2004 FORD Focus

The ignition will not work. I put the key in the ignition and it will not turn on. It\'s not an issue with the way the car is meant to be started: press brake pedal, release locked steering wheel. The key just won\'t turn while in the ignition, so cannot start my car! Ford dealer wants $500 to fix. There is no locksmith in Winnemucca Nevada! This is a safety issue. I am a woman and work late at night and came out to my car in the dark alone and it would not start. The car had to be towed home at my expense. It has been sitting here ever since. Mechanics all say it\'s Ford\'s fault and it should be a recall issue.

Key sticks in ignition & will not turn to start vehicle

WE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR 3 YEARS AGO AND AT LEAST 3 BATTERIES SINCE. THE CAR WOULD RANDOMLY BE DEAD AT START-UP(JUST CLICK) WITH JUMPER CABLES WOULD START WITH LITTLE EFFORT.THE DANGEROUS ISSUE IS THAT THE CAR WILL DIE RANDOMLY AND NEED A JUMP TO RESTART. SO WE WERE AGAIN TOLD THE ALTERNATOR MUST BE DEFECTIVE. NOW THE KEY WILL NOT TURN THE IGNITION WITHOUT PERSUADING IT WITH A TAP OR TWO ON THE END. COME TO FIND OUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH ALL ALONG.

Ignition stuck, key would not work. Ignition had to be replaced. Car was stuck and had to be towed.

3/1/14: Driver’s side heated seat burned through upholstery and caught fabric on fire, while my daughter was driving vehicle! After searching the internet, I found that this has happened to other Focus owners. There was a service bulletin (04B16); Why NO recall?

My daughter was leaving work at 1:00 am after closing and the key would not turn in the ignition. She goes to school in Kalamazoo, Mi She called me for help ( I live an hour and a half away) and after 30 minutes we got the car running by using a hammer and hitting the key in the ignition, which was one of the tricks mentioned on the internet from others who have this problem. I asked for a goodwill repair but Ford refused. This was a very dangerous situation for my daughter being alone and I feel Ford should take care of this problem.

The ignition is completely locked. I’ve been having trouble the past month being able to turn the key in the ignition and now I cannot turn it at all. My car is stranded at a local tire shop with the window down, which may cause even more damage from the weather or allow for easy theft. This problem is so unpredictable its scary, I could’ve been anywhere and been stranded. Then I looked up the problem and find that tons of other focus owners are having the same issue because ford used a cheap metal. Its time that they treated there customers right and recall this part.

My steering wheel locked totally and we could not get the key to turn the car out of the locked position. We tried for 3 hours and even AAA could not get the steering wheel out of park. AAA said they have seen this on the Focus before and that it was
an ignition problem that Ford has not addressed.

The axle broke and ripped my tire causing me to have to fix both axles and purchase a new tire too the tune of $800.00.

The key would not turn in the ignition. After hours of trying to turn the key, I had to tow it to the dealer and have ignition replaced, and the keys replaced.

The key would not turn in the ignition when I was trying to leave work on Thursday, May 5th, 2011. I had tried everything possible that was suggested from the ford dealership in Burlington, Ontario and on-line help so far as locking the doors while in the car to see if it might have been a security issue but still did not turn. I had to call my husband to come and pick me up and luckily I was still at work and not somewhere where my cell phone would not have worked. The following day, Friday, May 6th, 2011 had to contact a mobile auto locksmith who tried everything to unlock the wheel and turn the key in the ignition with no luck. He had to drill out the ignition housing and replace it with a new one. The bill was just under $250.00. I have contacted Ford Canada at the Oakville location to ask for a goodwill repair which was denied and even though after hours of research found that Ford have been aware of this problem since the 2001 focus came out with no recalls and numerous complaints. As well there is a lawsuit pending in Californina in respect to this issue.

The ignition is locked (the key dosent turn). The steering wheel is locked wont turn.

the car just died on the highway -25 degrees c.wouldn’t start very bad and dangerous problem

SIDE DOOR OPENS AUTOMATICLYDEFECTIVE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY ON IMPACTREAR LATCH WILL NOT CLOSE PROPERLY – OPENS UP AUTOMATICLYVIBERATION IN STEERING WHEEL AT 20-25 MILESHORN INOPERABLEFUEL GUAGE WON’T REGISTER AFTER FILLING

Pirelli tires are constantly out of round. Manufacturer says we must deal with Pirelli for warranty. Rotors replaced several times and brakes remain unusually noisy. Fuel gage often refuses to read after fill-up. Rear hatch opens without reason requiring stop to reclose. Ford Motor Co. baically told us to deal with the tire issues they wouldn’t be involved anymore and lied repeatedly regarding the unsafe conditions created by other problems.

Our daughter and three of her friends were driving in our Focus station wagon, she lost contorl. Hit a small tree, flung up and then hit a larger tree. Most of the impact was on the front right side of the car. The hood, winsheild,and roof, all were bent down from the second tree. The doors on right, were bent out. Then landed on its side. They all had seat belts on.Only one had some minor scrapes, and a little sore. But the air bags did not work, also the car was still running. My daughter had to go back to the Focus and turn off the engine. We were happy with the Focus, but just think this should be check into for other Focus owners.We were lucky.

I had a blow out on my right rear tire, enroute from Fairbanks AK to Grand Forks ND with my ACtive Duty Air Force husband. I went to the local Ford dealer in Aug when we arrived in ND all my tires were worn out, I have been dealing with them for 2 months and was told by Ford all Focus’ need new tires every 20,000 tires due to engineering problems. My car is only a year old and is still uner the 3yr 36,000 mile warranty. Pirelli tires are on the vehicle, I called the Pirelli CO and was told by them the tires should be good for 40,000 to 50,000 miles. I have brought my Focus in for the 3,000 mile oil change and 12 point inspections at Ford Dealers. I feel Ford knows this car has issues with the wearing of tires every 20,000 miles and said it is normal wear for a Focus. That is not a good enough answer for me, the consumer. Ford messed up on this car and will not fix their mistake or honor their warranty.

Front rotors already showing major wear at 10,000 miles

Car was purchased from Country Ford Gatesville Texas 76528 on 11-30-05. Ttwo days later was taken back for faulty brakes and windshield leak. each time service department said nothing wrong . was told to take to another dealer. Took car to Johnson Brothers in Temple Texas. They found windshield leaked and rotors were bad; took back to Country Ford with documentation. Car stayed there for 4 days. Got a loaner – same make, model and mileage – brakes were good. Called to pick car up drove car and brakes still bad. Salesperson who sold me the car rode in it; both he & I agreed. Sales Manager said he would not put any more money into the car. Car had extended warranty. On Jan 27, 3 pm,. 2.2 miles from home, wreck occurred. Car was totaled. Brakes failed during an attempt to stop and avoid an animal in the road. brakes failed. The car went into a skid while trying to gain control; rolled 3 or 4 times then flipped went air bourn and landed in Cedar trees going the opposite direction. Airbag never deployed. Department of Public Safety (DPS) noted brake failure and airbag did not deploy.

brakes-164.29 Mar 28 -05 – can we stop payment with Ford to force a repair? ignition jamming-=$265.94 may 27 – 05 door lock seized twice, rubber seal gone -didn

Brakes were very noisy from the day we took delivery of our new Focus. We took it back to Marshal Ford several times complaining sbout the problem. They checked the brakes each time we took it in and told us that the noise was normal and was caused by the high metalic content of the brake pads. We requested that Marshal request authorization from Ford to install ceramic pads to eliminate the noise. We were told by Marshal that Ford had issued some kind of notification to their service departments regarding customer compaints of excessive brake noise complaints on the Focus however no repairs would be made to correct the problem. The noise got so bad that we finaly had the brakes repaired at a local Meineke shop. They told us that the pads were not worn out but the brake rotors had deep grooves caused by extremely hard brake pads. Meineke replaced the rotors and installed thermal quiet pads to correct the problem. The rear brakes are fine. One of the front pads was worn more than the others due to a sticking caliper slide. We have seen the defective parts and we have them. We use this car primarily for highway driving. Meineke said they have seen many Ford Focus vehicles with the same defect at around the same mileage. We will never purchase another Ford product.

The ignition lock froze up without warning leaving us stranded across town. Thankfully we were in a safe part of town with access to tools so we got the problem resolved temporarily. The ignition can be un frozen by taking apart the steering column and removing all electrical components from the lock. Then put a drip pan under the lock and blow all the metal shavings out of the lock with a liquid lubercant. DO NOT USE WD40. we used a firearm lubercant which will not clump the new shavings and it has worked rather well so far (BreakFree). As a percaution we leave the key in the lock which is risky to do in bad parts of town. To circumvent this we remove the key RFID sensor from the car which prevents the engine from starting at all no matter what the lock is doing. This has started to create problems with the immoblizer in the car and now we are looking at needing that to be reset every so often. The best place to get this fixed is NOT at the dealership as they will use the same crappy parts that got you into this mess to start. Go to a lock smith and have them use NON ford parts. We are waiting on a aftermarket lock to arrive from http://www.sandiegolockandsafe.com which has considerable experiance on this issue (along with most lock smiths worth their salt). IF this happens to you and you live in california go here: http://www.fazmiclaw.com/ , send them a message and attach yourself to the now pending lawsuit (08-15-2010).

Ignition switch won’t turn.

I haven’t gotten it fixed yet so don’t know the cost … Its really the ignition key has gotten locked and from reading online its a severe problem for most ford focus owners. It is a problem in which Ford should have made a recall…It is a saftey hazard due to if it leaves you stranded in a not so safe area.

Entered key into the ignition and wheel and key would not turn to start the car. Seems as if wheel is locked into place. This is second occurance that a tow had to be called. First time happened about a month ago and was able to unlock it after a few hard tugs on wheel, and wiggling the key while shoving the key into the ignition hard. It has locked up maybe a handful of times afterwards, but I was able to unlock wheel after a few tugs. Now it won’t budge and at all even with the tricks. After calling a tow again I was told this happens alot to Fords and ignition switches are changed very frequently on these models. I was quoted $225.00 for a 20 minute fix with a 5 year warranty. There should really be a recall to fix the ignitions free of charge if there are so many complaints. No one should be left stranded on the road over this manufactoring issue/problem/malfunction, especially if one has made it a point to keep car serviced so that they would never be stranded!

2004 ford focus. consumer states problems with turning the key in the ignition switch *tgw

Had to have the ignition lock on a 2004 ford focus replaced. consumer states that he was informed that it is a frequent problem. *nj

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 ford focus. the contact heard a car horn sound while being away from the vehicle. upon inspection, the contact noticed flames underneath the vehicle. the fire department was contacted and extinguished the flames. an investigator diagnosed that the failure originated from the cruise control switch. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a salvage yard where it was deemed destroyed. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to nhtsa. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control), but the vin was not included. the failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

A/c recall i bought my car used and the a/c was working. then a few months later, it stopped working. i took it to the mechanics and they couldn't order the air hose it needed to fix it because they said they weren't selling them anymore. we tried hoses from similar model cars, but couldn't fix it.

Alternator caught fire, feb 2017. replaced and checked system. july 30, 17 alternator smoked and melted inside. , positive terminal on battery was so hot that the connector was too hot to touch. replaced. alternator and battery. picked up car from repair shop and within one mile the alternator melted its internal wiring wiring and smoked. car is back in shop. each time this happened the car was being driven.

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 ford focus. while driving 45 mph, the steering wheel veered to the right and vibrated violently. the contact had to release the accelerator pedal and crashed into a ditch. the vehicle flipped over twice. the contact sustained second degree burns from the seat belt, whiplash, and burns to the right arm from the air bags. medical attention was required. the rear driver side passenger sustained whiplash and stomach bruises from the seat belt, which also required medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed and destroyed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

The car has had 5-6 repairs over the last 6 years. 3 batteries and 2 alternators. the car dies out while driving and wont restart without a jumpstart, is dead randomly or only clicks.just spent another $200 on an alternator when the key wont turn and the real problem over all these years has come to light. very dangerous situation with the car just dieing wherever and whenever.

We had purchase a 2004 ford focus and we have had it for 2 years now. for the last 4 months i have notice that the car overheats well the needle will shoot up to the hot and you can hear the fan/engine whatever other components running loud as if its revving the engine. i have been scared a few times because it would also stall like its about to go off and a couple time it has while at a stop light. wondering is this a common problem for this vehicle? the overheating happens very often it happen during a short drive or long drive like 12 to 16 miles. it also seems to do it a lot when i'm at heavy traffic and when you sit there for 3 lights turns because of the amount of cars i notice it overheats then. also, always overheats when i go to costco to buy gas. due to the long wait for my turn to pump gas it overheats then. it doesn't seem to matter of the weather because it has been cool in the mornings and it has done that and also done so during high noon. have also experience it during night time. is there a recall for this on this type of vehicle? we bought this from a private party so would like to know how we can make sure if there is a recall we would be contacted. recently i can start the car up go one block from my driveway and the car will overheat. very concern about the safety issue on this.

Passenger heated seat caught on fire when heated seat was engaged. the vehicle was in motion on a city street when the seat started to smoke and fire started. there was a ford customer satisfaction recall that i was never informed of: tsb 04b16. the fire caused damage to the leather seat and heating mechanism. fortunately only a purse was injured and the driver was able to stop the fire from spreading. the attached pictures show the seat damage. the car also smells of smoke. the experience was extremely scary and awful.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while the vehicle was undergoing routine service, the technician noticed that the front and rear subframe/crossmember/k-frame was rusted through. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

Shorted brake wires in trunk area blown fuse no start no brake lights would not shift into drive.

