Problems with 2000 Ford Focus STEERING

Key wont go into ignition, wheel locked up, have to get locksmith to fix...barely affordable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated that the steering wheel seized without warning while driving on the highway. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 132,000.

Steering column locked up and will not allow key to turn in ignition, cannot get steering column to unlock no matter what is done. *tr

I was on my way to work when thankfully i decided to stop at the gas station and get gas. as i was getting out of my car i lightly tapped the steering wheel and it popped off. i freaked out and looked at was happened all my steering wheel was hanging by was the wires to my horn and airbag. i had to get it towed back to my house. i called ford headquarters and took it to the dealership and asked if they could fix it for free since there are recalls on that car. they refused and stated its my responsibility to fix the car outside of the warranty stage. i understand that but it's not like it's something little that broke or something inside the engine. it's the steering wheel. you can't drive without that and that's never supposed to break. i'm so upset no body even tried to help me at ford. i'm never buying one again. *tr

The ignition on my 2000 ford focus is defective in that the key does not go all the way into the ignition. this problem appears to be systemic with the focus. the car is stranded in the path of oncoming cars and presents a danger to the public. systemic issues across a large span of vin numbers present a safety issue and a general public nuisance. cars are stranded in intersections and places of business because of defective ignitions that are known to ford. these issues are on blog sites in large numbers. i trust the transportation and safety board will recognize the significance of this problem. i am requesting an investigation that i am sure will reveal public safety concerns by the sheer number of incidents of this ignition failure. *tr

I have a 2000 ford focus. without warning, the key could not be inserted into the ignition and rendered the vehicle useless this evening. it appears ford knows about this very common failure according to many owners (via online forums) with the same issue. ford doesn't consider it a safety issue and hence not recall worthy. consider this, when the failure occurred to my wife this evening after work, it was 6 degrees fahrenheit outside and dark too (and well into the negative digits with the wind-chill). this clearly seems like a safety issue in this regard for anyone...luckily our 5 & 3 year old children were in the safety of indoor daycare at the time (what would have happened with two small kids late at night in a parking lot with sub zero temps?) according to a professional locksmith, this is a known issue and he fixed the same thing on another focus this morning. he will be replacing the ignition cylinder with a non oem cylinder which will remedy the issue. the oem cylinder has known issues. the replacement cylinder (made by a different manufacturer does not) does not have the faulty mechanism the oem cylinder has. the steering wheel is also "locked" as a result of this failure to the ignition cylinder. i would "hope" that this failure wouldn't occur while the vehicle is driving down the road. catastrophe could be the result. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. the contact stated while driving 35 mph, the front end of the vehicle began shaking severely. the contact was unable to maintain control of the vehicle as a tire blew and the contact barely missed crashing into a tree. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who replaced the tire and hub bearing. the repair did not correct the failure and the vehicle would continue to wobble excessively. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 125,196.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while stopped at a traffic light the contact noticed that the steering wheel had suddenly locked without warning and could not be moved in any direction, the contact also noticed that the key would not release from the ignition. seconds later, the contact was able to remove the key from the ignition and restart the vehicle. after restarting the vehicle the contact noticed that the vehicle began to function normally. the vehicle had not been diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 106000.

The key will not turn in the ignition for no reason, steering wheel is locked and unable to turn key on a 2000 ford focus. *tr

Key will not turn in ignition. apparently, this is a known defect with ford focus models from the year 2000. there is nothing that precipitates the problem- it just doesn't work all of a sudden. luckily, the car was parked at my office building- but it could have happened anywhere. i called a locksmith and he came and replaced the ignition. he said that there is no guarantee that it won't happen again. *tr

Faulty ignition switch. the same major problem everyone else is having with the ford focuses. ignition cylinder locked up on me without warning. stopped to get gas and when i went to put key back into ignition it wouldn't even go in at first. i though i was in the wrong car. finally forced key in ignition. it took me a long time but i fortunately was able to finally jiggle it free and get engine started. first warning sign was in 2006 when it temporarily gave me a problem, but now it was being a constant problem. i had done my research on the internet as well and called around to different locksmiths. i was able to drive veh to a locksmith and have a new ignition cylinder replaced. they did not have to reprogram the keys as i see ford is charging all of these people besides their ridiculous labor on their defective parts, in which they are still replacing defective parts. it cost me under $100 to have repaired with reassurance the ignition would outlast any keys that i have to the veh. ford is pathetic for not admitting this defect and having a recall. yes it is a safety issue!!!!!! when you never know that unsuspecting your keys lock up and won't turn the ignition. *tr

The steering column locked. dealer says the tumbler lock fell apart so a new lock and keys are necessary. mid 400 dollar cost. *tr

2000 ford focus ignition cylinder failed twice in 4yrs. this last time i was stranded in the cold, by myself at 1am. missing work, spending money on tows, parts and labor adds up. not to mention the danger involved with being stranded, all because your key wont turn. *tr

This incident is not all too tragic, no injuries or deaths. my 2000 ford focus hatchback has a steering wheel lock problem. a horribly common problem. it's based on a design flaw that the ford motor company has done nothing to rectify and are now looking for a tax payer funded bailout from congress. this problem has become costly for many and in virtually all cases i've heard, repairs haven't worked. please help us. *tr

