NHTSA Complaint #755240 — 2000 FORD FOCUS

TRIED TO PUT KEY INTO THE IGNITION, KEY WOULDN'T GO IT. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER AND IT TOOK A WEEK TO GET FIXED. HAD TO ARGUE TO GET A LOANER CAR IN THE MEANTIME AND NO ONE AT FORD WAS HELPFUL AT ALL AND INSISTED THAT THIS WAS NOT A BIG PROBLEM. SHORTLY BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, THE STEERING AND RACK AND PINION HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF A FLUID LEAK. LAST WEEK, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR (IT HAD NOT BEEN STARTED ALL WEEKEND), THE ENGINE WOULDN'T TURN OVER AND THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP. TODAY WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE AND PULLED AWAY FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. TOOK THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER AND THEY PUT IT BACK ON. HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. LOTS OF RECALL WORK AND ALL THESE OTHER ISSUES TOO. CAR IS AT DEALER FOR SERVICE ON AVERAGE EVERY FOUR MONTHS. THIS WAS MY FIRST NEW CAR, BUT NOW I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD AND AM GETTING RID OF THIS ONE ASAP. *AK