2000 FORD FOCUS Electrical Systemignitionswitch Problems

KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN IGNITION...CYLINDER LOCKED UP, BOUGHT A NEW ONE FROM A FORD DEALER AND HAD IT PUT IN AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED TWO WEEKS LATER. ALSO HAS STALLING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS LIKE THE GAS IS BEING SHUT OFF, AND HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION GRIDING WHEN YOU HIT BUMPS OR GO ACROSS DIPS IN THE ROAD.*AK

IGNITION WON'T TURN. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID THIS HAPPENS ON A LOT OF OTHER FOCUSES, AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS A RECALL. WHEN I CALL THE DEALER'S SERVICE CENTER HE SAID HE'S DONE THREE OTHERS. HE THEN TOLD ME THE COST WOULD BE ABOUT $330. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL! *LA

ON OCT. 11, 2003, I DROVE TO MY SISTER'S PLACE OF BUSINESS TO PICK UP MY NIECE AND WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE CAR MY KEY WOULD NOT GO IN THE IGNITION. MY BROTHER IN LAW TRIED AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET IT IN HALF WAY BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. WE EVEN TRIED THE SPARE KEY AND IT DID NOT WORK. WE CALLED A FORD DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE WE COULD DO EXCEPT TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO UNLOCK IT. THE SERVICE REP. ASKED FOR THE YEAR AND MODEL OF THE CAR AND HE SAID HE HAD OTHER FORD CUSTOMERS COME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT IS THE IGNITION CYLINDER. HE SAID IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST ABOUT $300.00. I ASKED IF FORD HAD ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM AND HE SAID NO. I HAD...

ZX3; AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE, THE DRIVER NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. WHEN THE DRIVER TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE THE KEY COULD NOT BE INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION, THE STEERING WHEEL STAYED LOCKED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE IGNITION CYLINDER AND BATTERY WERE REPLACED. *PH *SC *JB

I OWN A 2000 FORD FOCUS, WHICH MY 17 YEAR OLD SON DRIVES. TODAY I GOT A CALL FROM HIM SAYING HE WAS STRANDED AT A FRIENDS HOUSE. THE PROBLEM, HE COULD NOT GET HIS KEY TO GO ALL THE WAY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH. I DROVE OUT TO WHERE HE WAS AND FOUND THE KEY WOULD NOT GO ALL THE WAY IN, IT ACTS LIKE IT IS THE WRONG KEY FOR THAT SWITCH. *LA

AFTER PARKING AT MY HOME I COULD NOT GET THE KEY BACK IN THE IGNITION. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR THE IGNITION TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD ON THE PHONE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *LA

I NOTICED THE DOORS SQUEAKING SOON AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE NOISE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE NEXT YEAR. THE DEALERSHIP BRUSHED OFF MY QUESTIONS TELLING ME THE DOORS JUST NEEDED GREASE. NOW THAT THE WARRANTY IS UP THEY TELL ME IT WILL COST $405.00 FOR THEM TO FIX. THE DOORS HAVE NOT SQUEAKED FOR OVER A YEAR, NOW THEY DON'T LOCK AND BOTH REAR DOORS FLY OPEN WHEN I TAKE A CORNER SO I KEEP THEM TIED SHUT WITH BUNGEE CORDS AND ROPES. ALL THE JUNK I USED TO KEEP IN THE BACK SEAT IS NOW GONE, IT FLEW OUT OF THE CAR WHILE I WAS GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY. THANK GOD I DIDN'T HAVE PASSENGERS. I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE GAS GAUGE SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR, AND THE IGNITION LOCKED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER KNEW WHAT KIND OF CAR I...

