Problems with 2000 Ford Focus STEERING

within a 6 day period, oct 7th through oct.12th (2004), i experienced intermittent problems with my key getting stuck, locked, or not admitted into the key ignition entry. the failure took place, morning oct. 12th, 2004. my key was able to fully enter key ignition area, but was not able to turn the key to start the car. the consequence was i had no immediate transportation and was billed for the replacement part (cylinder lock) and labor (approx. $350.00). the corrective action was to replace the cylinder lock with strattec part number 707592.*ak

In june 2004, i took my 2000 ford focus into sunset ford in westminster, california complaining about a vibration and rattle in the front end of my car. they charged me $80 and told me there was nothing wrong with my car. again, on august 12, 2004, i took my 2000 ford focus into sunset ford complaining that the vibration and rattle were still there and getting worse. they again charged me $80 for a diagnostic and told me there was nothing wrong with my car. in the early morning on october 2, 2004, i started to slowly accelerate from a complete stop and my car for no reason at all turned sharply and struck a curb. there is now major structural damage to my car that will cost thousands of dollars to repair. i contend that this major damage was caused by ford_x0019_s negligence in finding the original mechanical defect that i reported to them. i also contend that the symptoms my car was exhibiting were the same as described in your nhtsa campaign id #02v289000. *nm

Ignition key will not turn, subsequently i was stranded as i could not start the car. i just bought this car 3 weeks ago, wish someone had told me that this was an issue for these vehicles. car was bought for our daughter to use for school, we bought this vehicle for reliability now have to worry about her getting stranded somewhere.*ak

Steering wheel locks up and key won't turn in ignition. *ak

Key will not turn the ignition switch! this has happen several times over the course of a few years, usually fixing itself. this last time, nothing will fix it. i am checking costs now to replace the whole mechanism. *ak

Ford focus 2000 steering column locks up... key will not turn, sterring column is locked up tight and the car is not able to start. this has happened at least five times. i have managed to start it with much frustration and time spent. now i can not get it going at all.

I parked my car and shut it off. when i came back to start my car i could put the key in, but not turn it. when i called ford they new of the issue and the service manger told me the following info it it:*ak it is designed so badly that even a perfectly new one can jam. in most lock cylinders the tumblers are pushed by springs to lock against an outer sleeve, and the key pushes them back in. with the focus they added a locking bar as 90 degrees to the tumblers, and that is what locks the sleeve instead of the tumblers. the problem is there is no solid connection between the key and this locking bar. it is only pushed by the tiny tumbler springs, wich easily jam. so the only current permenant solution is to remove all the tumblers. but since they cannot do this, they have to replace them as they come in, but they still break after replacement at my cost of almost $500.00. if ford knows of this issue why do they not fix this!

I am out-of-state in a large city and yesterday my key would go into the ignition, but would not turn. i had to leave my car overnight in a fairly bad neighborhood. i have seen a lot of reports on this site about the same thing going wrong in the focus. i am having the car towed to a dealership today and will have to pay a holiday fee because today is a holiday and in the mean time have no form of transportation. i will have to rent a car tomorrow (the rental car places are closed for the holiday). i just went on a 4,000 mile trip, some of which went through very desolate parts of nevada--what would have happened if this would have happened then??? i had no cell reception in most of that area. if ford doesn't think this is a safety issue, they are wrong. i have already had the fuel delivery module replaced due to its failure. luckily, it was covered under a recall. because of the ignition problem, i will incure a towing bill, the repair bill, and a rental car fee, not to mention the huge inconvenience and stress. i expect the totally cost to be $500+. i hope that ford recalls this problem, as i do think this is a safety issue. they need to stand behind their product, and it seems as though they are not willing to do so. if they don't change their ways, i will surely never buy a ford vehicle again.*ak

At 77,230 the rack and pinion needed to be replaced because it was worn and about to break. also a week or two later at 77,300 miles the engine seized while driving. the dealership thinks that a housing ring came loose and welded on the cylinder. the engine was installed, but did resolve the problem. the vehicle has been shipped to the factory for further service. *jb

I have had the steering wheel lock and key unable to turn twice now. the first incident occurred in february 2003. the car had to be towed to the dealership and i was told the steering column had to be replaced and re-keyed. it cost $867 to fix. even though it was "fixed", i still had to wiggle the steering wheel to get the key turned which at times took a few minutes. now a year and a half later, the same exact thing happened. i can't get the key to turn at all. when i called the dealership, i was told the warranty expired after a year and that ford was a "real stickler on their warranties" and i would have to pay about the same amount again. just a note - after only a year after purchasing the car, it squeaked like crazy anytime i used the brakes. even though the brakes were replaced, the car still squeaks.*ak

