Problems with 2003 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Key will not turn ignition. it is progressively getting worse. last night i was stranded late at night and had to call someone to come get me. i tried for over an hour to get it to turn. from what i am finding out this is not a problem that i have. there have been many many complaints of this. this part should be recalled! *tr

The original ford car key for my 03 ford focus will not turn in the ignition sometimes. ill say about 25% of the time it won't. and i haven't fixed it yet. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition switch became stuck and she was unable to start the vehicle for three hours; she also noted that the steering wheel would not move. the steering column had to be taken apart so that the steering wheel would move so the wheels could line up in order for the vehicle to be towed home. the contact had not called the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

I own a 2003 ford focus. sometimes the ignition locks and the key will not even turn in the ignition, leaving me stranded. this problem began a few weeks ago. it has gotten progressively worse. until tonight, when this problem has occurred, the key would turn the ignition after 5 - 10 minutes. tonight, the problem lasted for over an hour and i had to call a tow. i was stranded in a bad area. having looked up this issue online, i can tell it is an all too common problem for ford focus model years 2000 - 2003. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated when he placed his key in the ignition, the ignition switch locked and would not turn over. the dealer was contacted and advised him to bang on the steering column to allow the key to turn the ignition. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the ignition switch was replaced. the failure mileage was 53,600 and the current mileage was 53,850. updated 7/20/10 *cn updated 07/23/10*jb

Ignition cylinder lock sticks, unable to turn key and start car. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition won't turn over the past month the ignition has been slowly increasing in the number of times that it will lock up and won't turn. it used to work for me to put the key in pull out, wait a few seconds then put it back in and it would work. on 5/3/10 my ignition would no longer work and i was stranded in a parking lot on my way home from work. no repair has been completed yet, but i will be looking into it. *tr

Key won't turn in the ignition of our 2003 ford focus just happened today - no prior problem with ignition will most likely call a locksmith. *tr

No previous indication of any problem, just went to my 2003 focus and could not turn the key. went in the house and got the other key. it would not turn. the ignition column is permanently locked. ford has known of this failure for 10 years and done nothing??? why is there no recall for such an ongoing and known defect? i'm surprised i have not heard of deaths related to this as weather conditions, robbery or rape could certainly contribute to this fixable problem. shame on ford. *tr

2003 ford focus se ignition key would not turn to unlock steering wheel and start car while car was parked. ignition cylinder removed & replaced with a better part by locksmith in 25 minutes at a cost of $317. this part should never fail. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that abs indicator light and brake indicator light illuminated on the instrument panel and illuminated on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership for a diagnostic test where the contact was informed that there was corrosion around the circuit board of the instrument panel. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the contact felt that the failure was a safety hazard because the circuit gave false warning indications. the current and failure mileages were approximately 75,000.

Ignition locks up and can not turn key to start engine. *tr

The ignition of my 2003 ford focus se, locked up on me and left me stranded in a parking lot. *tr

2003 ford focus, zx3, 2.3 liter. the key will not turn in the ignition. this has happened about 6 times, leaving me stranded twice. we are calling a lock smith to re-key the ignition and doors again. *tr

I just recently bought my 2003 ford focus. just this week the key would not turn in the ignition and my steering wheel would be locked. i was always able to get my car started after a few tries or 10 minutes or so. today i sat in my car for 40 minutes trying to get my key to turn; it would not. i had to leave my car at the school which i work at, since i am a teacher, and be picked up. i have just read online that many people have or are having this same issue and that there is no recall on the ignition yet. i am confused as to why. this is a safety hazard as it leaves you stranded and to not be able to get your car started is a big deal. if it was just my car, fine, i would get it fixed with no issue. but to read that hundreds or thousands of people and ford focus' are having this same issue is a little outrageous and something needs to be done. thank you. *tr

My 2003 ford focus has a ignition switch problem all of a sudden the key will not start the car it has left us stranded and has taken us as long as 30 minutes to start car. we have tried several remedies like silicone spray, tapping on key so it will start this problem has effected a host of focus owners with costly repairs and we will soon have to spend money to repair this obviously flawed design. *tr

Unable to turn key in the ignition. had occurred sporadically leading up to the date when it was then unable to be used at all, leaving family stranded. had to have vehicle towed to dealership to have ignition replaced. subsequent research revealed this is a common failure problem with this vehicle. *tr

