Problems with 2001 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Went to leave work one evening, put my key in the ignition and it would not turn. i was stranded and had to call my husband to pick me up. had to have car towed to dealership. they installed new ignition tumbler. since this is a known problem with this vehicle and i have only owned the car for a little over a month, the dealership paid half of the bill. *jb

My focus is exhibiting the problems associated with this recall - nhtsa campaign #02v288000 electrical system:battery:cables i took my vehicle down to the dealership and they told me even though my car is having the same exact problems it is not covered under the warranty. i got the same response when i called the ford customer service number. i have replaced the alternator twice and the battery 3 times. the cables are all chewed and burnt near the terminal ends. i've had numerous terminal ends so hot that they start melting off and into my battery. right now my car will not start and my battery cables are burnt. *nm

I tried to start my car and the key seemed "stuck". i tried everything to turn it to no avail. called a locksmith and he said it was a very common problem with the ford focus, and that he responds to calls about this issue all the time. the key ignition cylinder just breaks on these cars. i took it to my mechanic who confirmed this and is in the process of replacing the ignition cylinder. the part from ford is substandard and that is why it breaks all the time. this should be recalled! what is the point of a car if you cannot start it due to a mechanism constantly breaking? what if i were in a bad area of town, what if i really really needed to leave immediately but couldn't due to a faulty part that is a known issue!? *nm

2001 ford focus. key will not turn tried both keys w/o help have been having trouble and now will not work. this is the car my daughter takes to college and lucky it was sitting in my driveway not with her on a dark campus all alone. *jb

Ignition lock failure. key will not turn in ignition. *nm

I have a 2001 ford focus and in 2005 i had to replace my ignition cylinder. the key wouldn't turn at all. i bought the cylinder from ford and replaced it myself. now, a year later, i am having the same problem again. my key will not turn the ignition. i have tried troubleshooting but nothing has improved. i have to buy another cylinder again. *nm

Key will not turn in ignition. eventually after a half hour of trying, the car turned over and i was able to drive it to the dealership. i told them i was having problems with my ignition, and they asked me if my car was a focus. apparently this is a common problem in the ford focus. the tumbler needs to be replaced. i have a 2001 ford focus se wagon. why do you have to replace an ignition in a 5 year old car? i had a 10 year old car without any ignition problems ever. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the key would not turn the ignition switch. a locksmith was called and the ignition switch was replaced. the dealer was not alerted.

2001 ford focus ignition cylinder locks up 10/10/2006 car is stranded overnight in a parking lot in an unsafe neighborhood lock cylinder was replaced at a cost of $300 plus tow fees. *jb

Ignition switch deteriorated resulting in a failure; there were no prior indications of the imminency of this failure. ignition subsequently completely failed to turn. entire ignition switch system replaced. the keys will be the next to fail, as they are wearing down in a much more substantial manner than i have ever seen an automobile key deteriorate. *nm

Concern: 2001 ford focus zx3 (ignition switch stuck) this car has only 35000 miles. as i have searched for repair instruction for this problem i know it is wide spread. my daughter drives this car everyday to college and the ignition switch stuck and left her stranded. the key would go into the cylinder but would not turn. this could be very dangerous if she were alone and stuck in a parking lot in the dark!!! i believe the scenarios are significant enough that ford needs to remedy this as soon as possible. winter is setting in and people all over the country are going to be getting stranded in their ford focus'. this won't get attention until someone dies! ford is all about the money! *nm

I had taken my grand-daughter to the dentist and when we came out the key ignition would not turn and the steering wheel was locked up. i spent the most of the morning trying to get it to turn one more time so that i could take it to ford town to get it fixed. i knew what had happened because my daughter has a 2004 ford focus and hers had just locked up about a month before and she never did get it to turn over, she had to have her car towed and the ignition cylinder drilled out, finally we were able to get it to turn over one more time and the man at ford town told me to leave the key in the ignition and the next day they would try and work my car in to have it fixed. i took it to ford town the next day and they fixed it and it cost me $184.37. *nm

I was driving home from work one night and as i was driving all the lights, inside and out, except my brake lights went out. i took it to a repair place and they told me i have to take it to a ford dealership because it was something wrong with my entire electrical system. this is not safe. i could've been in an accident. i have searched for recalls on 2001 ford focus zx3 and have not found any. i also looked up how much it would cost to replace it ($359). this is not a small problem. problems like this are very dangerous.