I HAVE REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH 3 TIMES IN LEAST THAT 2 YEARS AND TWICE IN THREE MONTHS. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME TO CALL FORD AND FORD TELLS ME IT A DEALERSHIP'S PROBLEM CALL THEM THE OLD RUN AROUND. I ALSO HAVE REPLACE ALL FOUR BRAKES AND TIRES WITH ONLY 25000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THEY STILL SQUEEZE AND GRIND WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE. I BROUGHT THE CAR USED SO I DO NOT KNOW IF ANYTHING WAS REPLACE BEFORE I PURCHASED IT LOVELY VEHICLE. *LA

THE DRIVER PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT ENGAGE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE STARTER SWICTH ON MY FORD FOCUS BROKE. *LA

WHEN KEY WAS INSERTED IN THE IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT GO ALL THE WAY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH. *AK

THE KEY IGNITION CYLINDER WAS REPLACED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. FORD WAS NOT WILLING TO ASSIST IN THE REPAIRS OF THIS PROBLEM. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED THREE MONTHS AGO. *AK *SCC *JB

IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED UP. TURNED CAR OFF IN NORMAL MANNER, RETURNED AND UNABLE TO TURN KEY, UNLOCK STERRING COLUMN, ETC.. *LA

UPON ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS LOCKED, AND IT WOULD NOT BE MOVED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED THE INSIDE CYLINDER. *AK

UPON LEAVING WORK, ENTERED CAR AND INSERTED KEY INTO IGNITION. KEY WOULD NOT TURN. SPENT ABOUT 45 MINUTES JIGGLING AND TAPPING KEY IN ATTEMPTS TO START CAR. THIS WAS IS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE AAA TOW TRUCK DRIVER MADE MENTION OF THE "FAMOUS FORD IGNITION SYSTEM" UPON ARRIVAL AT MY REQUEST. WHEN ASKED WHAT THAT MEANT, HE STATED THAT A NUMBER OF FORD PRODUCTS ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I PAID FOR THE CAR TO BE TOWED HOME AS IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT. THE NEXT DAY, A CO-WORKER INFORMED ME THAT HIS WIFE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HER FOCUS TOO. I HAVE ENDURED RECALLS WITH THIS CAR, AND AM SHOCKED THAT AN IGNITION SYSTEM MAY NOT HAVE ISSUES SORTED OUT. IF THIS IS A TREND THAT MERITS AN INVESTIGATION. I HOPE CONSUMERS CAN BE RELIEVED OF MOST OF THEIR REPAIR COSTS. MEANWHILE I PROBABLY HAVE QUITE...

PUT KEY IN IGNITION AND IT WILL NOT TURN AT ALL. STEERING WHEEL AND SHIFT LEVER ARE LOCKED AND VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER WITH WHEELS OFF GROUND. DEALER SAY NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUED BUT THIS IS NOT TRUE AS I FOUND SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS WEB SITE. *LA

IGNITION CYLINDER LOCKED AT 36,800 MILES. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL CARS AND DRIVEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES AND NEVER HAS AN IGNITION CYLINDER LOCK. FORD SHOULD RECALL THESE THINGS AND REPAIR THEM WITHOUT CHARGE. *JB

UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE KEY WOULD NOT TURN THE IGNITION. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK

KEY WOULD NOT GO INTO THE IGNITION. STRANDED. HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED AND IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER HAD TO BE REPLACED

KEY IGNITION AND STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED, CANNOT TURN KEY TO START CAR. WHEN I CALLED THE FORD HELP LINE, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NEW, NOTHING THEY'VE HEARD OF BEFORE. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THEY REFERRED ME TO THE MECHANIC ASKED ME WHAT I DROVE. I SAID FORD FOCUS. HE ASKED WHAT YEAR, I SAID 2000. THEN HE SAID THAT KEY IGNITION IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2000 FOCUS AND THAT THEY'VE HAD TO FIX SEVERAL FOCUS' FOR THAT SPECIFIC REASON ALONE. FORD NEEDS TO DO A CENSUS OF HOW MANY OF THEIR DEALERSHIP HAVE LOGGED IN THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THE COMPLAINTS ARE ALL OVER THE INTERNET, TOO MANY TO IGNORE!!! THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ISSUE. *JB

IGNITION LOCK FAILS TO TURN WHEN KEY IS INSERTED. STEERING REMAINS LOCKED AND CAR WILL NOT START. FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS JUNE 2001 WHILE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. LOCK WAS DRILLED OUT AND REPLACED. IGNITION HAS LOCKED UP FOR THE SECOND TIME TODAY WITH NO WARNING. WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED 30 MILES TO DEALER. *JB

