2000 FORD FOCUS Electrical Systemignition Problems

I DROVE MY 2000 FORD FOCUS ABOUT 2 MILES TO THE GAS STATION TO RUN IN FOR MILK. WHEN RETURNING TO THE CAR 3 MINUTES LATER, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO WALK HOME AND GET A RIDE BACK TO THE GAS STATION WITH ANOTHER KEY (HOPING IT WASN'T THE IGNITION PROBLEM I'D READ SO MUCH ABOUT). THAT DIDN'T HELP. THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP, WHICH WAS LITERALLY WITHIN VIEW OF THE GAS STATION. THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THEIR GARAGE ($45!!! FOR LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE) AND THEN PAY FOR A NEW IGNITION $400. *TR

PARKED IN A PUBLIC PARKING SPACE AND CAME BACK TO RETRIEVE MY CAR. COULD GET THE KEY IN THE IGNITION BUT COULD NOT TURN IT. TURNS OUT THE IGNITION WAS FAULTY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BY FORD. EVERYONE I'VE TALKED TO WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM, BUT FORD HAS NOT ADDRESSED IT. THEY CHARGED 400 DOLLARS TO REPLACE IT. *TR

I WAS GETTING IN MY 2000 FORD FOCUS THIS MORNING TO GO TO WORK; I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. I FIDDLED WITH IN FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO NO AVAIL. AS A RESULT, I HAD TO CALL OFF OF WORK. THAT ALONE IS A LOSE OF MONEY. I HAVE NOT YET CALLED FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT ACCORDING TO OTHER REPORTS, IT CAN COST ANYWHERE FROM$100- $400 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I JUST THANK GOD THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN TO ME IN A DANGEROUS AREA. I COULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN A VERY DANGEROUS AREA. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE KEY NOT TURNING BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, HOWEVER, I COULD ALWAYS EVENTUALLY TURN THE KEY, AFTER FIDDLING WITH IT FOR A FEW MINUTES. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT A 2000 FORD FOCUS AND THE KEY IS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE WOMAN HAD THE TUMBLER REPLACED LAST YEAR (08/06). WILL HAVE TO TAKE TO THE DEALER AND HAVE IT FIXED. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A PERSISTANT PROBLEM WITH 2000 FORD FOCUS CARS. *TR

IGNITION IS LOCKED AND WILL NOT TURN TO THE START POSITION ,I TRIED TO WIGGLE THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE SURE THE STEERING WASN'T LOCKED AND ITS LOCKED TOO. *TR

THE KEY IN MY 2000 FORD FOCUS WILL NOT TURN. MY CAR IS USELESS. AFTER MONTHS OF IT BEING DIFFICULT AND HAVING TO USE FORCE IT FINALLY WON'T TURN AT ALL. FORTUNATELY I AM AT HOME AND NOT STRANDED. SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS ISN'T A RECALL ISSUE. INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING. SOUNDS LIKE I EITHER PAY A LOCKSMITH $150 OR FORD $400 TO FIX IT. *JB

IGNITION KEY WILL NOT TURN. KEY CAN BE INSERTED INTO IGNITION CYLINDER, BUT WILL NOT TURN OR START VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE FOR $100. DEALERSHIP REPLACED IGNITION CYLINDER FOR $300. *JB

IGNITION WILL NOT TURN. KEY WILL INSERT INTO IGNITION CYLINDER, BUT WILL NOT TURN AND THEREFORE NOT START. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR $100. DEALERSHIP QUOTED $300-400 FOR IGNITION CYLINDER REPLACEMENT. *JB

THE CAR WAS OK WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, WHEN MY WARRANTY WAS UP, THE KEY TOOK A COUPLE OF TURNS BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO TURN FULLY, THIS HAPPENED RARELY. THEN IT BECAME MORE FREQUENT, AND NOW IT DOESN'T TURN AT ALL. MY CAR IS NOW BEING TOWED AND HOPEFULLY THE PROBLEM WILL BE RESOLVED. IT IS VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS COSTS SO MUCH. I WAS GOING AWAY IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND NOW I WON'T BE ABLE TO BECAUSE OF THIS EXPERIENCE. I AM VERY DISSATISFIED. *TR

I OWN A 2000 FORD FOCUS WITH 31,000 MILES ON IT. TWICE IN THE LAST 5 MONTHS THE IGNITION JAMMED. THE FIRST TIME ON A FREEZING COLD DAY AT A DESERTED URBAN PARKING LOT LATE AT NIGHT AT FEBRUARY 24, 2007. THE SECOND TIME , ON JULY 12, 2007. *AK

I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE PARTY AND I HAD THE VEHICLE , A 2000 FORD FOCUS 4 DOOR SEDAN, FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS AND THE KEY DID NOT WORKING CORRECTLY IN THE CYLINDER. WOULD HAVE TO JIGGLE THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE KEY FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD TURN OVER TO START. JUST LAST WEEK ON 06/05/2007 THE CAR NO LONGER STARTED, I COULD NOT GET THE KEY TO TURN TO START. I CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER, AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE IGNITION CYLINDER THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT, AND I TALKED TO THE MANAGER AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND HE SAID THIS WAS A COUNTINOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS KIND OF VEHICLE. THIS WA S EASILY COSTING ME $300 THAT I DONT HAVE... THIS PROBLEM NEEDED TO BE RECALLED. BY THE WAY I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE...

