Problems with 2003 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2003 ford focus ignition wont turn resulting is a stranding situation, possibly in dangerous areas. *tr

Upon leaving work last night, i put my key into the ignition and it would not turn. 4 people tried to turn the key, still without success. i tried to wiggle to steering wheel, the gear shift and lock and unlock the car before trying again. finally, my car had to be towed. the towing man stated that this is the most common complaint on all the ford focuses he tows, as do many websites i have recently located. overall, it seems that once i finished paying off my ford focus, it has been needing mechanic work ever since on various parts. i always get my routine oil changes and mileages check-ups. my car is now at the mechanic and i am awaiting an estimate. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact was attempting to exit the vehicle and the key would not release from the ignition. the contact also noticed that the gears would not shift into reverse. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 75867.

2003 ford focus ignition will not unlock with the key. i have had multiple problems with this. the first time was approx on the date listed below. after about 30 mins of jimmying the key in the ignition it finally unlocked. it has happened several more times since then and with about the same amount of time messing with it i was able to get it unlocked. today, though, it locked up again and no matter what i do it will not unlock. why is there no recall mandated on this issue since it seems to be a severe problem with the 2000-2003 ford focus. what if i were in an emergency situation and i could not get my car started? i have heard problems from fellow focus owners that even after replacing the ignition the same problem continued and all they get is a "sorry" from ford. this is unacceptable!!! *tr

Ignition locks and i am unable to turn the key to start my ford focus 2003. i was left stranded with my sixth mo. old son while running errands at a gas station. i had to have my vehicle towed and had to have the ignition replaced for $290.00 in addition to towing fees. this is the first time it has occurred, but was informed that this is an ongoing problem with the ford focus and was warned by the tech that replaced the ignition, that there is a very good chance it would happen again. i live in a minnesota where winters are very cold, and am concerned i will be stranded again with an infant because of a manufacturing default. *tr

On tuesday my car operated normally. wednesday morning i went to leave for work and my key would not turn. fortunately i was at home, however i could have been stuck somewhere. i could have had an emergency and not been able to use my car. i had to have it towed to a dealership, miss 3 days of work and am out $510. *tr

I have been driving this car for almost 2 years with no ignition problem. i drove to work, and ran a few work related errands throughout the day. as i was preparing to leave work for the day i put my key into the ignition and it felt as if it were completely locked. more than 3 people tried to turn the key and offered different ideas as to what the problem was. triple a was called out and he explained this is a common problem with this model. he informed me the tumblers in the ignition have suddenly stopped dropping and recognizing my key. he then placed the key in the ignition, tapped in a few times to release the tumblers and it started. we then turned the vehicle off and struggled a bit to get the key out. it is now 2 days later and the situation has gotten worse and is affecting my transportation. i do not understand how it worked fine all day without a "sticking" feeling or a resistance to turn and now it is completely impossible to get in and turn the key with ease. it is simply stuck and no one can really explain why, other than poor quality within the ford motor company. *tr

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

We drove our 2003 ford focus to the grocery store. upon returning to the car, the key would not turn in the ignition and stranded my wife, 4 year old and 6 month old children and myself wondering what we could do. *tr

With no warning, the key will not turn in the ignition. this happened immediately after i purchased the car, and it's happening again five years later. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. whenever the contact attempted to start the vehicle, the contact noticed that the ignition and steering wheel suddenly locked and could not be moved once the key was turned to the lock position. the key also could not be removed from the ignition. the dealer stated that the ignition needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 60000.

Key won't turn in ignition of 2003 ford focus. this happens fairly often, but after several tries the key will usually work. now the key won't work at all. had to leave the car behind. *tr

Ignition switch will not turn. *tr

Ford focus key/ignition problem. the key won't turn in the ignition. after doing some research on this problem i found that this is a common problem for the years 2000 - 2003. also found information that the oem parts used to fix this problem have the same defect. luckily my daughter was in the parking lot at her apartment. but this could have happened anywhere, i.e. highway, road, isolated area, etc... bottom line is that ford is aware of the defective part and has made no effort to correct the defective part, other than making the owner pay $400 plus dollars to put in another oem defective part. someone needs to investigate this part at ford. *tr