THE IGNITION SWITCH ON OUR 2000 FORD FOCUS LOCKED UP. THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION AND STRANDED MY WIFE AND CHILDREN. THE IGNITION SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE CAR IS 4 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND ONLY HAS 22,000 MILES. AFTER COMPLAINING TO THE DEALER, THEY REDUCED THE REPAIR PRICE TO ~1/2 OF ESTIMATE AND TOLD ME TO HOLD THE RECEIPT IN CASE THERE IS A RECALL. *JB

KEY WOULD NOT GO INTO IGNITION, CAR TOWED TO DEALER THEY REPLACED AT COST OF 350+ WOULD NOT COVER UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. *PH

ELECTRONIC SYSTEM-IGNITION SWITCH TROUBLE GETTING KEY IN. ONCE KEY WAS IN, IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN. HAD TO BE REPLACED. *PH

WHEN PLACING THE KEY IN SIDE THE IGNITION VEHICLE FAILED TO ENGAGE. KEY DIDN'T TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN REPAIR SHOP MULTIPLY TIMES. CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE INCIDENT.*AK

HAS BEEN TO SHOP FOR 26 DAYS IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS. REPEATED FAILURE OF CLUTCH (MANUAL TRANSMISSION), FAILURE OF BRAKE PADS, RESULTING IN MINOR CRASH. HAVE HAD TO HAD BALL JOINTS REPLACED. CRUISE CONTROL WAS DISCONNECTED FROM ACCERATOR/BRAKE. KEY WOULD NOT GO INTO IGNITION AND RESULTED IN KEY IGNITION SWITCH HAVING TO BE REPLACED. NUMEROUS RECALLS AND TRIPS TO SHOP SINCE BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN AUGUST 2003*AK

COULD NOT REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION. KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND IGNITION SWITH REPLACED.*AK

WENT TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY, CAME OUT TO GO HOME, PUT KEY IN IGNITION, WENT HALF WAY, THOUGHT IT WAS ALARM, DID EVERYTHING TO MOVE THE KEY, NOTHING. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER. ADVISED BY SERVICE DEPT, THIS PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTRA CARE, AND NOT COVERED UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY OVER 36K MILES. VEHICLE ABOUT 36K MILES. ESTIMATE $500.00. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME VEHICLE IN SHOP. CALLED OUT TO FORD, AND THEY SAID EVERYTHING IS JUST FINE WITH THEIR CARS, AND THAT THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE. FORD DEALERSHIP, SO QUICK TO DEVOUR CUSTOMERS, AND WHEN TROUBLE HAPPENS, CAN'T FIND ANYONE WHO CAN HELP. MY CAR IS NOW SITTING AT THE DEALER, WAITING FOR MY AUTHORIZATION TO PAY $500. TO FIX IT. I AM WITHOUT A CAR. WHAT A NIGHTMARE, I'M JUST GRATEFUL, THIS INCIDENT DID NOT HAPPEN FAR AWAY FROM HOME...

IGNITION LOCK SYSTEM FAILED, RENDERING VEHICLE UNUSABLE. *AK

WHEN PLACING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION VEHICLE FAILS TO ENGAGE. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE, THEN STALL. *AK

THE KEY COULD NOT BE INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION. THE DEALER STATED THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SWITCH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. IN ADDITION TO NOT BEING ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE, THE POWER WINDOWS COULD NOT BE ROLLED DOWN. *AK *NLM *JB

CONSUMER PUT KEY INTO IGNITION BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OR CRANK. DEALER DIAGNOSED DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH CYLINDER AS THE CAUSE.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING ENGINE AND STEERING COLUMN MAY LOCK UP. THERE IS NO WARNING. DEALER SAYS IGNITION SWITCH NEEDS REPLACING.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER UNABLE TO START VEHICLE BACK UP,DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, KEYS WOULDN'T TURN.*AK

