2002 ford focus ignition locks ,can't turn key to start car.
2002 Ford Focus electrical complaints
Page 6 of 10: complaints 131 to 160 of 277, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Ignition failed , key will not turn.
I own a 2002 ford focus and the key got stuck and I couldn't start it or take the key out. I had to have it towed to the dealer since ford had made it so difficult for the average person to work on it. They had to replace the ignition and left a metal shaving mess in the car at my cost. Is this how all ford vehicles and dealers were now. I also missed work due to this incident.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. The contact stated that the ignition switch constantly locks up and will not turn. When she places the key in the ignition, it also fails to turn. She has had the ignition replaced twice within one year. Ford stated that the ignitions were re-modified due to a large number of complaints and that she would have to pay if she wanted a new one. The current mileage is 68,800 and failure mileage was 68,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. The contact stated that the ignition switch locked and the contact was unable to start the vehicle. The key will not turn in the ignition, therefore the vehicle will be towed to the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 96,000.
Ignition locked with key in it. Towed to ford dealer and ignition drilled out and replaced at around $300. Happened a second time. Locksmith called. Ignition drilled out and replaced for around $50.00. Hasn't happened again in about 3 years.
1) no warning symptoms 2) failure is that ignition key will not turn. Car will not start. This is a mass defect, but fort apparently is not issuing recall. 3) have not done anything. Car was towed to my home, and is sitting there useless. Dealerships tell me it will cost $300 to fix, but ford should repair this for free.
Ignition key has locked up and will not turn.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. While driving 55 MPH on the highway he attempted to use the cruise control and it activated and deactivated without warning. The vehicle lost power and shut off. No warning indicator lights illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and it was towed. The road conditions were clear. The dealer informed the contact that the battery cables were corroded and the power lead fuse panel was inoperable, the cables and ground circuits needed to be replaced. The mechanic repaired the vehicle. The failure and current mileage was 117,300.*ak updated 03/19/07.
I had just gotten off work and went to leave. I tried to turn the key in the ignition and it wouldn't move. To make a long story short, it was my ignition switch. The guy at the ford dealership new exactly what I was talking about when I called, stating it has happened several times to the focuses. The tow truck driver stated that same thing. Ford says it is not a safety issue, but it definitely can be. I will never buy a ford again, especially not one from archie cochrane in billings, mt. They are a bunch of money hungry jerks who are unwilling to take responsibility for their wrong doings or have any sympathy for a customer.
Tl*- the contact stated that the 2003 ford focus had ignition lock cylinder problems. Since 08/2006 when he put the key in the ignition it would not consistently turn over. He stated that for the past 4 days the key will not turn over the ignition, and he has been without a vehicle. He called the ford dealership, and was advised to tap on the key while the key is in the ignition to get the key to turn the ignition switch. The contact found on a website called automotivetalk.net, and a number of complaints about the same problem with other owners were listed. The website stated that various locksmiths described the failure as the tumblers in the ignition switch malfunctioned. The contact could get the key out of the vehicle, but could not turn the key to get the ignition to start. The contact did file a complaint with the manufacturer, and he will have a case number available for the hard copy. The current mileage was 80000, and the failure mileage was 73000.
2002 ford focus ignition switch wont turn, locked up.
Gauges have been surging along with the headlights. This time was different though as the gauges never returned to normal position and I drove all the way to work ( 13 miles) not knowing my speed ,mileage nor temp of my car. At the same time my radio was on and when I tried to turn down my heat from 4 to 3 it turned off any sound from the stereo. When I reached work I let my car set for a few more minutes when finally my gauges surged once again and returned to normal. I bought my car a year ago and told the dealer about it then (the surges always returned to normal until this evening) and the dealer just commented that there was nothing they could do.
Two separate 2002 ford focus automobiles have had the ignition lock break, making it impossible to turn the key, unlock the steering column, or start the vehicle. Both these incidents occurred within a couple of months of each other. In the first case, there had been a gradual increase in the difficulty in turning the key in the ignition lock. In the second case, the failure was abrupt and complete - normal operation in the evening and total failure the next morning. The two vehicles involved are a 2002 ford focus 3-door hatchback (zx3), and a 2002 ford focus 4-door sedan (zts), both times it was necessary to have the vehicle towed to a dealership (specifically, veterans ford in metairie la) and have the lock replaced and two new keys made at the cost of $375 for each occurrence.
