I could not insert my key into the ignition switch. I also could not turn the steering wheel or move the car into neutral gear. The service tech at ford said "it was a very common and widespread problem with the focus and that they repair many more ford focus ignitions than any other model of ford cars. This should be a recall repair and the owner of the ford focus (I) should not be financially liable for the repair. I would like for ford motor company to reimburse me for the cost of the repair $269.32 and the fee I paid to the towing company $35.00 a total of the two is $304.32.
2000 Ford Focus electrical complaints
Page 14 of 46: complaints 371 to 400 of 1,343, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I try to turn the key in the ignition and it will not turn. This has happened 3 times in the last 3 years. I also had to get it towed all 3 times to the dealer to be repaired. I have spent a little over $500 for these repairs.
After finishing work, I went out to my car and the key would not turn. I tried for an hour to get the key to turn but it never did. Since I am new to the area, and I do not know anyone, I ended up having the car towed to the ford dealership. They told me the ignition switch would have to be drilled out and replaced. I was billed $325.
I have a 2000 ford focus and have had nothing but problems with the car. I've had most (8 of 12) of the recall services done to the car. Now the key won't turn because the ignition is jammed. I searched the web and found literally hundreds of posts on websites regarding the same problem with all years of the ford focus. On many sites, people are describing the same problem of the ignition problem and paying $350+ at the dealers to get it fixed. These same sites have many people hoping that the federal safety agency will force ford to do a recall on the ignition. It is a defect when it's this common. People describe tow truck operators saying they tow a number of ford focus to the dealer for the ignition problem each month. Please do something!!
I had my ignition switch replace once already, having to pay 300.00 the first time, and know just the other day I went to visit my brother, and when I got ready to leave, my key would not start, my brother had left before me, so I was stranded, me and my boys for 45 minutes in 20 degree weather, I was so upset, I can not believe ford is not doing a recall, im selling this piece a crap of a car, and will never again by a ford car, and im going to spread the word on how horrible there service and cars are.
Key and ignition cylinder on steering column getting hot. Ignition locked up for the second time. Repaired 1st time with motorcraft part. Also maybe not relevant but it's like there is no braking system without the key in the ignition. Upon loading car onto trailer, foot on brake took key out of ignition briefly and car rolled back missing ramps falling on end of trailer and damaged front bumper.
I drove home from school parked my 2000 ford focus lx in the driveway and on my way out to work found that my ignition would not turn and my steering wheel was locked into place. After 2 days of having to find an alternative way to work I called a locksmith who said they have several complaints about this happening a week and to lightly tap on the key while it is in the ignition, after trying that I found it works but has to be done everytime I want to start the car.
1) ignition stuck, and can't start vehicle. 2) stepdaughter was stranded, by side of road. Car had to be towed home, and then dealer. 3) drilled ignition tumbler from and re-keyed. Re-keyed new ignition cylinder.
My ignition is jammed and will not turn the car on. I have read numerous complaints regarding this problem and think that it should be a recall. I have not fixed the problems because I have put too much money into this "lemon" of a car already! I need a recall to pay for ford's mistake!
Failed to start; noticed that positive cable insulation near connection to battery was melted; had battery jump-start; took to have battery check in car while running; bad battery; replaced battery with new one; and failed to turn on; mechanic checked continuity and there was none found; mechanic cut off part of cable with burnt insulation and tried to reconnect; no remedy; notified by mechanic that it would cost approximately $400 to replace positive cable harness. Mechanic notified me of a recall he found concerning the zetec engine and battery cable harnesses catching on fire; thus, contacted dealer with VIN; and they said there is no such recall associated with that VIN...
The ignition won't turn so the vehicle won't start. It left me stranded at work and now down to one car for me and my wife. We have not been able to repair it yet due to the cost of a replacement part and to get it towed to a service station.
I bought my ford focus with 19 miles on it in june of 2000 from the time I bought it I had issues with the key getting stuck in the ignition or failing to turn, or requiring excessive pressure to get it to turn. After many minutes of work I was generally able to force the ignition to turn. Eventually I could no longer force the system to work. I have asked several dealerships about this issue and they state it is a known problem but ford does not acknowledge responsibility. To repair this issue I must have the car towed to the dealership and have the ignition replaced.
Our ford focus has been nothing but problem since we bought the thing. The wiring was shot about 4 months in, and we could no longer use the electronic locks, or trunk opener. However, the latest problem would be the ignition. I was getting gas when I went to put the key in the ignition and it was stuck. Luckily, after a brief panick attack I managed to get it to start. Today, unfortunately we weren't so lucky, and the steering wheel, brake pedal and ignition are all frozen and are unable to start the car. I now have no vehicle for work tomorrow morning, and am furious with this unreliable vehicle. Someone must do something about this!
I have a 2000 focus. The problem with this is car is that recently the ignition cylinder locked up. I have been reading on forums, and have talked to my mechanic about this, and they say that this is a common thing on ford focus models 2000 and 2001. Its incredible ford has not done a recall. I really need my car for work and other tasks I must do, but there's nothing I can do but wasted over 400 dollars to get it fixed. Its ridiculous. I hope you all can do something about this. This is getting frustrating.
Couldn't turn the key in the ignition to start the car. Had car towed and the ignition switch replaced at a cost of more than $300. The car is 5 years old with only 43,000 miles on it.
Our year 2000 ford focus has a faulty ignition cylinder that frequently jams. My wife has been left stranded twice as a result. We recently saw a public advocate program that indicated these cars from year 2000-20005 are having an epidemic of the same problem but ford is refusing to replace the parts if they are not under warranty. Our car is still under warranty because we bought the very expensive 7 year warranty. A great majority of people buying at this price point wouldn't be able to afford that kind of warranty or the +$500 repair.