Bought firestone affinity touring tires two years ago, and on my rear tire the sidewall blew a 4.5 " chunk out of it where the tread meets the sidewall. i have had my alignment checked twice since buying the tires and they are rotated every 5-5.5k miles. the tires are 195/60/15. i contacted firestone but did not receive a response.

In january, i was involved in a traffic crash. i applied the breaks to my vehicle (giving plenty of time to come to a stop and only traveling 20 mph ) but the vehicle did not come to a complete stop. as a result, i hit a vehicle in front of me. i do not know what the vehicle would not stop. it was as if the breaks were not working correctly.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving various speeds, a loud noise was detected from the front of the vehicle and the check engine indicator illuminated. the contact also mentioned that the key overheated in the ignition switch and the vehicle hesitated to drive when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the contact further mentioned that the vehicle's fuel consumption was higher than normal. the contact also mentioned that both passenger doors were inoperable. the contact mentioned that the driver's side door needed extra strength to open and the rear passenger door was stuck and would not open. the vehicle was taken to multiple unknown dealers where the contact was informed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced and the engine valve was stuck. the cause of the other failures was not determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

My battery light seems to flash when the car is off. car has stalled several times while driving try to accelerate over 50 miles an hour car will shut off. back hatch on wagon seems to release itself while driving well unlock automatically. have replaced three thermostat and thermostat housing due to overheating car will not tell me is overheating it will boil in the overflow return tank pressurize and shoot the cap off?...

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failures listed in nhtsa campaign number: 06e056000 (fuel system, gasoline) and nhtsa campaign number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages). she stated that due to poor design, the quick connectors would not fully seat with the tube interface, even though the person making the connection may believe that the quick connector was fully attached. the contact also stated that she was unable to open the front driver's side and both rear doors. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 ford focus. while driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. also, the oxygen sensor, mass air flow sensor, and throttle body sensor warning indicators illuminated. since 2016, the contact also stated that the failure only occurred when the vehicle was parked on an incline, facing upwards. the contact had the vehicle diagnosed by a school teacher who was a certified mechanic. it was determined that the air intake was located in the front of the vehicle and water entered, which damaged the sensors.t he air intake needs to be pointed down to prevent water from coming in. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 180,000. the vin is invalid. *tt*jb

"takata recall" trunk lid pops when brakes are applied. i'm afraid that if i hit a bump in the road the lid will fly up. also if i pop the lid with key fob break lights come on.

Recently my vehicle stereo has been messing up. it sometimes smell a little burnt. it is the passenger door speaker. it sounds as if it's a shortage inside of it. sometimes the radio dash fades out. the car has hesitates sometimes to start. once the ac is on the car starts running really rough and you hear a kind of click is hard to explain but i know it's not normal. at sometimes i am unable to run the ac my whole trip. my engine light has recently came on i did replace the coil packs. engine light is still on.

When putting the key in the ignition the key will not turn and start the car. it will not start after pulling the key out of the ignition. i am pregnant expecting a baby. this is a safety hazard for me and my baby. if i go into labor and need to leave to the hospital i cannot risk the car will not start because the key won't turn the ignition on.

All of the backlighting on the gauge cluster and buttons beside the radio screen is intermittent. i do not drive the vehicle at night because of this issue. due to the risk of not being able to see what speed i am traveling at. i have been the sole owner of this vehicle and i bought it brand new from the dealership back in 2004. nothing has been modified on this vehicle.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the steering column jammed without warning. the dealer (day ford, 3696 william penn hwy, monroeville, pa) and manufacturer were contacted, but did not assist because the vin was not included in a recall. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

My vehicle instrument cluster failed causing alternator to die and false readings on the dash with multiple alerts such as battery, airbag , oil and incorrect speed dial. the vehicle instrument failed at 30,000 miles and if you search it is a very common issue with the ford focus vehicle's. the vehicle staled and died while being drove in town and thank god it did not happen while on the highway.

The bottom of my subframe is completely rusted out. i called ford dealer and they told me it is because of the area i live in the vehicle has 151239 miles

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the trunk panel did not latch intermittently and the trunk panel warning indicator illuminated. the contact stated that it took numerous attempts for the trunk panel to latch. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latches were defective. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the contact attempted to repair the vehicle nearly three times. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving at approximately 15 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was unable to restart. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

While leaving work, i attempted to start my vehicle, however, when i put the key into the ignition, the key would not turn. the steering wheel was locked up, and i could not get the vehicle to start. i looked online and apparently this is a common issue. i am a police officer in my uniform and it is very unnerving to be stranded like that.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while parked, the vehicle was not able to start. the failure occurred constantly. the contact had to jumpstart the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the battery failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was invalid. the failure mileage was 142,000.

Driver window shattered with pieces of glass falling on spouse. car was not moving. window was going up. had independent shop replace window, switch, regulator. cost $490.

My car was turned off and my dash lights would flicker and beep, my radio goes on and off by it self, the rear wiper and third brake light do not work, and now everything does not work.

Takata air bag recall: i looked up my vin number on the govt. website many months ago, and found this car has potentially faulty takata air bags. i have not been able to move replacement forward on several occasions, since ford has yet to issue a recall on this model. the dealer says they need a recall notice from ford usa and when i call ford usa they do not know how to move forward on a recall for this airbag. the dealer also said i could not be guaranteed a safe air bag if they just replaced the one i have, since the replacement might also be faulty, unless it was a special redesigned one as issued in a recall setting. i called dtvsh on the recommendation of ford usa and they recommended i file a complaint with the ftc. the ftc contact gave me a case number: 69255063. i feel very uncomfortable driving around in a car with a potential bomb in the steering wheel, or loaning it to family members. the dealer even said i could just quit using my car for the years it might take to wait for the recall (!!!) i think they should give me a loaner if they think its that serious, yet they do not have the power to move forward on starting a recall. they have three models of cars from the year mine was built that are under recall. please initiate a recall on the ford focus wagon to ensure it is reasonably safe to drive. the types of accidents that are killing people from the exploding, shrapnel filled air bags are low impact and otherwise would not be fatal. i don't want me or someone in my family dying because ford is not in recall to fix this problem. thank you. *tr

I parked the car over night. in the morning on my way to a medical appointment i inserted the key in the ignition and the steering was locked up. the key goes inside the ignition but it would not turn. i only imagine the same situation while i am driving the vehicle. the steering wheel would not move, can it happen? has it happen? let you be the judge.

My wife has been driving the focus station wagon since 2004. all of a sudden, the 'clicker' did not allow us to close the driver's side rear passenger door lock; we found this out when the clicker did not sound the 'beep' we are used to. we tried to manually lock the door, but that was also ineffective. the only solution was a repair by our local service station for approximately $500.00. there were two separate issues. the primary issue, of course, was the safety of the rear seat passenger. the second issue was the ongoing problem of entry to the auto when unattended.

Car was inoperable due to key not working in the ignition and emergency repair service in parking lot had to be done. read more: http://www.justanswer.com/new-question/optional-information.aspx?tqid=423907452&pt=630&catid=56411&r=autobeef&rpt=220#ixzz3bac4irxz

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the air filter need to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 220,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving at various speeds, a rattling type noise was heard coming from the rear wheel area. while inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear passenger shock absorber punctured through the wheel well. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that the failure was due to rusting and corrosion of the wheel well. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 114,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving at 27 mph, the accelerator pedal became stuck causing the contact to crash into the another vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. the vehicle was destroyed and towed. the driver sustained neck and back injuries and the passenger sustained a bruise knee, which required medical attention. a police report was filed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact noticed that the failure recurred intermittently whenever a bump or a pothole was hit on the road. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000. updated. 06/09/15 *bf

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving approximately 15 mph, an unintended acceleration occurred and the brake pedal was depressed. the contact crashed the vehicle into a snow embankment. there were no injuries or damages. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was driven from the scene. the vehicle was not diagnosed repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

While i am driving the car and it is moving, the driver side seat is suddenly disengaging, moving back and so leaving my driving position compromised, as my foot moves away from the gas pedal and my arms are suddenly outstretched reaching for the drivers wheel so that there is a sudden lost of control of the car. this has happened numerous times at this point. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, an abnormal noise emitted from the front driver side door. the front driver side door swung open independently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 770,714.

The car cut off while driving. on two separate occasions , ounce while doing 60mph, the other time doing 35mph. *tr

Ignition lock stuck. key would not work. car had to be towed. ignition had to be replaced. could have been very dangerous depending on where car was parked. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving approximately 55 mph, the engine warning indicator illuminated. in addition, when the brake pedal was depressed, the contact heard an abnormal noise. the failures occurred on several occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. the approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, an abnormal noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle as it abnormally began steering to the right. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing however, they could not duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Very dangerous fault or defect found on my car. a fuel line that runs along the top of the engine is contacting an opposing metal bracket. this chaffing condition has resulted in damage to the fuel line. the fuel line is protected with padded silver tape; the tape and padding has been entirely cut by the bracket and has created a cut mark on the fuel line. no fuel leaked because of this condition. had this gone without discovery, the fuel line would have likely burst and allowed fuel to spill on top of the engine. the metal bracket creating this hazard is a mounting point for an air bypass valve (3s41-9f491-ac). this valve and mounting bracket is a component unique to the pzev variant of the ford focus. pictures of this defect have been posted in an online public forum located here-> http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=407090 the title of the forum thread is "danger - fuel line being cut on a 2004 pzev". *tr

While driving on a parkway in the right lane a car in the left lane of the two lane parkway hit the vehicle on the rear driver's side near the back wheel. the car then was driven into a rock cut and the entire front end of the vehicle was crashed in. although the front end impact was substantial, the air bags did not deploy which resulted in several serious injuries to the driver. the police report and pictures of the vehicle are available as well as correspondence with ford on this accident. *js

2004 ford focus. consumer writes in regards to motor mount problems. *smd the consumer stated in august 2009, the motor mounts had to be replaced. then in january 2013, at 56,000 miles, they were replaced again. six months later, they were replaced again. *jb

3/1/14: driver's side heated seat burned through upholstery and caught fabric on fire, while my daughter was driving vehicle. after searching the internet, i found that this has happened to other focus owners. there was a service bulletin (04b16); why no recall? *tr

While driving the vehicle stopped running suddenly. my daughter saw steam or smoke coming from the front engine compartment. within a minute or so the whole front of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. the fire was intense, the top of the engine was melted, the interior of the dash was destroyed, and the vehicle was damaged beyond repair. it looks like the most intense fire area was around the fuse panel. i did contact ford through several avenues but they appeared to be disinterested. *tr

It happened sporadically and once in a while. when backing out of my parking spot, the brakes barely worked. the pedal was very hard to press and it took a lot of force to bring the vehicle to a stop. today, it happened again when i was on the "drive" mode. there is no way to predict when it would happen. the only pattern here is it happened shortly after starting the car. it could be in the reverse or drive mode. the frequency seemed increased recently when it was very cold. *tr

Driving along hit a pothole and heard a load bang thought it was just the suspension bottoming out, looked to my left and noticed that side airbag had deployed, filling the car with noxious fumes and hitting my shoulder. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact was driving at an unknown speed and crashed into a guard rail. the air bags failed to deploy. the contact sustained a fractured sternum and a police report was filed of the incident. the vehicle was towed from the scene and had not been inspected to determine the cause of the air bag failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 120,000. updated 2/11/14*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle experienced a flat tire. the contact called road side assistance and the spare tire was installed. the vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the adjustable upper arm kit would need to be installed in order to correct the chamber on the rear driver and passenger's sides. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated while driving 12 mph, the contact crashed into another vehicle's tow hitch and the air bags deployed unexpectedly and without warning. the contact also mentioned that only the license plate had a dent in it and he suffered a severe burn injury on her left hand. the failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 160,687.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the speedometer fluctuated continuously. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled numerous times while attempting to resume acceleration. the fuel warning light illuminated as the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed. the air idle control was replaced, but the failure was not corrected. the manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number 06e056000 (fuel system, gasoline) but the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 126,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that after entering the vehicle, the rear passenger and driver's side doors failed to close. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was stated that the outside door latches needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 05v030000 (locks/latches) but the problem persisted. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000. updated 12/18/13*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 3 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the contact mentioned that the failure would occurred sporadically. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the failure was not diagnosed. a month later, the vehicle stalled and powered off. also, the contact also stated the temperature gauge increased. the vehicle was again taken to the dealer and was awaiting a diagnosis. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not provide any further assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 101,589.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that after inserting the key in the ignition the vehicle failed to start. the contact tried approximately six times. the vehicle was later towed to the dealer for diagnosis. after diagnosis they advised him that the ignition failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and current mileage was approximately 118,000. the vin was unavailable.

The key will not turn in the ignition. this has been ongoing for two months. it takes several minutes of jiggling to finally get the ignition lock to release. i drive this car on business, including in remote areas. it is scary to try to start the car and have the key not turn. so far, i've always been able to get it to eventually work, but this is ridiculous. we've just started experiencing the same issue on my wife's 2007 ford focus. in researching this, it has been a problem on the focus since the beginning and apparently ford has refused to acknowledge the issue or change the ignition lock mechanisms on later focus models. potentially getting stranded at night or in a remote area due to a faulty ignition lock is a serious safety issue. one should never have a problem in turning the key in the ignition. for what it is worth, i am a career safety and risk management consultant working in the commercial insurance industry with 35 years experience. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle stalled. the contact attempted several times to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic who replaced the spark plugs, spark plug wires and the fuel rail however, the failure recurred. the contact stated the failure occurred when traveling shorter distances. the contact had to depress the accelerator in order to avoid the vehicle from stalling at every stop. the failure seemed to recur more frequently during hotter temperatures. the current mileage was 174,000. the approximate failure mileage was 165,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start with the steering wheel locked. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis where the dealer advised that the ignition cylinder needed replacing. the manufacturer was contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 94,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the rear passenger side door would not remain closed and the rear driver side door could not be opened from the exterior of the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection of repairs. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 130,000.