Last night i drove my car to work just fine and this morning when i tried to start my car my ignition wouldn't turn and the break and shifter felt like it locked up! it was just fine until this morning and i hear it is a common thing! *tr

The ignition locked up on my wife's ford focus for the umpteenth time and had to be replaced due to the tumblers and other parts breaking. this is the second ignition that we have had to replace since we bought the car in 2000. *tr

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

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 30 mph, the contact heard a grinding noise. minutes later, the front end of the vehicle collapsed. she pulled over and noticed metal hanging from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the garage and the mechanic stated that the front passenger side spring struts failed. the mechanic replaced the sway bar links, the inner tie rod, the cb boot, the driver side axle, and the front passenger side hub bearing. the current mileage was 90,982 updated 5/19/08 *cn

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

Anti-theft steering wheel locked and car won't start - 2nd time. *tr

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

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 35 mph, the front end of the vehicle vibrated and there was a roaring sound coming from the front of the vehicle. as of january 3, 2008, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. there is a recall for the steering: linkages (nhtsa campaign id # 02v289000) however, the dealer stated that his vin was not included. the failure mileage 126,950 and current mileage was 127,000.

The 2000 focus has had many problems with the steering wheel locking. we put the key in and it wont turn. we have been stranded many times and this is costing us al ot of money to have a lock smith fix it, as welll as having it towed and the hassles of trying to get home when it happens in another town(twice). this needs to be fixed by ford- i see it happens alot with others who own this car.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. on may 27, 2007, the steering wheel detached from the column while driving 35 mph. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic. the purchase date and engine size was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 130,000.

Steering wheel nut came out of steering wheel when wife was driving 10 mph and tried to make a turn. because contact didn't have warranty for part, he was responsible for the repairs, and wants to know if this is something he should be held responsible for. contact wants to know if there were any other complaints with the same problem. *nm

Steering column and ignition locked up for the second time on 2000 ford focus. left stranded and had to tow vehicle again. *nm

Steering column locked, key will not turn in ignition. *jb

2000 black ford focus zx3 my key (same key that came with the car) will not start my car. . . .it will not turn over at all. and also i can't get my steering wheel to unlock to make matters worst. this problem doesn't happen often but it happens more than it should, and this time i can't even get it to start at all. it happens about 3 times a year and i can get my car going in about an hour. but, this time my car has been sitting in my drive way for 3 days now. i have called the dealership 3 times. the first time someone gave me advice but, it didn't help. and the last 2 times they have failed to call me back! *nm

Ford 2000 focus ignition locked, aaa said this is a huge problem with focus and no recalls. *nm

I have been having problems with the key and ignition in my 2000 ford focus for over 6 months now. the key once inserted into the ignition will not turn the lock, which has resulted in leaving me stranded several times, once in below freezing weather with an infant. upon research online trying to determine what the problem is i am finding this is an extremely common occurrence, and have been subsequently told by two mechanics that it is a defect in the ignition construction that ford refused to recall. i have had to have the ignition cylinder replace and re-keyed at a cost of over $400. *nm

When steering to the right the steering catches then suddenly releases resulting in temporary loss of control. i have spoken with the local ford service department about this issue and they told me it was nothing to worry about but may have something to do with the power steering. *jb

Dt: the contact stated when trying to start vehicle the steering column locked. she had the vehicle towed to a mechanic the first time this happened . currently, the vehicle experienced the same problem while parked. the repairs will be at contact's expense.*ak

Steering wheel adjustment is failing, difficult for adjusting lever to stay in locked position, sometimes disengaging while vehicle is being driven. dealer says that the entire steering column must be replaced at a cost of $1000, because individual parts are not available to fix the problem. ford has no technical service bulletins for this problem, and i am not aware of any secret warranties that apply. *nm

Ignition switch would "stick", since day of purchase...two months later, broken!! all the tumbler springs went out....$300!! to fix and one hour late to work. passenger outer tie rod boot is shot and the tie rod will not come off!!! $45 to replace!!! seat belt tensioner does not work properly at all!!!! *nm

My key won't turn in the ignition. therefore i had to pay $140 to tow my car back home. i researched the problem and i see that there are thousands of the same complaints all over the internet with the same make and model of my vehicle. 2000 ford focus. i haven't taken it to the dealership yet, because it is not under warranty anymore, and according to the stories that i have read, they will not do anything about it, except charge me for a new one. i honestly think that there should be a factory recall on this part, because of me and the thousands of people that this has affected. *nm

The ignition interlock failed on my 2000 ford focus. the key would not go into the ignition, so the steering wheel would not unlock and i could not turn the wheels so that when it was towed ($80) out of the parking space it almost hit another car. they had to drag it up onto the flat bed of the truck. the tow truck driver said that he alone tows one focus per week due to this problem. i live in a large town and cannot tell me that there are not hundreds of reports of this problem. i was quoted the repair cost of $260 instantly when i called the dealer, how often does that happen. i can see why ford does not recall this item, it is too much of a money machine!! how many thousands of repair have to be made before they recall this? *nm

I searched in your page and you already have a campaign. the official nhtsa page concerning recall is #03v48200 and the nhtsa campaign is #02v28900. the engine of my car already crashed and i want to know where i can searched for the car's serial number that are included in this recall. *tr

Car worked fine through the day; put key into ignition and it won't turn. (seems this is a common problem for ford focus cars...(that's what aaa told me and it's verified in letters on internet.