For a week i was having trouble turning my key in the ignition of my 2001 ford focus. then one morning i could not turn my key at all. i had to have the car towed to the dealership. according to the dealership this is a common occurrence with the ford focus. they had to replace the ignition cylinder at my cost. i was told that even though this is a common occurrence, ford will do nothing about it because it is, according to them, not a safety issue. i want to know how this is not a safety issue when this problem can leave someone stranded anywhere with no warning.*jb

Car won't start. key will not enter ignition. from what i understand, this is a recurring problem with this model. *nm

Ignition lock, could not turn key. *jb

My ignition will not turn. i have tried everything. i guess the ignition cylinder needs to be replaced. *nm

*this is a safety issue!* when leaving work my car would not start, the starter would not engage and accessories would not come on...i went inside for 10 min to try to arrange a ride home...when i came back to the car i decided to try one last time and the car started right up no problem. while driving home (at about 8.30pm local time...fully dark outside) at approx. 50 mph the car died including most accessories, most notably, the headlights. when i tried to steer the car to the side of the road, the steering wheel locked. this all happened very quickly, i was braking and there seemed to be some power assist to the brakes but not full braking power. i was headed straight at a large tree when the car suddenly came to life again and i managed to just miss it. i limped the car about a 1/4 (at 10 mph) to my brothers apartment and it died 2x again on the way. after several days trying to diagnose the problem i discovered that wiggling the key in the ignition induces the car to die. upon researching this problem i found that this has been reported on a wide scale basis and it concerns me that a recall has not been issued. i was very lucky not to be injured or killed by this problem and many many people are unaware of this risk (as was i until only a few days ago). i have found no way to get the matter corrected via the manufacturer as the current replacement part is almost identical to the original and is noted for short lifetime and for failing in the same manner. *nm

2001 ford focus, 6 yrs old, only 38k miles. ignition cylinder locked up and i was unable to insert key more than halfway. vehicle had to be towed to dealer ($75), who replaced cylinder for $350. dealer reports they still see this repair about once a month on the 2000, 2001 models. *jb

Dt: the contact stated while driving 35 - 40 mph, the check engine light and battery light illuminated. while pulling the vehicle into a parking lot all the dashboard lights darkened and the vehicle hesitated as if it was going to stall. it was parked for about 3 minutes and the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was observed by an independent mechanic who determined that a barren came out of one of the pulleys however that would not cause the vehicle to stall. the vehicle was left at the scene of the incident. two days later the contact returned to the vehicle and the vehicle was burned. the insurance investigator observed a security video which identified the vehicle smoking and a window had fallen.

I own a ford focus zx3 (2001). i seem to have the same problem as everyone else with my car. my ignition key would not turn and i was left stranded. i have done some research about the issue, and it seems to me that every other focus owner had to deal with this problem. the solution to the problem is purchasing a new ignition cylinder (~$400). ford need to admit to a faulty part and low quality of materials. please help this be an official recall. thank you. *jb

My ignition locks up and i am unable to turn the key. this has happened 4 times now and each time i have to have the ignition lock cylinder replaced costing me around $400.00 each time. the first time it happened at about 16,000 miles and now i have 85,000 miles on my car. there is no sign when and where it is going to happen, it just does and then it leaves you stranded and in need of a tow truck, which is more cost to the consumer. *jb

Ignition switch on my 2001 ford focus locked. unable to put key all the way into ignition switch. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the key became stuck in the ignition on several occasions. the key was able to be turned, however it was not removable. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer on several occasions, where the ignition switch was replaced twice. the problem was not corrected, and the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the defect.

