Problems with 2002 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Dt: 2002 ford focus, the vehicles ignition cylinder will not turn, consumer states that you can place the key in the ignition but it will not turn to start the vehicle, this occurs during any weather, the consumer has had the ignition cylinder replaced once already by the dealership. in nov. 2004, the consumer was having the same problem again, this time the problem happens sometimes other times it does not, the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealership because he could not get the vehicle to start, when the consumer arrived at the dealership the vehicle would start, the dealership was not able to replicate the problem, the dealership does not want to fix the problem at this time, the vehicle is no longer under warranty but the part is because it was recently replaced. *nm *jb

I have had my car for 4 years. just recenty the ignition switch failed. i can put the key in the ignition, but it won't turn. after just a few minutes on the internet, i found that this is a major problem with focii, but ford refuses to address it. i am now without a car for the weekend. this is in addition to finding out this week that both the fuel pump and alternator are both also defective, but not covered.

Dt: consumer said that over the course of time vehicle lost power. consumer was exiting freeway when the engine stalled and everything on vehicle failed. there were no lights working or any kind of power. same thing happened again last sunday going into san fransisco. consumer stated that radio will work sometimes and not other times. also, sometimes she could not lock doors. al battery had to be replaced after just one year due to the electrical problem, battery was a three year battery. in addition, one time the left turn signal went out. consumer s believed that these problems were electrical.*ak

Dt: the consumer states that the 2002 ford focus ignition switch failed. consumer cannot get the car to turn on. the switch will not turn. the car has been like this for two months. the car is in the shop now. the manufacturer has not been called. *ak

Exactly same complaints as complaint # 10056383, engine stalling while driving at slow speeds. radio cuts out, headlights start flickering and sometimes speedometer goes grazy and seems to reset itself. dealership has had the car for three weeks and was not able to solve the issue. no fault codes were registered, and since the issues happen infrequently and shortly no electrical measurements were possible. as soon as i pick up the car it stalls on me. still trying to work thru the dealership, although i'm getting desperate. dealership told me my2002 has already the upgraded fuel pump, according to some focus forums then the problem could be egr related. dealership is not willing to replace components without knowing what is causing this safety and possibly environmental issue...

Vehicle was parked at state employee's residence for about 10 hours when it suddenly caught fire. fire dept. responded and extinguished fire. vehicle is a total lose.

Could not remove ignition key nor start the vehicle. complete ignition key failure. *jb

My ignition locked up and i was stranded in a parking lot after purchasing a 2002 ford, focus less than a month ago. i had to hitch a ride home because i didn't have the money for a tow. the next day, i had my vehicle towed to a ford dealer for repairs. evidently this is a major problem, people getting stranded due to a faulty iqnition switch. what is it going to take to get this problem fixed. who is making the fortune on all these part replacements???? is it ford???? who makes these faulty ignitions???? they are probably still making a fortune and still making tthese bad parts. this could result in a very dangerous situation. please get this problem fixed! *ak

My ignition locked up and i was stranded in a parking lot after purchasing a 2002 ford, focus less than a month ago. i had to hitch a ride home because i didn't have the money for a tow. the next day, i had my vehicle towed to a ford dealer for repairs. evidently this was a major problem, people getting stranded due to a faulty ignition switch. what is it going to take to get this problem fixed. who is making the fortune on all these part replacements???? is it ford???? who makes these faulty ignitions???? they are probably still making a fortune and still making these bad parts. this could result in a very dangerous situation. please get this problem fixed!*ak

While driving at 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the battery cable melted and the alternator was bad and needed replacement. a week prior, the check engine light came on and smoke had come from the engine compartment. the fourth gear went out because it's wire connection melted. the consumer felt the failures were due to the engine misplaced cable problem as stated in recall 02v288000. *ak *sc *jb

I have been having problems with my 2002 ford focus ignition. every time i put my key in the ignition it will go in, but the key will not turn. i need to see what i need to do to keep this from happening again. i have not replaced anything yet because i was hoping they would consider a recall on this part. so far i have just been forcing my key to turn and on april 13, 2005 it happened so i went and got some keys made and it still would not work. the next day about 45 minutes of work it finally turned and got started up. for right now i am leaving a key in the ignition to keep up from getting stuck again.*ak

Consumer complained about an ignition. problem. owner had parked vehicle and went inside of a building for an hour. upon returning, owner put the key in the ignition and the key would not turn. owner had the vehicle towed to dealer where it was being serviced. *ak

