2003 Ford Focus Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A RETAINING WALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH AIR BAGS WERE DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED AN INJURY TO THE RIGHT KNEE, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

WHILE PARKING THE CAR ON A CITY STREET THE STEERING WHEEL CAME LOOSE AND CONTROL OF THE CAR WAS LOST. WAS ABLE TO BRAKE AND STOP THE CAR AT THE CURB. WE DETERMINED THAT THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE STEERING WHEEL ON THE SHAFT HAD LOOSENED TO THE POINT WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NO LONGER MAKING CONTACT WITH THE SPLINES ON THE SHAFT.

I WAS SHOPPING WITH MY CHILD ABOUT AN HOUR FROM HOME. WE LEFT A STORE AND GOT INTO MY CAR TO RETURN HOME WHEN THE KEY WOULDN'T TURN IN THE IGNITION. THE WHEELS WERE STRAIGHT BUT THE KEY WOULDN'T BUDGE. I TRIED RELEASING THE STEERING WHEEL BUT NOTHING WORKED. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED WHICH COST ME $100 FOR 4 MILES. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE IGNITION CYLINDER WHICH I WAS TOLD WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AREA FOR 2000-2003 FORD FOCUS MODELS. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND THAT IT REALLY IS COMMON...LIKE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON ONE SITE ALONE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE I HAVE AND EVEN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN CALIFORNIA. IF THIS IS SO COMMON WHY HAVEN'T THEY BEEN RECALLED? I WAS LEFT STRANDED WITH A CHILD BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION AND EVEN THOUGH I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, IT WASN'T COVERED AND COST ME $374. WHY IS THAT TYPE OF MALFUNCTION ONLY IN THOSE MODEL YEARS? MAYBE THEY KNEW ABOUT THE FLAW AND CHANGED IT IN LATER YEARS. THEY SHOULD HAVE TO CHANGE IT IN EVERY YEAR THEY SOLD THESE DEFECTIVE IGNITION CYLINDERS. FOR THEM, IT WOULD BE A MINOR INCONVENIENCE AND A LITTLE MONEY TO GET THESE PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF. *TR

THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKS. I HAVE ALREADY HAD IT FIXED ONCE BEFORE AND NOW IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. *KB

2003 FORD FOCUS HAS A LOCKED IGNITION AND WILL NOT TURN EVEN TO ROLL UP WINDOWS. FROZE UP ONCE LAST WEEK AND WAS ABLE TO JIGGLE IT AND GET IT WORKING. NOW IT WILL HAVE TO BE TOWED TO FORD. FORD DEALERSHIP IN BOZEMAN MONTANA SAYS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL BUT FORD WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE ON MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZTS (2.0 LITER, DOHC) LEAKED POWER STEERING FLUID ONTO THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD, CAUSING AN ENGINE FIRE. THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE IS ROUTED DIRECTLY OVER THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *TR

2003 FORD FOCUS STEERING WHEEL LOCK. WITH THE KEY INSERTED, THE IGNITION CANNOT BE TURNED ON. BELIEVE TO BE A TUMBLER PROBLEM. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF THESE PROBLEMS IN THE LAST TWO DAYS. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

RACK AND PINION DEVELOPED A LEAK. I BOUGHT MY CAR IN FEB 2004 AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE ON IT. LAST SPRING I NOTICED MY CAR WAS MAKING AN ODD SOUND AND I RAISED THE HOOD AND FOUND THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL VERY LOW AND FILLED IT UP. THE NOISE WENT AWAY. WHILE CHANGING THE BRAKES ON IT MY HUSBAND FOUND THE RACK AND PINION LEAKING FLUID. THE WARRANTY WAS ONLY GOOD UP TO 36,000 MILES AND AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. I CURRENTLY HAVE ONLY 39,962 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE AND DRIVE IT VERY LITTLE OBVIOUSLY SINCE IT IS A 2003 AND WHEN WE BOUGHT IT FEB 2004 IT ONLY HAD 19,221 MILES ON IT. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND AS I SAID I HAVE ONLY PUT APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES ON IT IN 5 YEARS. THERE SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM WITH THE RACK AND PINION ON THIS VEHICLE WITH THIS LITTLE OF MILEAGE ON IT AND NOT DRIVEN THAT OFTEN, BUT THERE IS AND I HAVE NOT TO DATE BEEN ABLE TO GET IT FIXED AS THE TWO ESTIMATES I GOT TO GET IT FIXED IS BETWEEN 550 AND 600 DOLLARS TO GET IT FIXED. NO ONE OTHER THAN THE RICH PEOPLE CAN AFFORD A MAJOR REPAIR SUCH AS THIS WHEN IT IS OBVIOUS THAT FORD HAS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE ON THE RACK AND PINION ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE. IT WILL BE A TOTAL PAIN IF THIS GOES OUT BEFORE I CAN AFFORD TO FIX IT SINCE IT IS HAS POWER STEERING AND WILL CONVERT TO MANUAL STEERING IF IT GOES OUT BEFORE I CAN AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED. FORD SHOULD BE FORCED TO MAKE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, IGNITION LOCKED AND SHIFT GEAR LOCKED!!!! *TR

