NHTSA Complaint #10251182 — 2003 FORD FOCUS

SO FAR, I HAVE ONLY HAD THE PROBLEM OCCUR ONCE AND AM STILL WORKING TO GET IT REPAIRED. NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED TO WARRANT THE PROBLEM HAPPENING. IT SEEMED TO JUST HAPPEN RANDOMLY. IN MY 2003 FORD FOCUS, THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED. SO FAR, I HAVE HEARD HUNDREDS OF CASES OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR, ALL FOR FOCUSES RANGING FROM YEAR 2000 TO 2003, AND THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMS TO FIX IT IS TO ACTUALLY HAVE MAINTENANCE DONE. SPEAKING WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT WOULD NOT ISSUE A RECALL SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. I EXPECT TO HAVE TO PAY A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH FORD REALIZES ITS AN ERROR ON THEIR PART AND THAT A DEFECT WITH THEIR CAR IS WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A COMPANY TO KNOWINGLY KEEP SOMETHING DEFECTIVE ON THE MARKET, EVEN WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS. *TR