While inserting the key into the ignition it locked. driver was unable to turn the key. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. *ak

55,000 miles on the vehicle. on 3/25/05, while parked & locked, the ignition malfunctioned on its own, resulting in a fire that burned the steering column. the fire caused other damages and heavy smoke within the sealed passenger compartment. the fire extinguished itself with the lack of oxygen. pictures of the wiring harness, steering column and interior are available with the insurance company claim file. *nm

My car stalled when driving anywher from 20 - 70mph. the gauges go haywire the light cut off and on , the clock resets, the speedometer goes crazy, and i have a young daughter that rides in this car. this started in october and is still going on to date. my car is still under warranty. *ak

I have a 2002 ford focus 4-door sedan. i have approximately 45000 miles on the vehicle. when driving the vehicle, it stalls particularly when the electric parts are turned on. you can jump the car and get it to start, but the same thing keeps happening. *ak also, when you turn on the radio, it makes a buzzing noise as if there is interference from the motor. the problem appears to be getting worse. also, there seems to be some sort of a noise coming from the back of the vehicle when stopping. it is not the sound of worn-out breaks but as if there is an axle problem. i have had my rear right tire replaced twice.

The key won't turn in the ignition. unable to move vehicle. had to have it towed to ford dealership. crow- moddie burlington ks. not fixed yet.*jb

2002 ford focus ignition switch locks and will not start the car. *nm

Ford focus zx3 ignition failure- steering column locks, car won't start. stuck in an unsafe area with no help. *jb

This is the third time that my 2002 ford focus ignition has failed. i stick the key in the ignition, the car makes the beeping sound and will not turn. i have tried turning the wheel and turning the key at the same time. i have tried turning the key to the other side and then turning it and i have also made sure it was in park, tried to mess with the tilt of the wheel nothing works. this time that it happened i got stranded out in the middle of a dark parking lot where there was no one around. there were no other stores or anything around. i am now going to have to get my vehicle towed and spend another 250 to get this fixed. my car only has 55,000 miles and i have only had it for a year. ford needs to consider recalling this because i know that i am not the only one that has made a complaint regarding this. if this is not recalled i will never buy a ford again and neither will my family and we buy an awful lots of fords in our family and my husbands family. *jb

No start, no crank. randomly car will not start, and there is no cranking either. happens once or twice a week. shows dashes on the digit display. car may start after 10 minutes or 3 hours - can't tell. has been taken to the dealer once. problem not replicated, but service found a technical service bulletin for the vin, and 2001, 2002 models which specified this exact problem, suggesting replacement of a specific part for supposedly a dpfe shortening. even though this part alone was changed, problem recurred just after a couple of days. vehicle now again at the dealership. this is a really annoying problem, and i'm now afraid to take the car anywhere, even if it comes back from the dealership supposedly after being 'fixed', as there's no telling when the problem will recur, or if the car could even stall in the middle of a freeway!. have requested dealership to keep the car for however long it takes to replicate the problem, but not sure if they'll do it. *jb

Multiple failures; continual issues with brakes. correct water leak and patch tire. *bf the alternator needed to be replaced. *jb

Ignition locked with key in it. towed to ford dealer and ignition drilled out and replaced at around $300. happened a second time. locksmith called. ignition drilled out and replaced for around $50.00. hasn't happened again in about 3 years.*ak

I have been having reoccuring problems with the ignition in my vehicle. i visited the consumer affairs website and found out this is a common problem in focus'. i have been charged over $300 to have the problem rectified. one man said he had to have his ignition replaced 3-4 times. daily, it takes me up to 30 minutes to start my car due to ignition malfunctions. i don't feel that we, focus owners, should be held responsible for a manufactures defect. *ak

Ignition switch in my 2002 ford focus has quit working for the 4th time. if you go to this ite you will see this is a very bad problem ford is having with the focus and is very dangerous.http://www.automotiveforums.com/t158426.html. *ak

2002 ford focus ignition lock cylinder busted. got stuck for 3 hours before getting the car towed.

