NHTSA Complaint #10210934 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

AS I LEFT WORK ON THE NIGHT OF 12/4/07, I ENTERED MY 2000 FORD FOCUS AND FOUND THAT I COULD NOT TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE KEY WOULD NOT FULLY ENTER THE IGNITION CYLINDER AND THUS COULD NOT START THE CAR. AS SUCH, I WAS STUCK IN THE PARKING LOT WITH NO WAY TO DRIVE MYSELF HOME WITHOUT CALLING FOR A RIDE. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO FIND SOMEBODY, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A STRONG WINTER STORM AT THE TIME. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP - THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOLD ME HE SEES THIS PROBLEM ALL THE TIME WITH THIS CAR AND GAVE ME SOME TIPS FOR HOW TO TRY TO GET THE KEY TO WORK (AT LEAST TEMPORARILY), BUT NOTHING WORKED AND HE TOWED THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY NEEDED TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER, WHICH I HAD THEM DO. DOING RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE THIS ISSUE REOCCUR WITH THEIR FOCUS. I CALLED FORDS CUSTOMER CARE CENTER, WHO INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST MY REPAIR (IN THE FORM OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OR GOODWILL REPAIR) AND REFERRED ME TO THIS SITE TO SEE IF THIS ISSUE MERITED A RECALL. *TR