NHTSA Complaint #10096159 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN MAY 2000. IN JANUARY 2002 THE LOCK STUCK SEVERAL TIMES. IN SEPTEMBER 2003, THE LOCK BEGAN TO STICK AGAIN. WE TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR. WE WERE TOLD WE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OURSELVES BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (OVER 3 YEARS OLD BUT WITH ONLY ~26,000 MILES). WE ENDED UP PAYING ~$75. OCTOBER 16, 2004 THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THE CAR NOW HAS 32,937 MILES ON IT. AFTER A CALL TO THE SAME DEALER WE ARE INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR WAS ONLY WARRANTED FOR 12 MONTHS. IF ONLY THE PART HAD BROKEN A MONTH SOONER! WE ENDED UP CALLING A LOCKSMITH WHO DRILLED OUT THE LOCK AND REPLACED IT FOR $116. THE LOCKSMITH TOLD MY WIFE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FOCUS AND TWO OTHER FORD MODELS. THE LOCKSMITH REPAIRS ABOUT FOUR FORDS A MONTH. I DID SOME QUICK MATH ON THE PROBLEM. USING OUR COUNTY OF LANCASTER PA, I TOOK AN ESTIMATED POPULATION OF 250,000. I NEXT ASSUMED ONE CAR FOR EVERY TWO PEOPLE. FINALLY, I GUESSED THAT 5% OF CARS SOLD ARE THESE FORD MODELS WITH IGNITION LOCK PROBLEMS. IF YOU ASSUME THERE ARE FOUR FORD DEALERSHIPS IN THE COUNTY, FOUR LOCKSMITHS IN THE COUNTY, AND FOUR INDEPENDENT GARAGES&AND ASSUME EACH BUSINESS REPAIRS FOUR CARS PER MONTH, YOU GET A FAILURE RATE OF OVER 9%. I FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE THAT I PAID FOR TWO REPAIRS FOR A PROBLEM THAT CLEARLY IS SPECIFIC TO THIS CAR AND LIKELY A RESULT OF FAULTY DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE.