Problems with 2001 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Key will not turn the ignition-2001 ford focus zx3 i'm have to wait until mondayjune 2, 2008 to find someone to fix the problem/repair 2 day wait without a car. *tr

The key once inserted in the ignition will not start my car (2001 ford focus). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. sporadically, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall and then restart moments later. prior to the failure, the engine and abs warning lights would illuminate on the instrument control panel. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer and they replaced the battery cables. the dealer stated that her vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 02v288000 (electrical system:battery:cables); therefore, she was not entitled to any reimbursement. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 68,000. updated 09/10/08 *bf updated 09/17/08. *jb

The ignition in my 2001 ford focus won't turn, leaving me stranded. this is the 3rd time this has happened, each one leaving me stranded in different parts of the state. *tr

My key will go into the ignition of my ford focus, however the steering wheel remains locked and the key will not turn at all. even after "jiggling" the steering wheel, i can't turn the key at all. after several attempts for some reason the key can turn. i have tried several different "tests" to see if perhaps parking straight on,etc will allow me to start my car however there is no rhyme or reason to it. this problem leaves me quite frustrated, possibly stranded, and possibly in danger as i can't start the car when i need to. it has been a couple days and i thought i was going crazy so i have not done any repairs yet. but after reading that this is a prominent problem, looks like i will have to fix it. i am afraid to drive it anywhere for fear that my car will not let me turn the key. *tr

Lock cylinder locked. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. while driving approximately 25 mph and approaching a traffic light, the battery light illuminated. the contact noticed smoke coming from the hood and then flames appeared. she stopped and exited the vehicle when it became completely engulfed in flames. the police and fire departments arrived and a report was filed. the vin, engine size, and powertrain were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 52,899. updated 04/11/08 *bf the dealer stated consumer had vehicle in a pinch bolt torqued and a zetec engine cable routing. the dealer also replaced both front coil springs. updated 04/11/08 *tr

I bought this car in jul07. in dec07 started having problems with car surging/jolting while driving on highway (55-65 mph) then car would just stall, completely die. engine light would come on, no power steering no lights. i would manage to get it over to the side of the road narrowly avoiding accident and car would not start. after sat for about 10 mins it would start. it would drive ok for about 10-20 miles and then surge and die. it happens periodically and in between the car may drive fine for weeks. service center can't find anything wrong with it. it just happened again 3-18-08 while i was driving on interstate at 65mph, jolted twice and completely died. i was nearly killed as a semi was behind me and another beside me. i had to fight the car to get it off the side of the road and narrowly missed the semi running up over the top of me. after sitting for 10 min it started again but would not reach full power. i could only get it up to about 50 mph, then started jolting and died again after about 6 miles this continued for 30 miles. engine light was on. i had that read by adv auto later and it was two codes one for mass airflow sensor. it has been in service garage since then. they can't find anything wrong with it. i did notice that this seems to only be happening when it rains. they sprayed water today on the front of the car while it was running and it died in their shop. they still have no idea what is wrong with it. it also has a loud vibration/noise in front end. motor mounts have been changed, new alternator, new battery, new belt replaced dec 27,07. the vehicle died again feb 5, 2008 6 times. it dies at all speeds and sometimes stalls at stop lights/signs. i am extremely frustrated with it and need a reliable car to get to work and am making car payments on a car that has been in the shop 36 days in the last 90. also very concerned about causing an accident or killing myself, my kids or someone else. *tr

2001 ford focus ignition key will not turn to start car. elderly wife was forced to wait in car in below freezing temps. until help arrived. we have scheduled the car to be repaired at a cost of approx. $400. this presents a financial burden that we cannot afford. *tr

The ignition will not turn to the "on" position, regardless of what is tried. the cylinder apparently is stuck, and the car will therefore not start. *tr

I have a 2001 ford focus and like other complaints my ignition also jammed up, and left me down and had to find a way get home from my job ,and cost me $ 240.00 for a locksmith the next day. i think ford should take action and recall this vehicle, and repay all that had this problem. gc *tr

Key will not turn...can't start car..key tumbler defective. *tr

Key will not turn all the off and can't be removed. *tr

In my 2001 ford focus zx3, there is a serious electrical problem. several things do not work or have shorts, or the switches operate other things. right now, the dealer is installing a new wiring harness for $500 at least. i just found that there is a recall for 200 focus on this issue. this is the same car as mine. mine should also be covered. the problems began just a few days after the 3 year warranty period ended, but i thought it was minor and i could leave it alone. the dealer is all-american ford in hackensack, nj. can you help me?*cn

I have a 2001 ford focus. for the past 3 years now i have had a problem with the battery discharging. i have had the battery replaced more than once and this is not the problem. recently, my car did not start 12/22 and again on 12/26, 12/27 and now today, 12/30/07. i had to have someone jumpstart my car each time except this morning. no one is available this early in the morning. i am tired of ford saying they cannot find the problem. i know there are hundreds of people out there having this problem. we need ford to come forward and admit ownership of this problem and either fix our cars at no charge or issue a blanket recall or something. i cannot afford the towing charges, the days off work while the car is in the shop etc. this will go on for a couple of weeks and then i can go 3 months, maybe 6 months with no problems. i have tried not using my dome light and keeping it in the off position. i manually turn off my radio and headlights before leaving the car in case that was what was draining the battery, but that was not the problem. i do notice that a couple of days before the battery goes dead the car will start lunging a couple of days in advance but only about one time per day. *tr

Recently the ignition lock on my ford focus jams up. i place the key in the lock, which is a bit sticky, and then the key will not turn. after 15-30 minutes of trying to turn it, it will start, other times no. we are still researching on the web how to replace this part. *tr

2001 ford focus zts - ignition wouldn't start during summer months (not predictable); have been stranded on side of road a few times until engine cooled down (30 minutes to 1 hour) before would start again. last week, when key inserted into car, steering wheel would be locked up and key wouldn't turn. finally failed on me two days ago; luckily i was at home and not on the highway with my 2-year-old in zero-degree weather! dealer said it was faulty solenoid switch in starter. have read this is very common problem that repeats itself! i hope to not have to go through this again. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. when the contact attempted to start the vehicle, the key became stuck in the ignition. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. prior to the failure, the contact noticed that the key would occasionaly become stuck in the ignition, but could be removed. the current mileage was 97,000 and failure mileage was 75,000.

As the owner of a ford focus 2001 - i attempted to start my car and was unable to turn the key in the ignition. i was stranded in a parking lot - had to be towed. the problem is chronic in ford focus - yet ford is not recalling or attempting to assist customers in any way to remedy the flaw. *tr

Key keeps getting stuck in ignition, having to leave key in car. happens multiple times during the day and during the week. will have the ignition replaced. *tr

Ignition switch seizing, unable to start vehicle. 2001 ford focus wagon. has happened, and been replaced 2 times. i understand this has happened to thousands of ford owners, yet ford refuses to acknowledge it as they do not see it as a 'safety issue'. the second time it happened to me, it was around 11pm on a friday night, on a small side road near mack and woodward, downtown detroit. there's no way in hell anyone can convince me my safety was not in jeopardy because of this faulty part! *tr

Ignition switch- my key won't enter the ignition. i have read hundreds of complaints online about this defective part. ford needs to issue a recall on this faulty part. *tr

I bought my 2001 ford focus in april 2007 from a used car dealership. one day a couple of months ago i went into a store and when i came out my key would not go into the ignition and the steering wheel was locked. fortunately i grabbed a passerby to help me and he was able to get the key into the ignition and i was able to drive the car. then a few days ago i got home from work one night, parked my car, and went inside. next morning when i tried to leave for work the key would not go into the ignition and the wheel was locked again. after an hour of trying to get the key in, i had to call a mechanic to tow the car to the shop and get it repaired. it cost me $400. *tr

Ignition switch locked up beyond a mere steering lockup and could not be started. i had to pay to have the vehicle towed to the local ford dealership. vehicle has 84k miles. i hope i won't be paying for a repair that is likely to break again soon. *jb

2001 ford focus zx3 ignition failure the key gets stuck in the ignition and does not turn and the car i guess is known for it and the company does nothing about the problem the customer has to pay for the new ignition every time it happens and the car is known for doing this. *jb

I own a 2001 ford focus and within the last month it has become increasingly more difficult to turn the key in the ignition. i did some research and found that this is due to a substandard/defective ignition switch cylinder. i also found that this is not an uncommon problem, quite the contrary; there are several car forums that have complaint after complaint specifically about this issue. for example, here is one at consumeraffairs.com: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_focus_ignition.html i accept the fact that car owners are responsible for their own maintenance but an ignition cylinder should not be going bad in a 6 year old car. furthermore, i have read several ford focus owners say that they have had this repair done more than once. i am a college student; i cannot afford to keep paying out $500 to get this fixed. please do the responsible thing and recall this part and replace it with one that works. don't make me regret buying a ford in the future. https://secure.ford.com/servlet/satellite/footer/contact-ford/contact-us-email?contactmaintopic=vehicleserviceissues *jb

