NHTSA Complaint #10025145 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

WENT TO TURN CAR ON, KEY WOULD NOT GO INTO IGNITION SWITCH, THEN AFTER A FEW TRIES IT WENT IN BUT THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN. AT ALL. CALLED FIVE LOCK SMITHS, ALL REFUSED TO COME OUT TO ATTEMPT TO FIX MY JAMMED IGNITION SWITCH, ALL FIVE STATED THEY HAVE THIS TYPE OF CALL ON THIS CAR (2000 FORD FOCUS) ALL THE TIME AND THAT THEY CAN'T FIX IT, I NEED TO BRING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THE IGNITION CYLINDER REPLACED. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP - $80 - DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE IGNITION CYLINDER NEEDED REPLACING, THAT YES, IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT ON IT BUT NO RECALL (SAID TO ME THEY FELT IT SHOULD BE RECALLED), AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO RUN ME ABOUT $475 TO GET IT FIXED!! I PURCHASED THE CAR USED, CONTACTED THE PRIOR OWNER, THEY SAID THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED TO THEM WITH THE CAR AROUND 15,000-16,000 MILES AGO AND THEY HAD THE IGNITION CYLINDER REPLACED AT THAT TIME AND THAT THEY WERE TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS AN "IMPROVED" CYLINDER AND THAT IT SHOULD NOT GO BAD AGAIN. WELL, IT'S GONE "BAD" AGAIN, AND NOW I'M HAVING TO PAY TO HAVE SOMETHING FIXED THAT SHOULD LAST MANY THOUSANDS OF MILES. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I'VE OWNED OTHER BRANDS OF CARS FOR 200,000+ AND 300,000+ MILES AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE IGNITION CYLINDER ON ANY OF THOSE CARS, THIS CAR HAS 55,000 MILES AND IT'S THE SECOND TIME! I SAY DEFECT!! :) *NLM