I have a 2003 ford focus. a few months ago the key would not turn in the ignition at times. usually after a few tries it would finally turn over. this past tuesday while at a grocery store my luck run out. now the key will not work at all. the ignition is locked up. i called the dealerships and they said this was a common problem with this car. if it is a common problem then why isn't something being done about it? the tow truck driver and the place i had my car repaired where also familiar with this problem with this car. what do consumer's have to do not be taken advantage of by the ford company. does someone have to be stranded out somewhere and killed before ford admits to a problem. i have always bought fords but after this i will never purchase another one. *tr

Ignition key cannot be extracted from vehicle and we couldn't turn the engine off for a period then, couldn't restart it afterwards. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus and the key will not start the car until it is gently tapped with a hammer (i learned how to do this by reading all the complaints about this problem on the internet) this is a safety problem for instance a person is alone in an unlit area after working the late shift they cant start their car cause the ignition mechanisms are defective ford recognizes the problem but for some reason has not been legally required to fix this defect by recalling all affected vehicles another safety issue is the fact that i have to carry a hammer in my car wherever i go the cops could say i am carrying it as a weapon. *tr

My 19 year old son a full time college student, was stranded in a parking lot a distance from home because the key would not turn in the ignition. a few times he has had to, jiggle the key to start the car. and now it will not turn at all. the car is still stranded in a parking lot because it happened on the weekend. i am in fear for my sons safety, heading back to college 6 hours from home. *tr

I own a 2003 ford focus. i just hit 70k miles yesterday, and starting today my ignition is completely locked up. my car is in park, the tires are not turned, etc. i went back in the house to try and find a solution and upon searching i found site after site, complaint after complaint about 2000-2003 ford focus' locking up like this after 70k miles, and that it costs $500 to fix. my car is no longer under warranty. this is clearly a manufacturing defect but is not covered by ford and has not been recalled yet. i do not have the money to replace this and now my car is useless and can't even be moved. i can only move the steering wheel about an inch and a half either way and the key in the ignition does not move at all. *tr

I have a ford focus 2003 in which the ignition key will not turn and everytime i need to start the car i have to rock the steering wheel real hard right to left. one occasion the car locked up on me while back but fortunately i was able to stop it as i was moving very slow. this ignition problem is a very real safety issue and steps need to be taken to make ford fix the problem before someone gets killed. you only have to go to the internet and put in the search window "ford focus ignition problems" and it will tell you all you need to know. in fact i found out in california there is a clss action suite against ford for this very same problem. i will probably have a locksmith fix the ignition as i don't want topay double to the ford dealer. *tr

I bought a 2003 ford focus from an auto dealer in august, 2009. i am having constant problems with the ignition cylinder - the key keeps getting stuck in it. i was told by the ford dealership here that they would charge $450 to have it repaired. researching this online, i've found that it is a common problem with the 2003-2004 ford focus cars! please consider a recall for the defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while driving the instrument panel failed to operate normally. the gas gauge and the speedometer intermittently failed to register the fuel level and speed. this occurs approximately 6 to 7 times a day. the dealer stated the cost to diagnose the failure is $70.00. a local mechanic stated that he is aware that the failure exist with her year, make and model vehicle; however, he would also have to mail the part to be repaired by another facility. the parts would be available within 2 days due to the odometer reading. the contact is requesting that the manufacturer assumes the cost to repair the vehicle. the failure mileage was 90000 and the current mileage was unknown.

The ignition switch on out 2003 ford focus continually jams and will not allow the key to turn and start the car. this can be remedied on occasion by hitting the key while in place, but the time it takes to get it unjammed varies. we're afraid this may happen while my wife and child are out somewhere and there is no one to help them, thus leaving them stranded. we've looked online and discovered this is an inherent problem with this model. this happens at least twice in any given day; sometimes it's more often than that. the only real solution we have at the moment is to leave the key in the ignition, but this makes the car prone to being stolen, thus leaving us with no transportation. we tried contacting ford directly and were told to call back on monday. as we understand it from our online research, this problem continues even after replacing the ignition switch. as far as we know, there is no recall about this, although a class action suit has been filed in california regarding this issue. *tr

Been having problems for the last four months with the ignition cylinder sticking. on aug 13, 2009 i went to start the car and the cylinder was stuck. i have a new cylinder to replace the old one. *tr

The ignition switch will not turn on my 2003 ford focus. this car only has 45000 miles and has been treated gently. i've read 100's of posts online about this same issue and yet ford is reluctant to recall this or even offer a discount. *tr