THE IGNITION CYLINDER THE 2000 FORD FOCUS LOCKED AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE KEY. IT FIRST HAPPENED WHILE I WAS AT AN ATM AT 11PM AT NIGHT AND WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN THE IGNTION FOR ALMOST 30 MINUTES, WHICH PLACED ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TWO WEEKD LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT THIS YIME WAS UNABLE TO TURN IT AT ALL, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED. THE REPAIR COST ME, WITH TOWING WAS $550. I KNEW THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR OTHER FOCUS OWNERS AND FELT FORD SHOULD BE RECALLING THIS PORBLEM.*AK

IGNITION LOCKS SO KEY WILL NOT START THE CAR . I WAS LEFT STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED , FOLLOWING THE FIRST TIME THE IGNITION CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. *AK

I HAVE A 2000 FORD FOCUS. THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT TURN, AS A RESULT, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT TURN. I AM UNABLE TO START THE CAR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPEN TO ME. *TR

ONE DAY THE IGNITION CYLINDER ON MY 2000 FORD FOCUS ZX3 FAILED, AND I WAS UNABLE TO START MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THE KEY DID NOT TURN ONCE INSIDE THE IGNITION. I WAS STRANDED WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION. I HAD TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER TO GET THE IGNITION REPLACED. *JB

IGNITION KEY HAS FAILED TWICE- MECHANICALLY- THE 1ST TIME WAS AT 54000 MI AND COST $300 TO REPLACE - JUST HAPPENED AGAIN AT180000. THERE WERE 34 SIMILAR REPORTS IN 2001 WHEN 1ST OCCASION HAPPENED BUT FORD SAID IT WASN'T A PROBLEM. NOW I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ON YOUR SITE ABOUT IT. CAR HAS JUST BEEN TOWED TO DEALER SO NOT SURE WHAT IT WILL COST. BUT I HAVE DRIVEN CARS FOR 50 YEARS AND NEVER HAD AN IGNITION KEY PROBLEM BEFORE, NEVER MIND 2 ON SAME VEHICLE. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD FOCUS WITH A CURRENT AND FAILURE ODOMETER OF 130000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION IT WULD NOT TURN. THE CONTACT TRIED SEVERAL TIMES AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO MOVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, SHE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN GEAR, BUT THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN . THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD LIGHT UP, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD CHIME, BUT THE IGNITION REMAINED FROZEN. *AK

THE IGNITION CYLINDER IN MY 2000 FOCUS ZX3 BROKE (FROZE UP) FOR THE SIXTH TIME. I HAVE REPLACED THE IGNITION CYLINDER SIX TIMES NOW IN THE SAME VEHICLE IN SEVEN YEARS. IT HAS COST ME A LITTLE OVER $400 EACH TIME, EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

FORD FOCUS WITH IGNITION LOCK UP PROBLEMS *WRITER PLEASE NOTE FOR CUSTOMER THAT COMPLAINT IS BEING FORWARDED TO FTC.* *CC *NM

RECENTLY THE VEHICLE STARTED TO IDLE ERRATICALLY SOMETIMES DYING, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THE BOSCH PLATINUM SPARK PLUGS WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH FORD VEHICLES AND SOLD ME NEW SPARK PLUGS. THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO GO AWAY BUT ABOUT 30 DAYS LATER IT STARTED AGAIN. FRUSTRATED WITH THE DEALERS PERFORMANCE I CHECKED THE VEHICLE MYSELF AND FOUND THAT THE CRANKCASE VENT BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND FIREWALL HAD A RUBBER ELBOW AND HOSE THAT WERE COLLAPSING AFTER THE VEHICLE STARTED. I REMOVED THEM AND FOUND THE ELBOW HAD A HOLE AND THE HOSE SEEMED TO BE STRUCTURALLY WEAKENED. I REPLACED BOTH AND NO MORE PROBLEM. *JB

