NHTSA Complaint #10165940 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

IGNITION CYLINDER FORD FOCUS LX 2001 93,980 MILES LIKE SO MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET. INSERT KEY - IGNITION LOCKSUP YOU'RE STRANDED AND HAVE TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. COST FOR REPAIR BY FORD DEALERSHIP $489.20. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED NOTICING IGNITION PROBLEM - WE CALLED FORD TO GET A PRICE ON THE PART AS MY HUSBAND WAS GOING TO REPLACE HIMSELF. WAS TOLD BY PARTS GAL THAT HE COULD NOT PERFORM THIS HIMSELF - IT'S NOT LIKE THE OLD DAYS - THERE ARE NOW SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE WIRING AND INSULATION IT HAS TO BE DONE BY FORD. ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE IGNITION WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CALL TOW TRUCK AND TAKE TO FORD. TOW TRUCK DRIVER INFORMS US THIS IS COMMON DEFECT WITH ALL 2001-2006 FORD FOCUS AND TEMPOS. BEFORE WE HAD IT TOWED MY HUSBAND THOUGHT MAYBE THE KEY WAS JUST WORN OUT - FORD SAID THE KEY DID LOOK WORN AND THE KEY DID NEED REPLACING BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE SPECIAL BECAUSE KEY CONTAINS A CHIP AND IT TAKES SPECIAL PROGRAMMING - KEY COST $35.00 P/KEY LABOR WOULD COST $50.00 - WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE IT TOWED IN CASE THIS WASN'T THE PROBLEM. (DON'T WANT TO BE THROWING AWAY MONEY) NEXT DAY I CONFRONTED FORD MECHANIC ABOUT THIS BEING A KNOWN CYLINDER DEFECT AND ASKED WHY IT WASN'T A RECALL - MECHANIC SAYS HE AGREES IT SHOULD BE A RECALL - BUT INSTEAD IT WAS A TSB TELLING TECHS HOW TO FIX AND TO MY HORROR FIX IT WITH ANOTHER IDENTICAL FAULTY PART. I ASKED IF THERE WAS SPECIAL PRICING SINCE IT WAS FORD'S FAULT. ANSWER NO. ASKED IF NEW KEYS WERE INCLUDED IN PRICE - ANSWER NO. I ASKED IF PROBLEM COULD REAPPEAR. ANSWER YES. IMAGINE IF MY DAUGHTER OR I WERE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE OR ON A ROAD TRIP - WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED OR THE EXPENSE FOR TOWING. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT OUT OF TOWN NOW AND I AM HORRIFIED THAT I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET $489.20 FOR A KNOWN DEFECT THAT WILL MORE THAN LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN. WHY IS FORD FIXING THE PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER FAULTY PART -RIP OFF SCAM? *NM