The door handles, interior and exterior, fail to open the doors. the problem has been intermittent, and can be sometimes be mitigated by using a key to lock and then unlock the door, though this doesn't always work. the problem has been getting worse with time. this is a problem with safety and security, in the event that one cannot enter the vehicle.

I was distracted while driving and hit a tree, that is right next to the road, on a winding road with the right front side of my car. airbags did not go off at all. was rushed to the hospital on a gurney, in an ambulance. left side of my face hit the steering wheel and sustained quite a bit of trauma. it was swelling at such a rapid rate that the nurses and doctors thought i had broken my cheek bone. after ct scans, it was determined i had no broken bones, just bruised ribs, small cuts, and contusions on multiple parts of my body. the vehicle has been totaled by my insurance company. i plan to get the sdm from the vehicle and see what exactly was recorded. *tr

The 2004 ford focus has a problem where the key will not turn once inserted into the ignition. the only way to get the key to turn is to tap it with a hammer or other heavy object or spend over 300 dollars to get a new ignition lock. this problem has happened to me before on occasion but now it happens every single time i take the key out of the ignition. numerous people are complaining about this problem yet ford has not issued a recall to address the issue. i'm hoping the nhtsa will force ford to do something about this problem because i know i am not the only one that this is happening to. *tr

All of a sudden i am having trouble turning the key in the ignition of my 2004 ford focus. as of now i am able to get the key to turn by gently tapping on the key with a hammer as i try to turn. i have not replaced the ignition because when researching this problem i have come to realize this is a very common fault that ford is aware of, but refuses to take responsibility for. *tr

Ford focus wheel and ignition locked up. cant turn key or wheel! i have red multiple problems with this and cant believe ford has not recalled this issue!!! the best part about all of this is my car just got out of warranty! you suck ford and your cheap [xxx] dealers!!!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The drivers side rear door will not latch, and i'm unable to close the door. a recall for this problem was issued in january, 2005 for the ford focus model for the period 2000-2005. my vehicle is a 2004 ford focus however, the vin number is not included in the recall. this, despite the fact that the problem i'm experiencing is exactly as described in the nhtsa report id # 05v030000. i believe that my vehicle should be covered by the recall and respectfully ask your assistance. *kb

2004 ford focus key will not turn in ignition. *kb

Ignition is totally frozen up. no advanced warning of imminent failure. stranded. was able to get a ride. ignition is totally stuck will not turn at all. not an electrical problem, but a mechanical failure of the ignition/key mechanism in the steering column. key will not turn at all. huge safety concern as this could happen anywhere, anytime.

The key would no longer turn in the ignition (but operated door and hatch without difficulty), creating an unsafe condition in which the car could not be driven and the owner was stranded with an inoperable vehicle. the local ford dealership required $400 for a replacement ignition cylinder. there is a known issue with poor quality ignition cylinders in this model year and they were subsequently redesigned by ford (perform a google search for "ford focus ignition cylinder" or see the discussion at http:forums.focaljet.comteam-tech497529-new-ignition-cylinder-help.html). given that this is a known defect, the issue should be covered by a technical service bulletin or recall instead of requiring a significant out-of-pocket payment by the owner.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that he could hear a whining sound whenever the steering wheel was turned and while driving at any speed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told that the noise was nothing to be concerned about. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 31,000. the vin was unavailable.

The ignition is completely locked. i've been having trouble the past month being able to turn the key in the ignition and now i cannot turn it at all. my car is stranded at a local tire shop with the window down, which may cause even more damage from the weather or allow for easy theft. this problem is so unpredictable its scary, i could've been anywhere and been stranded. then i looked up the problem and find that tons of other focus owners are having the same issue because ford used a cheap metal. its time that they treated there customers right and recall this part. *tr

Attempted to start car and steering column and ignition was locked. i can't get either to turn. *tr

2004 ford focus, key will not turn in the ignition. this has been an on going problem. sometimes it takes 20 minutes, other times it has taken hours to get the key to turn. with less than 70k miles, this is a safety hazard when i have children in the car! *tr

Battery failure due to a short in the ignition switch. *tr

Driving my 2004 ford focus, when i turn on the left blinker and it starts blinking very fast so i assume it needs a new bulb or fuse. i go to replace the bulb only to find that the housing unit holding the bulb for the blinker is melted. now i have to replace the entire thing and this cost me $120.00 dollars. fast forward six months, not only is the left blinker out but now the right blinker as well, and guess what same problem not just a bulb but both housing units have melted and need to be replaced. looked to see if there is a recall on this issue, since one, it is the material of the car the heat generated by the manufactures bulb and it continues to happen even when replaced with normal driving. plus no blinkers is a huge safety issue. no recall! looks like ford thinks melting car parts on their vehicles is normal. *ln

We have a 2004 ford focus 2.3l. key wont turn in the ignition. the steering wheel is locked. we had to call a lock smith out to replace the ignition cylinder assembly. the lock smith said that he replaces two to three every week on the ford focus model. lucky for us we were at home when the ignition failed. i read other stories where others were not so fortunate. it is unfortunate that ford still to this day dose not have a recall on this issue. even a courtesy alert would be better then sitting in the dark and having to do your own research to discover what the fix is. *tr

2004 ford focus wagon got into car to drive somewhere. the steering wheel was locked up, perfectly aligned, not askew. the key would not turn in the ignition. after remote starting and checking the fuses, the car did turn on. this seems to be a common problem based on research. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving approximately 30-40 mph the vehicle lost all electrical power and stalled. the steering wheel locked while the vehicle was in drive and moving forward. he engaged the brakes and the vehicle stopped in the median. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic test which indicated an improper key issue. the local mechanic could not duplicate the failure. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. the contact stated that they are afraid to drive the vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised him that there was no recall for the failure or any other course of action. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were approximately 90,000.

Noticed hydraulic brake fluid leaking from clutch master cylinder which is mounted behind the clutch pedal under dash. clutch system shares brake fluid with brake system. fluid drips on clutch pedal and floor creating a very slick surface and drop in fluid level in brake reservoir. this creates a severe safety issue in my opinion. this appears to be a common problem with ford focus manual transmission cars. the only remedy was to replace the clutch master cylinder. also needed to replace the clutch pedal rubber foot pad which had disintegrated from exposure to the brake fluid. *tr

My key ignition has locked up on my 2004 ford focus leaving me stranded and costing me time from work not to mention the cost its going to be to fix it. i have read many many complaints on this problem and as of yet there is no recall. but i strongly suggest ford considering a recall because it is a safety issue.... who feels safe stranded on interstate, bad area of town, at night or whatever the case may be! *tr

Parked car as always. came out to start car to leave and key will not turn in ignition. had to have it towed. the tow truck driver said they tow ford focus models with bad ignitions quite often. a woman in a focus wagon pulled up in the lot where i was stranded before the tow truck arrived. i asked her to not park there since a tow truck was coming; i also told her why. she said she had several times where her key would get stuck in her focus. mine had done that a few times over the past 3 months, it appears based on the internet searches, and just my conversations in one day that this is a major issue. mine is a 2004 model focus. so it goes beyond the thinking that it is only 2000 to 2003 models. this past weekend i could have been stranded in the henry m. jackson wilderness area in wa. state, possibly with no cell phone service available either. luckily this problem happened when i was in civilization. i was in the middle of nowhere this past weekend, in black bear & grizzly bear country. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while the contact was driving approximately 30 mph, the rear passenger side door was locked securely; and opened abruptly with slight pressure applied against the door. in addition, the rear driver door exhibited the identical failure. the failure occurred five different times. the dealer was notified and they informed that the vehicle had been previously repaired under the nhtsa campaign id number 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch). the remedy repair failed to correct the problem. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was 100,000.

2004 for focus. ignition occasionally won't start with the key. got stranded a few times. it seems something is wrong either with the keys or the ignition area where you place the key. *tr

The ignition lock froze up without warning leaving us stranded across town. thankfully we were in a safe part of town with access to tools so we got the problem resolved temporarily. the ignition can be un frozen by taking apart the steering column and removing all electrical components from the lock. then put a drip pan under the lock and blow all the metal shavings out of the lock with a liquid lubricant. do not use wd40. we used a firearm lubricant which will not clump the new shavings and it has worked rather well so far (breakfree). as a precaution we leave the key in the lock which is risky to do in bad parts of town. to circumvent this we remove the key rfid sensor from the car which prevents the engine from starting at all no matter what the lock is doing. this has started to create problems with the immoblizer in the car and now we are looking at needing that to be reset every so often. the best place to get this fixed is not at the dealership as they will use the same crappy parts that got you into this mess to start. go to a lock smith and have them use non ford parts. we are waiting on a aftermarket lock to arrive from http://www.sandiegolockandsafe.com which has considerable experience on this issue (along with most lock smiths worth their salt). if this happens to you and you live in california go here: http://www.fazmiclaw.com/ , send them a message and attach yourself to the now pending lawsuit (08-15-2010). *tr

The ignition switch failed to turn in my 2004 ford focus leaving me stranded. this was the first time this had happened and to temporarily remedy the situation i had to take a hammer and tap the key into the ignition and turn at the same time to start the car. the key must remain in the ignition at all times now to prevent a recurrence. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the rear seat center seat-belt failed when she attempted to release her five year old grandchild.instead of the seat belt loosing, it tightened around her stomach. the seat-belt had to be cut in order to release her. the vehicle will be taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the failure and current mileage was 149,000.

Yesterday evening, 6/22/10, after playing tennis at a local park, i got into my '04 ford focus wagon, put the key in the ignition, and the key would not turn. the steering wheel was locked, and no matter how i tried, the key would not work. i called my wife to come after me with her key. with some difficulty she was able to unlock the steering wheel and start the car with her key. i drove the car home and left the key in the ignition. today, i drove the car to a local ford dealer. i was told that the focus ignition lock was a known problem. the ignition lock would have to be replaced at a cost of over $410.00. i googled 'ford focus ignition lock problem' and came back with numerous hits of people describing similar incidents. i believe this is a safety issue, and there should be a recall to fix it. fortunately, i was not left stranded by this problem, but it has happened so many times to so many people, it should be recognized as a defect and a recall issued. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated while trying to start the vehicle, the key would not turn in the ignition. after repeated attempts, the contact banged on the key and the vehicle started. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the ignition switch was replaced. the failure did not recur. the failure mileage was 77,139 and the current mileage was 77,673. updated 11/9/10 *cn

2004 ford focus. consumer states problems with turning the key in the ignition switch *tgw

My ford focus svt 2004 ingintion key will not turn and the steering wheel is locked. i had problems starting 4 months ago and now it is worst. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact was driving with the cruise control set at 80 mph. when she attempted to turn on the headlights, the vehicle began abnormally jerking as if she was repeatedly tapping on the brakes. the trans axle cooling system warning light illuminated when she turned the lights off and on. the cruise control then became inoperable. the vehicle had not yet been taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the failure and current mileages were 92,590.

The deck lid wiring harness breaks due to fatigue from opening and closing the hatch. in my case, 6 wires in the harness had been completely severed. because of this, my tail light was out, the door ajar light was on and the brake lights were always on when the car was in drive. besides the danger of being rear ended because the brake lights are always on, depending on which wires break or have their insulation crack open, there are a number of bad situations: * all rear lights could turn off. * the trunk could open when you apply the brakes. * the trunk could open when you use a turning indicator. this is a known issue with the 2000 focus hatchback, but there was no recall for the deck lid wiring harness after that year. i just wanted to let you know that it happened on our 2004 focus hatchback, and it can leave owners and other drivers on the road in a potentially dangerous situation. to correct the issue, i spliced the broken wires back together. *tr

2004 focus zwt 1. loss of front wiper park function ! 2. loss of headlight / auxiliary lamp function ! happened at 2 separate incidents during 2009. *tr

The ignition lock cylinder failed suddenly without a gradual increase of symptoms. the cylinder would not allow the key to turn, unlock the steering wheel and allowing the car to start. a new ignition lock cylinder was installed and rekeyed at a price of $171.18 for the part and $142.50 for the labor.

I have a 2004 ford focus zx3. i was at a gas station filling up and when i attempted to start up my car, the key would not turn. the ignition cylinder was completely locked up. i was stranded at the gas station for 2 hours before aaa came and towed my car to the dealership. i have researched the issue and found out that the ignition cylinder locking up and not allowing you to start your car is a very common issue with the ford focus, most commonly in models between the years 2000 and 2006. i was lucky to be only 5 miles away from the dealership where i had to have it towed. if i was further away or out of town, this could have been a big safety hazard, as it could have left me stranded in a dangerous situation. please take action by helping the consumers of the ford focus receive a refund/recall for their defected ignition cylinder. thank you! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving at speeds of 25 mph, the rear passenger door would release with the locks engaged. the manufacturer was contacted and although there was a recall for the exact failure (nhtsa campaign id number: 05v030000, latches/locks/ linkages, doors) her vin was not included in the recall campaign. the contact felt unsafe with a vehicle occupant in the rear near the defective door. the failure mileage was 120,000. the current mileage was unknown.

