Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have been having issues out of my ignition/steering. the events leading to this issue has been the key going in the ignition and sometimes only going in half way...yesterday as i was in the middle of no where the key goes in the ignition but wont turn...the ignition/steering is locked on position. this seems to be a common problem with the ford focus because of faulty ignition (key area). to my knowledge and research ford has not issued any kind of safety recall because this is not deemed a safety matter...well my question is what if i was in the middle of no where, or in a unsafe area? i get in my car and the key will go in the ignition but the key wont turn so i can't start my car...what if someone was trying to mug me and i finally was able to get in my car but i couldn't get my car to start to safely get away because the key wouldn't turn the ignition switch so i could start my car??? this seems like a big safety issue. please help!!! *jb

Key stuck in 2000 ford focus, unable to remove key from ignition, unable to turn key in ignition. thus, leaving 17 year old daughter stranded. pop a lock was called, and cost $275.00. *ak

I own a 2000 ford focus with 31,000 miles on it. twice in the last 5 months the ignition jammed. the first time on a freezing cold day at a deserted urban parking lot late at night at february 24, 2007. the second time , on july 12, 2007. *ak

Ignition lock will not turn in my 2000 ford focus

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. in july of 2007, the door locks on the vehicle began to malfunction. the contact changed the fuse, but this did not correct the failure. the tail and brake lights also began to malfunction, followed by the rear hatch. the dealer advised him not to drive the vehicle because a fire had taken place in the wiring. the contact is currently awaiting the vehicle diagnosis. the current mileage was 42,338 and failure mileage was 42,000.

To the best of my knowledge no recall notice was ever received regarding campaign # 02v288000 , i have a bill for replacement of the exact same parts due to the exact same problems this recall notice stated . i would like reimbursement. how do i go about this?*ak

The ignition key failed to turn when inserted into the steering column. my son was stranded, alone with no way to get home except from my driving to get him. fortunately, he was only five miles away from home, but he could have been stranded much further away and in a dangerous location. *tr

Parked in a public parking space and came back to retrieve my car. could get the key in the ignition but could not turn it. turns out the ignition was faulty and had to be replaced by ford. everyone i've talked to with this make and model of car has had this problem, but ford has not addressed it. they charged 400 dollars to replace it. *tr

I just purchased this vehicle from a private party and i had the vehicle , a 2000 ford focus 4 door sedan, for about 4 months and the key did not working correctly in the cylinder. would have to jiggle the steering wheel and the key for about 30 minutes before it would turn over to start. just last week on 06/05/2007 the car no longer started, i could not get the key to turn to start. i called the local ford dealer, and they told me it was the ignition cylinder that needed to be replaced. i have an appointment, and i talked to the manager at the service department, and he said this was a countinous problem with this kind of vehicle. this wa s easily costing me $300 that i dont have... this problem needed to be recalled. by the way i had to have the vehicle towed to get it fixed. *ak

Ignition switch wore out on 2001 focus, happened at about 75,000 miles. happened while ford mechanics were on strike. had to have lock smith repair. kept key in ignition at all times when started getting hard to use again. just this week the 2000 focus wagon ignition would not allow key to go in all the way. went on line to determine how to fix myself, saw hundreds of complaints about same problem. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that it is difficult to insert the key into the ignition. once inserted, it is difficult to turn the ignition. the mechanic stated that the ignition switch locked due to a manufacturer's defect. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current mileage is 86,000 and failure mileage was 80,000.

The ignition cylinder the 2000 ford focus locked and i was unable to turn the key. it first happened while i was at an atm at 11pm at night and was not able to turn the igntion for almost 30 minutes, which placed me in a very dangerous situation. two weekd later it happened again, but this yime was unable to turn it at all, and had to be towed to a ford dealership to have it fixed. the repair cost me, with towing was $550. i knew this has been a problem for other focus owners and felt ford should be recalling this porblem.*ak

Ignition key will not turn, cannot start car and stranded. second occurrence after previously repairing same problem with a new lock cylinder from ford. *ak

I have a 2000 ford focus. the ignition switch will not turn, as a result, the steering wheel will not turn. i am unable to start the car. this is the second time this has happen to me. *tr