My brake lights and cruise control failed: the result of the wiring harness being constantly abraded in the hinge of the hatchback. all of the wires were exposed, and it caused not only a driving safety hazard, but a fire hazard as well. in the year 2000, this same problem caused a recall of the 2000 ford focuses, but i have written to ford and they deny any responsibility for my car. "thank you for contacting the ford motor company customer relationship center regarding the wiring harness concern on your 2003 ford focus. your vehicle is not involved in any recalls or customer satisfaction programs at this time." is their response. i am having the problem corrected by my mechanic: he will lengthen the wires so that they cannot be caught in the hinge. ford only will replace the entire harness, which is the same as the one that failed. *tr

The key won't turn in the ignition and i was stranded at a walmart parking lot. *tr

The ford focus 2003 problem, the key won't turn in the ignition, or the key gets stuck in the ignition. *tr

2003 ford focus ignition key and tumbler switch. i put the key in the ignition and it won't turn. i have been stranded numerous times. i understand the repairs are $400 +. *tr

The key was starting to stick then i could not get the in the ignition switch to start the car so my son that works for ford said to tap on the key then it should start so i did and it worked it is an on going thing i think that if ford knows there is a problem they should do a recall on it the car is a 2003 ford focus and is not under warranty like the other owners that have complained about the same problem so now i have to pay to get it fixed like all of the other owners it happens almost every day i go to get my car started it is very annoying. *tr

Car parked at mall later at night. when to try and start car but the key would not turn in the ignition. this failure caused me to have my car towed to the dealership and the ignition switch replaced which cost $427.00. the ignition switch was faulty but was most likely replaced with the same type of switch which will fail again. i was also left stranded for several hours. luckily, i was not in a deserted area or the consequences could have been life threatening.*tr

Ford focus ignition switch froze up in my 2003 ford focus. could not start car , turn wheel or take out of park. ford company would not pay for their faulting ignition. this is dangerous especially for women who travel alone. they need to recall this part........... *tr

The key won't turn in the ignition. this is a safety issue because i was parked on the side of the interstate to tend to one of my children and then the car would not turn back on causing me to have to call for a ride and a tow truck. the key will not turn at all. the ignition is "locked". my family and i could have been killed getting out of the vehicle on the side of the interstate to move into another vehicle. very unsafe. i have been researching this today and it appears so be a common problem with the 2000-2003 ford focus. *tr

The ignition lock on my 2003 ford focus locks up and the key will not turn in the ignition. it started out as just sticking a little bit but working after turning the steering wheel several times. it ended with it completely locking up. i had to have the car towed to a safe place and a locksmith came out and repaired the pins in the ignition tumbler. *tr

Nothing lead up to the failure other than it happened a few times. i haven't been able to get it to a shop. the ignition key does not turn, it locks. i cannot start my car. i have been stranded at various locations. i got stranded with no cash, no food or water in the heat with no shade around. dehydration was a concern. i haven't fixed it yet, trying to figure out the best way. i have found numerous posts pertaining to this problem and that's how i came to file this complaint. *tr

On my 2003 ford focus the ignition is gone it won't work. i was told by yankee ford that this is a regular problem with this type of car. it's something to do with the locking chamber it cost 400.+ dollars to fix. it i think this is a safety recall because something bad could happen be it on the road or in a parking lot late one night ..........say if someone is getting out of work and there sitting trying to start their car and it won't and then they get mugged robbed of raped...all because of fords faulty ignition lock chamber..... *tr

Intermittent problem with ignition on 2003 ford focus; the wheel locks and the key will not turn. this has been a safety issue because the first time it occurred i was pulled over on the side of the interstate. after persistently wiggling the wheel and key for twenty or so minutes, the ignition enabled the key to turn. being that the ignition failed while on the interstate and that i was unable to get out of the way in a safe manner is potentially fatal to passengers and drivers of the ford focus. the consequences of the ford focus faulty ignition have been unpredictable introductions to being stranded and extremely dangerous provocations. the second time my ignition failed, nearly a month afterwards, the ignition failed on the focus was a safety issue also. the wheel locked and the key would not turn while parked in a parking garage late at night. direct results of the faulty ford ignition put drivers and passengers in danger and moreover prevent them from leaving dangerous places. it took well over a half hour in the dangerous failure of my locks also: the third ignition failure also compounding in the security system to putter out. actions to correct the second incident were from a mechanic to use wd 40 and try using a separate key, but the problem was much more complex and dangerous than anticipated. using my spare key worked and the ignition no longer locked. these actions suggested by a mechanic remedied the problem, but only temporarily. the third time this has happened was yesterday, and i'm now getting estimates for replacing the ignition and the security system. in lieu of near death, i demand a recall. *tr