WHEN I PARKED MY VEHICLE TO GET GAS AND THE PUMP WASN'T WORKING I PROCEED TO INSERT MY KEY TO MOVED VEHICLE TO ANOTHER PUMP BUT THE KEY WOULDN'T GO IN. I CALLED MY WIFE TO VERIFY IF SHE CAN BRING THE SPARE KEY TO TRY TO START THE CAR WITH IT; HER KEY WOULDN'T GO IN EITHER. I PROCEEDED TO CALL THE CUST. SERV. DEPT. AT FORD MOTOR CREDIT AND INFORMED THE PROBLEM; THEY ASKED TO TRY AGAIN TO INSERTED THE KEYS AND HAD NO RESULTS. WE HAVE NO PREVIOUS WARNINGS. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THEN TOLD ME WE ARE TO CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOWED THE VEHICLE; AT FIRST HE EXPRESS WE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AND THEN HE CONFIRMED THAT I HAVE EXTENDED GUARANTEE AND THAT TOWING WAS COVERED BUT THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION WASN'T COVERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO FORD...

KEYS GOT LOCKED IN THE IGNITION BECAUSE THE IGNITION LOCK BROKE AND TUMBLER BENT PER DEALERSHIP.*AK

THE IGNITION KEY WAS DIFFICULT TO PLACE INTO THE IGNITION CYLINDER. ONCE PLACED INSIDE, THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT TURN AT ALL, IT WAS LOCKED UP IN PLACE. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED OVER 7300 HITS ON "FORD FOCUS AND IGNITION PROBLEMS". THE COST OF TOW AND REPAIR WAS $350.*AK

VEHICLE HAD 12000 MILES WHEN CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START, BUT KEY WOULD NOT TURN. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS FAILED IGNITION SWITCH AND REPLACED IT. AT 40000 MILES PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN, AND DEALER DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH.*AK

KEY GETS JAMMED IN THE IGNITION. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

TURNED OFF CAR, GOT OUT, PUT IN GAS, GOT BACK IN CAR, KEY WOULD ONLY GO IN HALF WAY. *NLM

WHILE PLACING THE KEY INSIDE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH VEHICLE WILL NOT START UP AT ALL. *AK

WHILE PLACING THE KEY INSIDE OF THE KEY IGNITION VEHICLE WILL NOT START.*AK

PUT KEY IN IGNITION AND KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN IGNITION SWITCH. HAD TO REPLACE IGNITION CYLINDER. 8NLM

PLACED KEY IN IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN. MANY TSB'S ON SAME PROBLEM. HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY. IGNITION SWITCH COVERED WITH NO SPECIFIC PART # LISTED. DEALER SAYS PART # FOR DEFECT NOT COVERED. HAD FIXED. RESEARCH WITH NHTSA LISTS 7 TSB'S AND MANY COMPLAINTS FOR SAME DEFECT. REFERRED TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE THEY SAID NOTHING COULD BE DONE. EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT LIST SPECIFIC PART #S WHEN PURCHASED BUT WHEN WARRANTY WORK IS REQUESTED IT BECOMES PART NUMBER SPECIFIC. ALSO IF THERE ARE SO MANY TSB'S AND CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS WHY DOESN'T FORD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *JB

IGNITION SWITCH WON'T WORK, KEY WON'T TURN, HAD TO REPLACE. *JB

IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED UP AND WILL NOT TURN. HAS TO BE REPLACED. *JB

IGNITION WON TURN AND REWIRE AND REPLACED PASSENGER DOOR POWER LATCH. *NLM

IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT TURN. I NOTICED IN RESEARCHING THE INTERNET THAT MANY OTHERS HAD THE SAME FAILURE. I DID NOT SEE A RECALL. THIS IS THE LATEST FAILURE OF MANY: BRAKES, FUEL GAUGE, BAD STRUTS. NOW AT 39000, I AM 3000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. *JB

THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED, THE DEALER CHARGED THE CONSUMER $350.00 TO REPLACE.*JB

KEY HAD TROUBLE GOING INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH, WHEN IT FINALLY DID GO IN, IT WILL NOT TURN. CAR WILL NOT START. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY NOR WAS THERE A RECALL ON IT.*JB