2000 ford focus ignition switch failure. when key is inserted in ignition switch it fails to turn and car will not start. *tr

Ignition locks so key will not start the car . i was left stranded in a parking lot. this is the second time this has happened , following the first time the ignition cylinder was replaced. *ak

One day the ignition cylinder on my 2000 ford focus zx3 failed, and i was unable to start my vehicle because the key did not turn once inside the ignition. i was stranded without transportation. i had to get the vehicle towed to a service dealer to get the ignition replaced. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that the power door locks stopped working. the contact noticed that the fuse for the power door lock had failed. he replaced the fuse, but the passenger front door failed to unlock. he did not experience any failures with the other doors. a dealer has not inspected the vehicle to determine the cause of the failure. the current mileage is 78,500 and the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. he noticed that the wires would bend, fray and break when closing the rear liftgate. while closing the liftgate, the vehicle lost all electrical power to the rear wiper, washer and the top rear brake light which also caused the cruise control to become inoperative. he removed the sleeve and mended the wires together which caused the components to function correctly; however, the contact felt that if the wires continued to bend, the failure would recurr. he consulted the manufacturer about recall 00v411000 but was told that his vehicle was not included. the current mileage was 47,766 and the failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

Ignition key has failed twice- mechanically- the 1st time was at 54000 mi and cost $300 to replace - just happened again at180000. there were 34 similar reports in 2001 when 1st occasion happened but ford said it wasn't a problem. now i can't find anything on your site about it. car has just been towed to dealer so not sure what it will cost. but i have driven cars for 50 years and never had an ignition key problem before, never mind 2 on same vehicle. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the instrument panel indicators and tail lights failed to illuminated. the contact replaced the fuse and bulbs but the failure continued. the contact stated that the vehicle should be included in recall # 06e026000. the dealer stated that the vehicle was excluded from the recall. the current and failure mileage were 103,000.*ak

I've had 2 major problems with my 2000 ford focus se. my ignition is locked. the key will not turn at all, the key will go in but will not turn with much research online i'm seeing that i am not the only person that has had this problem, and the problem is the ignition cylinder. 2nd- i've been having problems with the instrument cluster in my car, and once again with alot of research i'm seeing that i am not the only one with this problem anyway. *tr

I drove a 2000 focus zx3 for 3 years without a single problem. on march 2007 (90000 miles) the car stalled and died completely in the middle of a california freeway. after 5 min i was able to restart the car and drive to my mechanic (not a ford dealer). computer analysis showed a faulty mass air flow sensor. he replaced it ($450). two days later, the car stalled again in a residential area (20 mph and full tank of gas). the car restarted and i drove back to same mechanic. he didn't find anything wrong and suggested i should drive to a ford dealer. they replaced the fuel delivery module at no cost because of ford recall #03n01. after that the car stalled (and died) again while pulling out of a parking lot (5 mph and full tank). ford technicians drove the car for 150 miles while hooked up to a "flight recorder" and found nothing. i drove it for 20mi with a "flight recorder" and it stalled right away. i tried restarting it and it stalled again (4 times in a row). i was able to record the data using flight recorder. for the first time the check engine light was on (code p1237). the ford dealer inspection all the electrical wires looking for a faulty connection ground. after re-wiring they test-drove the car again. they think the car is ok now. this has been my third week without a car. i was renting a car in order to go to work (paying to go to work). i can't afford to spend more money on more surprises. i have been stressed emotionally and financially. even if the car is ok now, i don't feel safe driving it (or any other ford). at this point i decided to sell the focus to the same ford dealer. i'm complaining about the ford focus and ford in general (as a corporation and a brand) for allowing such a flaw to be sold to the general public. i have been very well treated by the service department at the ford dealer. *jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2000 ford focus with a current and failure odometer of 130000 miles. the contact stated that when she put the key in the ignition it wuld not turn. the contact tried several times and different ways to move the key in the ignition, she would make sure that the vehicle was in gear, but the ignition would not turn . the instrument panel would light up, and the vehicle would chime, but the ignition remained frozen. *ak

