NHTSA Complaint #10172744 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

WITHOUT PREMONITORY WARNING OR OBSERVED MARGINAL BEHAVIOR, IGNITION LOCK FAILED AND KEY COULD NOT BE INSERTED FULLY OR TURNED TO START ENGINE. KEY FINALLY TURNED AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF RE-TRYING, BANGING ON STEERING COLUMN, ETC. LOSS: TIME SPENT RETRYING, AND INTANGIBLE ANXIETY CONCERNING HAVING TO LEAVE KEY IN IGNITION OVER A WEEKEND WHILE INVESTIGATING OPTIONS FOR REPLACEMENT DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS TO REDUCE COST RELATIVE TO REPLACEMENT IN THE FIELD. PROBLEM SOLVED BY PURCHASING NON-OEM AFTERMARKET IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AT AN INDEPENDENT AUTOMOTIVE LOCKSMITH, AFTER ONLINE LITERATURE SEARCH INDICATED THAT DESPITE 4 RELATED TSBS (14533,15421,02182,13968) AND THOUSANDS OF OWNER REPORTS, FORD HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL - SO FULL-COST SERVICE WORK DONE AT A DEALER WOULD PROBABLY RESULT IN REPLACEMENT WITH ANOTHER INSTANCE OF THE FAULTY ORIGINAL PART. I PERFORMED ALL LABOR EXCEPT FOR SETTING NEW LOCK TO EXISTING KEY PROFILE. OLD PART RETAINED. *NM