NHTSA Complaint #10275512 — 2003 FORD FOCUS

INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH IGNITION ON 2003 FORD FOCUS; THE WHEEL LOCKS AND THE KEY WILL NOT TURN. THIS HAS BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED I WAS PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. AFTER PERSISTENTLY WIGGLING THE WHEEL AND KEY FOR TWENTY OR SO MINUTES, THE IGNITION ENABLED THE KEY TO TURN. BEING THAT THE IGNITION FAILED WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE AND THAT I WAS UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY IN A SAFE MANNER IS POTENTIALLY FATAL TO PASSENGERS AND DRIVERS OF THE FORD FOCUS. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FORD FOCUS FAULTY IGNITION HAVE BEEN UNPREDICTABLE INTRODUCTIONS TO BEING STRANDED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROVOCATIONS. THE SECOND TIME MY IGNITION FAILED, NEARLY A MONTH AFTERWARDS, THE IGNITION FAILED ON THE FOCUS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE ALSO. THE WHEEL LOCKED AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN WHILE PARKED IN A PARKING GARAGE LATE AT NIGHT. DIRECT RESULTS OF THE FAULTY FORD IGNITION PUT DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS IN DANGER AND MOREOVER PREVENT THEM FROM LEAVING DANGEROUS PLACES. IT TOOK WELL OVER A HALF HOUR IN THE DANGEROUS FAILURE OF MY LOCKS ALSO: THE THIRD IGNITION FAILURE ALSO COMPOUNDING IN THE SECURITY SYSTEM TO PUTTER OUT. ACTIONS TO CORRECT THE SECOND INCIDENT WERE FROM A MECHANIC TO USE WD 40 AND TRY USING A SEPARATE KEY, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS MUCH MORE COMPLEX AND DANGEROUS THAN ANTICIPATED. USING MY SPARE KEY WORKED AND THE IGNITION NO LONGER LOCKED. THESE ACTIONS SUGGESTED BY A MECHANIC REMEDIED THE PROBLEM, BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED WAS YESTERDAY, AND I'M NOW GETTING ESTIMATES FOR REPLACING THE IGNITION AND THE SECURITY SYSTEM. IN LIEU OF NEAR DEATH, I DEMAND A RECALL. *TR