REVISED TO FIT WEB COMPLAINT FORM. WEBFORM REQUIRES MANUFACTURER OF IGNITION CYLINDER FROM FORD. CALLED FORD AT 1800-392-FORD AND SHAUN-CENTRAL FLORIDA STATES PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. FORD IS NOT A CHOICE IN THE DROP DOWN MENU AT HTTPS://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/IVOQ/EQUIPMENT.CFM?TOSTEP=4&CFID=1748899&CFTOKEN=17655993 GUESSED ON INFO TO TURN IN FOLLOWING COMPLAINT. IGNITION LOCKED UP ON FORD FOCUS. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. HAD TO TOW AIRLINE WRECKER, DUBS GARAGE AND LOCKSMITH TOLD ME EXTREMELY COMMON FOR FORD FOCUS. PETITION FOR IGNITION CYLINDER RECALL AT HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/MOD_PERL/SIGNED.CGI?FOCUSIC EVEN WHEN THE PART IS REPLACED, IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I JUST PRAY NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS (AND FROM WHAT I'VE READ IT WILL) I AM IN A SAFE, WELL LIT AREA WHERE MY CELL PHONE CAN GET SERVICE; AND NOT THE BEACH OR SOMEWHERE THAT TOW TRUCKS CHARGE OVER $500. BUT MOSTLY I PRAY FORD IS FORCED TO FIX THIS KNOWN ISSUE AND STOP CREATING A FINANCIAL BURDEN ON PEOPLE JUST SO THEY CAN...

IGNITION CYLINDER ON MY 2000 FORD FOCUS HAS BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES BY A LOCAL FORD DEALER. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE (APPROXIMATELY AUGUST, 2004, KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE LOCK. THIS REQUIRED TOWING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT (FEBRUARY, 2007) THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH UNLESS THE TILT STEERING WAS BOUNCED FORWARD AND BACK FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES. *JB

IGNITION IS LOCKED UP AGAIN ON MY 200 FORD FOCUS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. IT HASN'T HAPPENED IN A COUPLE OF YEARS THOUGH. SUDDENLY, IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN. *NM

KEY WON'T GO INTO IGNITION ALL THE WAY AND WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO TURN MY CAR ON. CONTACTED FORD AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT IT IS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD SO IT IS NOT UNDER A RECALL YET. SO I WILL NOW HAVE TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FIXED OUT OF MY POCKET. *NM

THIS PAST WEEKEND MY IGNITION CYLINDER FAILED IN MY 2000 FORD FOCUS. RESEARCHING THE TOPIC ONLINE REVEALED THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT FORD CHOOSES TO IGNORE, THEREFORE THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *NM

2000 FORD FOCUS IGNITION LOCKS, PREVENTING THE CAR FROM BEING STARTED. *NM

I PARKED MY FORD FOCUS IN A PARKING SPACE AT A TACO BELL. THE WHEELS WERE SLIGHTLY TURNED TO THE LEFT AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS IN THE IGNITION SO I BEGAN WIGGLING THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH, CONTINUING TO TRY THE KEY. EVENTUALLY, I'D TURNED THE WHEEL SO FAR THAT IT STUCK IN THE LOCK POSITION, CRANKED TO ONE DIRECTION. NOTHING WORKED. A HALF HOUR PASSED. I ASSUMED THAT THE DIRECTION OF WHEELS AND THE STEERING WHEEL BEING TURNED LIKE IT WAS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE IGNITION NOT WORKING. SO I JACKED UP THE FRONT END OF THE CAR TO TRY TO STRAIGHTEN MY WHEELS OUT BY HAND BUT THEY TOO WERE LOCKED AND WERE NOT GOING TO BUDGE. I CONTINUED TO TRY DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF APPLYING THE BRAKE, TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, ADJUSTING THE TILT OF THE STEERING WHEEL...

IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER WON'T TURN,FRONT TIRES LOCKED, CAR HAD TO BE TOWED IN. DEALERSHIP HAD TO PUT THE CAR ON A JACK TO GET IT INTO THE SHOP, REMOVED STEERING COLUMN TRIM, HAD TO DRILL OUT BROKEN IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER ASSEMBLY, HAD TO SET UP NEW LOCK CYLINDER SO THE SAME KEYS WOULD WORK. SO NOT ONLY AM I STUCK WITHOUT A VEHICLE TILL AFTER CHRISTMAS, I HAD TO PAY A TOWING CHARGE, PLUS THE COST TO HAVE THE CAR FIXED. BACK CAR DOOR LATCH ON PASSENGER SIDE CONTINUALLY STUCK AND DOES NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM THAT SIDE. RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE CARRIAGE IS UNEXPLAINABLE - WHAT IS NEXT? *NM

KEY WOULD NOT TURN WHEN PUT IN IGNITION. HAVE READ THAT 100'S OF PEOPLE WITH MY VEHICLE ARE EXPERIENCING SAME PROBLEM, BUT FORD WILL NOT ADMIT WRONGDOING. *NM

THIS IS THE 5TH TIME MY IGNITION CYLINDER LOCKED UP ON ME. I AM FED UP WITH HAVING TO REPLACE THIS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!! *JB

STEERING WHEEL, IGNITION, AND GEAR SHIFT ARE ALL LOCKED. THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. *JB

2000 FORD FOCUS IGNITION CYLINDER LOCKED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE KEY DID NOT GO IN THE IGNITION CYLINDER. THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE WAS PERMANENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION CYLINDER.

