2001 FORD FOCUS Electrical Systemignitionswitch Problems

MY 2001 FORD FOCUS STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WHEN I WOULD PUT MY KEY IN THE IGNITION AND IT WOULDN'T TURN , IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES FOR MY CAR TO TURN ON. EVENTUALLY AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE KEY IT NEVER DID, AND I WAS FORCED TO TOW MY CAR HOME. I WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF MY OWN POCKET TO TOW IT TO THE DEALERS AND THEY SAID THAT THE COST TO FIX WILL RANGE FROM $350-600. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WITH TWO KIDS ON A LIMITED INCOME, THERE IS NO WAY I WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD THIS.*AK

MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE KEY WILL GO INTO THE IGNITION (AND THE DINGING SOUND STARTS), BUT THE KEY WILL NOT TURN. *JB

I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP AND THE IGNITION KEY WON'T TURN. I TRIED JILTING THE WHEEL TO TRY TO GET IT TO UNLOCK.*AK

IGNITION CYLINDER ON MY 2001 FORD FOCUS HAS FAILED TWICE AND LEFT ME STRANDED . TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS IS OVER $700. FORD WILL NOT STAND BEHIND PRODUCT. RECALL IS IN ORDER. *JB

IGNITION CYLINDER FAILED, RESULTING IN A $250.00 REPAIR.*AK

WHEN I TRIED TO START MY CAR THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE INGNITION SWITCH CYLINDER BOTH WERE LOCKED UP. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEN FOUND OUT THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT COVER ALL OF THE EXPENSES SO I WAS OUT $350. NOW WHY DO YOU BY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY IF IT DOESN'T COVER SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT IS APPARENTLY A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE CAR?? I WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MATTER.

IGNITIOIN SWITCH FREEZES. WHEN KEY IS INSERTED THE SWITCH WILL NOT TURN. A LOCKSMITH SHOWED ME HOW TO FREE IT UP BY TAPPING ON THE SWITCH WITH A SCREWDRIVER...!*AK

THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR A MONTH. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE BECAME INOPERATIVE. *AK SEVERAL PEOPLE TRIED TO UNJAM THE KEY BUT NO SUCCESS. A TOW COMPANY WAS CALLED AND THE TOW COMPANY STATED THAT MANY FORD FOCUSES WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TOW ADVISED TAPPING ON THE KEY WITH A HAMMER TO SEE IF THE TUMBLERS WOULD REALIGN. IT WORKED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN HOME AND AGAIN THE IGNITION JAMMED BUT AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WITH THE HAMMER THE KEY TURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART AND A SPECIAL LOCKSMITH WAS REQUIRED FOR THE REPAIR. *CB *JB

I HAVE HAD MY 2001 FORD FOCUS IGNITION SWITCH LOCK UP ON ME A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES IN THE FIRST 14 MONTHS I OWED MY FOCUS. IF YOU HAVE THIS PROBLEM, LOOK AT THE TIP OF YOUR KEY -- IS IT BEING WORN DOWN AT THE TIP? THIS IS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM -- FORD BASICALLY USED INFERIOR METAL WHEN DESIGNING THEIR KEYS FOR THE 2000-2001 FORD FOCUSES. THEY HAVE SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THIS PROBLEM IN LATER MODELS. AFTER HAVING MY IGNITION CYLINDER REPLACED OR REBUILT THREE TIMES, FINALLY AFTER THE FOURTH TIME, THEY GAVE ME A NEW SET OF KEYS. BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MY CURRENT "NEW" KEY GETS WORN DOWN ENOUGH TO LOCK UP THE IGNITION SWITCH WHEN I INSERT IT. I AM IN THE MIDST OF PURSUING THE LEMON LAW ON MY CAR. I'VE ASKED FORD...

