2001 FORD FOCUS Complaints

INSERTED KEY IN IGNITION AND KEY REFUSES TO TURN. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *NM

IGNITION DIDN'T TURN, THE ONLY WAY TO TURN KEY WAS TO BANG AGAINST KEY WITH SCREW DRIVER, PROBLEM GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, SO EVENTUALLY I HAD TO GET IT REPAIRED. MANY FORD FOCUS FORUMS STATE THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM UPON MANY FOCUS'! *NM

WHEN WE PULLED UP AT THE STORE THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE; HOWEVER, WHEN WE TRIED TO LEAVE THE STORE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED UP AND WE COULD NOT START THE CAR. WE TRIED MANY DIFFERENT THINGS (AS IT SAYS IN THE MANUAL) INCLUDING THE MANUAL OVERRIDE ON THE BASE NEXT TO THE GEAR SHIFT AND CHECKING FOR BLOWN FUSES. WE ENDED UP HAVING TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO OUR HOME WHERE A LOCKSMITH CAME OUT AND REPLACED THE CYLINDER IN THE IGNITION. HE ALSO HAD TO RECODE THE KEYS SO THAT THEY WOULD WORK IN THE IGNITION. THE WORST PART WAS THAT WE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN (NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO PRIOR PROBLEMS, ETC.) AND WE WERE STUCK OUT IN 98 DEGREE HEAT WITH OUR 2 SMALL CHILDREN!! *NM

VEHICLE STARTS SURGING AND LOSING POWER 2 DAYS LATER, VEHICLE STALLS IN LEFT TURN LANE AND CONTINUES AT EVERY STOP(I HAVE TO DOUBLE PEDDLE TO KEEP VEHICLE RUNNING). FOUND RECALL ON NHTSA WEBSITE TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP HOWEVER, I AM TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE DOESN'T FALL UNDER NHTSA: 03V482000. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO HAVE THE PLANT MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT IN TO BE RE-EVALUATED I AM HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM THAT THE RECALL DESCRIBES. *NM

I WAS DRIVING ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY WHEN MY WIPERS FAILED TO WORK IN THE POURING RAIN. I PULLED OVER AND DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO GET HOME. LUCKILY, FOR ME THE RAIN LET UP ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET HOME. IT IS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE WHEN YOUR DRIVING AND WIPERS GO DEAD. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS THANK YOU. *JB

THIS COMPLAINT IS IN RESPONSE TO HELP ANOTHER PERSON IN ELECTRICAL COMPLAINTS. THE FLICKER YOU HAVE WITH YOUR 2001 FOCUS IS SUPPOSEDLY A GROUND ISSUE TO THE CHASSIS. IT APPEARS TO HAVE FIXED MY PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENTS AND HEADLIGHTS AND ANYTHING ELECTRICAL FLICKERING SPORADICALLY. THE FIX IS PRETTY CHEAP UNDER 20 BUCKS AND YOU COULD DO IT YOURSELF IF YOU ARE SOMEWHAT MECHANICAL. AS FOR MY COMPLAINT. FOR A CAR TO BE IN THE TOP 10 FOR A FEW YEARS AND A GREAT ECONOMY CAR THIS IS NOT THE CAR WITH AN ANSWER. I HAVE SUCH REPLACED 2 ALTERNATORS UNDER WARRANTY, 3 BATTERIES BEFORE I FIXED MY GROUND PROBLEM. REPLACED PVC VALVE 2 TIMES, RADIATOR, TRUNK RELEASE ACTUATOR, NUMEROUS HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS, RADIATOR AND HOSES THAT WERE BUSTED FROM OVERHEATING, COUPLE OF BELTS, DRIVER DOOR LOCK, SOMETHING WITH THE GAS TANK I THINK TO BE A FUEL PUMP. ALL OF THIS WITH 30K ON THE CAR. SINCE THEN I HAVE ONLY REPLACED TIRES AND RIMS ON THE CAR AT 130K I DECIDED TO REPLACE ANY PART AFTER WARRANTY WITH AFTERMARKET GEAR. SO NOW THE CAR HAS A COLD AIR INTAKE, SVT ENGINE, AEM ON BOARD COMPUTER TO ADJUST WITH LAPTOP, NITROUS, AFTERMARKET HELLA LIGHTS, NEW PAINT JOB, NEW DASH INDIGLO LIGHTS, NEW STEREO SPEAKERS, INTERIOR. SO AFTER ALL THIS I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE JUST BOUGHT A LEXUS AND CALLED IT A DAY. THE CAR NOW RUNS GREAT AND HAS NOT HAD A SINGLE PART FAILURE SINCE. *NM

THE IGNITION CYLINDER IS A KNOWN FAILURE IN THE 2000-01 FORD FOCUS. I HAVE A 2001 FORD FOCUS AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THIS PART. THE STEERING WHEEL AND IGNITION LOCK UP AND THE VEHICLE IS USELESS. THE WORN KEYS SEEM TO WORSEN THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A 12-18 MONTH LIFE SPAN ON THE PART AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. IF YOU WOULD GO TO AUTOMOTIVE TALKNET.COM AND CHOOSE THE TOPIC IGNITION CYLINDER ON THE FORD FOCUS YOU WILL SEE HOW MUCH OF A RECALL THIS SHOULD BE AND HOW WE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR ALL THE MONEY WE HAVE SPENT. *NM

VEHICLE STALLS UNDERWAY DUE TO CLOGGED FUEL FILTER. I HAVE REPLACED THE FUEL FILTER THREE TIME IN THE LAST 10,000 MILES. APPEARS TO BE CLOGGED WITH BLACK MATERIAL. BELIEVE THIS COULD BE RELATED TO EA02022. THIS LAST TIME MY 17 YR OLD WAS THE DRIVER. *NM

PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH - MULTIPLE TIMES - FINALLY HAD LOCKSMITH CHANGE THE IGNITION. *NM

FORD FOCUS 2001 IGNITION SWITCH JAMMED. DOES NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO BE STARTED. IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED SEVERAL TIMES. THE INTERNET IS FULL OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLAINED OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FOCUS AND THE LOCAL FORD DEALER CLAIMS THAT THERE IS NO RECALL AND IT WILL COST $450 FOR THE DEALER TO FIX THIS VERY OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *NM