I own a 2004 ford focus, i've had an issue with the ignition sticking for about 4 months, usually being able to jiggle it and get it to turn. now it is stuck completely, i've read tons and tons of articles about this being a problem, my car is now parked in my driveway because i don't feel this is my responsibility to fix. *tr

2004 ford focus. consumer states transmission gave out with a mileage under 20,000. consumer requests reimbursement. *tgw in july 2009, the vehicle needed a new battery. about a week after the new battery was installed, periodically the cluster lights would make a sound and the lights would blink on and off. it would happen twice in a matter of seconds, but did not happen everyday. the consumer followed instruction on what to do. the situation was a little better, but the cluster blinking, etc still occurred periodically. a week later, as the consumer backed out of her driveway, there were sounds coming from the vehicle and they seemed to get worse. the consumer had the vehicle towed to a transmission shop. upon inspection, the transmission plate which was located under the engine showed transmission fluid an d excessive amounts of metal fillings. the mechanic showed the consumer the damaged parts where the teeth in the gears were not working properly which caused the metal fillings in the transmission plate. *jb

The issue i would like to report is in regard to ford focus automobiles from 2000 to current date 2010. there is a know defect with the ignition switch which is made with inferior metal parts in the ignition lock. what happens is that metal shavings are produced inside the lock and after time these metal shavings cause the lock to jam. thousands of people have been affected by this problem and have been stranded because they cannot turn the ignition key. ford denies this problem. just go to any locksmith or tow truck driver or google ford focus ignition on the internet. everybody knows about the problem. everytime this happens it costs the owner between $500 and $800 to have this fixed at a ford dealership. my 2004 for focus currently has this problem. this should be a recall by ford and i think this is the biggest scam since bernie madoff. please do something about this. thanks frustrated ford owner. *tr

1) turned headlight swith to "on" on my 2004 ford focus ztw 2) turning the headlights on caused the rear hatch to open uncommanded. 3) i removed the cover from the hatch and disconnected the wiper motor and latch unlock solenoid connectors. then, to find the possible problem, i inspected the wire bundle in the area of the hatch hinge and found several wires frayed and broken. so turning on the headlights apparently sent a signal (short) to the latch solenoid. a friend had a similar problem. his hatch would pop open when the ignition was turned to start the car. two dealers told me they would not be of any help unless i paid at least $350 to repair the problem. this is a safety issue. remeber the chysler mini van hatch recall? i have been watching the toyota sua hearings and decided to challenge you guys and see if you would review and contact me as mr. lahood said you would. i know you are busy and understaffed. i do not blame you as some are intent upon. i spent my life as an a&p mechanic at american airlines and know the importance of safety. thanks for reading and hope to hear from you soon. ps ford has had knowledge of this problem in other model years of the focus. *tr

Ignition switch in lock position freezes and refuses to unlock when ignition key is inserted, causing an inability to start engine or unlock steering wheel to move vehicle. this problem strands motorists wherever they are when the ignition key was switched off and removed from the ignition. *tr

Ford focus 2004 ignition locked. opened car as usual, inserted key in ignition to turn and steering wheel appeared to be locked. tried to turn key and move steering wheel but both wouldn't move. called dealership and was told the ignition was locked and that it was a common problem. car now needs to be towed to be fixed. *tr

First occurrence,without warning,(had never happened before) car shut off, ignition switch would not turn, resulting in vehicle no start condition. (original manufacturers key and ignition switch) contacted aaa auto club, tow truck dispatched, tow truck driver states garage has seen many 2003, 2004,2005 focus with this problem. also should be noted numerous similar complaints on file with all model years of this vehicle. ford dealer that sold me the car and extended warranty claims repair not covered by warranty. feel this is a serious safety issue as car can stall and fail to restart !!!!!!. also feel that i was sold an overpriced "warranty" which i am told will not cover repair !!! will retain old part for investigation and possible class action. note : vehicle mileage at failure 43,205. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the accelerator pedal began to stick on a regular basis. when she pressed down on the accelerator, it would not resume the regular position. the dealer replaced the throttle body. she experienced no issues with the pedal since the vehicle was repaired. she had not spoken with the manufacturer to-date. the current mileage is approximately 116,000. the failure mileage was approximately 105,500. updated 03/01/10 *bf the consumer stated the accelerator pedal was sticking. updated 06/28/10*jb

My son rear-ended another car in a snowstorm. he was driving between 10-20 miles per hour at the time. the air bag indicator light on his 2004 ford focus is now on, but the air bag did not deploy in the accident. he must have been jolted forward pretty abruptly because the seat belt spool is broken - the belt is stuck. he was not injured, but i do wonder whether the air bag should have inflated. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while attempting to start the vehicle the key would not turn in the ignition. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership. the current and failure mileages were 86000.

On a saturday evening i drove to grocery store. after i had finished shopping i tried to start vehicle. i could not turn key in ignition and the steering column remained in the locked position. the vehicle had 67787 miles. i had car towed to ford dealer and they drilled out lock cylinder and replaced with a new one at a cost of $385.34. tow truck driver stated that he had towed the same model before with an identical problem. the service manager at dealer stated that he had several of the same model with identical problem. he also stated that the part had been updated a few times. i am 53 and have driven many vehicles, some with over 240,000 miles and have never before had this problem. i feel it was manufactured with a defect and it failed prematurely. *tr

2004 ford focus-- ignition key won`t turn leaving the driver stranded. *tr

No events pulled into parking lot left car for few minutes came back and the ignition was locked solid. from what i am told this is a common issue with the ford focus mine is a 2004. this is a safety hazard maybe not to me this time because i was in a parking lot and waited for over an hour for a tow truck however if i was broken down on the side of the road for a flat tire and this happened what then or is this not considered a safety hazard because no one has been killed this seems like something that should of been recalled years ago. protect the consumer. *tr

I have a 2004 ford focus. the ignition locks whenever the car is turned off. it is impossible to start the car again without hitting on the key itself. this has resulted in the key breaking off in the lock. the ignition lock appears to be a common problem with this make and model, and poses a significant safety risk.. i have had this problem for the past 2 years, but it has become much worse recently. there was no accident or damage to the car prior to this issue. the local ford dealers told me it would cost between $400-500 to fix, and it seems that many times, the new parts are also defective and the problem returns. as this appears to be a widespread problem among focus owners, please consider issuing a safety recall for this make and model. *tr

2004 ford focus ignition problem. could not put my key in the ignition and was stranded. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while seating in a booster seat in the drivers side rear seat, the child was able to tie the seat belt around his head. the vehicle was taken to the dealership. they just looked at the vehicle and suggested the consumer contacted nhtsa. the current and failure mileages were 85342. updated 12/22/09.*lj the consumer had to cut the strap. updated 12/29/09.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while preparing to make a right turn at approximately 45 mph, the right turn signal failed to operate. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician stated the failure was contributed to the burning and melting of the turn signal bulb socket. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $300.00. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on a three separate occasions for the identical failures. the manufacturer was notified and reimbursed for the prior service repair. also, performed one free remedy repair on the vehicle. the failure mileage was 45,000. the current mileage was 120,000.

I own a 2004 ford focus zx5, i went into work, came out and found my ignition would not turn. the steering wheel was locked, the key would not budge, the brake wouldn't even push in all the way, as well as my car wouldn't come out of park. i looked up the problem online and saw it was a very common problem and i'm very displease that this would happen. i bought this car about a year ago from a dealership! i'm going to have to take my car to a locksmith or dealership and have the entire ignition system replaced. *tr

Key will not turn on ignition will not go into gear nor will the steering wheel turn at all!!!, completely locked ignition car is only five years old and not driven very much w/ only 68k miles on it!, 2004 ford focus zx3. *tr

I have two issues with my ford focus (2004) first, i ran into a problem with the ignition switch and it will not turn. i left the key in for a couple of months when this initially happened but, it wore out my alternator and i had to have it replaced. i removed the key once the new alternator was installed. i had some minor success with inserting the key and had to bang on it with my hand to get it to turn. this worked successfully for 2 weeks. the ignition switch is now frozen. i am back to square one. secondly, the trunk latch doesn't close properly and i have to use my remote to reopen the mechanism in order to get it to close. very aggravating. i will not purchase another ford if these issues are not recalled. *tr

The vehicle has 54,000mi and driven within normal driving limits. the hinge peg that creates a pivot point for the accelerator pedal broke on one end causing it to fall completely out of the pedal and bracket. the incident happened on a busy road during rush hour and cause complete loss of control to accelerate. the problem has not yet been corrected happening only hours ago. *tr

Ignition completely locked up. i could not start car. i was stranded and had to get towed to a ford dealer. cost was $500 to fix. *tr

My 17 year old daughter was left stranded one evening when the key wouldn't turn in the ignition of her 2004 ford focus so she couldn't get the car started. i had just signed up for a class at our local community college at a campus 25+ miles away. i was in class with my phone off, so i couldn't help her. it is a dangerous situation for a young girl to be stranded anywhere. in addition, we live in texas where we're up to 65 days of temperatures in the triple digits. this could be a major health concern for anyone who became stranded in the heat of the day. i understand this problem is quite common in 2000-2004 models. we were finally able to get someone to get the key to turn so she could drive home. however, once there, the same thing happened. we had to have the car towed to the dealership for service. then i learned that the part wasn't even covered under the warranty i had purchased. for whatever reason, ford doesn't consider this to be a safety issue and has failed to issue a recall. *tr

On 8/19/09, i was driving my 2004 ford focus and all of a sudden while i was driving, it felt like pressure (or having to force car to go) with my foot on gas pedal. after i eased my foot off gas pedal, car would switch in to gear. this same pattern of pressure and easing foot off gas pedal so that car would go into gear happened each time i would make a stop. car is currently at sheehy ford dealership and i have been told that the transmission has failed with 2nd and 4th gear not working & that i could not drive car home until transmission is replaced because also transmission is ready to fall out of car due to weak support is holding transmission in place. car has approx only 83,000 miles. *tr

Ignition and steering wheel completely locked up when i put the key in while heading out on my lunch break. i'm really disturbed that the nhtsa has not done anything to make the ford motor company fix this problem which is a chronic, well-documented safety hazard. my car is now completely immobile and had to be towed back to my residence. luckily my father is going to be able to fix it, but there are many people that don't have this option and have to spend hundreds of dollars to fix a problem caused by faulty materials knowingly used by ford. i will never buy a ford again. *tr

There is a defect which causes the ignition lock to fail, making it impossible to turn the key or start the vehicle's engine. the form says it's invalid but i checked both places in the car and that is what it says. the form did not have, "electrical system:ignition," as an option for component name which better describes the problem area. *tr

I tried to start my 2004 ford focus zx3 one night only to find that the steering wheel and ignition were locked up. it felt as if the whole steering mechanism was frozen. i'm still researching how to deal with this issues since i can't drive my car. on-line resources have taught me that this is a common problem with the ford focus' yet there is no recall available and we are stuck paying hundreds of dollars to fix a manufacturer defect. *tr

1. there was no warning sign 2. my key wouldn't turn the ignition, i was stuck at my job 11:00 pm. 3. i had the car towed to the nearest ford dealerships and had the ignition replaced costing me $382.00. *tr

Our 17 year old daughter stopped at a seven-eleven store and when she tried to return home the ignition key in our 2004 ford focus would not turn. this left our daughter stranded and required her to wait for a tow truck. being a 17 year old girl stranded outside a seven-eleven was not a good feeling! i believe ford is aware of many complaints about their focus ignition locks. *tr

2004 ford focus - key will not turn in ignition. the first occurrence was 6/27/09 @ 1:15 am, leaving movie theater, had to leave vehicle there. again @ 7 am (finally got car cranked after 15 minutes). when got home this occurred again. repeated times. cannot crank vehicle with key in ignition. *tr

2004 ford focus. the key will not turn in the ignition and the ignition needs to be replaced. this has happened to tons of other people with the same car and issue and ford has not recalled it because they are cheap.*tr

Was involved in rear-ending a chevrolet impala stopped on the highway. i was going 55-60 mph and hit the brakes at the last second. air bags never deployed and had $7000-8000 worth of front end damage. the only thing i suffered from was whiplash. *tr

Windshield wipers will not return to home position when turned off. *tr

On acceleration from stop car tacks out to 6 and transmission revs then shifts very hard, called ford and they told me it was they way i drive my car. said transmission learns how to shift that way, car still not repaired. *tr

Accelerator pedal sticks happened right after purchase in 04, throttle body has been replaced by dealer twice already, now out of warranty and throttle body sticking again. *tr

Ignition switch wont turn which prevents the car from starting this happens on a daily basis, for way over a yr now. tow truck driver told me this is common problem with this 2004 zx3 focus. he said to hit the key a couple of times with your hand and it will turn, and it does. only way the car will start. called my local ford dealer and was told 550.00 to replace. so still not replaced. *tr

The vehicle ignition starter fails to start the vehicle. you must hit the key into the ignition in order to actually start the car. this occurs every time that i attempt to start the car. this is a common issue that recurs even after you replace the parts. this is a mechanical error that will constantly break down. *tr

1. ford focus (2004) has for the past month had trouble with the key turning in the ignition. apparently it is a well known issue and ford refuses to acknowledge that it is a safety issue. however, i absolutely believe that being stranded somewhere at night is very much a safety issue - whether or not ford admits this possibility. 2. the key does not turn because of a defect in the ignition switch (or so i've read online). this problem has occurred thousands of times according to online complaints and petitions, without ford recognizing it and taking action. this problem renders the car completely unusable until fixed and the repair can be very costly and time consuming. it is most certainly a safety issue - what is safe about being unable to start one's car if one is on the side of the highway, at night in an unknown city, etc? 3. nothing has been done yet because i am waiting to see if ford customer service can explain why the company refuses to admit the issue and reimburse it's customers for their faulty design. *tr

I own a 2004 ford focus that the ignition went out on, i would put the key in and the key would not turn, locked steering wheel. for a while, i would wiggle the key and it would finally turn over, until 2 weeks ago( 5-2009) when i had to have it towed after i got in my car and it would not start. the ford dealership looked at it the next morning and told me it would be $450.00 to fix and that this problem has happened to alot of focus owners, i don't understand why ford would not want to correct this problem, starting your car is the most important thing needed to drive so without being able to count on your ignition your car is useless and without ford recognizing this problem and fixing it, i believe alot of ford owners may not be in the future. you need to be able to start a car! *tr

The key will not turn the ignition. this has happened several times. usually i can get it to work after about an hour or two of repeatedly putting the key in & out, but today i cannot get it working. i have been stranded in the dead of winter with my daughter out at midnight, on the side of a major busy highway (rt 94 west to chicago), and several other locations. it's usually late at night and freezing cold out when this happens to me. it is definitely a safety hazard for me as well as when i have my daughter with me. *tr

I was backing out of my driveway when the right front coil spring broke puncturing my tire. my car is currently at the dealership getting repairs. (estimated repair costs are $782.). *tr

Ignition system failed for 2004 ford focus 2 dr coupe. car now needs a new system which ford estimates at $450. google "ford focus ignition" and see hundreds of exact same complaint. ford will not recall since not "safety" issue, how about integrity. they know of the problem but will not fix it. california has a class action law suit, but what about me?? ford should be held accountable for this problem that they know exists for older models, especially in this time of need. no confidence left in ford, i will buy foreign cars from now on. please help!!! *tr

My ignition lock froze up and i was unable to drive my car. key wouldn't turn and the steering wheel was locked. i had to have my car towed to a shop for repairs. i called ford and asked them to correct the problem and they declined. i own a 2004 ford focus zx5. i checked the internet and this is a common problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while starting the vehicle, the contact heard a ticking noise coming from the engine. the spark plugs were replaced to remedy the issue, but the failure remained. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the number four cylinder had no pressure and the piston was destroyed. the contact was informed that the engine would have to be replaced. no repairs have been performed and the contact is waiting for an estimate for the repair cost. the manufacturer stated that the warranty was expired and no compensation would be provided. the failure and current mileages were 120,000.