I picked my car up from cleveland hopkins airport on saturday, october 23, 2004. i drove to my sister in-law's house to pick up my husband and 2yr old daughter. we stayed for about two hours and then left. when i tried to start my 2002 ford focus i was not able to turn the key. the steering wheel was locked up and would only move a few inches in either direction. after about an hour i just drove my husband's mother's car home. the next day i had to have the car towed to liberty ford in maple hts. i was told several different things beforehand. i was told the steering wheel was locked and i only needed to "jiggle" the key and the steering wheel to unlock it. i was told i had a bad key and needed a new one. well none of that was true. the service department said i had to have my entire ignition replaced and it cost $342. i have not picked up the car yet, but will try to get the old part.*ak

I was shopping with my 16 mon. old sons and after we were in the car i tried to turn the key on my 2002 ford focus, the ignition is locked. i'm told that this is common in the focus. i called ford and am taking my car in to have the ignition replaced. it will cost $300- $400.*ak

Approximately every fifth time i drive my 2002 ford focus, the key gets stuck in the ignition and cannot be removed. subsequently, i'm able to get the key out of the ignition (after restarting the car and driving mindlessly for a few miles). the dealer is aware of this problem, and they have replaced the lock cylinder twice to no avail. within days of getting "fixed", the problem sprouts up again, leaving me without keys, without the ability to lock the car (that would lock my keys in the car), and forcing me to plan ahead and take a spare key with me wherever i go (so i can lock the keys in the car, still in the ignition -- a prime candidate for vehicle theft). this problem has been reported on numerous web sites, and there are clearly problems with the ignition system employed by ford. *jb

I own a 2002 ford focus. on the way out of the supermarket, i put the key in the ignition only to find it would not turn! it was jammed. i could pull my key in and out, but no amount of shaking the wheel or twisting the key could free this frozen ignition. never had this problem before. had to call a tow truck and have it fixed at the ford dealer in yucca valley, ca. $650.00!!! is what it cost to repair! i went online and found hundreds of different people having the same problem with this model car, some having it repaired 3 times in one year! this is a defective part that needs to be recalled! even the mechanics knew after telling them what model it was, what the problem was! how can you justify owning a 2 year old new car and having to replace the ignition every 3 years?? or more? this is bs! *nm

Upon trying to start the vehicle, the ignition would not turn. the consumer tried several times to get the vehicle started. consumer had to have the vehicle towed. please provide any further information. *jb the consumer stated that the mechanic already knew that the consumers vehicle was a ford focus and knew the problem before it was told to him. *tc

Consumer stated the key stuck upon putting the key into the ignition. the ignition switch started to freeze. consumer had problems starting the vehicle. this caused the steering wheel to lock. contacted the dealer. had the vehicle towed to the dealer. however the problem recurred. *ak.

Just purchased a used 2002 ford focus and everything worked just fine until the key would not come out of the ignition. the longest i have sat and tried to get the key out is half an hour and finally i just left the key in there because it was ridiculous. i was able to get it out the next day but this is a constant problem and ive heard others tell me that this has happened in their focus. this needs to be addressed by ford, not by those of us having problems with their product.*ak

Upon trying to start the vehicle. the ignition locked. however, the consumer could not turn the key. the consumer tried both keys to the vehicle, and neither worked. please provide any further information. *jb

I purchased a 2002 ford focus from don hinds ford in fishers, in on 9/28/02. the problem i am reporting is that the key will not turn over so that the engine can be started. the key routinely balks and jams. it failed to turn over 1 week after the purchase. the ford 800 assistance # recommended pulling the steering wheel back & forth while simultaneously trying to turn the key over. that worked, they did not offer to fix the problem. i got the selling dealership to replace the ignition cylinder tumbler at 19,000 mi under warranty. balking/jamming continued, at 38,000 the key would not turn over at all. after towing it to a private auto repair shop, they replaced the tumbler again. 1 month later it nearly didn't start again. ford in greensburg, in replaced the tumbler again under a "good will" policy. 9/10/04 the car stranded me again due to the same problem. after towing to an indianapolis, in ford dealership, they replaced the tumbler again. that's the fifth tumbler in that car in 43,000. i don't think the 5th one will fix it any more than the first 4 tumblers did. *jb

Ignition cylinder is broken again after repair. this part needs to be recalled! being unable to start the car at random is unsafe!*ak

Upon entering the vehicleand engaging the key engine would not turn over. also, the key worked intermittently, and sometimes it would not unlock the doors. ignition lock cylinder failure. *ak

Ignition lock on the 2002 ford focus is faulty. the cylinders become damaged over time (short duration of time) due to wear preventing the lock from turning. also there is a defect in the passive anti-theft device connected to the ignition switch. it will fail over time and cannot be easily repaired. the lock has malfunctioned on my wife and myself multiple times and has even cost us ten minutes of "haggling" before the switch would engage. i do not care to have my wife stranded, especially late at night, due to a part which is known by the manufacturer to be defective. *jb