About 4 months ago i went to put key in ignition and i struggled for an hour or more to get it to turn. very frustrated at that point that i finally have resided to keeping the key in the ignition, which is not a good idea,but afraid of being stranded somewhere. *tr

The car almost stalls then surges like a kick. it happens mostly at around 30mph. all the lights come on and the speedometer and gas gauge go all the way up and then back down to zero then everything goes back to normal. i had the battery replaced but now the problem is back after only 2 weeks with a new battery. i took to a repair shop and they cannot find the problem. *tr

I had to have my ignition switch replaced because the key would not turn in the ignition. the mechanic indicated that this is a common problem with the 2001 focus. *jb

Could not insert my key into the ignition. it would only go halfway in. i was stranded in a parking lot and had to call a friend to pick me up. had to have it towed to dealer where they drilled the lock out and replaced with new cylinder. the old part was totally destroyed by the drilling. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact was unable to turn the key and unlock the steering wheel when he attempted to start the vehicle. the dealer stated that the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. as of july 16, 2007, the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 53,000. updated 09/05/07 *tr

My wife owns a 2001 ford focus lx,we have been having intermittent ignition problem with this car for months where the key did not turn the ignition. i called ford service , and they advised to replace the ignition which will cost between $380 and $480. i could not afford this,, and lost time at work to go and mess with the ignition. i had to wiggle it back and forth ,sometimes taking me 2 hours, to get the key to turn. i read forums on the internet that many people had the same problem. why could not ford reimburse any cost or do this for cheaper then the amount i was quoted. the cars will sit in the driveway until i could get enough money for repairs. the car wont even turn now even after wiggling it back and forth, so i may have to get the car towed to the dealership.*ak

2001 ford focus totally destroyed by a engine fire customer states that he has been waiting for 2 years to get a decision from ford**cc the consumer stated that his vehicle was totally destroyed by an engine fire and further stated that there was a recall issued for this vehicle for the same defect. the consumer provided pictures of defect, copy of a recall issued by alldata online, and the description of the damage. *tr

Ford focus ignition key will not insert. this is a safety problem because i am stranded with an immobile car. *ak

Ignition key currently cannot be removed from lock. previous to this status, it was very difficult to turn once inserted. problem evolves between these two types of issues. see fords tsb 05-21-17. issues are well known. failure means that one either is stuck somewhere and cannot get the car started (think winter and maine) or, as currently is the case, having to leave the key in the ignition while out and about! ford refuses to cover the cost of the repair although this is a well known issue and should be, in my opinion, a recall. first incident was 22 may 2007 but issue will not go away without a costly repair. *tr

My ignition and steering wheel locked when i was trying to leave work. after having the car towed to a garage, i found out it is going to cost me about $400 to replace the ignition switch. my problem is the gentleman who towed my car told me this was the third focus he towed this week for the same problem. the mechanic told me that this is a common occurrence in focuse's. i worked really hard to pay for the car and expect better service from ford. if this a common occurrence, i feel it should be a recall. *jb

Ignition key will not go into ignition. had to have car towed to local mechanic.

It had become harder and harder over the course of a couple of months to turn the key in my ignition. then one night after work, i put the key in the ignition and it would not turn at all. i contacted aaa, and they sent out a locksmith the next day. the locksmith had to completely replace the ignition because, according to him, certain pieces were broken. *jb

Vehicle ignition lock froze without any previous indication of malfunction. ignition key was unable to operate lock. driver was left stranded and lock smith had to be called to drill out the ignition as a temporary fix and the ignition lock cylinder replaced as a permanent repair. vehicle make: ford vehicle model: focus se year: 2001 *tr

I own a 2001 ford focus se automatic: my ignition lock and the steering wheel are jammed. it is a very recent development and i am finding out that i may have to pay hundreds of dollars to fix it, which i am very unhappy about since it would have been prevented by a recall of the vehicle. i still have no idea how i am going to fix it and i might have to end up towing the car which will cost even more and i don't have enough money to do that, but if i leave it on my street then i will get a parking ticket. shame on you ford for not issuing a recall, what am i supposed to do? another problem with my focus is that the rear passenger side window broke in 2005. the motor got jammed and broke or something, but now my window won't roll up and my car is getting rained inside of, again thanks ford for not issuing a recall on that problem, which is a problem that every ford focus owner that i know has. i will never buy a ford again, and i will tell everyone that ford's suck!!!!! *nm