Ford focus se ignition key switch lock-up. This is the second time I have had this problem -- key won't turn, steering wheel is locked, and the gear shift won't move. The first time, I was able to manipulate the key and finally start the car. This time, it is sunday and I am stranded. A locksmith told me that ford is the only one who has parts and it will be a very expensive repair. So tomorrow, I will have to rent a car to keep a doctor's appointment and have the focus towed to the dealership to have the ignition replaced. I understand that this is a very common problem with ford (I just checked the internet) and they refuse to recall these cars to fix this very dangerous problem. Thankfully, I was in a well-lighted, safe area of the city. I shudder to think of what may have happened if I had been stranded in a high-risk area. The founder of ford motor company built the company on reputation and high standards with customer satisfaction always in mind. What has happened to this greedy organization now run by mr. Bill ford who cares nothing about the safety and quality of its cars as his ancestors did? Recall this car now -- enough is enough!.
Dt*: the vehicle's check engine light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be inspected. The dealer determined that there was a recall on the vehicle regarding the fuel tank assembly (the federal safety agency recall, #06v025000). The parts needed to repair the vehicle were not available at the local dealership. The manufacturer confirmed that the parts were not available. The fuel pump has been replaced twice. The ignition switch has been replaced three times. Updated 3/9/2006 -
1. I drove to a restaurant and turned off my car, which is a ford focus year 2000. Later when I came back to start my car I could not get the key all the way into the ignition. 2. I tried so many things to get my key into the ignition, but I had to leave it there overnight in the parking lot and then had it towed the next day. 3. At the moment I am looking into either a locksmith or seeing if such a replacement will be under warranty. I have read that this is a common problem and it has to do with the ignition switch.
This is the third time that I will have to get my ignition switch replaced on my 2000 ford focus because it will not turn. The first time the switch was drilled out on warranty. The second time the key would not turn and the replaced it under the repair warranty. It happened again a little over a year later. This time I was told by the tow truck driver to hit it with something. I have used this method to turn the key every day for the last 2 years. This worked until now.
Ignition will not turn. The vehicle must be towed and a new ignition cylinder installed before the vehicle can move. An internet search reveals that this is a very common problem with the ford focus. It is obviously very dangerous, especially in winter--people could be stranded in a dangerous location or exposed to extremes for a long period of time.
Put key into ignition but key will not move at all and vehicle will not start.
Dt*: the consumer stated while traveling 40 MPH the occupants started smelling electrical smoke. The occupants realized the vehicle was on fire in the dashboard; smoke was billowing out of dashboard. The consumer pulled the vehicle off the road and the occupants exited. The vehicle was extinguished, and then towed to the consumer home. There has been no inspection of the vehicle. The manufacturer has been alerted.
Dt: the consumer stated there were multiple problems with the vehicle. The brakes make noises and pulsated when the pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer where the brake light switch and ignition cylinder switches were replaced. The dealer also turned the drums, replaced the brake pads and resurfaced the front rotors. There was a vibration in the front end when braking. The lower ball joint, right wheel bearings, right front sway bar link, bone socket, steering rack column and tie rod ends were replaced in an attempt to remedy the problem. The tail light covers retained moisture and condensation built up. The dealer replaced the tail light covers and fuses that were blown due to the moisture. Lastly, the contact noticed the rear seat was loose and upon inspection the dealer discovered an anchor and hinge problem. The back hinge and pillar were replaced.
The ignition lock set for my 2000 ford focus zts had to be replaced. It cost $315.
Ignition cylinder froze on 2000 ford focus se requiring car to be towed to dealer to have lock cylinder replaced as the key could not be inserted into the lock. This was covered by warranty at the time. In december 2005, ignition would periodically freeze with key inserted requiring several attempts to turn the key to start the car. Car was taken to dealer on january 17, 2006 and cylinder has to be replaced again at a cost of $453 since the car is now out of warranty. I've noted numerous complaints on the internet about other ford focus owners with the same problem. I called ford customer service and they would not do anything other than note the complaint. This is a safety issue if the lock fails when the car is needed in an emergency situation. Since this is a recurring problem, why has ford not been required to fix the problem?
Ignition lock failure. The first issue is that I tried to take the key out of the ignition and the entire ignition cylinder came out on the key. This happened several times randomly. The second issue is the failure for the key to turn in the ignition. It was initially an inconsistent problem that steadily got worse and worse until finally it just became a matter of chance and a battle of patience to get it started. This started happening at 40k miles which is ridiculous. The worst case took 30 minutes of twisting, jingling, turning the wheel, pushing the key in and out and fiddling with it until it finally turned. I have since had the cylinder replaced and a new key made for about $250 out of my pocket. After a little research I realized that I am one of thousands of people with the same problem, but ford apparently feels the problem doesn't exist. Ford should make each one of their engineers drive a focus and count the number of days they come in late or miss work.
Dt: the contact stated the deck lid wiring harness wires of the electrical system fatigued and broke. There was the federal safety agency recall campaign 00v411000, regarding the electrical system wiring. The vehicle had the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it was not included in the recall due to the VIN. The vehicle was seen by a dealer, and the deck lid wiring harness was replaced. *ak ford was unwilling to pay for repairs. The contact agreed that it was the exact same problem as the other 2000 ford, focus, but they would not comply as it was made shortly after they ended the recall date for this particular problem.
This particular problem has happened to way too many people. I firmly believe it is a safety concern.
There is a leak in the resevoir for the radiator, electrical problem with the radio. The radio keeps losing power when going down the road. The master switch for the passenger window does not work, the rear passenger window assembly is broke leaving the window not able to stay up. There is a funny noise when driving down the road. It sounds like a crackly noise. Half of the time the heat will not work.
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