NHTSA Complaint #10189693 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

I GOT INTO MY CAR TO GO ON A BUSINESS CALL AND THE KEY, WHEN INSERTED, WOULD NOT TURN THE CYLINDER. AFTER TRYING FOR SOME TIME TO GET THE KEY TURNED, I BEGAN A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THERE HAD BEEN YET ANOTHER RECALL ON THE FOCUS (I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS CAR HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS). I FOUND THAT IT WAS NOT RECALLED, ALTHOUGH IT CERTAINLY WAS A KNOWN ISSUE. I FOUND MANY ACCOUNTS OF THIS PROBLEM AND MANY SUGGESTED REMEDIES. I CHOSE TO USE THE "HAMMER METHOD." THIS WORKED. IT TAKES FOUR HARD RAPS WITH A RUBBER MALLET ON THE END OF THE KEY (INTO THE CYLINDER) TO GET IT TO THEN TURN. IF I TAKE THE KEY OUT, EVEN ONCE, THE PROCESS MUST BE REPEATED. I PARK THE CAR WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, USING MY NON-CODED SPARE OR THE REMOTE UNLOCK TO GET INTO THE CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE - IF THERE WERE AN EMERGENCY OF SOME TYPE OR SOME TYPE OF PERSONAL THREAT AND I WERE UNABLE TO LEAVE QUICKLY DUE TO THIS IGNITION PROBLEM, WHERE WOULD I BE? ALSO, MY CAR (AS UNDESIRABLE AS I'M SURE IT IS DUE TO ITS MANY PROBLEMS) SITS AT RISK OF BEING STOLEN - THE KEY IS EASILY VISIBLE IN THE IGNITION IF I LEAVE IT THERE TO AVOID HAVING TO USE A HAMMER TO START THE CAT. I'M LISTING THE FAILURES AS 100 - I'VE HAD TO USE THE HAMMER AT LEAST THAT MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR, BUT I CAN RE-CREATE THE ISSUE ANY TIME BY SIMPLY PULLING THE KEY OUT. *JB