1. car stalled 1 day while going around a right corner. car also stalled another day. on aug. 25 car stalled while driving down the road. everything electrical went out. when pulled over noticed smoke coming from hood then through the air vents. car was towed to a ford dealer and the battery, the battery cover and the battery cables were replaced at no charge.*ak

Sterring locked up. key will enter ignition but will not turn. car is still in the shop. *jb

The key spotaneously does not turn in the ignition. two occurrences at $300 each within 2 months. *ak

Upon putting the key into the ignition it would not fit as if it was the wrong key. upon getting the key in the ignition it would not turn over, and the vehicle would not start. there were no warnings. took vehicle to the dealer, but problem recurred. *ak

In january 2004 and again on june 8, 2004 my 2002 ford focus stopped running while in traffic. the first time (january, 2004) was on the i-355 tollway while traveling approximately 55 mph. i was lucky enough to be in the right lane and was able to coast to a stop at the route 64 off-ramp. the last time (june 8, 2004) i was in rush hour traffic when the engine quit. there was no warning, sputtering or gradual loss of power. the engine just stopped and the dash warning lights came on. the june failure nearly caused an accident because of the cars folowing closely behind me on a narrow roadway. i was able to slowly coast onto a side street and out of the main flow of traffic. the car started after a short delay and was driven to the dealership where purchased. the checked out the car and told me that they could not find anything wrong. as such, they woould not make any repairs. when i contacted ford, i was told they would do nothing, since the dealer could not find anything wrong. this intermittent problem is dangerous and ptentially could cause an accident if it occurs on a freeway with fast moving traffic. ford told me that they could not do anything about it and that further conversation would be "just going in circles." i told them that they have been advised and that a problem exists. if an accident results from this i will persue the matter. i was told that they have attorneys for matters like this.;\*ak

Ignition key will not turn at all. dealer quoted $400 to replace lock cylinder. *ak

Upon putting the key in the ignition it got stuck in the ignition and won't come out. when consumer tried to turn key over over vehicle will not start. took vehicle to the dealer, but the problem recurred. *ak

When putting the key in my ignition, the key will not turn and the steering wheel is locked. this just started happening and progressively gets worse. *ak

Ignition freezes and won't turn. have had to have the vehicle towed to dealership twice.*ak

While driving 70 mph smoke was coming in to vehicle through the vents. vehicle caught on fire. police and fire departments were called, no injuries reported. vehicle was towed. *ak

2002 ford focus zx5 hatchback model was purchased new from lafres ford. the check engine light keeps coming on and stays on. various electrical problems have occurred and various parts have been replaced (documented on all service reports) the check engine light has been a problem from day one and i have experienced other parts burned and replaced in the past, ie cooling fan harness and resistor burnt, burn smell when a/c is in use or the heator, replacement of battery. (car is still under warranty) i continually take the car back and forth to the dealer to have the check engine light corrected. (no reimbursement of toll/bridges and days off from work to have this car properly serviced, no reimbursement of rental cars) when i get the car back the check engine light is off and two days later it is back on again. i periodically call my service advisor at the service department telling him that i just picked up the car and within 24 hours the check engine light came on again. my service advisor tells me that the check engine light does not mean anything and i could drive around with the light onindefinetly althought the light is a nuisance. on 12/11/03 while driving, the check engine light which was already on, the battery light indicator came on, i immediately called the dealer service department and explained to my service advisor of the problem, it was late friday afternoon, he stated that was not a good sign and advised me to seek service at a ford service station. took car to universal ford. the car began to emit a burning smell i arrived at the dealer service stations and was told that my alternator was no good and that the harness hand burned and all the wires had melted. that is truly an unsafe car, this problem could have caused the car catch on fire and i could have been seriously injured, or become a fatality or others could have gotten hurt. the car is currently at the universal ford dealer service station.*ak

My 2002 zx3 began having problems after only owning the vehicle for six months. the first problem was with the locking mechanism which would make a very loud buzzing noise when the doors would lock. the second problem began last winter when the car would not start after sitting outside overnight. i have taken the vehicle to the dealership five times over the last year for this problem and each time they inform me that the problem is fixed. however, the problem is not fixed and my vehicle continues to be unreliable. *nlm