2004 ford focus key gets stuck in the ignition and will not turn. it occurs frequently. *tr

For about a month now, the ignition and/or steering wheel locks up when i try to put the key in to start my 2004 ford focus. i initially spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to start the car. now i realize i have to jiggle, turn, & finagle everything just right & i can get it the ignition to turn in a few minutes. it is ridiculous that i now think getting my car started in under 5 minutes is "good." this happens 9 out of 10 times that i try to start the car. i have seen many similar complaints. seems like ford needs to fix this problem. i am not impressed. *tr

My 2004 ford focus ignition switch failed making it impossible to turn the key and start the car. leaving him stranded in providence ri late monday night. i understand that this is a class problem with the focus and the state of california is pursuing a class action against ford for this. why is their no recall ??? the car has 70k miles on it, but the repair was not covered under the 100k warranty as it is over 4 years old. *tr

Upon leaving a grocery store the ignition key wouldn't turn. i was unable to start the car and called the local ford dealership. they responded by saying that they would charge $391 plus tax, and that if they damaged the steering column in the process i would be liable for the repair or replacement cost of the column as well. not willing to take my chances with such an expensive repair that would leave me with a new part that would possibly fail in the same manner, not to mention possible additional costs of repairing or replacing the column i conducted a brief internet search i found that this was an ongoing problem with 1999 through 2007 ford focus cars. i also learned that a competent locksmith could repair the switch for between $150 and $200. i was able to get my vehicle repaired for $152, and there was no possibility of damaging the steering column. the original part was removed by the locksmith, rebuilt the switch and replaced it thus repairing the vehicle. *tr

2004 ford focus - ignition problems. came to find out this is a well known, documented problem. "the ford focus' most common problem, according complaints from focus owners, is the key won't turn in the ignition, or the key gets stuck in the ignition." *tr

We have already filed a previous complaint for almost exactly the same defect which happened within approximately a year and a half of each other. it was recommended that we file a complaint with you, about 2 separate/similar events that have occurred during our ownership of this vehicle (2004 ford focus zx-3). it became difficult to insert/remove key from ignition for a couple of weeks. on the previous occasion the key became stuck and the car would not start. after the onset of the most recent incident, the key became completely stuck in the ignition, it will turn slightly either way, the key will not come out, but the car will start. on the first occurrence we had to have the car re-keyed, and bought a new lock cylinder and had it programmed and installed at the ford dealership. luckily the first time it happened we were at a friends house in the neighborhood, so we were not stranded in the middle of nowhere, and this time fortunately the car will still start. however, the key remains stuck in the ignition so realistically someone could steal the car. *tr

The ignition lock and the key would not come out. had to be towed at midnight from the hospital in 18 degree weather. dealership said manufacture part at a cost of $455.00. brake noise no one can find. replaced the windshield wiper arm twice. will never buy ford again!!! *tr

Ignition lock up on 2004 ford focus. steering wheel won't unlock and key won't turn. it seems this is a major problem and i think something needs to be done about it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while backing out of the driveway, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal but the vehicle did not move. there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was towed to the authorized dealer for inspection. the failure was related to the brake shoe material separating from the shoe, which resulted in the wheel locking. the vehicle was repaired. updated 1/26/09 *cn updated 01/26/09. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. when the contact removes and re-inserts the key from the ignition, the ignition locks. he was unable to start the vehicle and it was towed to the dealer. he is in the process of having the ignition cylinder replaced. the manufacturer stated that they would not provide financial assistance because his vehicle exceeded the warranty. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 57,000.

I have a 2004 ford focus whose ignition switch went out and had to be replaced. this cost me a couple hundred dollars. *tr

Purchased car in september 2008 and it has since died while driving three times in less than three months. last time car died, so far, was on a busy route at a busy intersection with our two toddlers and newborn in the backseat. there are numerous other people with same problem of car just dying while being driven. when will this get the proper attention it needs before someone is injured or even killed before it's actually dealt with. no dealership or mechanic can figure out what's wrong with the car. had we known this, we would have never purchased this car. we purchased it solely on the fact it was able to have our three children in the backseat and it had so few miles, 65k. *tr

The ignition switch on my 2004 ford focus (manual trans) locked up the steering column. luckily the car was not running and parked it still required the call of four tow trucks to get it into the dealer. because the front wheels were locked in a slanted position when i parked the first flatbed truck wasn't able to load it. it required a second truck to tow it to my own mechanic. from there he required it to be towed to the dealer, same results with tow company's. the dealer wanted to charge $357 on top of the towing fee for ignition lock replacement. *tr

Got into the car put the key in the ignition and it would not turn. a locksmith hit it with a hammer and it turned, now to get it started i have to hit the key with a hammer but i don't know how long that will last. *tr

The ignition on my 2004 ford focus has locked up in the past and i have been able to unlock it with a little jiggling of the steering wheel. last night was not the same. after trying for 20 minutes, in 20 degree weather, with my 4 year old with me, i had to call a tow truck. they had to tow it to a ford dealership. after researching this problem, i am shocked to see the amount of people that have had this same issue on the focus, among other ford models. something needs to be done to get this fixed. i am glad i was 10 miles from home rather than over 50. it is these types of issues that don't get resolved that cause consumers to not purchase another ford vehicle. also, 2 of my 3 back seatbelts don't work anymore. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. on october 25, 2008, while the contact's daughter was driving 25 mph, the front driver and passenger side air bags suddenly deployed and cracked the windshield. there was no impact or crash involved to trigger the deployment. the driver received minor injuries to her neck. the vehicle is parked at the contact's residence. the insurance company is sending an appraiser to inspect the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 93,116. updated 12/11/08 *bf the consumer requested to cancel the complaint. the consumer stated her daughter who was driving, hit something which caused damage to the undercarriage and therefore triggered the air bags. updated 12/11/08

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a vacuum leak due to brake failure. the dealer repaired the failure and stated that ford had to upgrade the computer in his vehicle, which meant that it had to be reprogrammed. once the contact entered the vehicle, the idler increased to 1,200 rpm's and then dropped to 1,000 rpm's. he placed the vehicle in gear and it sped off. he could not stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal because the engine was pushing against the brakes. the contact drove 20 mph around the parking lot for approximately 20 minutes with no brakes. the dealer is aware of the failure and called the manufacturer. the contact was informed that the vehicle was designed that way to be compliant with the epa regarding the catalytic converter. while driving 60 mph, the gears do not change or decrease to a lower rpm. the failure mileage was 57,000.

My ignition has locked multiple times leaving my 3 year old daughter and myself stranded where i had to call someone to come and help start my car as the key wouldn't turn in the ignition. tonight the car would not start at all and i had to abandon it. *tr

2004 ford focus - locked ignition switch-low miles. unable to drive or unlock steering wheel. hundreds of complaints on this situation. class action filed in ca. *tr

I have a 2004 ford focus zts. the car is only 4 years old and the locking cylinder won't turn anymore when the key is in the ignition. this car is far too new to be having a problem like this. *tr

My 2004 ford focus's ignition has failed. it just stopped working one day leaving me stranded at work for 2 hours. *tr

The key will not turn in the ignition. this it turns out is a known issue for the ford focus yet so far ford has not recalled the faulty ignition. *tr

Occasional erratic instrument display operation with periods of instrument panel outage. *tr

I got in my car after lunch on day to return to work and when i put my key in the ignition, it would not turn. i kept trying for approximately 30 minutes and could not get it to turn. this is the second ford focus i have owned and the 2nd time this event has occurred. i had to pay $473.20 to have the car towed, the ignition lock replaced, and a new key fitted for the car. the lady at the ford dealership informed us before we took the car in that there was a possibility of the part being recalled since this happens often. when we took the car in and they began work on it we discovered this was not true. i am just thankful i was not coming back from court or it was late at night or else i would have been stranded on the road. *tr

I have a 2004 ford focus. intermittently i have had difficulty turning the key in the ignition. i place the key in the ignition but the ignition does not move. generally if i wait and try again several minute later the key will turn. tonight i left work and attempted to start my car. the key would not turn. i called home and attempted with spare key with similar results. i left car in parking lot until able to call service in morning. fortunately it was not an emergency and i was able to contact family to obtain alternative transportation. *tr

I'm a manager of a fleet of vehicles for the american red cross. i have had three (3) 2004 ford focus ignition lock up to were i could not turn the steering wheel. i had to get them towed and new ignitions put in. this has cost me close to 700.00 per vehicle. *tr

Ford focus 2004 key ignition problems. the key wont turn in the ignition. i understand that this is in focus 2000-2003, but mine is a 2004 and i just spent $400.00 in repairs. i went to the dealer to get it repaired hoping ford would finally issue a recall, and i can get my money back. the one i have will probably break again in a few years, for another $400. this is terrible. i had the card towed. *tr

I bought a 2004 ford focus zx3 a year ago in august 2007. the car had never given me any problems until yesterday, september 22, 2008. i got out of school and went to lunch with a friend, i had to go to work so i decided to leave. when i went outside to turn my car on i couldn't turn the key in the ignition, i tried moving the stirring wheel while i turned the key in the ignition but it wouldn't budge. i called my friend and she came out to try to see if she could turn it on, it didn't work for her either. i then proceeded to call the dealership from where i got my car, they told my that i did still had warranty for my car so the told me that i had to tow it to them. they gave me a number so that i could call customer service for the warranty, they let me know that i did have insurance for a tow truck. they gave me the number of a tow truck and i had to call them so that they could pick-up my car and take it to the dealership. the tow truck came and got my car to take to the dealership. i called the dealership after my car got there the guy told me that they where not going to be able to check my car until tomorrow when the service guys got in. they called bck today and told me that they were able to fix my car and i had to pay a 50 dollar deductible to pick up my car. i have read some more statements from people that have had the same problem with their focuses but the most report have been with the 2000-20003 like i said my car is a 2004 so ford really needs to try to better there ignition locks because even after replacing the ignition lock it sometimes happens again. i didn't make it to work yesterday and if my friend wasn't with me i would have been stranded with out a car, hopefully i this doesn't happen again and ford does something about it soon! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the vehicle has pirelli p6 tires. on march 2, 2005 and december 21, 2007, the tires went completely flat on the vehicle. the dealer replaced the tires, but it was undetermined which tires were replaced. it was later discovered that another tire had rotted and it was also replaced. on a different occasion, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. it was found that two tires had severe dry rot on the sidewalls and a rapid wear down. the mechanic suggested calling the manufacturer of both the vehicle and the tires. pirelli tires was notified and offered the contact 25% off the purchase of new tires. the failure mileage was 19,392 and current mileage was less than 30,000. updated 10/20/08. *lj the consumer stated one of the tires would not hold air and the ohter tire had a bulged. the consumer believed the reaming two tires were showing rapid deterioration.

