2000 FORD FOCUS Complaints

ON THE FORD FOCUS, THE KEY WON'T TURN IN THE IGNITION. THE IGNITION LOCK NEEDS TOTALLY REPLACED. *TR

NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE IGNITION BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY KEY WONT TURN AND THE WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR. HAVE NOT FIXED IT YET. *TR

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 2000 FORD FOCUS FOR OUR 20 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN OCTOBER 2008, SO SHE WOULD HAVE A MEANS OF GETTING TO COLLEGE AND WORK. ON DECEMBER 22 2008 SHE WAS DRIVING WITH A FRIEND TO GO TO LUNCH WHEN SMOKE BEGAN COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND FLAMES SHOT OUT,BLOWING OUT THE WINDSHIELD AND MELTING THE TIRES ETC. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING CAUSING AN ENGINE FIRE. *TR

DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE POWER LOCK ACTUATORS IN A 2000 FORD FOCUS SE (S/W), THE PASSENGER DOOR AND THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR HAVE JAMMED DOOR LOCKS. THE DOORS CAN NOT BE OPENED ANY LONGER BY KEY, BY INSIDE DOOR OPENING HANDLE OR BY THE REMOTE FOB. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT THE ONLY EGRESS FROM THE PARTICULAR CAR IS VIA THE 2 DRIVER SIDE DOORS, MAKING HALF OF THE CAR UNUSABLE. PASSENGERS WHO SHOULD ENTER VIA THE FUNCTIONING DOORS OF THE VEHICLE INTO THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WITH THE JAMMED DOORS DO NOT HAVE AN ESCAPE ROUTE IN CASE OF ACCIDENTS THAT INVOLVE THE FUNCTIONING SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ANY DRIVER OR PASSENGER. AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR "FOCUS JAMMED DOOR" OR "FOCUS JAMMED DOOR LOCK" RETURNS NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF THE SAME PROBLEM, OCCURRING ON ALL FORD FOCUS DOORS INCLUDING TRUNK/HATCH. DRIVERS ENTER THEIR VEHICLES THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE OR EVEN THROUGH THE TRUNK BECAUSE SOME DOOR LOCKS ARE JAMMED DUE TO FAILED POWER LOCK ACTUATORS, WITH ALL SAFETY-RELATED HAZARDS AND CONSEQUENCES. THE JAMMING CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME; THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT IT AND TO TAKE PREVENTIVE MEASURES. A REPAIR IS EXORBITANTLY EXPENSIVE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED BY KEY OR DOOR OPENING HANDLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO AND REPLACE THE POWER DOOR ACTUATOR THAT IS THE CAUSE OF THE JAMMING. FORD IS NEITHER WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM NOR PARTICIPATE IN THE COST OF REPAIRS, THUS FORCING PEOPLE TO TAKE UNACCEPTABLE SAFETY RISKS. BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT THE JAMMED DOORS PRESENT AND THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF AN OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM, A SAFETY RECALL ACTION SHOULD BE INITIATED BY THE NHTSA TO FORCE FORD TO MAKE REPAIRS FREE OF CHARGE. *TR

2000 FORD FOCUS- THE IGNITION LOCKED UP, THE CAR CANNOT BE STARTED, THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED AND IT CANNOT BE PUT INTO GEAR. AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET, IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL AND FORD IS IGNORING THIS AND LETTING THEIR CUSTOMERS PAY FOR AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR

IGNITION FAILURE AFTER REPLACING IT ROUGHLY 1 YEAR AGO. 2ND IGNITION CYLINDER TO BE REPLACED IN THIS CAR. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WENT TO DROP OFF LUNCH TO MY OTHER DAUGHTER AND THE IGNITION LOCKED AND THE KEY WOULDN'T TURN. ACCORDING TO CLARENCE DITLOW WITH AUTO SAFETY .ORG THIS IS THE NUMBER 1 REPORTED DEFECT IN THE 2000-2003 FORD FOCUS, SO WHY ISN'T FORD RECALLING THIS VEHICLE PROBLEM??? MY DAUGHTER CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE REP TOLD HER THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING AND THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO RECALL THIS ISSUE. I THEN CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO RECORD OF ANY PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE KEY LOCKING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I WAS VERY UPSET AND SAID GOODBYE AND WENT ON THE INTERNET TO DO MY RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD IF THIS IS THE WAY THEY REPRESENT THEIR VEHICLES. I THEN CALLED FORD BACK AFTER MY RESEARCH AND INQUIRED WHY THE OTHER REP HAD TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO RECORD OF ANY ISSUES OF THIS TYPE WITH THE FOCUS. ALL I WANT IS FOR FORD TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. NOTHING MY DAUGHTER SIS COULD OF PREVENTED THIS ISSUE AND NOW FORD WANTS ME TO PAY FOR THE IGNITION TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $400 TO $500 ACCORDING TO RESEARCH SHOWN. UNBELIEVABLE... PLEASE HELP... *TR

THERE IS NO INDICATION OR WARNING TO WHEN THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR--IT IS PURELY RANDOM. IT HAS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE THREE TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. WHEN THE KEY IS PUT INTO THE IGNITION, IT WILL NOT TURN. THUS, LEAVING THE DRIVER STRANDED. A LOCKSMITH HAD TO BE CALLED TO WORK ON THE IGNITION. FORTUNATELY, THIS TIME SHE WAS STRANDED AT CHURCH (THE FIRST TIME WAS AT A SHOPPING MALL AND THE SECOND AT WORK). BUT, SHOULD SHE HAVE BEEN SOMEWHERE UNFAMILIAR OR ISOLATED, THIS WOULD HAVE MADE HER QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE BEING ALONE. *TR

I AM WRITING REGARDING MY 2000 FORD FOCUS ZX3. I WAS LEFT STRANDED IN A TOWN 50 MILES FROM MY HOMETOWN. THE KEY WENT IN AND WOULDN'T TURN. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED 3 TIMES TO GET IT TO A FORD DEALER ( WHO IS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD FIX THE PROBLEM). IT COST ME 380.52 TO GET THE CAR FIXED, IN WHICH 221 OF THAT WAS JUST LABOR! BUT SINCE THEY HAD TO PROGRAM THE IGNITION, THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES TO DO IT. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, THE TOW TRUCK DRIVERS SAID THEY TOW 2 OR 3 OF THESE A MONTH BECAUSE OF THIS. FORD HAS TO BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT IS UNFAIR THAT THEY HAVE NOT AT LEAST RECALLED THE PART. AS A CONSUMER, I CAN SAFELY SAY I HAVE LOST A LOT OF RESPECT FOR FORD. AS A CHILD I GREW UP A "FORD FANATIC", HOWEVER DUE TO THE PURCHASE OF MY FOCUS AND THE CARELESSNESS OF THE COMPANY TO TAKE CARE OF THE MINOR PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR, THAT HAS CHANGED. FORD NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THIS PROBLEM AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE WARNED ALL OF MY FRIENDS WITH FOCUSES OF THIS PROBLEM, AND THEY ARE JUST PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM! UNTIL THEN, I AM UNSATISFIED WITH FORD'S SERVICE, AND PRODUCT. *TR

IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES, I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AUG 19, 2008 MY DAUGHTER WAS STUCK IN A ISOLATE AREA WHEN THE KEY WOULDN'T GO IN THE SWITCH. I WAS REPLACED AND 2 MONTHS LATER THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE SWITCH IT WAS REPLACED AGAIN. *TR