2001 FORD FOCUS Complaints

BOUGHT A 2001 FORD FOCUS (USED) FROM A ORIVATE PARTY. THE PERSON I BOUGHT IT FROM HAD THE IGNITION CHANGED TWICE AND IT HAS LOCKED UP ON ME IN LESS THAN A YEAR. I BOUGHT A CYLINDER AND KEY SET FROM AUTO ZONE AND CHANGED IT OUT MYSELF, $90 LATER THE CAR WILL NOT START BECAUSE OF THE ANTI-THEFT IN CAR AND I REFUSE TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER (ARCENEAUX FORD). FORD SHOULD REPLACE THESE IGNITION CYLINDERS BECAUSE THEY ARE JUNK AND SEEM TO OCCUR OFTEN. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION CYLINDER SWITCH HAS SEIZED. HE COULD NOT PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE CONTACT HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE HAS 40,000 MILES. THE CONTACT HAS NOT CONTACTED A REPAIR SHOP. HE WAS GOING TO CONTACT A LOCKSMITH. THE VEHICLE WAS OPERABLE ON 1/3/06. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT IGNITION WILL NOT TURN WITH THE KEY. THIS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES , AND SHETOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 1-3-07. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR, AND SHE WILL HAVE THE REPAIR ORDER FROM THE WORK DONE. *AK

THE IGNITION ON MY 2001 FORD FOCUS ZX3 HAS LOCKED UP ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, RENDERING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO START THE CAR, AS THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE LOCK. EACH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN THE PAST, I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO START THE CAR BY JIGGLING THE KEY IN THE LOCK FOR UP TO TEN MINUTES. THIS TIME, HOWEVER, AFTER JIGGLING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION FOR A FULL FORTY-FIVE MINUTES, THERE WAS STILL NO GIVE IN THE IGNITION. I TRIED TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO EITHER SIDE AS HARD AS I COULD WHILE TURNING THE KEY, AND IT DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER FINALLY GIVING UP, I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOME ADVICE ONLINE, AND I SAW RIGHT AWAY THAT HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR CARS. EACH TIME, IT TAKES THEM HAVING TO REPLACE THE IGNITION FOR A COST OF BETWEEN 200 AND 700 DOLLARS, ALL COSTS INCLUDED. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT I WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE SAME COURSE OF ACTION, AS I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN POSSIBLY DO. I CAN'T EVEN HAVE A FRIEND PULL MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER IT IN ITS PRESENT STATE. I WILL HAVE TO PAY THE COST OF A PROFESSIONAL TOW-TRUCK AND THEN PAY THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE IGNITION ON TOP OF IT ALL. I UNDERSTAND THROUGH MY RESEARCH ONLINE THAT THE REASON THIS ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN DEALT WITH THROUGH A RECALL BY FORD IS THAT IT DOES NOT POSE "AN IMMEDIATE AND IMMINENT HEALTH RISK." THAT MAY BE SO, BUT IT CAUSES FORD FOCUS OWNERS, LIKE MYSELF, COUNTLESS AMOUNTS OF FRUSTRATION AND ANGER TO NOT BE ABLE TO USE OUR CARS. MY CAR IS NOW SITTING ON THE CURB OUTSIDE MY HOUSE, IN PERFECTLY DRIVABLE CONDITION IN EVERY WAY, AND I CAN'T EVEN TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. IF YOU HAVE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, PLEASE LOBBY WITH ALL OF YOUR INFLUENCE TO HAVE FORD ADDRESS AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *JB

CONTINUALLY STALLING OF THE ENGINE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, HARD TO START AS IT WILL STALL DURING STARTUP. IT BEGAN JUST STALLING FOR A SECOND ABOUT ONCE A WEEK AT THE MOST. NOW WHEN I DRIVE IT, IT DOES IT ABOUT EVERY 10 SECONDS. IT HAS LEAD TO MY CAR FAILING TO SPEED UP, THE ENGINE KICKING AND STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND THE CAR ALTOGETHER FAILING TO DRIVE WHILE ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. IT IS NOW NEARLY UNDRIVABLE. THE CAR WILL BE LOOKED AT IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK BUT FORD SAYS THAT WHILE THEY HAVE RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM ON THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL OF VEHICLE, IT DOES NOT INCLUDE MY VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE MANUFACTURED DATE. *JB

THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WINDOW OPERATING CABLE MECHANISM BROKE. THIS WAS SHORTLY FOLLOWED (WITHIN A MONTH OR SO) BY THE FAILURE OF THE SAME MECHANISM IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW. BOTH WINDOWS FAIL TO RISE AND ANY ATTEMPTS TO USE THE WINDOW SWITCHES ARE ANSWERED WITH GRINDING CRACKING SOUNDS. THE WINDOWS ARE CURRENTLY HELD UP USING COAT HANGERS. *NM

WHEN I TRIED TO START MY 2001 FORD FOCUS THIS MORNING TO RETURN HOME, THE IGNITION LOCKED. I HAD THIS PROBLEM FIXED 2CE BEFORE WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN I WENT ON THE WEB FOR INFO I SPENT HRS READING OF ALL THE OTHER CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT FORD HAS DONE NOTHING TO SOLVE THIS. IT WAS SUGGESTED I WRITE TO THIS SITE. *NM

2001 FORD FOCUS: IGNITION KEY WILL NOT TURN AFTER INSERTION, SO THE CAR WON'T START. JAMMING KEY HARD INTO COLUMN AND MAYBE ROCKING THE STEERING WHEEL EVENTUALLY ENABLES THE KEY TO TURN AND START THE VEHICLE. INTERMITTENT, BUT NOW BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. LAST TIME IT TOOK 40 MINUTES TO START CAR - COULD BE PERSONAL DANGER. *JB

I OWN A 2001 FORD FOCUS ZTECH. MY CAR WAS STALLING AT RANDOM IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING AND FINALLY WOULDNT START AT ALL. I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID MY BATTERY CABLES WERE MELTED, SO THEY REPLACED THEM, REROUTED THEM, ALONG WITH MY CLIPS, ETC. THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY MY CABLES WOULD BE LIKE THAT AND SAID THAT IS PROBABLY WHY MY CAR DOESN'T START ALL THE TIME, BUT THEY COULDN'T BE POSITIVE SO THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I REPLACE MY STARTER AS WELL. THEY CHARGED ME $998. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO ME IN PREVIOUS YEARS. I WENT TO THE VEHICLE RECALL SITE AND SEE THAT FORD STARTED A RECALL IN 2003 ON THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM. WHY DIDN'T I RECEIVE RECALL INFORMATION ON MY CAR? I'VE STALLED BEFORE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC LAST YEAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAD MY BATTERY REPLACED. THIS HAPPENS TOO MUCH. I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN'S SAFETY TO WORRY ABOUT. WHAT BOTHERS ME IN ADDITION TO THAT IS THAT THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT I USED SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THIS RECALL AND RELATED IT TO MY VEHICLE'S PROBLEM. I FEEL THIS IS A TERRIBLE SAFETY ISSUE, AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP GETTING NEW BATTERIES/CABLES AND STARTERS. ALSO, MY KEY KEEPS GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION, AND FORD WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT EITHER, EVEN THOUGH MY DEALER SAID IT'S A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS PRODUCT. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST ME AT LEAST $400 TO FIX IT. I'VE ALREADY GOTTEN STUCK AT A STORE TWICE. IT JUST WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO. *NM

IGNITION CYLINDER LOCKED UP AND I COULDN'T GET THE KEY IN. HAD TO HAVE IT DRILLED OUT AND REPLACED - $300. *JB