While turning steering wheel locked and the lost steering control. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

The ignition was locked in place and it would not move at all. also, steering wheel was locked. dealerships replaced twice the ignition switch at consumer's expense. *ak

When pulling into a parking lot steering wheel locked up. consumer was able to park the vehicle. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealership for inspection. *ak

2000 ford focus key will not turn over when wheels are locked. have to tow car to dealership. *ak

In march 2002, my 2000 ford focus lx had the steering wheel lock up and the ignition lock up so that i could not turn the key or start my car. it had to be towed to the dealership and they ended up having to drill out the ignition lock cylinder, rebuild it, and replace broken steering column parts. now yesterday, may 23, 2004, the same thing occurred - steering wheel locked, key would not turn, car would not start. i had to tow it again to the same dealership, and get the parts replaced again.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. while driving 35 mph, the contact could physically move the steering column up and down through the steering wheel. the steering wheel was loose and was tightened at an independent mechanic's shop. most recently, the contact discovered that the steering column needed to be replaced. the ford dealer was unable to find any failures, but an independent auto shop performed a diagnostic. ford informed the contact that the vehicle was too old for them to assist, despite its low mileage. the failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

The ignition of my 2000 ford focus has frozen repeatedly only to start working again several minutes later. it recently has not started working again and i am having to pay $200 to have the ignition replaced. this i dismissed as simply one of the down sides of buying a used car. however, after searching forums online and speaking with a local dealership i have found that this is a common problem with all 2000/2001 ford focus models. the person who came to tow my car to the dealership informed me that he responds to 10-15 calls a week due to the same exact problems with this make and year of vehicle. i was directed to the nhtsa website by one of the internet forums and was shocked to find how many defects had been sited with this particular car make/model however, this was not amoung them. this appears to be the most common problem occuring with this make/model of car as well. i just hope to never be in a situation where i need to be somewhere asap and my ignition suddenly decides not to turn.*ak

Returned to car after 1 hour of not driving, the key would only go about 3/4 of the way into the ignition. i tried all three keys that the dealer had given me, and none of them would go into the ignition. called aaa, paid $175 to have a locksmith replace the springs in my ignition where the key goes, said that this could happen again, and in that case, the entire ignition would have to be replaced. aaa covered $50 of the cost. is there a recall for this? this is not the first complaint of the same type on this site! what is ford doing to help this? i refuse to continue to pay $125 every time my key won't go into the ignition. i was lucky enough to be home when this happened, but what if i wasn't?*ak

Key wouldn't fit in the ignition one afternoon. tried another key, same result. i hear it is something in the steering lock cylinder, possibly a tumbler. called ford, and they said that there is no recall on this yet, but probably soon. cost about $150 plus a towing charge. rats. *ak

I have a 2000 ford focus and my steering column locked up in december of 2002. i took it to a ford dealership and they replaced the ignition. i have been having on and off problems with my steering wheel locking and the key not turning to unlock it. luckily before february 16, 2004 i was able to keep trying and finally unlock it. it is now locked again and the same ford dealership is saying that i will have to pay again to get it fixed and that the part was had a warranty of 12 months or 12000 miles. my parents have a 1988 ford escort gt my father has a 1994 ford mustang gt and my mother has a 1997 acura and haven't had any problems with the steering locking up. i believe that something is defective in the 2000 ford focus causing the lock up and that ford should have a recall on this because i shouldn't have to replace the ignition every year. *jb

I am having problems with the ignition in my 2000 ford focus zx3 not turning over, apprently after research and 300.00 later, it is a defect in the tumbler.*ak

Ford focus zx3 2000, key will not go into ignition more than 1 - 2 inches and will not turn. steering wheel is locked.

