NHTSA Complaint #10249542 — 2003 FORD FOCUS

APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS AGO I BEGAN TO NOTICE A DIFFICULTY IN TURNING THE KEY WHEN PLACED IN THE IGNITION. THE PROBLEM BEGAN SMALL, A LITTLE JIGGLE OF THE KEY AND THE IGNITION CYLINDER WOULD TURN AND THE CAR WOULD START. THE PROBLEM GREW TO THE POINT IN WHICH I WOULD HAVE TO FORCIBLY KNOCK THE KEY IN WITH THE PALM OF MY HAND OTHERWISE THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN AT ALL. I TRIED ALL KINDS OF WAYS TO GET THE CAR TO START, BUT HITTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION CYLINDER SEEMED TO BE THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE IT WORK. FINALLY APPROXIMATELY 3 DAYS AGO I WAS LEAVING WORK, PLACED THE KEY IN THE CAR, WHICH NOT TO MY AMAZEMENT DID NOT TURN IN THE CYLINDER. SO AS I HAD GROWN ACCUSTOM TO I GAVE THE KEY A SMACK, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN. I SAT IN MY CAR FOR CLOSE TO AN HOUR TRYING TO GIGGLE, SHACK, SMACK, JIMMY, AND PLAY WITH THE KEY ANY WAY I COULD THINK OF BUT I COULD NOT GET MY CAR TO START. NOW WHEN YOU WORK MIDNIGHTS AND YOU GET OFF WORK WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS GOING TO WORK, FINDING A RIDE IS NOT THE EASIEST OF THINGS. AFTER SOME EXTENSIVE RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS IS A HIGHLY COMMON PROBLEM IN FORD FOCUS'. *TR