Problems with 2003 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key could not be turned in the ignition. the dealer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. the manufacturer was also contacted who offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the contact lost all control of the vehicle and crashed into a guard rail. the front passenger was thrown into the windshield and as a result of the impact, the contact's hip was dislocated and she sustained severe bruising and a laceration that required thirteen stitches. a police report was filed of the incident. the manufacturer and the dealer were not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was 100,000. the vin was not available.

Leaving work at the end of the day i went to start my vehicle and the key would not turn in the ignition. it was very cold and after adjusting the steering wheel several time for about 5 minutes i was able to start the car. i have since had difficulty turning the key in the ignition of my vehicle everyday. the last incident was while at the gas station, which took almost 15 minutes to get the vehicle started again. i have researched the issue online and found that many other people have also had this issue, with no recall placed on the vehicle as it is not an immediate risk to safety. although i have now found my self uncomfortably attempting to start my car in less that safe environments on more than one occasion. *tr

I was on my way to work when i stopped to get gas, i got back in my car and the ignition would not turn to star the engine. i was stuck at a gas station in the winter and no one was able to help me. after twenty minutes of trying different things to get it to start it worked. the next day i got in my car and the same thing happened, except this time nothing i did would start it. i ended up paying $112 for a locksmith to replace the ignition in my car. i have read on several forums that this is a common problem with this year of ford focus and there has yet to be a recall. this could be a dangerous situation if someone has children and is stranded and unable to move their vehicle to a safe location. *tr

Key will not turn in ignition after multiple attempts by more then one person. called ford dealership and they said the problem is really common and to tap the key with a hammer and it will turn and that i need to go in and have the ignition replaced for $500!!! tried their hammering suggestion and the lock still won't turn! because of this i have missed a whole day of school. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated while driving various speeds, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was restarted and began to function normally. the contact also stated that the trunk latch failed to function correctly and the ignition failed; however the ignition switch was replaced. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the failure could not be replicated. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 84,000 and the current mileage was 93,000. the vin was not available.

Key won't turn in ignition/ ignition stuck. *tt

The ignition cylinder will not turn. a key can be inserted into the ignition, but it can not be set into the "on or acc" position. the car cant be started and is now, in effect, a one ton paper weight. after researching the problem online, it seems to be very common. *tt

Key froze solid in the ignition . steering wheel would not turn nor the key. left stranded and had to call a locksmith to physically drill out the factory installed ignition and replace it with a strattec replacement part # 707592. locksmith reiterated what i read on the internet with this being a known problem with the ford focus. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that in an attempt to turn the key in order to start the vehicle, it refused to turn. a local mechanic replaced the ignition and reprogrammed the key and door locks. the vehicle was repaired. the dealer was notified, but denied any assistance with repairing the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 25,000 and the approximate current mileage was 25,200. updated 02/09/12*lj the consumer stated the key would not turn in the ignition. the old ignition had to be drilled out and replaced. updated 02/13/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key could be inserted into the ignition would could not be turned to start the vehicle. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure, nor was the vehicle diagnosed or repaired. the current and the failure mileages were 134,000.

I had to replace ignition kit about a month after i bought car new approximate date. *tr

Ignition switch locks and cannot turn key to start vehicle. have to use hand or something to hit the key to start the car. happens at random and without warning. get in the car and can't start it. understand that this is a very common problem but ford refuses to do anything about it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle refused to start. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the ignition cylinder was replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 107,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus se. the contact stated that the key could not be turned while in the ignition and the vehicle could not be started. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 102,000 and the current mileage was 102,542.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition was locked and the key would not turn to start the engine. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 120,000.

My key will not turn over and my wheel is locked up. the problems started and i would just turn the wheel and sooner or later it would turn over. now im stranded in my driveway with the wheel locked up and no turning the key over. missed work and money. i searched the internet on this and the was over 300 diff people with this problem. i bought this car (ford) to save gas and money. i think this should be recalled if this many people are having this problem. i don't know why it hasn't yet. *tr

Late night 35 miles from home. key would not turn in the ignition. had to get a ride home. returned the next day and had a locksmith replace the ignition lock with a strattec ignition lock. *tr

Key won't turn in ignition. luckily, my car was parked at home when this happened but could leave you stranded if away from home. i now have to leave my key in the ignition until i get the problem fixed.