2003 ford focus. went to drive the car got in put the key in the ignition and it won't turn. this is the second time it has happened. 3/4/10, the first time, it "finally", after about 10 minutes turned after putting the key in and out of the ignition. the second time on 3/5/10, it just wouldn't turn. the car is sitting, will have to call a lock smith to get it fixed. *tr

2003 ford focus zx5--key won't turn in the ignition, so can't start car. steering wheel locked up and no amount of cranking, jiggling, etc., would allow me to turn the key in the ignition and start the car. was an intermittent problem for about two months, then tonight i couldn't get the car started at all; neither could a kind stranger; neither could my husband. snowing and cold. i had to leave the car in a grocery store parking lot overnight and hope it will be unharmed in the morning. will probably have to have car towed to a dealership. could have been worse: two weeks ago i was 120 miles from home for three days and would have been terribly stranded. i understand that ford will replace this defective part (ignition switch) with the same switch, which will also be defective, and that i can look forward to getting stranded again when the key will not turn in the ignition switch again. cost will be between $350 and $400, plus time away from teaching school (not a good idea and frowned upon by administration). the $350-$400 will only buy me another faulty ignition switch. this is potentially a life-threatening situation. others have been stranded in freezing, snowy weather nowhere near a repair shop, in extreme heat with small children in the car, in unsafe neighborhoods at night (see http://www.fordproblems.com/focus/key-wont-turn-in-the-ignition.shtml complaints). ford should fix this problem at no cost through a recall and installation of a reliable ignition switch. *tr

Ignition key will not turn, and vehicle can not be started, removing key and inserting again and again would allow it to start this happened every time. now it will not turn at all. *tr

I am a woman who was left sitting when my ignition locked up and the key would not turn in my 2003 ford focus. i called triple a and had the vehicle towed to the dealer for repairs at a cost of $278.00 i have since discovered that this is a problem that apparently has not been fixed by ford and could easily happen again. of course, this would result in another large amount of out of pocket expense for a neglecting act of ford. it seems to be a common expensive problem that should have a recall. it's a dangerous thing for anyone to be left sitting without a functioning vehicle, let alone a woman by herself. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition. we tried 3 keys and the ignition will not turn. we did a little research and this seems to be a very common problem. over 116 so for that have submitted such complaints about this vehicle. recall necessary!!!!! *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus sedan and the ignition locked up one day and wouldn't start. it wasn't the steering column locking and i had to call aaa thinking i'd need to get towed. the aaa guy actually told me this was a very common ford problem and that i was lucky i wasn't stranded too far. i was finally able to start the car by hitting the key with a small tool to "unlock" the ignition. i've tried leaving the key in the ignition to prevent the problem happening again, which makes me feel unsafe, but the problem occurs every time i take the key out and made me worried about being stranded or paying towing costs. i finally took the car to the ford dealer and it is going to cost me almost $500 to get the ignition replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact attempted to start the ignition. however, the engine failed to start. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the failure was contributed to the security system; pass security switch. the repair part was ordered. the vehicle has not been repaired due to the unavailability of the part. the contact had concern of the safety issue involved. the failure mileage was 132,000.

My 2003 ford focus with only 40,000 miles on it would not start. apparently the ignition has a defect leaving me stranded at work. as a soldier there are many people that rely on me to be at a certain place at a certain time. this is a safety issue and should be recalled. apparently the defect is widely reported for ford focus years 2000 to 2003. it could cost me dearly if i was stranded in weather, a remote location without a cell phone, or if my baby was sick and needed to be rushed to the er. *tr

To whom it may concern,recently i was stranded on the road late at night when the ignition switch on my 2003 ford focus failed to turn over. i later found out this is an all too common problem with the ford focus. as a female stranded alone this could have led dire consequences! now i find that the ford dealership wants to charge me some$500 to repair the switch..to be put in jeopardy then charged an obscene amount for their design flaw is outrageous. please help. *tr

My daughter has been stranded several times in her 2003 ford focus. she cannot turn the key in the ignition. the dealer is going to charge $800 to fix this common problem and we do not have that kind of money. i have researched this online and have found that many people have had this same problem. please help. *tr

Ignition in 2003 ford focus fails to work. know issue with ford focus which should be a recall issue due to potential safety factors. *tr

