NHTSA Complaint #10107817 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

AT 9:00 AM MY WIFE DROVE TO WORK AND PARKED HER CAR IN THE EMPLOYEE PARKING LOT. AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00 PM WHEN SHE WAS LEAVING THE OFFICE, SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE KEY TO GO INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH. SHE WAS STRANDED. WHEN I ARRIVED AT HER OFFICE ABOUT 6:45 PM, I TRIED BUT WAS ALSO UNABLE TO GET THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. ON 1/22/05 8:00 AM I CALLED OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO SAID TO TRY SOME WD-40. IF THAT DOESN'T WORK WE WOULD HAVE TO TOW IT IN TO LET THEM TAKE A LOOK. TRIED WD-40, DIDN'T WORK, HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD DEALER AT 9:45 AM SAME DAY. WHILE AT THE DEALER, I ASKED SERVICE MGR IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM - HE SAID IT HAPPENS ONCE IN A WHILE AND IT IS USUALLY CAUSED BY HAVING TOO MANY KEYS ON THE KEY RING. WHEN I GAVE HIM MY KEYS, WE WAS SURPRISED THERE WERE NO OTHER KEYS ON THE SAME KEY RING. DEALER CALLED MONDAY 1/24 AND SAID THEY HAVE TO DRILL OUT THE OLD LOCK CYLINDER AND REPLACE - IT WILL COST $285 + THE TOW WAS $75, TOTAL U.S. $360. OUR CONCERN IS WE DO NOT FEEL NOT SAFE DRIVING A CAR THAT WE CANNOT BE CONFIDENT THAT THE KEY WILL WORK AS INTENDED. IMAGINE THE POTENTIAL DANGER A PERSON COULD BE LEFT IN NOT BEING ABLE TO START THEIR CAR. WE WERE AMAZED TO FIND OUT THE LARGE NUMBER OF OWNERS OF THIS SAME VEHICLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART. WE PLAN ON REPAIRING THIS VEHICLE AND REPLACING IT AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. *NM