WENT TO START MY CAR AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. I TRIED EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN IN THE PAST, AND BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR. NOT THIS TIME... *TR

KEY WILL NOT TURN IN 2003 FORD FOCUS. DEALERSHIP SAYS IT APPEARS TO BE LINKAGE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. *TR

MY CARS IGNITION DOESN'T WORK. IT WILL LOCK ME OUT OF MY OWN CAR. I HAVE TO BANG MY KEY AS HARD AS I CAN TO GET THE IGNITION TO UNLOCK. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS AND WAS STRANDED AND HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I COULDN'T GET THE KEY TO TURN OVER. THE CARE REPAIR COST WAS $551 AND THE IGNITION AND STARTER CYLINDER INSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING FLAW AND FORD MOTOR CO. SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AS A RECALL PROBLEM. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MANY 2000-2003 FORD FOCUS MODELS HAVE THIS FLAW. *TR

STEERING COLUMN LOCK GETS STUCK. VEHICLE CANNOT BE STARTED. *TR

THE WHEEL/IGNITION LOCKED AS TURNED THE WHEEL TO PARK ON A HILL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED ON THIS CAR AND COULD NOT UNLOCK IT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WOULD $340 THAT THE WHOLE CYLINDER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD MY KEY FAIL TO WORK IN A LOCKED IGNITION OF MY 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE FIRST OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR WA PURCHASED IN 2004 AND NOW IT HAS RECURRED. THE FIRST WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT THIS IS NOT. APPARENTLY FORD IS QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM AS SEVERAL FOCUS OWNERS HAVE FIXED THIS COMPLIANT ON LINE. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? WHY SHOULD FORD GET A BAIL OUT WHEN THEY LEAVE THEIR CONSUMERS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FOR REPAIRING A PROBLEM OF THEIR MAKING? *TR

RATTLE ANF THUMBING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER FRONT OF VEHICLE WHEN GOING OVER EVERY BUMP. REPORTED TO FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON THREE OCCASIONS. (10/11/06, 04/05/07 AND 06/26/08 ) ON 06/26/2008, FORD CHARGED ME $288.56 TO INSTALL A FRONT END STABILIZER KIT. OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED AND IS IMPOSSIBLE TO UNLOCK. THIS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE BUT I WAS ABLE TO FREE IT AFTER SOME EFFORT. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY LUCK THIS TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED, WHICH PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM BEING STARTED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

I PURCHASED MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZX3 JUST OVER A YEAR AGO AND HAVE RECENTLY HAD TROUBLE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP. AFTER JERKING THE WHEEL AROUND A BIT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO GET IT TO START UNTIL TODAY. BUT TODAY WHEN I WENT TO GET IN MY CAR AND GO TO WORK NO AMOUNT OF JERKING OR TWISTING WOULD GET MY KEY TO TURN AND MY CAR TO START. BEFORE CALLING FOR A TOW I DECIDED TO CHECK FOR INFO ON LIKE AND WHAT DO I FIND? THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON IN THE ZX3 SINCE 2000! AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT! SO NOW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DROP OVER $300 ON A FIX FOR MY CAR AND FROM WHAT I READ I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN NEXT YEAR. WHY IS THE BEING ALLOWED TO GO ON? IF FORD CARES SO LITTLE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT DRIVE THEIR CARS THAT THEY CAN'T FIND A LONG TERM FIX TO A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM THAN YOU CAN BE SURE THAT THIS WILL BE THE LAST FORD I PURCHASE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING SYSTEM BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN SEVERE ACCIDENT. *JB

STEERING COLUMN LOCKS UP ON FORD FOCUS 2003, BECAUSE OF SIDE BAR. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE KEY CYLINDER. THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AGAIN RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE BEING TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE KEY CYLINDER AGAIN. *AK