I'm unable to turn the key in the ignition switch, which left me stranded at work after 5:00pm at night. when this happens, the car becomes inoperable until repairs are made. this did happen to me once before around 09/2009. i had my car towed to a locksmith and they were able to fix it. they told me this was a known issue with my car. i looked this issue up online and there are thousands of people who are having the same issue with the ford focus. this issue should be rectified by ford through a recall. i called ford customer service and they said all we can do at this point is log your call. because of this issue i've been stranded twice in the pm. this is a safety issue that should be rectified by ford. *tr

My ignition will not turn on my 2003 ford focus. this is a known defect (or so i have been told by ford), yet is not on any recalls. it needs to have the complete ignition replaced -- at my own cost! apparently the parts are poorly made and they fail. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus. we cannot get the key to turn in the ignition and has left me stranded numerous times. i have read this is a problem with many ford focus owners. this has been going on for a year on and off. i find this to be offensive that it has not been issued as a recall when i see the numbers of people having this very same problem. clearly it is a design flaw in the ignition. *tr

I am an owner of a 2003 ford focus that has had ignition problems for the last 1.5 years. the key will not turn in the ignition, leaving me stranded now three times. i have called ford motor company and reported this issue to them asking them for a "good will" repair, and to no avail. i am not the only owner of a ford focus to have this problem, and wish that the nhtsa would get involved and seek out ford motor company to force them to fix this problem and require them to reimburse the consumers that have had this repair performed. i would also like to see ford motor company forced to recall the vehicles for this problem, and fix it since this is a safety issue. i have had to leave a key in the ignition thus making it very easy for a thief to steal the vehicle. thanks for your attention to this matter. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus zx5 that has an issue with the key turning in the ignition. at random times and locations when returning to the car, i will find that i am no longer able to turn the key in the ignition. i must work at it (longest has been an hour) to get the key to turn. this creates really big problems when you are stranded with kids at different locations and you never know when it is going to occur. from my research on the internet, many other ford focus owners have experienced the same issue and the fix has been to replace ignition switch (something about tumblers not engaging) and the ford service teams are very aware of the issue and the repairs. what i don't understand is why consumers must pay for a wide reaching manufacturer's defect. *tr

My wife has a 2003 ford focus. she was in town at an appointment with my daughter. when she got in her car to return home the key wouldn't turn in the ignition. she was stuck. i see numerous complaints online from people with the same issue, even a class action suit in california. my concern is what if it was late and she was stuck, at night, in the middle of no where? i had to have the car towed to the ford dealership and have it repaired for $450. *tr

The ignition lock of the ford focus completely jammed/locked without warning in a questionable part of town due to substandard manufacturing. i was stranded for over 3 hours. *tr

I had taken my vehicle to the supermarket and when i returned to my vehicle the key would not turn and the steering wheel was locked. i researched this and found that the ford focus has a large amount of complaints of this same nature. i have been unable to get the steering column unlocked and will have to have the car towed for repair. *tr

I was preparing to run some errands on a saturday, but when i went out to start my car, the steering wheel was locked and i could not get the key to turn in the ignition. after around 15 minutes of working the steering wheel i was able to get the key to turn so i could start the car. this kept happening all day off and on, until finally the next day i was out at the grocery store with my mother and when we went to go home, the key would not turn no matter how much i moved the steering wheel. after spending an hour and a half trying everything i could to start the car, i finally had to call a tow truck driver who was able to start the car. the next morning the car would not start and i had to have someone help me get it to a mechanic. the mechanic told me that i needed a new key cylinder and new keys (which have to be programmed because the keys are coded) which would cost over $300. since this just happened out of the blue without any warning and can cause me to be stranded by not being able to start my car, i think that this is a safety issue that needs to be addressed. i tried contacting ford directly, but was basically told they could do nothing about this. from what i have read on this, it seems to be a fairly common problem with the focus (i have a 2003 ford focus zx5) and i believe something needs to be done. *tr

Key in ignition will not turn, can not start car! will have to get it towed to ford dealer for $300+ repair. daughter could have been stuck anywhere. *tr

I was going do the interstate in my ford focus zx3 when all of the sudden i lose all power, im in the middle lane surrounded by 18 wheelers and other cars, and they have to swerve to avoid my car because the alternator went out! this car is terrible! *tr