The key will not turn in my ignition on my 2003 ford focus. i have to jiggle and jiggle to get it finally turn. it is like it locks up. going to see a lock smith about possibly getting it fixed if i can not get ford to make a good faith repair on it. took my 20 minutes to get the key to turn in order to start my car. *tr

2003 ford focus zx3. ignition switch locking up and not allowing the steering wheel to unlock. this problem has occurred at least 6 time in the last 12 months. this problem has made me late for work each time. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. upon starting the vehicle, the contact was unable to turn the key in the ignition. the steering wheel would not budge; therefore, a tow truck was called. the contact previously experienced issues with the key becoming stuck in the ignition; however, she was always able to start the vehicle. the tow truck driver stated that the failure was identical to two other vehicles he towed the previous day. the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls and they had never heard of this type of failure. they were unable to assist and would not assume responsibility for any repairs. the failure mileage was 58,450 updated 07/08/09 *bf updated 07/08/09.*jb

2003 ford focus .we have had ignition problems since we bought the car 4 years ago ( was a used car) the ignition was replaced once. now we have trouble again. my wife got stuck at a shopping center. my son, a mechanic tried to help, but couldn't get the key to turn. she called aaa. when he arrived he "hit" the ignition very hard and the key turned. she was able to get home, but we expect to have more trouble. it has been happening almost everyday. if the car were to stall on the highway, and not be able to get the key to turn, it could be very dangerous and could cause a serious accident. this should a safety recall. everyone needs to be able to at least turn the key. we will have to go to ford to replace the ignition at the cost of $400- 500.. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition. this was the second time that he has experienced an issue with the ignition. the ignition was previously replaced due to a separate issue. he called the manufacturer, but was unsatisfied with the outcome. the contact feels that the vehicle will be stolen if the keys are left in the ignition. the current and failure mileages were 198,156.

My car key would always go in but no turn. once in a while if i jiggled it, it would turn over and be okay. but i was shopping and the car would not start at all, so i called aaa. they had me try a couple of things and it didn't work so it was towed to my car dealer. heir they said that the ignition went and they would have to replace it at the cost of $350. shocked because it was nothing that i could have broken. so i think that ford should recall this as a recurring problem that keeps happening and just fix the problem. my car is always in the shop every 3,000 miles for oil changes it is very well taken care of and i would like to keep it and in the future buy more ford products so i hope that this problem is taken into consideration and fixed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition switch would lock up on several occasions. the ignition would not turn when the key was inserted, which prevented the vehicle from being started. the manufacturer would not assist or assume liability under warranty since there were no recalls. the failure and current mileages were less than 82,000.

My 2003 svt focus takes 2 to five minutes of jiggling the key to get the ignition to work. i have read several complaints on this issue and contacted my nearest dealership and have been told they can fix it at my cost and that there is not a recall on it. the car is very well taken care of and has left me stranded a couple of times because of the ignition not working properly. *tr

The key will not turn in ignition to start the car. *tr

Hopped in my car like normal to drive myself to work. placed key in ignition. won't turn. had to call of work after an hour of toying with it and calling my manager every 15 minutes letting them know... it won't budge.*tr

The ignition key will not turn on my 2003 ford focus. i understand that this has been a common problem on this model of vehicle. my daughter was stranded in the vehicle because of this problem. there have been no warnings or signs that this problem was impending. *tr

The ignition switch lock keeps failing on my 2003 ford focus zx3. i have had a locksmith fix it twice now. the cost to me so far is over $400. *tr

My 2003 ford focus ignition lock will not turn. fortunately for ford, my warranty is up. i have read reviews that this is a common complaint with the ford focus model in the years 2000-2003. i cannot drive without fearing that the ignition will lock up on me and i will be stranded. this is very hazardous to me. i was lucky to not have had an emergency to attend to when i was stranded unable to start my car. *tr