2003 Ford Focus Electrical System

THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT IS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION ONLY IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS. HE NOTIFIED THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS THAT ACKNOWLEDGED THE FAILURE, BUT WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION. EVERYONE REFUSES TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING A LOCKSMITH. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE KEY REMAINS IN THE IGNITION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 111,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. SHE CALLED A MECHANIC AND THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,030 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,382. UPDATED 04/22/08. *LJ

THE KEY IGNITION IS LOCKED AND WON'T TURN ON THE CAR. *TR

IGNITION STAYS LOCKED, FAILS TO TURN TO START ENGINE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. OCCURRED OVER A DOZEN TIMES TO ME. CAN LEAVE A PERSON STRANDED. VERY COSTLY FIX, $150 FOR NEW IGNITION SWITCH, PLUS LABOR, $200 TO $350 TOTAL COST FOR FIX. MANY, MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS FOR SAME PROBLEM FOUND ON WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM AND OTHER FORUMS. *TR

FORD FOCUS 2003 - IGNITION FAILURE, KEY WILL NOT TURN MY KEY WILL NOT TURN IN MY IGNITION. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF US (FORD CUSTOMERS) WHO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS NOT A "SAFETY" PRECAUTION. PLEASE RECALL. AMERICANS ARE NOT ENCOURAGED TO BUY AMERICAN-MADE CARS; SADLY BUT TRUE. *TR

I GOT IN MY CAR AND PLACED THE KEY IN TO START YESTERDAY AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. THE IGNITION HAD LOCKED UP. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE KEY, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, HOWEVER, THIS MORNING. I WAS TRYING TO RETURN HOME AND UNABLE TO START MY CAR, I HAD TO WAIT IN MY CAR FOR AN HOUR UNTIL SOMEONE COULD BRING ME THE KEY (IT IS CURRENTLY 22 OUT). THE KEY STILL WILL NOT TURN AFTER SEVERAL TRIES. I AM CURRENTLY WAITING TO GET IT FIXED TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY OTHER WAY. I HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND APPARENTLY HUNDREDS OF 2003 FORD FOCUS OWNERS HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I OWN A 2003 FORD FOCUS ZX3 WITH 27,000 MILES. FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS GO OUT SUDDENLY. THIS IS NOT A FUSE PROBLEM, AS THE WAY TO GET THEM BACK ON IS TO TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND THEN TURN THEM BACK ON. OFTEN THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR SEVERAL TIMES DURING ONE TRIP; AT OTHER TIMES IT WILL "SOLVE" THE PROBLEM FOR MONTHS. IT HAS HAPPENED ON HIGH-SPEED HIGHWAYS AND IT IS DISCONCERTINGLY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS CRITICAL TO KNOW ONE'S SPEED. I BELIEVE (FROM THE INTERNET) THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE FOCUS. FORD, HOWEVER, DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM, OR HOW TO FIX IT OTHER THAN TAKING IT TO A DEALER AT MY EXPENSE. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS AND MY KEY WONT START MY CAR. WHEN YOU PLACE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION THE KEY WONT TURN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT PLACED HER KEY IN THE IGNITION AND IT WOULD NOT TURN. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE IGNITION. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90,000.

THE KEY IN MY FOCUS WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. THIS CAUSED ME TO BE STRANDED SINCE I COULD NOT START MY CAR. I RECENTLY LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. IN FACT, A MAN IN THE SERVICE DEPT AT MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP SAID THIS PROBLEM "HAPPENS WAY MORE THAN IT SHOULD." I LIVE IN A CITY WITH HIGH CRIME. BEING STRANDED IS A VERY SCARY SITUATION. SINCE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY TYPE OF CAR, THE MANUFACTURER CERTAINLY SHOULD RECALL AND FIX THIS PART TO PREVENT PEOPLE LIKE ME FROM BEING LEFT IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. *TR

KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION OF MY 2003 FORD FOCUS. *TR

DEFECT IN THE KEY IGNITION; KEY WOULD GET STUCK AND CAR WOULD NOT TURN ON AT ALL. YOUR WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TURN ON THE CAR AT ALL. THE KEYS WOULD BE 100.00 EACH AND THEY HAD TO BE PROGRAM. SEVERAL REPAIRS FINALLY HAD TO REPLACE THE HOLD IGNITION FOR A TOTAL OF 411.62. THIS WAS A DEFECT ON THE FORD COMPANIES PART; DID A SMALL SURVEY AND EVERYONE WITH FORD VEHICLES OR FORD FOCUSES HAD THE SAME PROBLEM; BUT HAD TO PAY OF THEIR POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS WHEN THEIR WARRANTY RAN OUT. I BELIEVE FORD OWES ME FOR THE REPAIR. THE DOORS ALSO GET STUCK AND WON'T OPEN. *TR

IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT TURN. LEFT STRANDED. *TR

THE IGNITION ON MY 2003 FORD FOCUS KEEPS SEIZING UP. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE KEY TO TURN IS TO TAP IT WITH A HAMMER. I RAN A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR FORD FOCUS STEERING LOCK AND FOUND THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. MANY OF WHICH SAID THAT FORD DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM AND CHARGED THEM FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE NOT TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE YET AND AM RELUCTANT TO WASTE MY TIME WITH THE DEALER GIVEN THE COMPLAINTS I SEE AND THE FACT I COULD HAVE IT DONE CHEAPER ELSEWHERE. FORD NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THIS AND RECALL OR REIMBURSE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN COLD WEATHER. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THE IGNITION PART WAS REDESIGNED IN 2005 AND NOW FUNCTIONS PROPERLY. *TR

IGNITION SWITCH WON'T TURN. IT'S LIKE THE KEY IS FROM THE WRONG CAR OR SOMETHING. I WAS STUCK IN 5 DEGREE WEATHER WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW-TRUCK DRIVER TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH WAS CLOSED ANYWAY. THE TWO-TRUCK DRIVER TOLD ME THAT HE'S PERSONALLY SEEN ABOUT A HUNDRED FOCUSES (FOCI?) WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THAT THEY ARE "NOTORIOUS" AMONG THE TOW-TRUCK DRIVERS FOR THIS PROBLEM. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE KEY TO TURN, AND I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME, BUT NOW I HAVE LOOKED ON THE WEB AND SEEN THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF OWNERS WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. THERE IS A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT IN CALIFORNIA OVER IT. *TR

THE IGNITION ON OUR 2003 FORD FOCUS FAILED. I WAS OUT OF TOWN VISITING RELATIVES IN OMAHA AND STOPPED AT THE OMAHA SAMS CLUB. WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE STORE TO GO HOME, THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN. IT WAS FROZEN SO THE KEY COULD NOT MOVE IT AT ALL. AS A RESULT, I WAS STUCK AT A STORE. I CALLED RELATIVES AND WE ARRANGED FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE IGNITION CYLINDER WAS REPLACED AND WE WERE BILLED $339.00 FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE ON ANY VEHICLE YET IT IS SUPPOSEDLY A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FOCUS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT UNLOCK OR ALLOW HER TO START THE VEHICLE. A PROFESSIONAL STATED THAT THE IGNITION CYLINDER DOES NOT UNLOCK, WHICH PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND IS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 60,600.

IGNITION SWITCH LOCK BARREL FAILURE. THIS IS AN ONGOING WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM ABOUT THE FORD FOCUS THAT FORD SEEMS HAPPY TO IGNORE. *TR

I AM HAVING PROBLEM WITH MY IGNITION. THE KEY DOES NOT TURN AT ALL. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES BUT ITS ALREADY CAUSING PROBLEM. *TR

OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE HAD RECURRING CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH REMOVING THE IGNITION KEY FROM THE IGNITION CYLINDER/TUMBLER ON OUR 2003 FORD FOCUS ZX3. ON DECEMBER 23, 2007, I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY AFTER HOURS OF TRYING TO JIGGLE OR CAJOLE THE KEY AND/OR CYLINDER. I WAS FORCED TO CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK. AND I WAS WITHOUT A PRIMARY CAR OVER CHRISTMAS. THE FORD DEALER HAS INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS "A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM." THE "RESOLUTION" WAS REPLACEMENT OF THE PART AND A SUBSTANTIAL SERVICE CHARGE. *TR

KEY FAILS TO TURN IN IGNITION IN 2003 FORD FOCUS. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS. I HAVE THE COMMON COMPLAINT THAT MY IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE WHEEL BECAME LOCKED AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE KEY. I HAVE FOUND COUNTLESS STORIES SIMILAR TO MINE ON THE INTERNET AND IT'S SO COMMON THAT THE FORD DEALER AND ALL THE LOCKSMITHS THAT I HAVE TALKED TO IN THE LAST TWO DAYS HAVE KNOWN EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED UP CONSTANTLY AND THE CONTACT CAN NO LONGER DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE STEERING CANNOT BE UNLOCKED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE IGNITION CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $375. THE PART IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE IS NO RECALL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

THE IGNITION LOCK HAS LOCKED ITSELF AND AS A RESULT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON. FROM WHAT I'VE GATHERED ON THE INTERNET IT WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I TALKED TO ONE OF THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS AND WAS TOLD IT WAS COST AROUND $500 TO HAVE THE PART REPLACED. *TR