The ignition switch (that is, where the key goes to start the car) would not turn. i was stuck and had to have the car towed. there had been no warning, that is, the key was never hard to turn, i never had to jiggle the steering column, or anything liked that. i just parked the car in front of a store, and five mints later, went out and found out they key would not turn. (i could remove and re-insert the key, it would not turn) . further more, the dealer and aaa, of course, say to try jiggling the steering wheel. all that did was lock the front wheels in a turned position and made it very hard to move the car get it to a position to be towed. having the wheels lock in a turned position, as is common, could be a hazard too. the aaa guy could not free (turn) the ignition switch it either. i had first cell-phoned called the dealer, they had no suggestions. i see i had the same problem so many other 2003 focuses have reported. the dealer guessed that the cause was that one of the pins in the lock just slipped out of place. the ford dealer had to replace the ignition switch. it was not cheap. i called ford motor company they would not pay for it, or part of it. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus and the key would not turn in the ignition this happened to me 3 times already why is this not a recall???? it seems to be a big problem.... *tr

Ford focus 2003 ignition problem. key will not turn in ignition. have been told no longer covered under warranty. ignition must be replaced at a cost of over $450.00. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact attempted to start the vehicle and observed that the key would not turn inside of the ignition and suddenly, the steering wheel locked. a local mechanic stated that the ignition lock needed to be replaced. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 55,000. updated 1/11/09 *cn the ignition lock had to be replaced because the key or the steering wheel would not move. the consumer stated she can feel the ignition starting to give her trouble again. updated 01/14/10.*jb

The ignition switch on my ford focus wagon (2003) jammed. ford charged me $430 to fix it, even though the part is defective and needs to be replaced in many, many vehicles. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus se. the key will not turn when you put it into the ignition. *tr

The ignition cylinder will not turn. *tr

I went to put my key in the ignition and the key would not turn while in the ignition. this has happened me approximately 3 times. after several attempts to start my car the key finally turns and the car starts. my fear is, that i may get stuck in a bad area when traveling and will be unable to start the car. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus zts that has 140,000 miles. i know my vehicle is out of warranty. the ignition has been giving me problems that scare me from time to time that i may get stranded. you put the key in, go to turn the key to start and the ignition acts locked. you try again and again but still nothing. this has left me trying to turn my ignition for up to 10 minutes so far. this started about 2 months ago, once a week. now it happens everyday, not every time, but at least 2 out of 5 times i go to start my vehicle it happens. this is definitely getting worse very quickly. this seems to be a common problem with the 2000-2003 ford focus models. i have heard that even if i take my vehicle to a ford dealership to have the ignition replaced which will cost up around $500, that the new ignition will probably do the same thing due to ford not correcting the problem in the design of the ignition. i will try calling a locksmith due to the cost being less. i just wanted to let you know this is a common problem occurring and should be checked into as a recall matter. i do not have the patience to wait for that to happen nor do i have the confidence that i will be able to continue to get my vehicle started so i will get this problem fixed. *tr

My 2003 ford focus zts left me (a female) stranded last night for two hours at night while waiting for a friend to give me a ride home because when i came out of the store my key would not turn in the ignition. i tried a number of things for two hours and finally had to leave it at the store overnight. i tried again this morning, but same thing, key would not turn at all no matter what i did! this morning i went on the internet to ask.com and found that this is a major problem with the ford focus. there are over 100 complaints from other focus owners of also being stranded. this is a serious safety issue!!!!! some woman/teenage girl is going to get abducted/raped and murdered because she is left stranded because the dumb key won't turn in the ignition!!!! of course, first thing i did was go to ford to see if there is a recall on the ignition and found out no, there is no recall on this stupid car part!!! the ford dealership said it would cost me probably between $300 and $500 to fix it!!!! and it's a manufacturers defect!!!!! i will never, ever buy another ford vehicle of any type and i will tell everyone i know that ford makes piece of '!@#$% cars and to never buy one!!!! *tr

My 2003 ford focus stranded me on 11/1/2009 because the key would not turn in the ignition. this is a known issue with this car for years 200 - 2003 and ford has done nothing about it. it cost me $300 to get the lock changed out in order to drive the car. this should have been recalled as it is very dangerous to strand owners like this. *tr