I own a 2002 ford focus lx and I experienced a lock up failure in the ignition system that caused me to be unable to use my car at all. I had to pay for towing, replacement of the piece and labor. I understand ford knows about the massive failure that this piece in their cars has experienced and has done nothing to replace the piece. I had my 4 year old with fever and needed to get him to the hospital, the car was the only car available for my use, but couldn't use it at all. I want ford to do something about this. Thanks.
Ignition jams, key will not turn in lock. Internet search turns up hundreds of complaints of the same nature. Read http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_focus.html for more detail. I had to pound on the key with a flashlight to get it to work. Problem getting worse/occurring more often. I had previously purchased a replacement key, thinking the old one might be wearing out, it only works in the doors, it will not work in the ignition at all.
2002 ford focus ignition locking up. It just cost me $285.00 to have a locksmith come to my house where my totally disabled ford focus sat. The locksmith completely replaced my ignition and showed me the difference and the problem with the ford oem ignition. The locksmith told me that he has become an expert in ford focus' ignitions due to this faulty part. There is no way in the world that this problem that has happened repeatedly to so many people should just go away. Ford needs to be accountable for this problem and make it right for the american ford car buying public or we should stop buying ford's!
The key stopped turning the ignition switch. The car cannot be started.
My ignition switch has been giving my daughter problems and now stop working all together. I have heard similar complaints with this car ford focus.
After the key is inserted into the ignition, it will not turn despite any wiggling of the steering wheel, stepping on the brakes, begging, or pleading. It has been difficult to turn before and we have successfully made it turn, but has never left us stranded until now. My husband is stranded as I write this waiting for someone to come pick him up from a restaurant. We have no way of operating the vehicle. We will have to have it towed to the dealership.
Starting having difficulty turning my key in ignition for 2 days. On the third day the key would not turn at all. Had to have car towed to a repair facility and the estimated bill is $350.00 due sometime today.
Dt*: the contact stated without warning, the vehicle would not start and was towed to the dealership who determined the ignition needed to be replaced. The vehicle worked properly for two years, and then the vehicle wouldn't start. After an hour of trying, the vehicle started and was taken to an independent repair shop for inspection.
Ignition lock cylinder failed for a second time since 9/16/04. Had to be replaced by dealer.
Faulty ignition; had to call locksmith mobile and get whole cylinder replaced. Just like many other occurrences I've read up on, key would not turn. Was told this was a very prevalent problem with this model. In the weeks leading up to the replacement, I found the key was increasingly harder and harder to turn and start the car; it would take an extra little tug to start.
I have a 2002 ford focus zx5 that is well maintained. Within the first 2-3 years, I have had to replace the front brakes and rotors. In 2004 I had to replace the battery. In 2005 I had to replace the right rear window motor. Presently the left rear window motor isn't working; the window will not go up. The rear front window is not working properly and the air bag light comes on each time the car is started and stays on. The cd player had to be replaced in 2005. In 2006 all four tires had to be replaced because of factory dry rot. I regularly service and maintain the car, and have approximately 28,000 miles on it. I take excellent care of my vehicle and feel this car is not made with quality parts and that it is not safe. Although I drive at normal speeds, it does not get the mileage stated on the sticker.
My problem is with my 2002 ford focus. The ignition and steering wheel constantly lock up and make it impossible to start the car. This has been happening frequently for the past 4 months.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle would not start on three different occasions. A new battery was installed but the problem persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined the battery connector cable to the motor was the source of the problem and a new connector was installed. The contact was aware of recall #02v288000, pertaining to the electrical system:battery:cables which described the vehicle's electrical defect. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN. Updated 8/31/2006 -
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle had problems with the electrical system while driving 35 MPH. The vehicle stopped and could not be restarted after numerous attempts, neither the air conditioner nor the power windows worked. The vehicle was taken to the dealership several times but could not duplicate the problem. The contact expressed that the electrical problem was getting worse because the vehicle was not getting the necessary power and became slower. There was not a regular response when the gas pedal was depressed hard.
2002 ford focus, the vehicles ignition cylinder will not turn. I can place the key in the ignition but it will not turn to start the vehicle. This happened three or four times but I was able to get the key to turn, but this time I couldn't and I am towing it to the dealer to have the ignition cylinder replaced.
The ignition on my 2002 ford focus with 60,000 miles locked up when I put the key in. What I thought would be a fast trip into the post office lead to a six hour event of trying to get my car started, calling ford, and aaa., to make matters worse it was during a thunderstorm. After six hours my car was towed to a local mechanic where the ignition was worked on for a costly price.
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