The ignition cylinder in my 2000 focus zx3 broke (froze up) for the sixth time. i have replaced the ignition cylinder six times now in the same vehicle in seven years. it has cost me a little over $400 each time, except for the first time when it was covered under warranty. *jb

I parked my car and took the key out as usual. when i got back in a few minutes later and tried to start it the ignition cylinder was inexplicably seized up. this left me stranded, in a snow storm, several miles from my home late at night. in researching the problem i'm seeing it's a common problem for my model of vehicle. if i had been made aware of the problem, as an owner, i could have been aware of the possibility of it happening. *jb

Ignition lock jammed. *tr

Revised to fit web complaint form. webform requires manufacturer of ignition cylinder from ford. called ford at 1800-392-ford and shaun-central florida states proprietary information. ford is not a choice in the drop down menu at https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/equipment.cfm?tostep=4&cfid=1748899&cftoken=17655993 guessed on info to turn in following complaint. ignition locked up on ford focus. steering wheel locked. had to tow airline wrecker, dubs garage and locksmith told me extremely common for ford focus. petition for ignition cylinder recall at http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?focusic even when the part is replaced, it happens again. i just pray next time it happens (and from what i've read it will) i am in a safe, well lit area where my cell phone can get service; and not the beach or somewhere that tow trucks charge over $500. but mostly i pray ford is forced to fix this known issue and stop creating a financial burden on people just so they can profit from their faulty ignition cylinders. please do something about this issue. it's obvious that ford has no intentions to resolve their locking ignition since the part has to be ordered from them for at least $100 per incident and if the person has their vehicle fixed at ford it could cost up to $500. i have called ford locally and corporate, they state there is no recall for an ignition cylinder. what has happened to dealerships accountability that they are allowed to get away with such an action for 7 years? is the accountability only when there is death? is that why ford continues to install and sell the faulty ignition cylinder? what's to stop them from continuing if they profit from the problem? i think that personnel taking complaints should give the 800 number and/or exact website to register complaints to nhtsa and/or list this info on car dealers websites. *jb

Ford focus with ignition lock up problems *writer please note for customer that complaint is being forwarded to ftc.* *cc *nm

My 2000 ford focus ignition switch failed and from what i am reading on the internet the ford focus is known for this issue, and i am letting ricart ford know that i will not pay in anyway for this defected part. if i have to i will get my lawyer involved. *jb

The ignition switch on my 2000 ford focus, tend to stick and you cannot remove the key without jerking hard on the key to remove . now the key is stuck in the switch and will not turn on. it stranded me 5 miles from home. *nm

Failure of ignition key to turn in ignition lock. left me stranded. called locksmith to have whole ignition drilled out and replaced. locksmith informed me that ford motor company has issued a technical service bulletin about the problem but has refused to recall the defective part. *jb

The car was having trouble starting we replaced the battery checked the cables had the starter tested the guy said it was the nuetralization switch. he got back into start the car and it locked up. it is now still sitting there for them to figure out how to fix it. *nm

Ignition is locked up again on my 200 ford focus. this has happened twice since i bought the car. it hasn't happened in a couple of years though. suddenly, it's happening again. *nm

Was stranded with baby when unable to insert key into ignition and start vehicle (2000 ford focus) which locksmith tells me is common defect in this make and model. ignition switch replaced with cost of $180. *jb

This past weekend my ignition cylinder failed in my 2000 ford focus. researching the topic online revealed that this is a widespread problem that ford chooses to ignore, therefore they should be forced to address the issue. *nm

Key locking up in ignition. car only has 50,000 miles. $500 repair bill plus towing charge and left me stranded in snow storm. *nm

2000 ford focus ignition locks, preventing the car from being started. *nm

1) i parked in a redzone to let my friend out of the vehicle and then i loaded something into my car. 2) i went to restart my vehicle and the ignition mechanism failed- couldn't insert the key properly and was unable to start the car. so it was late at night and i was unable to move my car to a safer location. luckily i had aaa in addition to two generous friends who were able to help me with the cost- $265!!! because i didn't have the money to pay the man up front. otherwise my car would've been ticketed and towed. 3) he drilled out the old ignition mechanism and replaced it. 2 hours of my life and $265 later!! *nm