Key wont turn in ignition windows down in a bad neighborhood. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition failed and locked abnormally. the manufacturer was contacted they advised there were no recalls for the failure and would provide no further assistance. the vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 100,000.

I purchased a used 2003 ford focus se/4 door/automatic. the ignition key cylinder has been acting up for sometime. on three different occasions the cylinder with the key when turned to the off position will completely come out of the steering column when removing the key. again, this has happen on at least three occasions and could happen at any time. i have not been to a dealer to repair the problem yet. but that is my next stop. i am wanting ford to issue a recall and repair this problem. thousands of other focus owners have had similar or same problems. this has happened to so many people who have become stranded because of this malfunction. not to mention, this is an obvious safety issue due to the possibility of injuries in a moving vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition was locked and would not allow her to turn the key inside the ignition for several minutes. after various attempts, the contact was able to turn the key in the ignition. the contact stated the failure recurred various times intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for repairs or diagnostics. the approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. when the vehicle was started, the exterior and interior lighting flashed intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that all of the ignition cable cords needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 210,000.

2003 ford focus key not able to turn ignition issue that has been reported previously. vehicle stranded until ignition lock assembly removed and replaced. *tr

Failure to be able to turn ignition. had to take it to a dealer and spent $400! inconvenience? yes! *kb

Ford focus 2003 - key won't turn to turn on car - ignition cylinder/tumbler was broken and need to be replaced. i was stranded in a store parking lot. had to have a tow truck tow my car to dealership. *tr

Key would not turn the ignition, stalled the car and then could not turn the car back on in the middle of rush hour traffic, on christmas eve none the less. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus zx3 at 37000 miles the alternator and battery went bad and had to be replaced at a cost of $700.00. now at 67000 miles they have both gone bad again and must be replaced at a new cost of $800.00. additionally i had a 2000 ford focus and at 55000 miles both the alternator and battery had to be replaced. also we have a 2006 ford focus and at 16000 miles it needed both an alternator and battery. it is worth noting that the car was three years old and out of warranty when the failure occurred, it is a very low mileage car, and is only drive 10 miles a day. we really like the focus as it is a great value and a fun car to drive but after having to replace 4 alternators in 18 months we are rethinking our love of this little car. i will be filing complaints for my other two foci as well. *tr

Key won't turn in ignition. for a couple of weeks, i was able to tap on the end of the key while it was in the ignition lock, and the key would turn. now, i am unable to get it to turn at all -- even after tapping on it with a hammer. *tr

Key cannot turn - vehicle cannot be started. unacceptable and hazardous condition with a poorly designed and/or low quality part on all ford focus and likely other ford products. i got around this by pounding on the key with a small hammer i keep in the glove box - i had lived with this for more than 3 years. same thing happened to my brother-in-law's car (he removed all the tumblers so any key can start his car). it is obvious from reading through the complaints that this is a very significant percentage (>50%?) of all of the numerous complaints against this vehicle. dealerships want $400 to fix it - that's bs. actions by nhtsa or a class action lawsuit against ford is appropriate. it appears that ford is using this design defect as an opportunity to profit after having put 1000s of consumers in dangerous situations. *tr

The key would not turn in the ignition of my 2003 ford focus zts, thus, the vehicle would not start. after a call to the local locksmith, i was surprised to hear "this is a common problem for a ford focus". when arriving, the locksmith proceeded to explain to me why the stock ignition switch of my car is a defective design, comparing to a new switch they were about to install. upon further research online, i could not find any information about a recall for the defective item. i did find, however, plenty of complains of ford owners having the exact same problem. i am surprised such a critical component has not been recalled since it jeopardizes the reliability of the vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while parking, the steering wheel seized while the power steering warning chime sounded. in addition, the key would sporadically fail to turn when inserted into the ignition. the contact stated that the vehicle would start after approximately thirty minutes of repeated attempts. the dealer was made aware of the failure but the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 140,000.

The ignition was locked solid. the key could be inserted and removed but the ignition would not turn. replacement seems the only viable solution. it seems to be a design defect as so many cases of the lock-up have been reported.

