NHTSA Complaint #10069783 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

THE IGNITION SWITCH BROKE. THE KEY WOULD ONLY GO IN HALF WAY. THIS HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN, NO WARNING. WE DROVE THE CAR TO MY WIFES APARTMENT AT SCHOOL TO CHANGE FOR OUR DAUGHTERS PRE-GRADUATION DINNER AND WHEN WE WENT BACK OUT TO LEAVE THE KEY WOULD NOT GO INTO THE IGNITION. THIS WAS ON A FRIDAY NIGHT AND GRADUATION WAS THE NEXT DAY AT 10:30. WE CONTACTED THE LOCAL MARQUETTE, FORD DEALER CROWN MOTORS AND THEY HAD TO TOW THE CAR IN. THE CAR WAS LOCKED IN PARK AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. WE WERE NOT THERE WHEN THEY TOWED IT AWAY BUT MY WIFE WAS STUCK IN MARQUETTE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY WAITING TO GET THE IGNITION REPLACED. THE DEALER SAID THEY HAD TO DRILL OUT THE OLD SWITCH TO REMOVE IT. THE NEW SWITCH WAS CODED TO OUR OLD KEY SO THAT WAS GOOD AND THE CROWN FORD DEALER WAS VERY NICE AND ACCOMODATING TO MY WIFE. WE WERE TOLD WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR FROM BESSEMER AUTO THAT THIS WAS A "PROGRAM CAR" BUT FOUND OUT THROUGH THE INTERNET THAT IT WAS A RENTAL CAR. I DON\\'T THINK A RENTAL CAR IS THE SAME AS A PROGRAM CAR. I AM 67 YEARS OLD AND HAVE OWNED MANY CARS OVER THE YEARS AND I HAVE NEVER HAD AN IGNITION SWITCH BREAK TO THE POINT THE KEY WOULD NOT GO IN. AT 37000 MILES NOT GOOD DEPENDABILITY. MY JEEP HAS 143,000 AND THE IGNITION WORKS FINE AND I STOP AND START A LOT. I AM ALMOST AFRAID TO KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT THE FOCUS PROBLEMS. MY WIFE REALLY LOVES THIS CAR BUT IS NOW VERY UNSURE OF ITS DEPENDABILITY. SHE DRIVES HOME FROM SCHOOL AT NIGHT SOMETIMES AND STOPS AT A VERY REMOTE STATION FOR A BREAK AND TEA. HAD THIS HAPPENED THERE SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A REAL FIX SINCE THE CLOSEST DEALER EITHER WAY IS 80 MILES.