Without warning the ignition locked up and would not turn. tow truck fee $75 ,ford repair bill $406.41. i purchased this car used in 2001. i have talked to the original owner and this part has already been replaced. however ford will not cover the parts failure because it occured with a different owner.

The ignition on my 2000 ford focus is locking up to the point where i cannot turn my key. the car has 47,000 miles on it. i was stranded for 20 mins the other night trying to get the key to turn. spend up to 1 to 2 minutes now each time i get in my car reinserting the key until it finally turns. i have also tried my spare key, which is brand new, with same results. from what i have read, this is a common problem, and probably only a matter of time until i have to replace the ignition switch.*ak

Consumer would be unable to turn the key inside the ignition switch. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak consumer adds ignition is stuck when attempting to start vehicle. both rear doors will not open due to vehicle not starting. clock spring and steering lock assembly were replaced. *tt

My steering wheel locks and will not budge on my 2000 ford focus.*ak

For the past week, i have had trouble turning the key in the ignition. it's as if the ignition is locked, along with the steering wheel. i had been able to move the key back and forth and have been successful in getting the key to turn (actually turn so the car could start). today, however, no amount of 'jimmying' did the trick. the ignition was locked and the key would simply not turn - at all (even after i tapped the key into the ignition with my palm as i turned the key as recommended by a ford service mechanic). subsequently, i had to have the car towed to the town and country ford in portland, or so they could replace the entire ignition cylinder. this is costing me around $290!. i have read other similar complaints, and the tow truck driver - who also owns a ford focus zx3 - has been having similar problems. despite this, ford has not 'recalled' this faulty ignition cylinder and i feel this requires further investigation and, at the least, compensation by ford. *jb

I own a 2000 ford focus that has had the same problem happen to it again. approx. 2 years ago we had to have the entire steering column replaced because the mechanism had locked and would not allow us to turn the key. it has happened again and there is nothing we can do to get the key to turn in the ignition. this is ridiculous and we think that there should be a recall or something designated to assist with this problem. a 2000 model should not have this many problems with its steering mechanisms. info below is appropriate to latest incident. *ak

Fatality vehicle fire, dec. 8 2004. my husband is the original owner of a 2000 ford focus, subject to numerous service visits to bill brown ford, livonia mi for: ignition, steering column, wheel bearing, brake, rear window control, seat belt &trunk latches, overhead light and engine light. the vacuum line & fuel pump & valve assembly were replaced 2/03, followed by stalling. in 6/03, a/c compressor & manifold line replaced. fuel line & pump failure in 8/03, resulted in gasoline spill on residential street minutes after parking. bogging followed repairs, pcm reprogrammed & leaking pvc tube replaced 1/04. fuel pump again replaced. in 8/04, our 24 year old son took ownership of this problematic car. we are uncertain as to whether vehicle malfunction caused a 35 mph collision with a fire hydrant. an immediate engine explosion and fuel fed fire trapped my son and his passenger. described by police as a relatively minor crash which would not be expected to claim lives, the subsequent unexplained engine fire claimed two young lives. a malfunctioning driver's airbag was also detected. this incident was originally reported to nhtsa by my husband (#10104088). i am supplying these additional facts for your clarification. please correct your posting of "0" injuries as there were 2 fatalities. please take effective action to save lives, as these trouble plagued vehicles seem to become more lethal as they age. confirmation of receipt of this information is requested. *nm *sc *jb

Steering column ignition lock. key inserted and won't come out, can't turn key - no steering, no power.*ak

My mom drove my 2000 ford focus to the shop to have the brakes done. she had no problem inserting the key into the ignition and starting the car. i have never had any problems with ignition sticking or key not turning. when auto mech came out to move the car, the key could not be inserted all the way into the keyhole and would not turn. 2 mechs and my mom tried get to the ignition to unlock. we then called courtesy ford & were told this is a known problem w/ focus' & we would have to replace the ignition lock. this cost was est at $260. if this is a "known problem with the 2000 ford, why are we having to pay for repairs?*ak

I bought a used ford focus 2000 in july 2002, since then the steering wheel locked a lot of times. i cannot start the car and haved to towed to dealership and replace the lock cylinder twice. this problem seems to be repeat every year or so. the lastest incident was yesterday. since the warranty was over, i have to pay by myself to replace the lock cylinder. i am wondering why ford doesn't let customer know this problem and provide life-time warranty. *ak

The vehicle's steering wheel came off twice while driving. *nm campaign id number : 02v289000. the consumer stated that she was almost killed three times while driving this vehicle. transmission failed three times. the vehicle had been in an accident and the information was not given at time of purchase. *tc