I was parked outside my girlfriend's dr's office waiting to pick her up. it was a cold day and she didn't want to take the bus. when i tried to start the car the key would not turn. i attempted repeatedly to turn the key, but it would not budge. this had happened twice before (i had only owned the car a couple months), but the key had turned with some fiddling. this time it wouldn't turn, no matter what i did. i eventually had to have it towed. the mechanic called me today and said the ignition cylinder needs to be replaced and the key has to be reprogrammed. i read several sources online that said this is not necessary that anyone who tells you this is padding their own pocket, but what can i do? i'm not a mechanic and i'm not about to call this guy a liar. i have to bite the bullet and pay for the repairs as he describes them. *tr

The key in my 2003 ford focus will not turn the ignition. we were stranded in the middle of nowhere. the key is fine..the actual ignition mechanism is locked and will not turn. *tr

Failure to turn ignition switch with key...takes several attempts (at times for 1/2 an hour) and happens several times a day and getting worse. after a quick search on-line, i noticed that their was a class action lawsuit in california and that many other focus owners have had similar problems. i will first contact ford customer service, but based on other focus owners, i do not expect much and hopefully soon will be contacting a locksmith to replace the switch. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition will not turn engine over nor unlock steering. *tr

My ignition is locked up/steering wheel. *tr

My 2003 ford focus has ignition problems. my key could not turn in the ignition. and as i search online, a lot of ppl have the same problems. this is a recurrent problem with ford focus and specifically 2003 ford focus. this is very severe. image you're in a hurry to start the car, the key could not turn and you are stuck. so why is there is nothing done about it by ford? i just asked the dealership and they told me it is around $450 to replace the ignition. i don't think i should pay this money due to ford's fault. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition key will not turn now. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition lock-up. every time the key is removed from ignition and then reinserted, it is very hard to get it to unlock to turn and start. we have been stranded in parking lots during 110 degree weather while trying to get the key to turn. we will have to either replace the ignition or call a locksmith. this is an everyday problem now. *tr

I was stranded with my 2003 ford focus because they key would not turn in the ignition. i finally was able to get my car towed to a mechanic at 2am and was able to get a ride home. i am very fortunate nothing happened to me - who knows what could have happened that late at night. i had to get the ignition replaced which cost $400. it is ridiculous that this has not been recalled. *tr

Ignition cylinder locked unable to drive ford focus 2003. cost of ignition cylinder, new key (1), reset of computer = $480.00. *tr

July 2010 ignition is locked, key will not turn in ignition. it was happening every now and then but today, july 7, 2010, it will not turn at all even with tapping lightly on the end of the key and pulling the steering wheel down while turning the key nothing has yet to be done as i am still waiting for ford to decide if they want to pick it up! june 2010 driverside spring coil snapped - no letter to the owner of the ford models when the problem was a known safety issue and was covered under a warranty extended by ford (because they knew of the problem) june 2009 - driverside firehawk gta factory installed tire blew right off the steel rim, leaving the steel from the tire on the rim ... this happened in my driveway and not while i was driving the vehicle, thank goodness. *tr

After warranty expired, put key in ignition and could not turn car on. this was due to a suddenly failing ignition system. had to replace entire ignition column and was stranded for three days while we figured out the problem. this is a safety issue considering it is a well known problem and many people have been stranded in bad areas or during bad weather. *tr

Key fails to turn after driving to work. 03 ford focus. can not start. will call for repairs and find cost. ford would not replace or offer solution due to mileage. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus and the ignition and the key suddenly won't turn in the ignition. i have looked this problem up online and it looks like a far too common problem. my wife is 8.5 months pregnant, and i thank god this didn't happen any later as it is our only vehicle. please take prompt action against ford and make them issue a recall! thank you. *tr

Key gets stuck in the ignition. ignition will not turn. this happens just about every time an attempt is made to turn the car on for approximately one year. multiple attempts must be made and excessive force to engage key must be used. after contacting several locksmiths and being repeatedly told that this problem can only be repaired by a ford dealer due to the computer needing to be programmed to match a chip in the ignition and key, a local ford dealership was contacted. a customer service employee reported that it can be replaced for $250. but that it is a common problem with no guarantees that the ignition would not need further replacement for the same problem in the future. ignition will no longer turn at all resulting in the key snapping in the ignition. entire ignition will need to be replaced. *tr

My 2003 ford focus is having an ignition problem - my key will not turn in the ignition - i am now stranded and have to call aaa for help - they just left - have to have ignition replaced by dealer. *tr