The "securikey" ignition cylinder is subject to repeated failures. initially the ignition will not turn until the steering wheel is "wiggled." then after a time, the unit fails completely. this does pose a problem when attempting to restart the vehicle after a "panic stop," where the engine stall/stops. especially un-nerving in traffice. 1st failure 9/30/2001 at 18,990 miles. lock cylinder was replaced. 2nd complete failure 1/9/2004 at 49,400 miles. currently the vehicle is experiencing the same problems and i am returning it to the ford service shop for another repair. the manager of the same shop stated that this is a common problem with this model year, 2000 ford focus, but that one replacement usually fixes the problem. i suspect there are no return visits since the prudent consumer would probably dump the vehicle in favor of a more reliable auto.*ak

When coming to a stop vehicle stalled. this caused the steering wheel to lock up. consumer managed to pull over and regain control of the vehicle. dealerships mechanic was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

The vehicles steering failed. *nlm

Various problems with 2000 ford focus.*mr while driving the steering wheel almost came off in the driver's hand. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer refused to give the consumer a loaner while the vehicle was being repaired. *nlm the steering wheel separated from the steering column due to a bolt breaking when the vehicle was making a left turn at approx. 25 mph. *mjj *cb

Put key in ignition and it will not turn at all. steering wheel and shift lever are locked and vehicle had to be towed to dealer with wheels off ground. dealer say no recall or service bulletins have been issued but this is not true as i found several service bulletin on this web site. *la

Key cylinder lock went out and caused steering wheel and the key not to be able to turn. manufacturer and dealer will be notified of the problem.*ak

Consumer went out to start car and key would not turn, ignition was locked in place, it would not move. also, steering wheel was locked. consumer took vehicle to dealership, and they said they never heard off such occurrences. *ak

First one: ignition locked. one night after classes, i went to start my car and the key would not go into or turn the ignition lock. i called my ford warranty and they sent a tow truck. the tow truck driver informed me that he is familiar with the problem on the ford focus, as he had had many calls to pick up cars with the same problem. second one: after returning home from driving to the store one saturday, i parked as usual and tried to pull up my hand brake which would not go up or lock into place. i then noticed that the little button you push in the release the handbrake was located all the way into the assembly not allow it to lock. i plan on taking my car in november to be repaired. my ford warranty will cover it since its a few thousand miles under warranty.

At the end of february i was involved in an accident due to the steering locking up my ford has never ran the same since our local ford dealer sent a mechanic out to do a report on my vehicle and nothing was ever resolved now i am stuck with this car that seems to be the next ford joke. i have made several complaints since the accident and thanks to a possible steering knuckle problem in which was worked on previously to the accident it looks like ford really should consider selling to a reputable company.

While driving steering wheel had a lot of play, the steering is very loose, which made it hard to keep vehicle in its lane upon making a left or right turn. also, when making left or right turns vehicle made a squeaking noise. contacted the dealer along with the manufacturer. *ak

Constant squeaking noise when the brakes are applied. i've already replaced the rotors, brakes, brake pads, and drums on several occasions since buying this focus about 3 years ago. also my steering wheel locked on me one day in april of 2002 the key would not fit into the ignition to start the car i have no idea why this would happen from one day to another. i had my vehicle towed to the ford dealership and they didn't know what the problem was caused by. they said that they needed to update the lock cylinder. luckily i purchased the api extended warranty that cover the car for 100,000 miles. so the cost of the work done for this was $427.20. all but $50.00 of which was my deductible was cover by this warranty. the problems didn't stop here. i also have had to get the cd systems that came installed in the car replaced. the was a constant clicking noise with the cd player and 90% of the time the cd's wouldn't even play. i called the dealership and they said that they could replace it for me but that it wouldn't be coverer by the warranty so i would have to pay for it out of my pocket. i ended up having a new system installed but not from the ford dealership, i took it to circuit city. recently this month july 2003, my car has been staling and shutting off at stop signals and stop light also just shut completely off on the freeway thank god no accident occurred. i called the dealership to report this problem also my check engine light would come on and off several times and they said to bring it in and they would check the engine light but that i would have to pay $165. 00 just for them to check the light and it would be more $$$ to repair what ever problem it was. i was fed up by then. *ph

70,000 miles and ignition lock is broken, drove the car in the morning, went out in the afternoon, put key in, wouldn't turn..had to be towed and replaced costing me $250 cause they state it's not a covered part under my extended warranty. also, tow truck driver stated he has towed hundreds of ford with same problem, some even with only 400 miles on them * ridiculous**ak

