This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The ignition switch jammed as I hear happens alot with these Ford due to inferior parts. The dealer charged me with 3.5 hours shop time to fix this when Ford has issued technical service bullitan # 02-18-2 which calls for 1.1 hours to fix as well as the $135.05 list price of the replacement cylinder kit. If this is such a common problem known to Ford shouldn't it be subject to a ntsb recall?
Ignition switch in 2000 Ford Focus locked up and would not turn. The consequences of this failure were that I missed a very important doctors appointment. Nothing has been done to fix this problem because I do not have the $400 the Ford place said it would cost to fix it. Why has this part not been recalled? it has been an ongoing problem.
The contact owns a 2000 Ford Focus. The contact stated the steering wheel became locked and he was unable to turn the key in the ignition. The dealer replaced the ignition switch to correct the failure. The failure had occurred one additional time following repairs. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 233,000.
The ignition switch, on our 2000 Ford Focus, quit working. This is the second time in less than a year. The last time, I had a locksmith repair it. Now it isn't working again. I "googled" it and found that this is a problem with 2000-2003 models but no recall has been issued. I will call the locksmith for another costly repair but would like this issue looked at possibly for some kind of liability by Ford Motor Company. Thank you.
- Greencastle, PA, USA
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This is the fourth time that the ignition switch has failed on the Ford Focus. The key will go into the ignition but will not turn leaving us stranded. We were lucky this time as the failure occurred at home. One of the previous times was in the middle of winter when my elderly mother was driving the car and was stranded in the country side without cell phone service. She was helped by a passerby that took her to a service station. This problem has been brought to the attention of the dealer and we have been told that it is our problem and poses no safety issues. Fords attitude towards this problem has been that the ignition switch is a consumable part (e.g. tires, brakepads etc.) and you should be happily to get more than the 12000 mile warranty on the part. Sooner or later someone will be stranded by this sub-standard part and it cause them harm or death. Ford needs to be held accountable before this happens.
I own a 2000 Ford Focus. I among several co-workers who car pool became stranded due to a failure in the key lock ignition switch. The key wouldn't turn. My kids had to sit after school for 2 1/2 hours till I could pick them up in another vehicle once I had my vehicle towed. Additionally my co-workers were delayed to their families and several of their children missed important after schools activities. In review of other testimonials online this is a chronic problem with this Ford vehicle and appears to be its number 1 complaint in customer satisfaction..if this is a chronic issue Ford should fix this at no cost to the consumer..so now I tow it to them so they can replace with another failing part for 500.00...it's not right..it is a safety issue for my kids were left un attended for 2 1/2 hours.
1. there were two instances over the past 3 years where my car wouldn't start initially and it took 15 minutes to finally be able to turn the key. 2. I stopped at a gas station to fill up my car which is a 2000 Ford Focus ZX3. I had May 7 year old daughter with me and when we went to leave my ignition locked up. After an hour I had to call someone to come get my daughter as it was 9pm and she had school in the morning. I had someone else come by to see if they could fix it but that was to no avail. Finally after about 3 hours total I had to call a for a tow back to my house as the steering wheel was locked up and I could not even roll the car out of the way because I couldn't turn the wheel to get around the gas pumps. I searched online to see about a recall due to this cars history and to my amazement I found web forum after web forum of complaints about this issue. All you have to do is search the web for "Ford Focus ignition lock" and you'll see what I mean. This is definitely an issue and can be potentially very dangerous. Being stuck and unable to put your car in neutral and move it to the left or right and out of the way, being stuck in extreme weather conditions...possibly with a child or even just being stuck for hours at a time. I read on instance were a women wasn't able to get towed for 6 hours and read another example of a man who had rented a Focus only to have it lock up while at a rest area on the highway. It appears that Ford is simply ignoring this fault and it's costing people $400-$500 every occurrence. Some people have had to pay to have it replaced 3 times or more. Please look into this and try to do something about it. It has been a serious issue. 3. I have get the car towed to a dealer to pay the $400 to have it fixed and hope it doesn't happen again or I can find a locksmith who can come to my house, drill out the ignition and replace it which is cheaper than the dealership but not by much.
