2000 FORD FOCUS Complaints

I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE KEY STICKING IN MY IGNITION, BUT LAST NIGHT MY KEY REFUSED TO START THE CAR AT ALL. LEAVING ME STRANDED MILES FROM HOME. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOLD ME THAT HE HAD TOWED 3 FORD FOCUSES IN THE LAST 2 DAYS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO INSERT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN AND START THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE BEGAN IN 2003. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY INSTALLED A NEW IGNITION LOCK IN THE VEHICLE, WHICH RESOLVED THE ISSUE. CURRENTLY, FIVE YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED, BUT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY PARKED AT HER PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

STARTING 2 YEARS AGO REAR HATCH WOULD INTERMITTENTLY UNLOCK WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. PROBLEM WAS WORSE IN COLD WEATHER. WITHIN LAST TWO WEEKS, REAR BRAKE LIGHTS NO LONGER WORK WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, AND THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. ALL SYMPTOMS POINT TO A FAILURE IN THE WIRING HARNESS LEADING FROM THE CAR BODY TO THE REAR HATCH LID. ONLINE FORUMS OF FOCUS OWNERS DOCUMENT BROKEN INSULATION AND WIRES IN THIS WIRING HARNESS. A SIMILAR PROBLEM WAS THE TARGET OF A NHTSA RECALL OF FOCUSES FROM THIS MODEL YEAR, BUT APPARENTLY ONLY APPLIED TO THE SEDANS. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY FORD DEALER TO REPAIR, BUT WITHOUT A RECALL I WILL BE FORCED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND REPORT A RECALL SOON IF APPROPRIATE. THE BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE AND SPONTANEOUS OPENING OF THE REAR HATCH WHILE DRIVING ARE SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARDS. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF OTHER OWNERS REPORTING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE: HTTP://FORUMS.FOCALJET.COM/TEAM-PIT-STOP/457417-ALL-ZX3-OWNERS-PLEASE-READ-POTENTIAL-SAFETY-HAZARD.HTML. *TR

THIS WILL BE OUR 5TH IGNITION REPLACEMENT SINCE PURCHASING THIS CAR NEW IN 2000. THE FIRST THREE WERE COVERED. SINCE WE HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER 500 FOR THIS ONE WE HAVE BEEN MAKING DUE BY LEAVING THE KEY IN AND NOT COMPLETELY TURNED OFF BY JUST A HAIR. OR ON THE OCCASION WE FORGET AND TAKE IT OUT WE HAVE TO BEAT IT WITH THE BACK OF A SCREWDRIVER TO GET IT TO ENGAGE. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO GET OUT AND LEAVE THE CAR IN DRIVE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SINCE I GOT USE TO PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK BEFORE REMOVING THE KEY I CAN NO LONGER REMOVE THE KEY SO I AM DISTRACTED BY DIGGING OUT THE CLICKER SO I CAN GET BACK INTO MY CAR. THIS IS SO DANGEROUS! MY CAR ROLLED ACROSS THE LIBRARY PARKING LOT AND INTO ANOTHER CAR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A CHILD RUN OVER! ALL BECAUSE OF THIS IGNITION PROBLEM. I HAVE NEVER LEFT MY CAR IN DRIVE IN OVER 32 YEARS BEFORE THIS TROUBLE! I HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN RELENTLESS HEAT WITH CHILDREN AND FREEZING TEMPS AGAIN WITH CHILDREN. THIS IS WITH OUT QUESTION A SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO KEEP PAYING FOR A DESIGN FLAW. IT IS NOT FROM OVER USE OR HEAVY KEY CHAINS. THERE ARE MANY MANY DAYS I DON'T EVEN LEAVE THE HOUSE TO USE IT. I DON'T STOP AND START THE CAR A LOT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND WILL NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY FORD. *TR

AFTER MONTHS OF ISSUES STARTING THE CAR AND THE KEY NOT TURNING, THE IGNITION NOW IS COMPLETELY LOCKED. THE KEY...BOTH KEYS PROVIDED BY THE DEALER AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE...WILL NOT TURN THE IGNITION. *TR

IN OUR 2000 FORD FOCUS ZX3, THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME, WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LEAVE MY WIFE OR I STRANDED OUT IN THE COLD. SO FAR, STRUGGLING/WRESTLING WITH THE KEY WILL EVENTUALLY WORK. IN READING ON THE WEB, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON FORD FOCUS CARS, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR NO LONGER CLOSES UNLESS IT IS LOCKED. IT CANNOT BE UNLOCKED WITH A KEY. *TR

I HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND FUEL SYSTEM SERVICE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE NEXT DAY. THE SHOP RESET THE CODE SEVERAL TIMES AND FINALLY TOLD ME THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD. THE CAR ONLY HAS 36000 MILES. THE DEALER SAID THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 5 MONTHS. I HAVE HAD THE MAINTENANCE DONE AND HAVE RECORDS STATING DATES AND MILES ON THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE FAILURE WAS WORSENING BY THE DAY. THE VEHICLE WOULD COMPLETELY SHUT OFF OR SURGE BEFORE SHUTTING OFF. IT WOULD RESTART IMMEDIATELY 80% OF THE TIME AND HAVE TO BE JUMPSTARTED THE REMAINING 20%. THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INITIALLY STARTED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT ALL SPEEDS. THE CONTACT WOULD ONLY MAKE TURNS WHEN NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE AROUND IN FEAR THAT THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V482000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND WOULD CHARGE $86 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 101,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

THIS INCIDENT IS NOT ALL TOO TRAGIC, NO INJURIES OR DEATHS. MY 2000 FORD FOCUS HATCHBACK HAS A STEERING WHEEL LOCK PROBLEM. A HORRIBLY COMMON PROBLEM. IT'S BASED ON A DESIGN FLAW THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECTIFY AND ARE NOW LOOKING FOR A TAX PAYER FUNDED BAILOUT FROM CONGRESS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BECOME COSTLY FOR MANY AND IN VIRTUALLY ALL CASES I'VE HEARD, REPAIRS HAVEN'T WORKED. PLEASE HELP US. *TR