Have had nothing but trouble with my focus the brakes wore down while i was on vacation and i was stuck driving for a bit on metal to metal....which ruined my rotor.....then the battery after almost 3yrs. has caused my car to not want to start twice......each time i have had to clean off the built up acid on the battery so that a clean connection can be made.....the paint keeps on chipping, my anteena has become frayed, just recently my car's steering wheel locked up on me and the key wouldn't turn in the ignition......it is in the shop as i write this.....and from what i have heard i am not the first person to have had a problem with the cylinder.......the car seems to be slugish when on the inerstate.......the focus is a dangerous car and ford co. needs to do something about it..... jeremy

Bought vehicle with a bad fuel pump. dealer replaced it in july 2003. steering column would not work, and dealer replaced it on march 19 2205. middle of april 2005 steering column failed again. will not replace it because it was not under warranty. also , the hatchback door latches are not working properly *ak

At 40,000 miles on my 2000 focus wagon, dealer tells me that the clunking noise i hear from front and rear will be fixed with a new front tie rod and rear shocks. visited dealer 3 times to fix a windshield washer leak into tailgate, filling light fixtures and seeping into rear of car. i have had my fan motor replaced and my rear door latches are not working correctly. all of many recalls have been addressed, we even received 4 new tires due to tread wearing. it took many trials to get a correct alignment. my stereo often will cut out for no reason. i am no longer under warranty and fear that this most recent suspension repair will be costly while i still make monthly payments on my vehicle. can you help? *jb

Consumer states while driving at 15mph on flat surface and with no warning steering wheel locks up. dealer notified. *ak

While driving, the steering failed, which made the vehicle difficult to control. *jb

The dealership refused to honor the recall for the pinch bolt 02 v 289 000 due to a discrepancy. *jb the steering wheel started to vibrate and the wheel shook. the vehicle was taken in for the recall, but the consumer was told that there was another problem which was with the oil. *scc

While driving, the steering wheel locked up, which caused the vehicle to veer into a ditch. *jb

The brakes have been looked at three time because of noise and it's been serviced several times. it's in service right now and has been there for two weeks. i don't know if they are working on it or if they are repairing other things or what. i haven't had heat throughout the coldest part of the winter. the seat belts don't work and the paint is peeling. the car has locked up not letting me start the engine twice, then just out of the blue it decided to start. i tried to turn in and the car dealer at ford said he wouldn't touch it, didn't want it. we bought it aug. 9 2000-ford credit, simple interest 6.5 --first payment september $456.99 a month they say we owe too much to trade in ???this made no since. now i know what's been going on. my husband has been out to sea usnavy for almost a year and i'm scared to drive it i'm a nervous wreck about this car and i don't know what to do. there has been is so many recalls on this car i don't know if they have fixed them or not

I drive 25000 miles a year to and from work approximtly 115 miles a day and 70% of that is on open interstate hiway. stop and go is less than 20 miles a day. tires completely wore out at 41000 miles. tires started humming at 10 to 15000 miles. i constly complained about front end and tire noise. i put a set of goodyear aquatred tires on at 41476 miles. they also started humming, so the front end was lined up. this did not stop the tires from humming. now car has 80000 miles, tires are scarming go down the road fast or slow. frontend suspension has been making clanking or thud type noise. just recently turing left geting off interstate it felles like the right front is changing geomitry. car turns left vilently - must corect stering. this will happens without notice. this car is extmly dangeras. when driven on ice and snow, it will brake lose when going staright for no reason and start to spin out. brakes wore out at 45000 miles. $400 to fix front brakes only. i have never had to put brakes and tires on a car at less than 50000 miles. more like 65 to 75000 miles.

Due to the recall regarding the steering linkages, consumer stated the ball joints separated, recall # 02 v 289 000.*jb

While driving sttering bolts loosened, making it hard to steer. *ak

The power steering failed, which caused the vehicle to flip into an embankment. *jb *ts the consumer received a recall regarding the pinch bolts. *jb

Consumer was informed no parts were available regarding the pinch bolt, recall 02 v 289 000.*jb

Consumer was informed no parts were available regarding recall #02v289000 pinch bolts.*jb

Problems with vehicle's steering due to ball joint separation. *mr the consumer lost control of the vehicle. the incident was caused by an improper torque on the pinch bolt. the consumer requested reimbursement. the consumer received a recall notice several days later. *scc *jb *cb

The consumer's client was involved in a accident as a result of steering control. *ph after the accident, the consumer received a letter in regards to recall#02v289000. the consumer's insurance company requested reimbursement. *sc (lawyer on behalf elizabeth arreola on behalf of client lorna waddington) *jb