There has been an ongoing problem with my ignition switch in my 2000 ford focus. the steering column seems to lock up on me and the key wont turn to unlock it. this problem has been ongoing for a while now. i know i am not the first person this has happen to. i just hope something can be done about this. ford wants almost 400.00 dollars to fix this problem and it isn't even a guaranteed fix. i don't think this is right for ford to charge that kind of money for something that will happen again down the road. *tr

The ignition switch locked in my 2000 ford focus, first the key did not go in all the way and when it did, the switch did no turn. the repaid costs 400.00. *nm

I parked my ford focus in a parking space at a taco bell. the wheels were slightly turned to the left and the key would not turn forwards or backwards in the ignition so i began wiggling the steering wheel back and forth, continuing to try the key. eventually, i'd turned the wheel so far that it stuck in the lock position, cranked to one direction. nothing worked. a half hour passed. i assumed that the direction of wheels and the steering wheel being turned like it was had something to do with the ignition not working. so i jacked up the front end of the car to try to straighten my wheels out by hand but they too were locked and were not going to budge. i continued to try different combinations of applying the brake, trying to turn the steering wheel, adjusting the tilt of the steering wheel column, and trying to turn the key. i called a taxi cab to take me back to work, 25 minutes late, minus 7 dollars. at work, i began to research this problem and found websites, such as consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_focus, where i began to learn tips to get the key to turn and suggestions for repair. i was able to avoid a tow truck fee by using one of the suggested quick fixes, which basically consists of pounding the key into the ignition with a hammer, preferably a rummer mallot. from that same site, i learned that the problem has been pinpointed to the german-made huf lock that ford puts in the ford focus. the best suggestion is to have an automotive locksmith replace it with a non-ford or non-huf part. going to a ford dealer is strongly discouraged. the part has not been recalled so it costs the consumer. for me, around $400. *nm

Ignition switch failure. key will not turn when fully inserted in ignition switch. *nm

Key would not turn when put in ignition. have read that 100's of people with my vehicle are experiencing same problem, but ford will not admit wrongdoing. *nm

Ignition lock cylinder won't turn,front tires locked, car had to be towed in. dealership had to put the car on a jack to get it into the shop, removed steering column trim, had to drill out broken ignition lock cylinder assembly, had to set up new lock cylinder so the same keys would work. so not only am i stuck without a vehicle till after christmas, i had to pay a towing charge, plus the cost to have the car fixed. back car door latch on passenger side continually stuck and does not allow anyone to exit the vehicle from that side. rattling noise under the carriage is unexplainable - what is next? *nm

Ford focus 2000 ignition broke causing my key not to go in right and not to turn. i was forced to call a lock smith and have the lock replaced.

On numerous occasions while attempting to start my 2000 ford focus the key will not turn. initially thinking it was a key issue i researched the internet to find numerous issues surrounding the 2000 ford focus and poor quality of the tumbler assembly leaving people stranded and/or keys stuck in the ignition. ford has also issued a service bulletin to their dealers in regard to this issue. i contacted my local dealership and also dealt with ford corporate looking for a solution. they say there isn't a safety issue even though they issued the service bulletin. at this time my only solution to have ford replace to prevent my family from being stranded. *jb

The car has 32000 miles after 6 years. in december 2006 the ignition failed catastrophically and without warning. i could not insert the key. i called the dealer and was told that the car would have to be towed and that my extended warranty had expired. i was able the restart the car, but it failed again on december 11, 2006, stranding me. i had the car towed and the mechanic informed me that this problem is common on this model, to the extend that ford keeps the requisite parts in stock. he attributed it to a design fault. my concern is that if this problem indeed is common a driver could be stranded and helpless in a dangerous situation, with serious risk to safety and possibly life. if the mechanic's opinion that there is a design fault is correct, ford should recall the car. *jb

This is the 5th time my ignition cylinder locked up on me. i am fed up with having to replace this. this is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!! *jb

The car had been driven 2-3 miles, then parked. about 15 minutes later the fire was spotted. flames were 12 to 15 feet high before the fire dept arrived and put it out. *jb