2000 FORD FOCUS Complaints

2000 FORD FOCUS IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM (~48,000 MILES). FOR THE 2ND TIME SINCE WE PURCHASED THE CAR, THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS FAILED. THE FIRST TIME IT FAILED, WE COULD NOT TURN THE KEY TO START THE CAR AND COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEY. THIS TIME WHEN IT FAILED, THE SWITCH FROZE IN THE ON POSITION, AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SHUT THE CAR OFF. SINCE IT IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, WE WERE NOT EVEN ABLE TO "KILL" THE ENGINE. IT HAPPENED AT NIGHT, BUT FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO FIND AN OPEN SERVICE STATION... THEY WERE ABLE STOP THE ENGINE BY PULLING SPARK PLUG WIRES. NOT BEING ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE SURE SEEMS A SAFETY ISSUE TO ME. I UNDERSTAND MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH IGNITION SWITCHES ON FORD FOCUS MODELS. THIS SWITCH IS CURRENTLY BEING REPLACED AGAIN FOR A COST OF ~$300.00. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE TO FORCE FORD TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM? *NM

MY 2000 FORD FOCUS HAS REPEATED EPISODES OF IGNITION KEY BEING UNABLE TO TURN IN THE SWITCH AND OCCASIONALLY NOT ABLE TO INSERT KEY INTO SWITCH. I HAVE HAD THE TUMBLER ASSEMBLY REPLACED AND AFTER EIGHT MONTHS THE NEW UNIT HAS FAILED. *JB

IGNITION LOCK FAILURE (KEY COULD NOT BE PUT INTO LOCK) DUE TO IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER FAILURE. THIS LEFT CAR AND DRIVER IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE CAR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO RETRIEVE BY TOW TRUCK (TURNED-OVER FRONT WHEELS LOCKED, NO STEERING POSSIBLE). REPAIR IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. FORD DECLINED PARTICIPATION IN REPAIR COST. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET (FOR EXAMPLE, HTTP://CBS5.COM/INVESTIGATES/LOCAL_STORY_041015136.HTML, OR CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AT HTTP://WWW.FAZMICLAW.COM/FOCUS.HTML, OR EXCERPT "...FORD HAS CONCEDED THAT IT HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION LOCKS, BUT THE COMPANY HAS NOT ORDERED A RECALL."). *JB

KEY WILL NOT TURN IN IGNITION, STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED. HAD TO HAVE IGNITION CYLINDER REPLACED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN 2000 FOCUS - PERHAPS A REDESIGN OF THE CYLINDER IS REQUIRED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ALL FOUR POWER DOORS FAILED TO LOCK FROM THE INSIDE AND/OR OUTSIDE INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, THE REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL DOWN. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT WINDOWS ROLLED UP/DOWN INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES THE HORN FAILED TO SOUND. THE MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE DIRT AND DUST AROUND THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DRIVERS DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. UPDTED 09/22/06. *JB

DOOR LOCK FAILURE. FIRST WAS UNABLE TO LOCK PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. BACK DOORS UNABLE TO UNLOCK AND DRIVER SIDE DOOR ONLY LOCKED WITH KEY. WAS DETERMINED SHORT IN PASSENGER DOOR BLEW DOOR LOCK FUSE. PASSENGER DOOR LOCK WAS DISABLED SO FUSE WOULD NOT BLOW. REMOTE LOCK WORKED ALL LOCK AT THAT POINT BUT POWER BUTTON STILL DID NOT WORK, HOWEVER THE ROCKER BUTTON ON DRIVERS DOOR WORKED. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR NO LONGER WORKED. UNABLE TO LOCK THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR BY REMOTE, POWER SWITCH OR ROCKER BUTTON. NONE OF THE OTHER LOCKS WILL UNLOCK EXCEPT FOR THE TRUNK WITH THE KEY. MY CONCERN IS THAT ONE MAY EITHER BECOME LOOKED IN THE CAR OR THAT IT MAY BECOME STOLEN, POSSIBLY BEING USED FOR A CRIME OR CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *NM

HELLO, WE HAVE A 2000 FORD FOCUS, AND HAVE HAD THE LOCK CYLINDER FREEZE UP FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS. FORD SAYS THIS IS A DEFECT, YET THERE IS NO RECALL. LOOKING ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE MANY, BUYERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. SHOULDN'T FORD BE FORCED TO RECALL A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT? I AM NOT SURE I HAVE THE CORRECT AGENCY, SO PLEASE TELL ME WHO I WOULD NEED TO CONTACT IF NOT. IF SO, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS? SINCERELY,. *JB

WHILE PLACING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH VEHICLE LOCKED UP. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART IT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. CONSUMER INFORMED MECHANIC THAT IGNITION SWITCH HAD BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, NO OTHER INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED IN THE POLICE REPORT. UPDATED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE GAS TANK FELL OFF OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH. THE GAS TANK WAS DAMAGED IN THE FALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THE GAS TANK WAS HELD UP BY ONE STRAP HELD WHICH WAS SECURED BY A SINGLE BOLT; NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR THE GAS TANK. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THERE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE TWO STRAPS HOLDING THE TANK.

THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 2000 FORD FOCUS LOCKED UP THIS WEEK, PREVENTING ME FROM TURNING THE KEY. I COULD INSERT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, BUT IT REFUSED TO TURN. AFTER TRYING FOR THE BETTER PART OF AN HOUR, I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. FORD PUT IN A NEW IGNITION THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHICH IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MECHANISM FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THEY FOUND THE ORIGINAL PART WAS FLAWED, AND ARE NOW USING AN UPGRADED IGNITION SWITCH TO REPLACE THE ONES THAT FAIL. IT COST ME $403.38 TO HAVE THE NEW ONE PUT IN. SO FAR, FORD HAS REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE PART. *JB *NM