WHEN TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE THE KEY DID NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN FOUR TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK

THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS LOCKED IN PLACE AND WOULD NOT MOVE. THIS CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BE LOCKED. ALSO, EXHAUST SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED THREE TIMES BECAUSE IT DID NOT REGISTER PROPERLY. *AK

IGNITION CYLINDER BROKE WITHOUT ANY SIGNS, AND WAS STUCK WITHOUT A CAR FOR A WEEK. *AK

I PURCHASED MY 2001 FORD FOCUS ON AUGUST 6 2002. IN THE LAST YEAR I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL BRAKES AND NOW MY IGNITION IS STUCK. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY DEALERSHIP (CITRUS FORD IN ONTARIO CALIFORNIA) AND AFTER SPENDING AN EXTRA 1200 ON AN EXTRENDED WARRANTY WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, THEY TOLD ME THE IGNITION CYLINDER WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY. HAVE THEY LOOKED AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOW SPENDING ABOUT 595.00 FOR A NEW IGNITION CYLINDER. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR ALL FOCUS OWNERS. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL OR AT LEAST AN AMENDMENT SO THE WARRANTY WILL COVER THE COST.*AK

MY KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. IT DID NOT TURN EASILY. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR, AND BRING IT TO THE DEALER. THEY REPLACED IGNITION TUMBLER AT 31500 MILES.*AK

WHEN THE VEHICLES KEY IS PLACED IN THE IGNITION SOMETIMES THE KEY WILL NOT TURN, DEALER HAS TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.*AK *TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT IGNITION SWITCH BROKE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER STATES IGNITION SWITCH IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

JAN 2003 - IGNITION LOCKED AND KEY COULD NOT BE TURNED. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THE IGNITION CYLINDER HAD TO BE DRILLLED OUT AND REPLACED.AY 2003 - SAME AS ABOVEJ. UNE 2003 - SAME AS ABOVE. *AK

THE KEY DIDN'T GO ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO IGNITION. I HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER.*AK

IGNITION SWITCH FROZE AND WOULD NOT TURN. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER AT COST OF $50. SWITCH HAD TO BE DRILLED OUT AND REPLACED ALONG WITH AN INNER PART AT A COST OF AROUND $250. CAR HAS 54,000 MILES. *NLM

DIFFICULTY TURNING KEY IN IGNITION (ILC). *NLM

KEY WILL NOT TURN IN IGNITION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED LOCKING MECHANISM IN STEERING COLUMN. *AK THE FUEL MILEAGE WAS NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WAS STATED , THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACE ALONG EITH THE FILTER, EGR VALVE AND RADIO, TWO FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED AT 10,700. *YH

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION, THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. *SLC

WHILE PARKING IGNITION SWITCH WILL LOCK UP BECAUSE KEY WILL NOT TURN VEHICLE ON, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE TOWED. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT ONCE GAS GAUGE REACHES A QUARTER TANK. ALSO, KEEPS GETTING A POWER SURGE. POLICEMAN OFFERED CONSUMER ASSISTANCE, AND MOVED HER VEHICLE. NOTICED THAT EVERY TIME SHE TURNED IGNITION SWITCH, ODOMETER WOULD INCREASE SEVERAL THOUSAND IN MILEAGE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK

WHEN PUTTING KEY IN IGNITION KEY WON'T TURN, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL AFTERWARDS JIGGLE AROUND. TOOK TO DEALER, AND TUMBLERS REPLACED. ALSO, TAILGATES ARE TOO HIGH. CONSUMER HAS INJURED SHOULDERS OPENING AND CLOSING THE TAILGATES.*AK

COMPLAINT : IGNITION LOCK WOULD NOT RELEASE KEY AND TURN FAR ENOUGH TO CUT THE ENGINE OFF ( KEY WOULD OTHERWISE MOVE FREELY). HISTORY : KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT ON RANDOM OCCASIONS WITHOUT A SECOND TRY . THE KEY WOULD ALWAYS COME OUT ON THE SECOND TRY AND COULD NEVER REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY.*AK

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE, THE KEY WILL STICK IN IGNITION AND WILL NOT START VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE THREE TIMES, AND FAILED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK