving my wife stranded out late one night. luckily, her friend who also owned a ford mustang, was with her and had experienced similar problems with her car. they were able to start the car buy simultaneously pushing in the cylinder while turning the key and it started. again strange but it worked. we continued this routine for several months until yesterday, while just spending hundreds of dollars changing tires the technician was unable to get the car started to remove it from the garage. now faced with more cost the only thing i could be happy about was that it was me stranded and not my wife and my son. it is even more frustrating to learn now that this is and has been a known problem with this make and model of ford and nothing has been done to correct it. i can pay hundreds to replace the ignition with the same defective part that many say will fail again. this time on one of my wife's many trips with my son in the car seat. nothing about that scenario sounds safe to me. ford needs to be prompted to fix this recurring problem to prevent future safety issues. *tr

Key won't turn ignition and could not start car. *tr

I got out of my car at walgreens. 10 min later i tried to put my key in the ignition. it would not go all the way in. i turned the steering wheel and it slid in bun my car would not turn on. it cost me 200 to have a locksmith come out and replace the ignition. apparently it is a common defect with the 2000 ford focus. *tr

Key is hard to get into ignition. then, it won't turn. after tapping, i was able to turn it on but i don't have the luxury of hoping the car will work or not. what if i'm late to work? *tr

While driving the vehicle the speedometer intermittently drops to 0 while the vehicle is moving. the odometer reads all dash marks and the vehicle shifts roughly. i was told that it is due to the speed sensor being bad. this has happened on more than one occasion and the dealership has given a different excuse why the sensor failed each time. *tr

I was left stranded at night when my key would no longer fit all the way into my ignition, leaving me unable to start my vehicle. the vehicle was parked in a flat parking lot. the key was not excessively worn nor was it bent. the vehicle started fine only an hour before. luckily, i was in an urban area with cellular service and i was able to contact roadside assistance. i was told that the vehicle would need to be towed. the tow truck driver was unable to load the car on the flatbed because the tires were turned and the steering wheel was locked. since i could not insert the key all the way, the steering wheel would not unlock allowing the wheels to straighten. i then had to contact a locksmith who advised he could replace the ignition cylinder. he advised that he would replace the part with a different model than the oem because if the oem model was installed, it could fail again. thank goodness my roadside assistance plan covered most of the cost for the failed tow attempt and the ignition switch replacement. a quick search on the internet reveals this is a widespread problem affecting thousands of cars of this year and model type. there were thousands of complaints returned in my search results. this is unacceptable!!! i do lots of state to state traveling and i could have been abandoned in an unsafe location with no cellular service in bad weather conditions! what if i have children or elderly passengers in the car??? this is extremely irresponsible to have a known problem go uncommunicative to ford owners. people rely on their vehicles to start and that the ignition switch could fail without warning is scary. i can think of a dozen of "what if" scenarios that could put drivers in danger. this part can be replaced quickly and relatively inexpensively (unless you go through the dealership it seems) with a different model ignition switch to prevent this from happening if ford would just communicate this known problem to its customers. *tr

The ignition key lock cylinder is not functioning properly. the key cylinder does not turn properly when the factory key is properly inserted. i have two sets of keys, they are not terribly worn and the cylinder works the same way with both keys. i have to wiggle the key, take it out and flip it over, wiggle the key some more and it still may not work. there have been several times, where i was left stranded, because i couldn't get the ignition cylinder to work. it is always a gamble as to whether the key is going to work in the car or not. i've been informed by the local locksmith that he has noticed this seems to be a common problem with the ford focus model cars. he has had to fix quite a few with the same problem. if this is the case, i feel there is a high probability that this may be a manufacturer's defect and all customers needs to be made aware of this defect. i'd also like to be compensated for the funds i had to shell out, because of this defect. thank you. *tr

Key would not go into ignition switch. called ford dealer who indicated that there have been numerous problems with ignition switches but no recall has been issued. had to pay $65 to have car towed and $314 for ignition switch replacement. *tr

Smelled smoke coming from vehicle and upon exiting vehicle fire was coming from the underneath of the engine compartment. *tr

One day i got into my 2000 ford focus and had difficulty getting the key into the ignition. once it was in the key would not turn. it took about an hour of turning the wheel, jiggling the key, and tapping on the key to get it to engage the lock cylinder and start the car. this has happened several times before i left the key in long enough to research the problem. this issue is pervasive on this model and cost about $400 to fix. a simple search online shows thousands of consumers with 2000 ford focuses that have the same problem. this is not a coincidence it is a failure suitable for recall. *tr

