The drivers door will not open. It is stuck shut. Turning the key in the lock does not work. Broke outer handle trying to open door to assist elderly party out of drivers seat. Power lock fuse is fine. Took door panel off partly to expose cable, cannot push or pull cable to force open. Safety issue because owner is elderly. Cannot reasonably crawl in and out through passenger side. Emergency personnel would not be able to reach occupants in case of an accident.
2002 Ford Focus: doors won't lock, open or latch
28 of the 939 complaints about the 2002 Ford Focus describe doors won't lock, open or latch.
- owner complaints
- 28
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Doors won't lock, open or latch by model year
What owners say
Rear right passenger door will not unlock/open. When trying to unlock I don't hear the solenoid moving. When trying to open from either inside or out if feels like the handle isn't moving anything.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. While the vehicle was stationary, the rear passenger door latch and both front door latches fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 110,000. Updated 11/08/16*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. The contact stated that the rear passenger side door latch fractured. The contact stated that the rear passenger side door was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v030000 (latches, locks, linkages). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 136,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. The contact stated that the rear driver side door only opened when moved left to right. The contact also stated that the door would not open when unlocked. The failures occurred on several occasions. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
I have owned this vehicle for five years and at about 180,000 miles I noticed that my rear driver door would not latch. Both rear doors stick and have been difficult to open. However, at about 180,000 miles the door latch stopped working completely. I had to wrap the seat belt around the door to keep it from opening while driving. After doing some research online I found that there is a recall on the 2002 ford focus door latches. I scheduled an appointment with my local ford dealership but when they ran my VIN# they informed me that my car was not part of the recall. Even though I was experiencing the same issue that LED to the recall they told me that I would have to pay to have the car repaired. They referred me to the ford customer service line and after spending 45 minutes on the phone I was told to keep me receipts in case they issue a recall in the future. I am extremely disappointed that ford didn't offer to fix my car knowing that there was a recall on other cars that are the same year, make, and model.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. The contact stated that the passenger side rear door latch malfunctioned and the door would not latch. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 110,000.
The motor on the sun roof went out while the vehicle was still under warranty I had it fixed then after the warranty expired it went out again and I couldn't afford to get it fixed, the motor for the rear windows went out (both passenger sides) the front passenger door does not lock because the motor went out, and know the drivers side window is starting to make a noise like it going to go out also and the door lock is making noise like its going to go out. This is a huge safety issue first of all when carrying small children in the back and another safety issue with the doors not locking makes it much easier for someone to car jack you. I have never had a vehicle that the electric windows and doors and the moon roof went out this has to be a defect I have gone to the dealership to complain after the warranty had expired and I was told that there are no recalls and they can't help me unless I pay. I can't even lock the door using a key because it doesn't work.
Rightrear door lock is stuck in locked position. It is not possible to unlock the door. This is dangerous situation in case of an accident, passengers will not b able to exit the vehicle. If passenger is a child on car sit, it is not possible to open the door to remove child from car. With door in locked position, emergency teams will not be able to open the door to remove passenger in case of accident.
I have a 2002 and a 2003 ford focus the automatic door locks don`t work property the locks will shut and open on there own as of now I can`t open the driver side door the locks have shut in an inbetween position.I have to crawl over the console to get out the passenger door.it will not let me open the door form the outside either the locks are like in an inbetween position.this has been going on for both of my focus for a long time I have called ford and they say they don`t have a problem with this. My mechanic friend says they get alot of calls about ford focus lock problem,my brother has a focus and has had the same problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. The contact stated that the driver side rear door latch malfunctioned and the door would not latch. The contact had to use tape in order for the door to remain closed. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who advised her that she would have to replace the entire door. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. Updated 06/24/11 *bf updated 06/30/11.
I have a 2002 ford focus zx5. The front passenger side door lock actuator is seized in the locked position. There are no alternative ways to open this door. This results in a serious safety issue if the passenger is not able to exit the vehicle in an emergency. There was no warning before this happened and appears to be permanent. The actuator must be removed and replaced at a cost of approximately $400.00.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles with four or five doors and originally sold in or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, a build-up of corrosion at the pawl pivot area of the rear door latch can cause a binding condition of the pawl that may affect proper engagement of the pawl into the catch. The occupant may experience difficulty opening or closing a rear door, and eventually the rear door may not latch properly.
- Risk
- If not latched properly, the door may open while the vehicle is in motion. If an occupant fell out of the vehicle, personal injuries could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will have a lower rocker seal added to the door and have the rear door latches evaluated free of charge. A latch that passes the evaluation will be lubricated to prevent future corrosion. A latch that does not pass the evaluation will be replaced. In addition, a sticker will be affixed to the rear doors advising the owners to use the recommended lubricant. The recall began on march 9, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 05V030000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2002 Ford Focus door locks
Is doors won't lock, open or latch a common problem on the 2002 Ford Focus?
28 of 939 owner complaints about the 2002 Ford Focus (3%) mention doors won't lock, open or latch. The model year with the most reports is 2012.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Ford Focus?
There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Ford Focus
Stalling 102Fuel pump 50Won't start 47No deployment 38Coil spring 24Loss of power 23Check engine light 21Ball joint 19Grinding brakes 19Fire or smoke 18Engine failure 17Tire blowout 16Hesitation 13Water leak 13Adaptive cruise 12Power windows 12Steering lock-up 12Headlights 11Jerking 11Won't shift 10Airbag light 9Pulling 8Wipers 8Brake failure 7Power steering loss 7Sudden acceleration 6Slipping 5
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