I was left stranded at night when my key would no longer fit all the way into my ignition, leaving me unable to start my vehicle. The vehicle was parked in a flat parking lot. The key was not excessively worn nor was it bent. The vehicle started fine only an hour before. Luckily, I was in an urban area with cellular service and I was able to contact roadside assistance. I was told that the vehicle would need to be towed. The tow truck driver was unable to load the car on the flatbed because the tires were turned and the steering wheel was locked. Since I could not insert the key all the way, the steering wheel would not unlock allowing the wheels to straighten. I then had to contact a locksmith who advised he could replace the ignition cylinder. He advised that he would replace the part with a different model than the oem because if the oem model was installed, it could fail again. Thank goodness my roadside assistance plan covered most of the cost for the failed tow attempt and the ignition switch replacement. A quick search on the internet reveals this is a widespread problem affecting thousands of cars of this year and model type. There were thousands of complaints returned in my search results. This is unacceptable!!! I do lots of state to state traveling and I could have been abandoned in an unsafe location with no cellular service in bad weather conditions! what if I have children or elderly passengers in the car"?" this is extremely irresponsible to have a known problem go uncommunicative to Ford owners. People rely on their vehicles to start and that the ignition switch could fail without warning is scary. I can think of a dozen of "what if" scenarios that could put drivers in danger. This part can be replaced quickly and relatively inexpensively (unless you go through the dealership it seems) with a different model ignition switch to prevent this from happening if Ford would just communicate this known problem to its customers.
Ignition switch failure, went to leave and key will go in ignition but will not turn either way. I will have to get this replaced myself even though I found 466 complaints about the same problem with this make and model/ 20+% of the entire inventory so far have this problem. I guess someone will have to be killed in order to get a recall for this problem, any volunteers?
There has been an ongoing problem with my ignition switch in my 2000 Ford Focus. The steering column seems to lock up on me and the key wont turn to unlock it. This problem has been ongoing for a while now. I know I am not the first person this has happen to. I just hope something can be done about this. Ford wants almost $400 dollars to fix this problem and it isn't even a guaranteed fix. I don't think this is right for Ford to charge that kind of money for something that will happen again down the road.
Tonight (12/29/2007), for the fourth time (six times total), the ignition switch on my 2000 Ford Focus died, leaving me stranded yet again. This time, I was left stranded in 12 degree weather for seven hours. It is amazing I didn't get frostbite - or worse. I bought my Focus in 2002, with 52,000 miles on it. The prior owner had replaced the ignition switch twice on the car - once about 12,000 miles (under warranty) and once about 42,000 miles. I replaced the switch at 58,000, 72,000 and 102,000 miles. Car now has 137,000 miles and once again, I'm going to have to replace the [xxx] ignition switch again, after being assured by the Ford dealership that this would never happen again ("it's been redesigned, the problem is fixed.") '!@#$%. the Ford dealership has said that every single time I've had to replace it, after taking $300-$375 of my money each time, and several thousand miles later, I'm having to replace it again! the Ford dealership will only warranty the ignition switch for a lousy 12,000 miles. What is particularly aggravating isn't the money so much as the cavalier attitude Ford has that this is not a "safety issue." Tell that to my still-cold body! you sit for seven hours in a car, stuck, unable to turn the heat on, in freezing temperatures. Is it going to take someone dying before Ford owns up to this problem? information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
My wife purchased a 2000 Ford Focus LX. She went out to her vehicle and the ignition key will not turn. We have turned the steering wheel left and right to get the ignition to turn. The steering wheel is also locked. I searched the web and found numerous complaints about the ignition switch and how some people have had to replace the part more then once. Why does Ford not recognize this problem in a recall. I know this is 2007 but I thought Ford was usually on top of things. Can anything be done? I have printed up numerous complaints on this topic. So what is being done if anything to correct this problem. I have been unable to find a recall from Ford on this problem. Out of all the vehicles I have owned I have never had to replace an ignition switch or part!!!!!!!
Key cylinder on 2000 Ford Focus has been replaced twice now. Car has less than 80,000 miles on it. I can not believe a recall was not issued. Went out the first time at 18,000 miles and at $356 a pop I believe the public is being taken for a ride.
The contact owns a 2000 Ford Focus. When the key was turned in the ignition, the vehicle would not start and the steering wheel locked. The key that is used to start the ignition is also used for the doors. The key stopped working for the passenger side door and the trunk. The vehicle does not have power locks. The dealer stated that the ignition switch needed to be replaced, however, they did not suggest a remedy for the doors. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 17,000. Update 01-15-08. Updated
The first time I couldn't get the key into the ignition. Then after 30 minutes I got it to go in. Then when I parked, I couldn't get the key out. So I drove home. Had to call a locksmith to come drill out the cylinder and put a new one in--$220. This had never happened before. Even though no one was harmed by this defect on my 2000 Ford Focus with 51,000 miles on it, I was very inconvenient for me. What if I had been traveling alone at night away from the city and locksmiths and my car wouldn't start because the key wouldn't turn or go in? I would be stranded. That to me is a safety issue. A quick search online shows that there are thousands of Focus owners who have had this same problem and Ford has done nothing about it. There should be a recall.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- San Francisco, CA, USA