NHTSA Complaint #10128255 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

I ARRIVED HOME ON SATURDAY MORNING, PARKED IN THE DRIVE MIDWAY, TOOK THE KEY OUT AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE. LATER IN THE AFTERNOON, I TRIED WITH NO SUCCESS TO MOVE THE CAR ALL THE WAY UP INTO THE DRIVE. THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN. I MOVED THE WHEEL, WHICH WAS LOCK, BACK AND FORTH AND EVEN TRIED YANKING IT. IT WOULD NOT MOVE. I CALLED MY FRIEND TO COME AND LOOK AT IT. HE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE IT AND COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY IT HAD LOCKED. THERE IS NO RELEASE ON THE VEHICLE, SO I COULDN'T EVEN MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. EVERY THING IS LOCKED IN PLACE. WE PUSHED THE CAR MANUALLY UP INTO THE DRIVEWAY WHERE IT HAS BEEN SITTING WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN FOR 3 DAYS. I LOOKED INTO GETTING IT FIXED AND FOUND SEVERAL WEBSITES WITH HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP I CALLED FOR SERVICE SAID IT WOULD BE ROUGHLY AROUND $280 TO FIX BUT COULDN'T QUOTE UNTIL THE CAR HAD BEEN IN FOR INSPECTION. I AM REALLY UPSET WITH FORD FOR NOT RECALLING THIS ITEM YEARS AGO. IT IS SUCH A SMALL FIX FOR THEM BUT COSTS US ALOT. THEN WHEN YOU GET THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR YOU RECALL, THEY TRY TO ELIMINATE THE LABOR COSTS, BUT ISN'T THAT PART OF THE RECALL. MY LAST REIMBURSEMENT WAS MUCH LESS THAN I ACTUALLY PAID FOR THE SERVICE.