NHTSA Complaint #10247527 — 2002 FORD FOCUS

I DROVE MY CAR TO DOWNTOWN AS I NORMALLY DO EXCEPT THIS TIME I HAS THE COMPANY OF MY 3 SONS. IT WAS 4 AM IN THE MORNING. I PARKED THE CAR TAKING THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND EXITED. AT ABOUT 5:15 I TRIED TO START THE CAR BY PLACING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TRYING TO TURN IT. THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. I TRIED AGAIN BUT AGAIN THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. I CALLED AAA AND THE REP ASKED ME TO TRY TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL A LITTLE AND THEN THE KEY, THIS STILL DID NOT WORK. HE CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO COME OUT TO HELP. MEANWHILE MY CHILDREN AND I WERE LEFT TO SIT IN THE COLD AND WAIT FOR THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER. WHILE WAITING I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE REALLY HARD AND PULLED ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND TRIED THE KEY AGAIN, LUCKILY IT WORKED. SPOKE TO THE AAA REP AGAIN AND CANCELLED THE TOW. I WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO TRY THE IGNITION AGAIN AND IT STUCK AGAIN SO I DID THE SAME THING THAT SEEMED TO WORK YESTERDAY, BUT IT DID NOT. FORTUNATELY I WAS AT HOME THIS TIME AND NOT ON A MOUNTAIN SOMEWHERE WITH MY CHILDREN. THIS IS A SCARY THING TO HAPPEN ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE WITH YOUR CHILDREN IN A STRANGE PLACE. WHAT IF I WERE SOMEWHERE WITHOUT A CELL PHONE SIGNAL? WOULD WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE HAPPENS BY OR WALK IN THE COLD TO GET A SIGNAL. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE. *TR