The key suddenly won't fit into the ignition. this is a common problem with 2000 ford focus and it cost close to $500 to replace the ignition cylinder. ford should do a recall on this issue since i found out a lot of consumers have the same problem. *tr

The key gets stuck in the ignition and will not come out. this is a common defect,and ford refuses to recall the vehicle or fix it unless it is under warranty. i have not had it fixed and i will hotwire the car before i pay 400 dollars for a problem that will not exist. *tr

Ignition switch failure, went to leave and key will go in ignition but will not turn either way. i will have to get this replaced myself even though i found 466 complaints about the same problem with this make and model/ 20+% of the entire inventory so far have this problem. i guess someone will have to be killed in order to get a recall for this problem, any volunteers? *tr

I parked my car one night in a parking lot. the car was parked for less than 10 minutes. when i came back my steering wheel was locked and i could not turn the ignition to start the car. the lights and radio work so the battery is not dead. two aaa roadside workers tried to turn the ignition and it did not work. *tr

Ignition locked up. *tr

2000 ford focus ignition switch failure. *tr

2000 ford focus zx3 with ignition problem. consumer states that the key would not turn in the ignition. she says that the dealer charged her for the repair. she believes this is a manufacturing defect. *kb the dealer replaced the ignition lock cylinder. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. he stated the key would only tunr three quarters of the way when inserted into the ignition. in addition, he has sometime he has to shift the vehicle into neutral to turn the igniting. as a result, the vehicle would not start immediately. the failure and current mileages were 94,000.

Ford focus zx3 2000 - key gets stuck in the ignition and you are unable to start the car.*cn

Tonight (12/29/2007), for the fourth time (six times total), the ignition switch on my 2000 ford focus died, leaving me stranded yet again. this time, i was left stranded in 12 degree weather for seven hours. it is amazing i didn't get frostbite - or worse. i bought my focus in 2002, with 52,000 miles on it. the prior owner had replaced the ignition switch twice on the car - once about 12,000 miles (under warranty) and once about 42,000 miles. i replaced the switch at 58,000, 72,000 and 102,000 miles. car now has 137,000 miles and once again, i'm going to have to replace the [xxx] ignition switch again, after being assured by the ford dealership that this would never happen again ("it's been redesigned, the problem is fixed.") '!@#$%. the ford dealership has said that every single time i've had to replace it, after taking $300-$375 of my money each time, and several thousand miles later, i'm having to replace it again! the ford dealership will only warranty the ignition switch for a lousy 12,000 miles. what is particularly aggravating isn't the money so much as the cavalier attitude ford has that this is not a "safety issue." tell that to my still-cold body! you sit for seven hours in a car, stuck, unable to turn the heat on, in freezing temperatures. is it going to take someone dying before ford owns up to this problem? *tr information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Cracked ignition. jammed steering column. both were replaced. old part is available. *tr

My daughter who is 17 came out of work at 10 pm on a sunday night and her key wouldn't go in the ignition of her 2000 ford focus. thus she was stranded alone after dark in an empty parking lot. i feel that this is a safety issue. not everyone can afford a cell phone and if she hadn't had one she would have been in real trouble because there is nothing close to where she works. we stress about maintenance so she will not break down and she will be safe. this should be a recall. she has only had the car for three months and this is already the second problem she has had with this car. *tr

My wife purchased a 2000 ford focus lx. she went out to her vehicle and the ignition key will not turn. we have turned the steering wheel left and right to get the ignition to turn. the steering wheel is also locked. i searched the web and found numerous complaints about the ignition switch and how some people have had to replace the part more then once. why does ford not recognize this problem in a recall. i know this is 2007 but i thought ford was usually on top of things. can anything be done? i have printed up numerous complaints on this topic. so what is being done if anything to correct this problem. i have been unable to find a recall from ford on this problem. out of all the vehicles i have owned i have never had to replace an ignition switch or part!!!!!!! *tr

Ignition switch failure on ford focus-left me and my daughter stranded at the doctor's office parking lot. the key would not turn. *tr