There were no events leading up to the failure of my ignition freezing up. i was running errands and after my last stop i got into the car and the key wouldn't turn in the ignition. i had several people try, including a aaa tow-truck worker. he said he sees this problem a lot in the ford focus, the ignition cylinder prematurely wears out and has to be replaced. the car had to be towed to the ford dealership and is waiting for repair on monday. to my surprise, i came and checked the internet about the problem and there is thousands of the same complaint. all are ford focus owners. all put a key in the ignition and the key won't turn. i find this strange that this car has the exact same problem and the customer has to pay hundreds of dollars to replace the ignition cylinder, which is obviously defected. this could be a safety concern for any ford focus owner. there is forewarning before the ignition freezes up, it just happens once the car is turned off. my car was only turned off for 10 minutes and it happened to me. *tr

There were no difficulties leading up to the failure of my ignition. i put the key in the ignition of my 2004 ford focus and it would not turn. i had a mechanic look at it and he said it was the cylinder ignition switch. he checked online after seeing my car and found that this has been happening in focus' since 2000. i then did some research on my own and found the same thing. i called the ford company and they suggested i take my car to the dealership. i called another mechanic and he told me alot of focus' have this problem and that the dealership would have to fix it because they would have to make a new key and no one else could do that. i have not totally fixed the problem yet. the mechanic who saw my car put wd-40 in the ignition and banged a screw driver in it and then it turns on. i still have to do this. *tr

My ignition switch on my ford focus 2004 would not turn over. i was only in a fast food restaurant for 5 minutes and when i came back out, the ignition lock and steering wheel would not turn. had to have car towed to local repair shop. went on internet and have researched thousands of ford focus locked cylinder complaints. when will this become a recall? i do not know how much money i will be out of but this is ridiculous for ford to not pay for this problem. *tr

Heated seat pad in back of driver's seat overheated and burned hole through seat while driving. car had to be stopped on side of road and bottled water poured on smoldering seat. fuse for heated seats had to be pulled, fuse did not blow on its own. ford travelling engineers inspected seat and ford has refused to repair seat as car is 16000 miles over warranty. advice from ford was to claim through owners comprehensive and let insurance company recover money from ford. after seeking legal counsel dealership has offered to repair driver's seat and inspect passenger seat. parts are on order, old parts will be retained in my posession. *tr

Purchased 2004 ford focus on 8-5-08. on 8-19-08 the ignition locked in my drive way. ignition will not turn over at all. ford needs to fix this! *tr

Ignition on my 2004 ford focus would not turn. this has happen before and i was able to get the car running. the latest i had to drill out the ignition to get the car home. *tr

1. nothing led up to the failure. 2. failure occurs each time key is inserted into the ignition 3. parts need to be replaced. i drive a 2004 ford focus. my ignition cylinder has gone out. i spent 1/2 hour late at night trying to get home from work. the key wont turn. i fear for my safety. there are thousands of people that have this problem. this is scary! *tr

I couldn't start my car after putting gas in at a gas station. the key would not turn in the ignition. after trying for over 10 minutes, i called for help. my daughter went on line and found that ford focus have this problem and you need to tap the key to get it to turn. i tapped it and was able to start my car. this has been going on now for about 18 months and i decided to have it looked at today at the ford dealer. they said it is common in the ford focus but their was not a recall on it. they said i need to have it replaced for $375.00 w/o keys or $525.00 with new keys. i don't think i should have to pay for this defect, ford should replace it for free. *tr

2004 ford focus..changed the air filter and noticed oil in and under the old filter and checked the oil and it was on the normal level. about three days later, while driving down the road, the car shut off, now it will do nothing, the motor won't even turn over. can't find out what the problem is, any suggestions? *tr

My car (2004 ford focus) was just about due for its 30,000 mile tune up when it first acted up. it stopped while driving on the freeway-no power, nothing. we took it to a local toyota dealer service center and had it checked and the 30,000 mile tune up done. no problems for 1 month. while driving it did the same thing when i exited my driveway. after stopping the car, taking out the key, then re-starting the engine it seemed to be ok so i headed out on the highway. fortunately while driving at the back of a line of traffic, including 2 fully loaded logging trucks, it happened when i had slowed down to about 50 mph. i got it over to the toyota service station and again they checked it out and couldn't figure it out. this time they couldn't get it to start for about 10 minutes. the service manager called me the next day to tell me that ford had a bulletin on fixing this type of issue, apparently the computer needed to be re-programmed! so i called the closest ford dealership 29 miles away and tried to discuss the situation with them. i called another ford dealer and was quoted 3 times as much. i called the ford customer service to make a complaint and got the same blase attitude about the situation. no one thought it was a safety issue and that owners needed to be notified. but 4 times in total, my life and my fiance's life were in danger. this is another issue of ford's negligence. remember the firestone tires??? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving approximately 70 mph, the tires wobbled and flames erupted from the rear tires. the failure occurred without warning. the fire department was not called to the scene. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they stated that the failure was related to the tire bearing. the rear brake system was replaced. recently, the contact experienced an identical failure. the passenger side rear tire detached from the vehicle and smoke erupted. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the passenger side rear brake system. the current mileage was unknown and the failure mileage was 131,000.

I have a 2004 ford focus that is having major issues with the ignition. the key will not turn in the ignition in order to start the car, and has left me stranded on several occasions. *tr

Ford focus key will not turn in ignition. i was stranded at night with 2 children for over an hour due to this problem! this has occurred more than a handful of times in the last 2 weeks which is unacceptable. this defective part should be recalled and replaced immediately!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. when the contact inserted the key into the ignition, he was unable to start the vehicle. he was also unable to remove the key from the ignition. the dealer stated that they have had many similar complaints related to ignition failure for the ford focus. depending on the severity of the failure, the repair could cost between $300-$600. through online research, the contact discovered other complaints related to the ford focus and ignition failures. the failure and current mileages were 49,000.

Key stuck in ignition switch. cannot turn. cannot be removed. *tr

My 2004 ford focus zts with 79,000 miles on it ignition froze and left me stranded at work for 1 hour in 90 degree heat. i called ford dealership and they told me that i'm lucky that i have not replaced my ignition at least three times with 79,000 miles. i was also told that the ignitions fall apart and there is no warranty to protect me against the manufacturers defect. i also googled ford focus ignitions and there are thousands of people who have had the same problem lucky i have only experienced this once. *tr

I have a 2004 ford focus. i parked my vehicle at church on sunday and when i came out - i put my key in the ignition to start my car and it was locked up. no matter what i tried i couldn't turn the key or start my car. i called my brother-in-law to come help me. he tried to and nothing worked. he had the suggestion to look on the internet - to look up ford focus and key won't turn on google. i did just that - and there were numerous complaints of this happening to people that had ford focus's. a suggestion on there - was to get a small hammer or the end of a screw driver and while you put the key in the ignition - push it real hard and hit the key with a hammer. it worked! my key moved to the start position and i was able to drive my car home. the website that told us to try that said - it would work to get the car to where you wanted it to go - but that you would need a new part for the ignition and it sounded like it would cost quite a lot. i don't have the money for this - so i just leave my key in the ignition at all times - and use my spare key to unlock the car. i feel that there needs to be a recall for this - as many, many people online have complained - it said ford focus from years 200-2004 (mine is a 2004). a person can become stranded as this can happen to someone anywhere they park their car. this was covered under warranty - however, my warranty has long passed. something is wrong with this - since everyone is having problems - i believe it definitely needs to be recalled. thank you for any help on this matter. tricia walter

Ignition switch frozen, the cost to repair/replace quoted by ford dealership was $361.00, the cost by a locksmith is $300-$350. 2004 ford focus z3. *tr

Had to have the ignition lock on a 2004 ford focus replaced. consumer states that he was informed that it is a frequent problem. *nj

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving 40 mph, the accelerator pedal became stuck. the contact had to pull to the side of the road and shut off the vehicle. once the vehicle was restarted, the accelerator pedal worked properly. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 69,000.

Key will not turn in ignition leaving me stranded at night. seems to be a common problem with this car(ford focus) according to internet queries. *tr

Went to start car to go to work and key would not turn the ignition on. had to have the whole tumbler assembly repaired at a cost of just under $400. *tr

I have owned my 2004 ford focus se for about 4 years now and out of no where the ignition in the car froze. when i put my key in the ignition the key doesn't go in the key hole smoothly once all the way in it wont turn. i was stranded at work for 3 and a half hours trying to get my car started finally a tow truck driver came and used a mallet hit my key while it was in the ignition to get the car started. i brought my car to a local ford dealership because i heard that ford did a recall on this part. turns out that the dealership says i am fully responsible for the part...i did some researching online and found that hundreds of thousands of people have the same problem ford is not fixing this malfunction. i am deploying to iraq for the second time and i can not leave my family a working vehicle because of a defect ford has with the ignition system. i feel as if this is a problem that ford should face and should do an official recall on. this is poor service esp coming from a large vehicle company like ford. *tr

I had parked my car and when i tried to start it again, the wheel locked and would not become unlocked. myself and several people tried many times to get it unlocked and it would not. *tr

I was getting into my 2004 ford focus and put the key in and tried to turn it. the key would not turn. the ignition switch is broken. i researched it online and found numerous consumers with the same problem. ford is not issuing a recall for this problem and they should. i called ford and they said there is nothing they can do. i was left stranded at work and late for my second job because of the car trouble. i am having my car fixed today. i called a dealership and barely got two words out about the ignition and they knew exactly what i was talking about. they said that it has been happening to a lot of focuses. this has left many people stranded and in dangerous places. ford needs to issue a recall and fix this issue so that they do not have any more unhappy customers. *tr

My husband and i purchased a 2004 ford focus used the rear passengers side door will currently not latch shut. i was advised that there was a recall on the rear latches of ford focus which i did find. the previous owner of this vehicle brought it in to the ford dealer and had the latched lubed 1/4/2006, at which time it met recall requirements. now the door will not shut and the dealer has advised that this is due to the latch it should be covered under the recall. my husband and i both phoned ford motor company and were advised there is nothing that could be done. that because they lubed the latches that was all they were required to do. which i find completely unsatisfactory. it is quite clear that there is a defect which is why ford has recalled the latches they should be covering this. the drivers side rear door is hard to open as well, however according to ford being that the latches have been lubed it should be fine. now if the door that won't shut is fixed and my daughters fall out of the other door that ford has lubed being that is all ford says that is required, what will ford and nhtsa say then. this company should be held responsible for there recalls. the fact that they will not replace these latches that they are truly responsible for is not acceptable. your investigation in this matter would be greatly appreciated. *tr

2004 ford focus with ignition problems. consumer states that the key got stuck in the ignition. consumer also stated that the vehicle would not start. consumer was informed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. *kb

My horn stop working a little after i got the car back in 04. ford has put about 5 new horns in still nothing. it works for a bit, then out of no were it stops. then around 34,000 mi my car was in the shop for 33 days. at the time no one told me that my car was a lemon if its in the shop for that long under 36,000 mi then its a lemon. then at 58,000 my engine starts to make a noise. so i take it to ford, yep it needs a new engine, so they put a new one in there. well at 67,00 guess what, my ignition has locked up, so now i'm screwed. i can barley make my payments and now i can't even drive my car.....again.*cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact is unable to drive the vehicle due to the strong gas fumes in the passenger compartment. the dealer stated that nothing was wrong with the vehicle and suggested that the contact may be smelling normal gas fumes. the vehicle has not been driven in the past three or four months. a diagnostic was performed and the results indicated that everything passed. the cause of the fumes has not yet been determined. the smell has caused the contact's kidneys to hurt. ford stated that they would help pay for the cost, if they can assist in determining the deadly defect. the failure mileage was 16,000 and current mileage was 16,200.

My daughter went to start her 2004 ford focus and the key would not turn when inserted in the ignition. steering wheel and ignition cylinder were locked up and could not be moved. this was the first occurrence of this problem. vehicle was towed to a nearby ford dealership where the problem was diagnosed as "ignition cylinder binding." dealership drilled out cylinder and replaced at a cost of $425. failure mileage was 67,947. *tr

The key will not turn in the ignition of my 2004 ford focus.*cn

There were no events leading to this problem. it just happened out of no were. my key would not turn in the ignition. *tr

2004 ford focus ignition key lockout failure. had to replace tumbler. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving 55-70 mph, the vehicle and the steering wheel both began to shake. when the speed is below 55 mph, the shaking will stop or decrease. when applying the brakes while driving, the contact heard metal on metal from the rear of the vehicle on the driver's side. the dealer stated that the brakes were fine. the current mileage was 54,019 and failure mileage was 50,759. updated 01/02/08 *bf the consumer stated the vehicle squeaked and vibrated and when the brakes were applied there was a grinding noise. the engine mount was replaced, due to it being broken. the shifter squeaked. the rims were bent and the tires were out of balance. updated*jb

Event: ignition key would not turn and start the car. consequence: handicap equipped car: event left my wife helpless in her car in a hazardous situation for more than an hour (winter cold) (3) towing service required, cylinder had to be drilled out, replacement costs at ford car dealership about 500 usd. *tr

My 2004 ford focus ignition lock cylinder failed (it wouldn't turn) leaving me stranded and requiring a tow and nearly $300 in repairs. i've since discovered that this problem is wide-spread and was identified by ford over 7 years ago and yet no steps have been taken to correct it. the fact that this defect can leave you stranded pretty much at random (anywhere at anytime) makes this a safety issue. among other things, not being able to turn the key also means i couldn't put the car in neutral to push it out of the way of traffic. that this has not been addressed is simply appalling. *tr

Tl*the contact's son owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the ignition would not turn when the key was inserted. the dealer stated that the ignition switch failed and was a common occurrence. as of november 8, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 46,000.