MY DAUGHTER TRIED TO START THE 2000 FORD FOCUS THIS MORNING AND COULDN'T INSERT THE KEY. IT WON'T INSERT ALL THE WAY AND WON'T TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED UP. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP NOW AND THEY'VE QUOTED US MORE THAN $300 TO REPLACE THE FAULTY CYLINDER. THE FORD TECH SAID THIS HAPPENS QUITE FREQUENTLY! *NM

1. NO EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE. FAILED WITH NO WARNING. 2. KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. LEFT STRANDED 30 MINUTES FROM HOME TOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. WAIT UNTIL MORNING TO SEEK HELP. 3. STILL SEEKING THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE IGNITION LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED TO DISENGAGE FROM THE LOCKED POSITION. BOTH KEYS WERE TRIED, BUT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE KEY WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE IGNITION. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE KEY WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT, AND THE ENGINE STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. UPDATED 12/15/06. *JB

IGNITION LOCK IN 2000 FORD FOCUS FREEZES, EITHER LOCKING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION OR REFUSING TO UNLOCK STEERING WHEEL, OR START CAR. *NM

IGNITION LOCK FAILURE (KEY COULD NOT BE PUT INTO LOCK) DUE TO IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER FAILURE. THIS LEFT CAR AND DRIVER IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE CAR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO RETRIEVE BY TOW TRUCK (TURNED-OVER FRONT WHEELS LOCKED, NO STEERING POSSIBLE). REPAIR IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. FORD DECLINED PARTICIPATION IN REPAIR COST. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET (FOR EXAMPLE, HTTP://CBS5.COM/INVESTIGATES/LOCAL_STORY_041015136.HTML, OR CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AT HTTP://WWW.FAZMICLAW.COM/FOCUS.HTML, OR EXCERPT "...FORD HAS CONCEDED THAT IT HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION LOCKS, BUT THE COMPANY HAS NOT ORDERED A RECALL."). *JB

KEY WILL NOT TURN IN IGNITION, STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED. HAD TO HAVE IGNITION CYLINDER REPLACED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN 2000 FOCUS - PERHAPS A REDESIGN OF THE CYLINDER IS REQUIRED. *JB

KEY FAILS TO TURN IN THE IGNITION CYLINDER. CANNOT START THE CAR. *JB

2000 FORD FOCUS LX. *JB

2000 FORD FOCUS KEY WOULD NOT TURN INTO LOCK POSITION. UPON INSPECTION MECHANIC DETERMINED THE LOCK CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE LOCK CYLINDER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *KB *NM***NAR***

STEERING COLUMN WILL NOT UNLOCK. *JB

MY FORD FOCUS IGNITION SWITCH WONT TURN. I STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESSERT ABOUT 400 MILES FROM HOME TO FILL THE GAS. I HAD TO PAY $140 THE TOW TRUCK TO GET TO THE NEAREST VILLAGE, AND $400 FOR A NEW IGNITION SWITCH AND NIGHT AT A CHEAP HOTEL ($60) I HAVE READ A LOT ABOUT THESE KIND OF CRAPPY CARS HAVING THE EXACTLY SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE CALL IT A RECALL :(. *NM

IGNITION CYLINDER COMPLETELY LOCKED UP WITHOUT ANY INDICATION THAT A PROBLEM WAS IMMINENT. VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STARTED. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. AFTER RESEARCHING, HAVE FOUND THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE 2000 FOCUS. COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF CAR IS NEEDED IN AN EMERGENCY, OR LEAVES YOU STRANDED. *JB

BROKEN IGNITION-LOCK CYLINDER. *NM

THE IGNITION OF MY 2000 FORD FOCUS I WAS STUCK AT DALLAS AIRPORT AFTER A JOB INTERVIEW FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS IN 90 DEGREE HEAT. IT WAS REPAIRED AND LOCKED UP AGAIN THIS TIME IN FRONT OF MY HOURS. *NM

IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED, BATTERY LIGHT ON, DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKED UP, PLUS ALL KINDS OF ISSUES FROM DAY ONE. TONS OF MANUFACTURER RECALLS. *NM

IGNITION CYLINDER LOCKS UP WHICH REQUIRES TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF ASSEMBLY. IT HAS HAPPENED THREE (3) VERY UNFORTUNATE TIMES, EACH REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE ASSEMBLY. IN THE RIGHT SITUATION IT COULD (AND ONE OF THOSE WAS) DANGEROUS. *NM