As i left work on the night of 12/4/07, i entered my 2000 ford focus and found that i could not turn the key in the ignition. the key would not fully enter the ignition cylinder and thus could not start the car. as such, i was stuck in the parking lot with no way to drive myself home without calling for a ride. luckily, i was able to find somebody, even though there was a strong winter storm at the time. i had the car towed to a dealership - the tow truck driver told me he sees this problem all the time with this car and gave me some tips for how to try to get the key to work (at least temporarily), but nothing worked and he towed the car. the dealership told me that they needed to completely replace the ignition lock cylinder, which i had them do. doing research online, i found that there are a large number of people that have this issue reoccur with their focus. i called fords customer care center, who informed me that there was nothing they could do to assist my repair (in the form of an extended warranty or goodwill repair) and referred me to this site to see if this issue merited a recall. *tr

I have had to replace my 2000 ford focus ignition 4 times in the 7 years i've had this car. the first was in 2001 then the last was 2007. i can not keep fixing this problem when it cost me over $500.00 i was quoted by ford. *tr

For the second time, my 2000 ford focus ignition lock has failed in that the key won't turn and vehicle is immobilized. current mileage on vehicle is approximately 48,500 and ignition cylinder was drilled out and replaced by ford dealer at 28,000 miles and replacement part frequently stuck and now ignition cannot be unlocked. *tr

I own a 2000 ford focus. on the morning of november 22, 2007 i parked my vehicle in my driveway, which in turn blocked the exit of my other vehicle from the garage. when i went to start my vehicle that night to go to work, the key wouldn't fit into the ignition. i was eventually able to jam the key into the ignition, but it would not turn forward. i had the vehicle towed to the dealership where it cost me $380 to replace the ignition and make new keys. fortunately, i was not having an emergency. if i had to take my son, who is 1 year old, to the emergency room, i wouldn't have been able to leave my house for an hour. i have research this issue and have become aware that this year vehicle is having a lot of these issues. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus zx3 hatch back. she stated the factory key for the vehicle would not turn in the ignition. the dealer gave her a second key that also did not work. the dealer advised her to place the old key in the ignition to start the vehicle momentarily then removing it, and replacing it with the new key. the key failed to turn the ignition on. there were no repairs made to the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were under 106,000.

Key cylinder on 2000 ford focus has been replaced twice now. car has less than 80,000 miles on it. i can not believe a recall was not issued. went out the first time at 18,000 miles and at $356.00 a pop i believe the public is being taken for a ride. *tr

I had to have the ignition cylinder replaced in my 2000 ford focus 4 times in the last 5 years and today it locked up again. it is a known problem with ford. it gives no warning. 1 minute it works fine ... the next time i go to start the key --- it is locked up and wont unlock. i am a single mom on disability and it is unsafe to have such an undependable car - i never know when it will start and when it wont. *tr

On 10/23/07 i inserted key into ignition of my ford focus and immediatley the lights and gauges went haywire-vehicle failed to start. to make a long story short ,after unpluging the battery cables and going back to the stranded car the next evening, it started . 2 days later my wipers came on by themselves and would not stop until i turned the car off and restarted. on 10/31/07 while driving my daughter home, the vehicle began accelerating and deccelertaing uncontrollably. i pulled of the highway and when i opened the drivers door, the seatbelt light began blinking and making a loud ticking noise. this had happened the night prior, but i thought maybe the button was depressed. my dome lights make a screeching noise and blink on and off. this is a serious problem that needs to be looked into. whenever something like this happens i am driving home late at night and of course the dealer is not open to help me . my car is almost paid off and i will not invest more than what it is worth, which is only about $2,500.too bad i have paid about $18,000 for it. i would also like to know why i have not received recalls for the following problems: 1. 1st month after purchase, electrical system running airbags, mirrors, doors etc. failed. 2. 37,000 miles- transmission failed 3. 42,000 miles- power door locks failed and soon after passenger doors stuck in the lock position. 4. all window tracks have failed. 5. wheel bearings replaced. 6. trunk latch failed 7. ignition failed and was replaced and is going again. 8. brought in for 1 recall (fuel filter) and still didn't correct problem with vibration and lurching. this is a vehicle that exceeds highway saftey ratings? something will be done about this if i must hire an attorney- i am out a lot of money and no vehicle. *tr

Key would not turn in ignition. incurred cost for towing car twice, ignition was replaced, and then new keys had to be programmed. *tr