Ignition cylinder ford focus lx 2001 93,980 miles like so many other complaints i have read on the internet. insert key - ignition locksup you're stranded and have to call a tow truck. cost for repair by ford dealership $489.20. when we first started noticing ignition problem - we called ford to get a price on the part as my husband was going to replace himself. was told by parts gal that he could not perform this himself - it's not like the old days - there are now special instructions regarding the wiring and insulation it has to be done by ford. about a week later the ignition was completely locked we had no choice but to call tow truck and take to ford. tow truck driver informs us this is common defect with all 2001-2006 ford focus and tempos. before we had it towed my husband thought maybe the key was just worn out - ford said the key did look worn and the key did need replacing but it had to be done special because key contains a chip and it takes special programming - key cost $35.00 p/key labor would cost $50.00 - we decided to go ahead and have it towed in case this wasn't the problem. (don't want to be throwing away money) next day i confronted ford mechanic about this being a known cylinder defect and asked why it wasn't a recall - mechanic says he agrees it should be a recall - but instead it was a tsb telling techs how to fix and to my horror fix it with another identical faulty part. i asked if there was special pricing since it was ford's fault. answer no. asked if new keys were included in price - answer no. i asked if problem could reappear. answer yes. imagine if my daughter or i were out in the middle of no where or on a road trip - what could have happened or the expense for towing. i am scared to drive it out of town now and i am horrified that i had to pay out of pocket $489.20 for a known defect that will more than likely happen again and again. why is ford fixing the problem with another faulty part -rip ...

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicles ignition shuts down and the vehicle can not be shut off. the problem occurred one time and the dealer was unable to resolve.

I was driving my 2001 ford focus in the left lane of a 2 lane highway at about 40 mph when i turned the ac on and the car just stopped. i took it to a garage and they told me i needed a new compressor which would cost 1000 dollars..i found a garage that would do it for less using a used one...my problem was this would happen every time i turned the air or the defroster on. i was afraid i would cause an accident..and am still afraid today when i drive it far..wondering if it will stall out at high speed again and cause me to have an accident. i also have had problems with the key jamming and not turning and my newest problem is i stopped for gas and when i tried to start it all i got was a clicking sound.. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the ignition cylinder locked completely, and would not move. the key was also not able to be inserted all the way in to the ignition. the vehicle was not able to be started, and no electrical components engaged. the vehicle was towed to a service dealer, who drilled out the ignition cylinder, and replaced the cylinder and ignition switch. the dealer cited a faulty ignition switch as the cause of the problem.

Key will not turn in the switch , replaced switch one time, the next time i had to have the keys reprogrammed one time and now my pos is sitting across town will not crank because the key will not turn. if i sit in the car and bang around on the key while in the ignition for 3 or 4 hours i might accidentally get the car to crank. now once the vehicle ( i don't know why i call it a vehicle its more like nightmare ) does get started up and as long as i leave the key in the ignition switch it will re-start. this has been an on going problem for 4 years. *nm

2001 ford focus. key ( ignition switch) failed. key won't turn . *nm

Went out to start car parked in garage and ignition cylinder would not turn when the key was inserted. vehicle was towed to the local dealer where he replaced the ignition cylinder. this is the second time the problem has occurred on this vehicle and the first time it was replaced free of charge but they have told me they only replace these types of parts once under recalls? *jb

I own a 2001 ford focus ztech. my car was stalling at random in the middle of driving and finally wouldnt start at all. i took it to a dealership. they said my battery cables were melted, so they replaced them, rerouted them, along with my clips, etc. they couldn't figure out why my cables would be like that and said that is probably why my car doesn't start all the time, but they couldn't be positive so they recommended that i replace my starter as well. they charged me $998. this also happened to me in previous years. i went to the vehicle recall site and see that ford started a recall in 2003 on this very same problem. why didn't i receive recall information on my car? i've stalled before in the middle of traffic last year for the same problem and had my battery replaced. this happens too much. i have small children's safety to worry about. what bothers me in addition to that is that the ford dealership that i used should have noticed this recall and related it to my vehicle's problem. i feel this is a terrible safety issue, and i can't afford to keep getting new batteries/cables and starters. also, my key keeps getting stuck in the ignition, and ford won't do anything about that either, even though my dealer said it's a very common problem with this product. they said it would cost me at least $400 to fix it. i've already gotten stuck at a store twice. it just works when it wants to. *nm

Ignition cylinder locked up and i couldn't get the key in. had to have it drilled out and replaced - $300. *jb