Tl* - the contact called regarding the 2001 ford focus. the contact stated the vehicle would not start. the contact had the battery replaced, and two days later the vehicle would not start. he lifted the hood, and saw smoke coming from the battery cable. the cables melted. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. the battery cable and the harness were replaced. the failure mileage 102,000. the contact was told there was a recall for the battery cable. the contact called the manufacturer, and was told the vehicle was not a part of the recall. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact heard a noise coming from one of the front wheels. when he drives over speed bumps, it sounds as if something is loose under the vehicle. he also stated that when he drives between 50-75 mph, the vehicle vibrates and the steering wheel shakes. he had the tires rotated and balanced and the front end aligned, however, the mechanic stated that those were not the cause of the vibration and noise. the contact found nhtsa recall number 02v289000 (steering: linkages). the contact stated that his vehicle would not start and he had the battery inspected. the mechanic stated that the battery was fine. the vehicle started when the contact looked under the hood and moved the battery cable. upon closer inspection, he realized that the cables looked and smelled burnt. he then discovered nhtsa recall number 02v288000 (electrical system:battery:cables). he notified ford about the two recalls and was informed that his vin was excluded from both. the contact feels that his vehicle should be included since he is experiencing the same failures. the current mileage was 43,800 and failure mileage was 38,000.

I was out shopping at night in a dark parking lot and when i went to my car the key would not turn i was left stranded for hours until a tow could come get my car the key would not turn it was locked. *nm

Tl* - the contact owns a 2001 ford focus with a current and failure mileage of 140,000. the contact stated that she was driving 55 mph on a hot day and the vehicle would sputter and lose acceleration , then lost power. the contact stated that the engine would stall, but the car would still be driving until the contact applied the brakes. the contact had the mechanic changed the spark plugs, wires, and fuel filter, but the problem persisted. the contact called the manufacturer, and they told him to take it to the ford dealer to get it diagnosed. the mechanic stated that it was a failure in the fuel distribution system, but the parts were on nationwide back order. *ak

Tl* - the contact stated that the ignition cylinder switch has seized. he could not put the key in the ignition. this was the first time the contact had a problem with the ignition switch. the vehicle has 40,000 miles. the contact has not contacted a repair shop. he was going to contact a locksmith. the vehicle was operable on 1/3/06. there were no warning signals. *ak

Tl* - the contact stated that ignition will not turn with the key. this happened four times , and shetook the vehicle to the dealership on 1-3-07. the contact stated that the weather was not a factor, and she will have the repair order from the work done. *ak

Bought a 2001 ford focus (used) from a orivate party. the person i bought it from had the ignition changed twice and it has locked up on me in less than a year. i bought a cylinder and key set from auto zone and changed it out myself, $90 later the car will not start because of the anti-theft in car and i refuse to take it to my local ford dealer (arceneaux ford). ford should replace these ignition cylinders because they are junk and seem to occur often. *nm

The ignition on my 2001 ford focus zx3 has locked up on numerous occasions, rendering it impossible to start the car, as the key will not turn in the lock. each time this has happened to me in the past, i was eventually able to start the car by jiggling the key in the lock for up to ten minutes. this time, however, after jiggling the key in the ignition for a full forty-five minutes, there was still no give in the ignition. i tried turning the steering wheel to either side as hard as i could while turning the key, and it did nothing to fix the problem. after finally giving up, i did an internet search to see if there was some advice online, and i saw right away that hundreds, if not thousands of people have had the same problem with their cars. each time, it takes them having to replace the ignition for a cost of between 200 and 700 dollars, all costs included. i am extremely concerned that i will have to take the same course of action, as i don't know what else i can possibly do. i can't even have a friend pull my car to the dealership, as it is impossible to steer it in its present state. i will have to pay the cost of a professional tow-truck and then pay the dealer to replace the ignition on top of it all. i understand through my research online that the reason this issue has not been dealt with through a recall by ford is that it does not pose "an immediate and imminent health risk." that may be so, but it causes ford focus owners, like myself, countless amounts of frustration and anger to not be able to use our cars. my car is now sitting on the curb outside my house, in perfectly drivable condition in every way, and i can't even turn the key in the ignition. if you have other complaints about this issue, please lobby with all of your influence to have ford address and fix this problem. thank you for your time. *jb

When i tried to start my 2001 ford focus this morning to return home, the ignition locked. i had this problem fixed 2ce before while under warranty. it is no longer under warranty. when i went on the web for info i spent hrs reading of all the other consumers with the same problem and that ford has done nothing to solve this. it was suggested i write to this site. *nm

2001 ford focus: ignition key will not turn after insertion, so the car won't start. jamming key hard into column and maybe rocking the steering wheel eventually enables the key to turn and start the vehicle. intermittent, but now becoming more frequent. last time it took 40 minutes to start car - could be personal danger. *jb