2004 focus has a defective ignition tumbler. over a course of a few days the key began to get stuck in the ignition and would only turn after several attempts. after a few days, it stopped working all together. i was stranded in a dark parking lot after work for nearly an hour until someone could get me. i then had to get a ride to work the following day (50 mi each way). before having the car towed to a garage, i contacted someone at a ford dealer who said this was a common problem. he suggested tapping on the key with a hard object (i used a pocket knife) while turning the key and it worked! so the car is now sitting in my driveway until i can get it started again to take it into the shop. estimated repair cost $450.00 and this doesn't include the cost to re-key. my husband also has 2004 ford focus (we bought them on the same day) and is also having problems with the ignition tumbler--how coincidental is that? sounds like a serious defect to me. i can't believe the ford company isn't taking any responsibility for this issue. i own 3 fords and will never buy one again! *tr

One month ago i needed to have brakes replaced, and assumed that because the light came on this was an indicator. after brakes were replaced, brake fluid was still disappearing. i also found a drip on my pedal from somewhere under the dash, after my foot slipped on the clutch from slick brake fluid, and nearly wrecked my car on i-70 when i needed to shift into a lower gear after my foot slid right off the pedal. turns out the master cylinder is leaking. my car is only 3.5 years old, and only has 41,000 miles on it total. i have taken it to mechanic, it is a ford manufactured only part, and with parts and labor is costing me $450+ to repair this on a relatively new car not even paid for yet. still not a safe situation when you can't keep your foot on the pedal. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the vehicle failed to start because the steering wheel locked up. the vehicle was towed to the ford dealer and is currently being repaired. the cause of the failure was the ignition switch. the contact discovered several complaints on this same defect, but no recalls were available. he considered this to be a manufacturer defect. the current and failure mileages were 48,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact was unable to turn the ignition when the key was inserted. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. the failure recurred two days later. the dealer stated that the key cartridge caused the failure and they made the replacement. the contact stated that two of the three original keys have not worked properly since the replacement. the failure mileage was 14,155 and current mileage was 14,200. updated 01-14-08. *kb updated 12/12/07

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while stopped, the vehicle stalled and shut off. the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the key would not turn in the ignition. the failure occurred several times before, but the vehicle was able to be restarted. the vehicle had to be towed to a mechanic. the mechanic stated that the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $150 for the part. the purchase date and dealer information were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 50,000.

The shifter, steering wheel and ignition key all lock up on my 2004 ford focus. i simply guide my car to where i want to park it. stop, put the car in park and turn off the car. when i go to start my car again, everything is locked up and takes a long time to get it unlocked. i almost have to break off the key to get it started. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the vehicle has kumho, size 195/60r15 tires. while driving 5 mph, the driver side tire scraped the curb and blew out. a spare tire was placed on the vehicle. the dealer stated that the sidewall failed. the current and failure mileages were 42,000. updated 12/12/07

I was stranded over the weekend at a gas station in the middle of nowhere because my key wouldn't turn, it seemed locked in my ignition. i really needed my car to start to get out of there but couldn't and was approached by a mentally insane man asking me for a ride. nothing has been done to fix my car because they aren't open until monday. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while shifting at 30 mph, the clutch failed. the dealer replaced the clutch, however, they neglected to reinstall one of the bolts and the failure recurred. no additional repairs were made. the current mileage was 39,000 and failure mileage was 37,800.

My daughters ford focus 2004 has only 21,000 miles on it and was making noises we checked the tires pirelli p6 four season p205/50r 16 87 h m+s and the rear back tire cords were broke since we bought the car over a year ago and the warranty was only for a year they said they wont do anything what if it would of blown out think they should be called it has happened to alot of people with the same tires looked up complaint on internet, we replaced all four tires did not trust the other tires now they are made in china surprise. what would of happened if my daughter would of had a blow out????????? something should be done. click here: compare prices and read reviews on pirelli p6 four seasons passenger/performance tire at epinions.com --- click here: news in brief.(briefs)(briefs on pirelli tire north america, toyo tire (usa) corp., cooper tire & rubber co.) - jo *tr

My ford focus zx5 stalled on me on the high way july 27, lucky for me the traffic was slow. towed to the dealer, they said it was the fuel pump. cost me $600 to replace it. i got the car back on august 1, and two days later on august 3, it stalled again. tow it back to dealer on august 7, the dealer said it was the fuel pump again, they said the new fuel pump they replaced two days ago was defective, and they had it fixed on august 8, and one day later on august 9, it stalled again. towed back to dealer the third time. on august 13, they called me and said it was not the fuel pump. (what? so they didn't seriously check the car, and put me into very dangerous situations again and again???) on august 17, they called to inform me it was the inertia switch. i was very dissatisfied with all the problems with this vehicle. rental cost (i asked for the reimbursement of the rental and they refused). i questioned the service manager about the car's safety concern and their mechanic's incompetent. the service manager kept saying the second time the new part was defective and the switch problem didn't show up until the third time. i really doubt it, because every time it showed me the same problem. and i believe it is because they didn't find the inertia switch problem the first time. i also called the ford customer assistance and asked for to be reimbursement for the rental car. i told her about my safety concern, and she informed me as long as i am still not involved in an accident there is nothing they can do . what? do i need to be injured or dead to get their attention? *tr

Upon entering an intersection and having to stop at a stop sign, i pressed the cruise control off button and applied the brake. instead of slowing down, the vehicle increased speed, and traveled into the intersection. i attempted to turn out of the way of oncoming traffic but struck a passing suv. end result was my car was totaled and the suv suffered heavy damage. i contacted ford in dearborn, mi but they were no help. *tr the consumer stated the cruise control would not deactivate when the brakes were applied or when the off button was pressed. updated 10/10/07. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle caught fire while parked. he has not contacted the dealer or manufacturer. the fire department arrived at the scene and are currently filing a report. the fire was caused by the electrical system of the driver side battery. the vehicle is no longer able to be driven. the contact researched other vehicles like his and noticed a pattern of fire related failures. the current and failure mileages were 32,000.

Ford focus ignition key won't turn. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the key failed to turn in the ignition to start the vehicle. the dealer stated that the ignition cylinder had failed. the vehicle is currently being repaired. the current and failure mileages were 36,000. updated 09/05/07. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that at any given time, the ignition locks up. as a result, she is unable to open the windows, doors, start the vehicle, or operate the vehicle in any capacity. ford advised her to shake the vehicle and move the steering wheel back and forth. ford also advised her husband to take a mallard and strike the ignition in an attempt to release the key. if none of those solutions worked, the contact was informed to bring the vehicle to the dealer because the part is probably defective. the contact heeded ford's instructions, but the failure still occurred. the manufacturer stated that they are aware of the issue, however, the plateau of concern is not great enough to issue a recall. the dealer stated that the cost to repair the vehicle is $432 and that the part is definitely defective. the vin and engine size were unknown. the current mileage is 58,000 and failure mileage was 55,000.

Without any warning the ignition switch of the 2004 ford focus began to stop functioning properly. i am currently able to turn the key if i spend a few minutes manipulating the steering wheel while simultaneously turning the key.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the brakes began to squeak. the mechanic diagnosed the failure as needing new front rotors and made the repair. one month later, the brakes began squeaking again. a piece of the front rotor fell off while the vehicle was in motion. a local mechanic replaced the front rotors again. the powertrain, purchase date, and engine size were unknown. the current mileage is 23,400 and failure mileage was 22,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving the vehicle, the contact stated that her granddaughter became trapped in the seat belt. by pulling on it, the middle seat belt wrapped around her leg and locked into position. the granddaughter could not get it off her leg. there was no leverage to pull her leg out and the further the belt went down her leg, the tighter the belt became. the seat belt began to cut off her circulation. the contact wedged her finger between the granddaughter's leg and the seat belt to relieve pressure. in the end, the contact cut the seat belt with a pair of scissors. the seat belt snapped back quickly and now it is firmly stuck inside of the seat. the contact asked ford why this happened, but received no response. she stated that an appointment will be made for her at the dealer. the contact also stated that the seat belt has never been used and that her granddaughter was not seated in the middle seat. her main concern is not how her granddaughter became entangled in the seat belt, but why the seat belt would not loosen when attempting to remove the belt. the engine size and powertrain were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 22,000.

We purchased a brand new 2004 ford focus, 3 years ago. of course the warranty just ran out (we're at about 38,000 miles). over the past 2 weeks, we've had problems getting the key into the ignition, and once in the ignition, the key wont turn. the first time it happened, it took just a couple of attempts and then it turned. it has progressively gotten worse, and has taken up to 5 minutes to get the key into the ignition and to turn. exactly 2 weeks and 2 days after the problem arose, i went to start my car and this time it took 10 minutes to get to key into the ignition and to turn. that same night i was attempting to leave a friends house, and again the key has trouble going into the ignition, and once in it wont turn, the steering wheel is locked, and i'm stuck. my husband has another key to the car, so we tried alternating the keys. we sat in the driveway for 30 minutes, trying both keys alternately, and the key just wouldn't turn. we had to get a ride home and are without a car now. our mechanic said the same thing happened to someone else with the same car last week, and it cost them $420 for parts/repairs. we have to wait until next week when we can affords the repairs. i have read numerous consumer complaints about the same problem with the same car (ford focus, several years/models) some of them even had to replace the same part more than one time. this is obviously a faulty part, and ford should be conducting some sort of recall to fix the part. *tr

Raw fuel leaks from gasoline evaporative canister when vehicle has been recently fueled. driveability problems accompanying leakage. includes difficulty starting/ hesitating/surging at highway speeds, and stalling at low speed maneuvers.*ak

2004 ford focus. ignition got stuck key won't turn. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus zts. the contact stated that the brakes worked intermittently. the vehicle failed to come to a complete stop when the brake pedal was depressed. the dealer changed the brake pads. upon leaving the dealer the failure recurred. also, the contact stated that the accelerator pedal became stuck. on several occasions the contact had to release the accelerator pedal and then depressed it again for the vehicle to respond properly. weather and speed were not factors. the current and failure mileages were 41,500. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving 50 mph, the vehicle veered off the road. the contact did not depress the brakes and the right front of the vehicle struck a guard rail. the air bags failed to deploy and the vehicle was destroyed. there was a recent tire rotation performed on the vehicle and aaa and the dealer determined that the lug nuts were stripped. the contact has a police report. the current and failure mileages were 97,000.

I purchased a 2004 svt focus 10/06. in 12/06, the coil pack went bad, they fixed the vehicle under warranty. on 3/9/07 as i was leaving a friends house, the same symptoms happened to me as this past december, then went away very quickly. i made the decision to drive my vehicle home and call the dealership. i never made it home. about a 1/4 mile from my friends house, the vehicle began to shake and shutter very violently. i pulled over quickly and smoke started to come from under the hood. i lifted the hood and the coil pack that had been replaced was glowing red and shooting sparks and began to not only catch itself on fire, but started setting all the cables and other things on fire.at the same time the clutch also exploded and blew through the bellhousing. which there is a tsb issued by ford on. also, at this time, the vehicle was still trying to run all on its own, and the keys were in my pocket. i am unsure of the exact cause of the fire, but it was not done by anything that i was doing or had done to the vehicle. it currently has 35,900 miles on it and is still under warranty. side note, after the whole incident with the coil pack back in december, i just recently decided to pull up the history on my vehicle from ford's database. in december i was brought into the office at the dealership and almost blamed for abuse of the coil because it was so destroyed. yet, when i looked up my history it says that all that was replaced was a connector on the coil, not the coil itself. so, the coil was never actually replaced, but i was almost being blamed for destroying my coil. i am still fighting to get my vehicle fixed under warranty and being treated very poorly. i am a mechanic by trade and i'm being talked to and treated like a 5 year old anytime i try to get answers. they are still not taking responsiblity for the mechanical/electrical failure of their vehicle that they claimed to fix. *ak

Attempted to stop at a red light, brake pedal went to the floor and the vehicle did not fully stop. my car entered intersection and was struck by another vehicle causing extensive damage to my car. *nm

Yesterday i got into my car (a 2004 ford focus), put the key in the ignition, and the key would not turn. today i took the car to the dealer and the problem was repaired. the key cylinder had malfunctioned. in doing some research i have discovered that this is a very common problem with the focus, but ford motor company has refused to recall the affected models even though this is a potential safety issue. the dealership did repair the problem, but i had to pay over $200 for it. *nm

1) accelerator sticking upon pushing on the pedal 2) pushing hard on the pedal, it eventually releases, sometimes squealing the tires and launches the vehicle forward which has almost made me hit people or unable to get out of the way of traffic where others have almost hit me. 3) dealer cleaned throttle cable but also said they would replace throttle body if it happens again. *jb

Car stalls without notice. sent daughter to emergency room one time. stalls 2 different ways, while driving and sometimes when coming to a stop. total loss of control happens. has been in shop many, many times and they can't figure out problem. started when car was 7 months old. also, clutch prematurely went out. has been replaced 2 or 3 times. (car has 26,000 miles currently). also, thermostat has gone out many, many times- daughter has driven most of winter with no heat. *nm

Tl* - the contact has a 2004 ford focus se with a odometer reading of 82000 miles. the contact stated that he has a rear wheel alignment problem which has resulted in tire cupping and he has to replace the rear tires for a third time. the contact has taken the vehicle to the dealer and to an independent mechanic shop and they both told him that he as an alignment problem. neither the mechanic shop nor the dealer know why this failure has recurred and have been able to offered a solution. *jb updated 03/19/07. *jb

Gentlemen my problem is two fold, first i am really disappointed that the nhtsa is not provding all the information on all the complaints, recalls, and safety investigations that it use to. now i am hoping that a rep will either write me or call me and tell me this is the way its always been. this is b.s..... mr nhtsa why isnt there a archive where we can go back 3 months, 6,12 or more. why have you romoved this option???? it use to be there!!! now for my complaint i have a ford focus, 2004 and the axle just broke, 34000 miles and its at the dealer ship hopefully getting fixed, now there was no forwarning, no snap, pop, bang or anything, i backed out of a parking space and put it in drive, it moved about six feet and stopped. now if this would have been in the middle of an intersection or trying to move out of the way of on coming traffic it could have been a bad thing, fortunatly i was in a parking lot. when i reviewed yuour entries on this matter you only have one. give me break i want to see the history. i have been wrench pulling for a few years and there i no way in hell your going to convince me this all you have. hell even the dealerships say its nothing out of the ordinary. its under warrenty but the fact still ramians this should be a safety issue at the very least. waiting to hear from you mr nhtsa