When we pulled up at the store the car was running fine; however, when we tried to leave the store the steering wheel was locked up and we could not start the car. we tried many different things (as it says in the manual) including the manual override on the base next to the gear shift and checking for blown fuses. we ended up having to have the car towed to our home where a locksmith came out and replaced the cylinder in the ignition. he also had to recode the keys so that they would work in the ignition. the worst part was that we had absolutely no warning that this would happen (no warning lights, no prior problems, etc.) and we were stuck out in 98 degree heat with our 2 small children!! *nm

Inserted key in ignition and key refuses to turn. this has happened on several occasions. car needed to be towed to the local ford dealer for repairs. *nm

Ignition didn't turn, the only way to turn key was to bang against key with screw driver, problem got progressively worse, so eventually i had to get it repaired. many ford focus forums state that this is a recurring problem upon many focus'! *nm

Problems with the ignition switch - multiple times - finally had locksmith change the ignition. *nm

Ford focus 2001 ignition switch jammed. does not allow the car to be started. it has left me stranded several times. the internet is full of people who have complained of this problem with the ford focus and the local ford dealer claims that there is no recall and it will cost $450 for the dealer to fix this very obvious manufacturing defect. *nm

Electrical system seems to be shorting out. interior lamps flash and flicker. side mirrors work sporadically. headlamps flash and flicker on occasion. nothing has been done to correct this due to lack of funds. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated upon entering the vehicle, the key would not turn in the ignition. the vehicle was towed to the dealership and the ignition switch was replaced. three years later, the same problem occurred, the ignition switch is being replaced by the dealership.

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle the ignition locked. the vehicle was towed to a local dealer. the dealer replaced the steering and ignition lock assembly. the manufacturer has been alerted.

The ignition cylinder is a known failure in the 2000-01 ford focus. i have a 2001 ford focus and this is the second time i have had to replace this part. the steering wheel and ignition lock up and the vehicle is useless. the worn keys seem to worsen the problem. there is a 12-18 month life span on the part and that is unacceptable. if you would go to automotive talknet.com and choose the topic ignition cylinder on the ford focus you will see how much of a recall this should be and how we should be reimbursed for all the money we have spent. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition locked while attempting to start the vehicle. she had to strike the tip of the key while it was still in the ignition for the vehicle to be started. the dealer repaired the vehicle in june of 2006, however, the failure recurred in august of 2007. the dealer would not repair the vehicle because the warranty expired. the current mileage was 57,834 and failure mileage was 56,000.

The rear wiper in my 2001 ford focus zx3 stopped working. upon investigation i found that 5 wires in the wiring harness going into the hatch lid had cracked insulation and exposed conductors. one wire was completely severed. i have used electrical tape to temporarily render the situation safe until i can make a more permanent repair. i have also learned than many other 2001 focus owners have experienced the same problem. i believe the exposed conductor constitute a serious fire hazard. *jb

My 2001 ford focus wagon drove fine on saturday night, but on sunday morning the electrical system had gone haywire. when i turned on the ignition, no sound came from the ignition, but the lights on the dash flickered on an off, i heard a clicking sound, the "door open" bell came on, and i smelled electrical smoke. the ford dealer said that i needed to replace the battery, the battery cables, and the starter. this sounded a lot like the nhtsa recall campaign 02v288000, but my vin was not covered under this recall. *nm

Second time ignition cylinder in 2001 ford focus has locked up. first left me stranded and had to have car towed in. today, ignition has locked up again. dealership doesn't know if they will pay for it, but they'd better. have seen thousands of post about this problem--why isn't ford addressing this problem???*jb

Key will not go back into the ignition cylinder. *jb

Ignition key difficult to insert then ignition mechanism and steering wheel locked. *jb

When trying to put the key in the ignition the ignition locks up and will not allow the key to enter or while key is in the ignition the key will not turn. but after a while, trying to make it work the ignition gives in. i have reported this to the ford dealership and there were no recalls on this. now i am afraid to drive it anywhere because the key may not work. both keys are doing the same thing. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the dealer determined the wire jackets on the wire harness at the deck lid, wore away and resulted in an electrical short. in addition, the license plate light bracket within the deck lid also shorted out, due to the wires being burned. there is an nhtsa recall, # 00v411000 regarding the electrical system/wiring. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the vin.