Ignition can not be turned with key inserted. *jb

The first time i couldn't get the key into the ignition. then after 30 minutes i got it to go in. then when i parked, i couldn't get the key out. so i drove home. had to call a locksmith to come drill out the cylinder and put a new one in--$220. this had never happened before. even though no one was harmed by this defect on my 2000 ford focus with 51,000 miles on it, i was very inconvenient for me. what if i had been traveling alone at night away from the city and locksmiths and my car wouldn't start because the key wouldn't turn or go in? i would be stranded. that to me is a safety issue. a quick search online shows that there are thousands of focus owners who have had this same problem and ford has done nothing about it. there should be a recall. *jb

I was getting in my 2000 ford focus this morning to go to work; i put the key in the ignition and the key would not turn. i fiddled with in for about 10 minutes to no avail. as a result, i had to call off of work. that alone is a lose of money. i have not yet called ford about this problem, but according to other reports, it can cost anywhere from$100- $400 to fix this problem. i just thank god this didn't happen to me in a dangerous area. i could have been stranded in a very dangerous area. i have had problems with the key not turning before this incident, however, i could always eventually turn the key, after fiddling with it for a few minutes. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. when the key was placed in the ignition, it would not turn. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they replaced the ignition switch. the current and failure mileages were 76,000.

2000 ford focus ignition lock problem. i have replace the ignition lock cylinder in my year 2000 ford foucs, twice. each time i was stranded because the lock jammed and i could not start the car. my main complaint is that apparently no better part is available and i am forced to install another one of these defective locks just to get back on the road. being stranded double parked in new york city, or out in the countryside on the weekend is a serious problem. i don't want money compensation - i want the problem fixed, i will gladly pay for an new lock that will not fail in this way again. on every other car i owned the ignition lock out lasted the engine. *tr

I just bought a 2000 ford focus and the key is stuck in the ignition. the woman had the tumbler replaced last year (08/06). will have to take to the dealer and have it fixed. seems like this is a persistant problem with 2000 ford focus cars. *tr

Failed ignition cylinder lock. upon entry into vehicle i proceeded to attempt to start vehicle. key would not turn in ignition. tried moving steering wheel slightly which sometimes allows ignition to turn. however this time, the steering wheel locked and key would still not turn. spent about 30 minutes trying to get key to turn. stranded, had to call for transportation and towing. cylinder lock replaced by dealer. expensive repair. no discount. known issue with focus vehicles widely reported within the internet community. *jb

Our 2000 ford focus station wagon ignition lock "froze" so that we couldn't drive the car. when i spoke with a locksmith and said the words "2000 ford focus" he said "don't tell me, the ignition lock won't turn, will it." he indicated that he alone is called out on one or two ford focus ignition lock failures every week. while this was an incident in which nobody was injured and no property damage other than the lock having to be destroyed as part of the repair by being drilled out of the steering column. the locksmith charge for the service call and repair was $186.81. we spent two and a half hours stuck in a shopping center mall waiting for the repair. in my opinion since many of these ignition locks have failed based on a number of internet sites carrying reports of failures similar to ours, it is my opinion that ford should order a recall in order to replace sub-standard ignition locks, and should reimburse owners such as us for expense we've undergone having their dub-standard locks repaired or replaced. *tr

Ignition is locked and will not turn to the start position ,i tried to wiggle the steering wheel to make sure the steering wasn't locked and its locked too. *tr

The key in my 2000 ford focus will not turn. my car is useless. after months of it being difficult and having to use force it finally won't turn at all. fortunately i am at home and not stranded. sounds like this is a common problem with these cars. i can't believe this isn't a recall issue. incredibly frustrating. sounds like i either pay a locksmith $150 or ford $400 to fix it. *jb

Key will not insert into the ignition. repeated attempts with no success. *tr

Ignition key will not turn. key can be inserted into ignition cylinder, but will not turn or start vehicle. vehicle was towed to dealership for service for $100. dealership replaced ignition cylinder for $300. *jb

Ignition will not turn. key will insert into ignition cylinder, but will not turn and therefore not start. vehicle was towed to dealership for $100. dealership quoted $300-400 for ignition cylinder replacement. *jb

The car was ok when i bought the vehicle, when my warranty was up, the key took a couple of turns before i could get it to turn fully, this happened rarely. then it became more frequent, and now it doesn't turn at all. my car is now being towed and hopefully the problem will be resolved. it is very unfortunate that this costs so much. i was going away in a couple of weeks and now i won't be able to because of this experience. i am very dissatisfied. *tr