NHTSA Complaint #10146394 — 2003 FORD FOCUS

YESTERDAY I WAS UNABLE TO START MY CAR. I PUT IN THE KEY BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO CLICKING, NO DIFFICULTIES STARTING MY CAR IN THE PAST. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS WE FINALLY GOT THE CAR STARTED AND TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE TUMBLER AND THE COST OF THE REPAIR WOULD BE $226. NOT ONLY DID THE DEALERSHIP CHARGE FOR THE DAMAGED PART AND LABOR BUT ALSO TO RUN THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. IT COST $79.00 JUST TO HAVE THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS CAR. OUR CAR ONLY HAS 38,000 MILES ON IT! MY HUSBAND CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHAT FORD WAS DOING TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION. HE WAS INFORMED THAT AT THIS TIME ALL THEY COULD OFFER WAS A 12 MONTH WARRANTY ON THE NEW PART BUT WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE HAD TIME DO SOME RESEARCH AND FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE. THERE WHERE QUITE A FEW THAT HAD TO REPLACE THIS PART MORE THAN ONCE AND IN A FEW CASES TWICE IN ONE YEAR. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS SITUATION COULD LEAVE INDIVIDUALS STRANDED. THERE IS NO WARNING! I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY BECAUSE I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP OVER THE MOUNTAINS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. I COULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED ANYWHERE THAT I MAY HAVE TURNED OFF MY CAR. IT WOULD HAVE COST ME TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO A TOWN WITH A FORD DEALERSHIP, LET ALONE THE COST OF LODGING AND THE EXPENSE OF MISSING TIME OFF WORK. *NM