At 40,000+ miles my 2004 needs to have the throttle body replaced: cost-$130.25 + tax and $94 labor. the ford representative in the service center has had his ford focus throttle body replaced 3x with 40,000 miles. i am told the part is being re-designed. the reason i am aware of it is that someone called in on car talk about the same concern and they diagnosed it. at 58 miles an hour i notice the hesitation. the service center seems to have two voices--one to have it fixed and the other to leave it be until it gets worse. is this part generally not designed properly because of the brass and plastic interface? how dangerous it it not to get this item fixed immediately. is the design flawed?the part number to be replaced is: 3s4z 9e926 ac: body asy carbur ep. *nm

2004 focus belt tensioner broke and battery failed. *ts the front door had to be aligned and the door seal was replaced. the throttle cable had to be re-routed due to the cable binding. the front wheel bearings were replaced. the left rear motor assembly was replaced, the 3rd brake light lens and right side cv axle was replaced. the transmission started shifting erratically. the consumer attempted to make a turn, and the transmission would shift from 1st to 2nd gear until the engine revved up past 6000 rpm. the consumer was told there was a problem with the servo pistons. the transmission was eventually repaired. the battery failed 5 times. *jb

On october 26, 2006 at 8:00 am i tried to start my vehicle and the ignition key would not turn. i called the ford dealership and the service person said it sounded like an ignition lock and he said he was familiar with the repair. i was informed that they had no towing service. due to the fact that the dealership was approximately 12 miles away, i instead had it towed to a garage down the road. the garage installed a new lock cylinder. i was late for work and had to bum a ride to pick my car up after work. the garage charged me for 2 and 1/2 hours of work, the towing and the part, the total being $308.62. all this on a car only 2 and 1/2 years old. after the repair was done i called the ford dealership and they refused to pay for the repair, even though the car was still under warranty, because i did not bring it to them. i wrote to ford headquarters and they again refused to pay for it. *nm

Ignition lock on 2004 ford focus failed (froze up). this is the same scenario that has been widely reported on the internet for which ford has not done a recall. ford did repair this under warranty at no charge to me, but since this problem appears to be chronic, i want to be sure that the incidence of the problem is recorded. *jb

I have had my 2004 ford focus for about 6 months, and i had boughten it used. it has run very well with no problems at all up until recently. i have gone to start my car, and the key would get stuck and not turn over and the wheel would lock up. after several attempts, the car would start and run fine. yesterday it took me almost 2 hours to turn the key over to get my car to start. today i called a ford dealership, because they think that i need a new ignition. *nm

I purchased a 2004 ford focus a year ago and the ignition cylinder is going out. i have been stranded places several times in the cold because of this problem which is a known problem to many ford focus owners. i am going to have to replace this item soon at the cost to me of $250. there needs to be something done about this since many owners are experiencing the same issues. i have had to jiggle the key so much my hand hurts. *nm

08/15/06 i purchased used 2004 ford focus. 10/24/06 car dies on me while driving. it dies and an "exclamation point" indicator comes on in the dash. this is a very abrupt halt whenever it dies. it almost feels as though someone hits you from behind. took car to dealer for repair. they said that they could not duplicate the problem, however they replaced the tr sensor for the automatic transmission. 11/06/06 picked car up and on the way home it died on me twice. took car back to the dealer. this time they say that they found wires that appear to have been chewed by an animal. they replaced these wires and the car has not died again since. **this is a very dangerous situation to have your car just die in the middle of the freeway while driving. *jb

Windshield wiper motor on my ford focus. they slowly stopped working and then the hole unit went out on my 2 year old car. there is showing a recall for 2003 to 2005 ford focus wiper motors but some how my car is not on that recall. nothing has been fixed yet because my extended warranty does not cover the wiper motor . this is an on going issue and a safety issue that ford should have to fix... this is why we pay so much money for these cars. *nm

Locking of ignition in ford focus. *jb

I had my car in the garage for a fuel problem which was solved by a computer update and while it was there, i had the dealer do an oil change. for some reason they checked the brakes and found that my left front brakes where gone. they replaced the front rotors and pads and i told them to put the old parts in my car. upon my own inspection of the old parts, 3 of the pads still had about 1/4 inch of pad left while the inner driver side pad had nothing left to it. the driver side rotor also had significant wear to it while the passenger side still looked and felt fine. *nm

2004 ford focus, now 2 years old with 54,000 miles. when leaving the store today my key would go into the ignition but would not turn and my wheel was in a locked position facing left. i had to have my vehicle towed to the dealership costing me $68 and an additional $98 for ford to look at it. i am sure it will be confirmed tomorrow that i will need my ignition cylinder replaced as have many focus owners. which will cost approximately $300. *nm

Dear sir, during a normal ride the steering was blocked-out. i was close to a crash. car is a ford focus c-max, and has electric steering system. two of my colleagues had the same problem with their cars around 30000 km (mine is 50000 km) and ford recommend "not to use the air conditioning system because the error appear more often". when my car had this problem ford just reset the computer and they said car is ok now. i ask if the problem will appear again, and answer was "if it appear we will change the module" . usual after such issue you have not the second chance to change it, and after crash is impossible to identify the error. i have papers printed from ford computer with the description of the error. *jb

Ignition started getting hard to turn, eventually it wouldn't turn at all. leaving me stranded out of town. had to spend 350$ to have it replaced. then it happened again 9 months later. and now it's beginning again, when i take the key out it keeps beeping like i haven't. *nm

Ignition cylinder failed to turn during start up. key would bottom out in cylinder as required, but upon attempting to rotate in any direction the key would not move. could not get key to rotate after repeated attempts to do so over a 12 hour period. after researching the problem on the internet and talking with the dealership service rep where i purchased the vehicle, it seems this problem is very prevalent with this particular model from its inception in 2000. the particular failed ignition cylinder installed in the vehicle listed has had numerous issues in the past, but each time resolved the problem within minutes. not this time. it had to be repaired through destructive disassembly, ie the cylinder lock needed to be drilled and replaced. *nm

I noticed when i first purchased my 2004 ford focus that it had intermittent problems with the key not turning the ignition over. i recently was stranded because my key didn't turn over and i took it the shop who confirmed it was my ignition lock that froze. the cost $265...*nm

Front end collision, air bag put out powder and light indicates deployment, however no deployment of airbag occurred. my daughter was injured and the state trooper stated that the air bag should have deployed. this appears to be an obvious defect and it was noted that there are several other complaints on nhtsa website. vehicle is currently at dealer for crash repair i have yet to hear their determination regarding the air bag non-deployment. additionally, the brakes on the vehicle faded and failed to stop the vehicle, this is the second brake fade problem i have had with this vehicle. it has been to the dealer once for the problem and they found air in the brake system. *nm

Ignition switch failure.. fortunate that the event happened while at home. i travel frequently as an employee of the department of homeland security. this could have been very detrimental if this had occurred while on duty. ford's extended warranty that we purchased in good faith, refused to cover the component. while the plan clearly states that the ignition switch is covered. ford's cost for repair is over $365.00. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the starter assembly continued to fail, not allowing the key to turn or release the steering wheel from the locked position. the service dealer and manufacturer were contacted. the problem has not been resolved.

I have a 2004 ford focus lx and the ignition locked froze. the key wouldn't turn, therefore not allowing my vehicle to start no matter what. the car only has 50000 miles on it and is fairly new. after doing some research on the web, this is a common problem in ford focus vehicles. there is even a class action suit going on in california. ford doesn't recognize this as a recall because it's not a "safety" issue. if my car doesn't start in the wrong place at the wrong time, especially with my kids, this is definitely a safety issue. this is happening to thousands of people and most of them say that they had to get this problem fixed more than once within a 3 year time period. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the ignition switch failed to turn when the key was inserted into the ignition, thus failing to start the vehicle. this was the 4th failure. metal shavings were seen falling out of the ignition when the key was removed. the service dealer had the vehicle towed to the service repair shop for investigation. the manufacturer was not notified.

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was driven at an undisclosed freeway speed, the rear passenger tire became wobbly. the vehicle became hard to control, and was pulled over to the side of the road. the driver continued to drive on the side of the freeway to the residence. once the vehicle was at the residence, the contact jacked up the vehicle and noticed a broken weld in the rear and the tire was being held on with the a-arm. the vehicle was towed the dealership, but was not inspected. the manufacturer was alerted.

I have a 2004 ford focus that has 18,000 miles. i have already had to have the throttle replaced twice; after several thousand miles, the throttle begins to stick and it becomes more difficult to apply light pressure to the gas peddle. the throttle will stick and as i apply pressure to the gas, the car will surge forward when the force finally overcomes the throttle sticking. this causes problems in commute stop/go traffic as i have several times almost hit the car in front of me because of the surge. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the key came out of the ignition while in the start position. the vehicle was parked and turned off when the incident occurred. the steering wheel locked up and could not be moved when the vehicle was restarted. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the ignition cylinder and transceiver module needed to be replaced.

At 15,000 mile i replaced my rear brake shoes and then two days after that they started to squeal very badly like they where worn out again. i returned to the ford dealer in which i purchased the car and who had replaced the brakes they reapplied lube to the shoes and drum. that worked for three days and now once again they squeal again. i have replaced the brakes again at 25,000 miles and they still squeal and no one knows what to do. both times the brakes where replaced they were done at a ford dealership. i have been told to maybe purchased new drums even though there is nothing wrong with the current ones but i don't see the need to do such a thing on a car that is barely 2 years old. please help. *nm

2004 ford focus. key does not turn in ignition. stranded in remote area. had to walk and hitch-hike home. found hudreds of similar complaints on internet. sudden, unexpected failure of such basic and fundametal safety/security equipment is inherantly dangerous. consumers should be warned that this is a common occurance and that it could be dangerous. *nm

About two weeks ago i tried to start my 2004 ford focus, but the key would not turn in the ignition. after about 10 tries it finally worked. this afternoon i went to my car to pick up my wife from work and the key would not turn at all. i have tried for over two hours and no results. after some research on the internet i find that this is not an isolated case but rather the norm. even further research revealed that there is no recall from the ford company, in fact they are actively denying that there is a problem. *nm

In october of 2004 the ignition cylinder locked on my 2004 ford focus and was unusable. it was towed to the dealership and they claimed to have "fixed it". today is june 18, 2006 and the ignition cylinder locked on me again. my daughter drives this car and she works the graveyard shift. if this car were to leave her stranded at night because ford failed to issue a recall --i seriously consider this a safety issue!!!!!!!!!!!!! *nm

I had a head-on collision with a car that shot out of a side street directly in front of me. the front of my car hit the side of his van. the air bag did not deploy. my right knee cap was fractured. this was a rental car from enterprise. *nm

Ignition jammed unable to start car,key would not turn at all. had to have car towed to dealership and they replaced ignition had the car for two days, now that i have new ignition the key is now getting stuck in the ignition. have not reported problem to dealership yet. *nm

My car is again in service due to a faulty gas cap. the wire which attaches the gas cap to car keeps getting caught when the cap is be screwed on. check gas cap light comes on and then the check engine light comes on. this is the 4th time it is in the shop for this reason. i am told i have to check each time i get gas to make sure cap is on properly and that connecting wire is not caught. i don't believe most people have to do this. i believe the gas tank line was installed improperly and therefore it keeps causing this problem. thank you. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the dog was placed in the rear of the vehicle through the hatch. the door ajar light illuminated, the hatch was checked and it was discovered that it would no longer latch. there was no warning prior to the problem. the manufacturer and dealer have been alerted. an appointment was made with the dealer for inspection.

The ignition cylinder locked on my 2004 ford focus making it impossible to start; it froze the steering column as well. it occurred late in the evening and left me stranded 50 miles from home. i have since read many reports of the same occurrence to owners of the ford focus of various years and trims. this problem seems to occur spontaneously without any forewarning and is of great potential danger to the driver. focus owners report repairing the problem repeatedly and ford adamantly denies the defect. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle the key would not turn unless the steering wheel is turned at the same time. the problem occurs intermittently and has not been taken to the dealer. the vehicle is a 2004 ford focus. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated for the past four months, while attempting to start the vehicle, the key will not turn unless the steering wheel and the key are turned at the same time. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the lock assembly, ignition switch, and steering lock mechanism were replaced. this corrected the problem. updated 05/30/2006. *ak

My high beam is always on. my low beam and fog light do not work. the low beam and fog light are independent switch. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the rear passenger side door is difficult to close. when the problem first occurred there was 9,500 miles on the vehicle. the contact received a recall letter, nhtsa campaign # 05v030000 for the door latches. the dealership would not perform the repair work. the manufacturer was informed of the situation.

I have to replaced 02 sensors 3 times in less than 50000 miles. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to apply brake pressure at 55 mph the engine shut off. although there was no accident, the emergency brake had to be pulled to stop the vehicle and the driver sustained minor injuries. the vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection, which the problem could not be duplicated. the manufacturer was alerted.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving during winter conditions in the north east, the salt, sand and snow accumulate on the inside of the wheels causing the vehicle to vibrate violently. the dealership determined the wheels were so flat on the inside they were unable to shed these elements. the contact is unable to remove these elements at the car wash. the wheels have to be taken off and cleaned before the vehicle is safe to drive. updated 03/28/06. *jb

About two weeks ago, my daughter was involved in an accident while driving her ford focus. she smashed the car into a cement barrier, spun around and smashed the back of the car into the barrier and then spun around again and smashed the front into the barrier again. the car is considered totaled by the insurer. this ford focus is equipped with air bags. these air bags did not deploy. fortunately, my daughter and her passenger were not seriously hurt. i am concerned about the air bags not working. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to apply brake pressure at 55 mph the engine shut off. although there was no accident, the emergency brake had to be pulled to stop the vehicle and the driver sustained minor injuries. the vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. they were unable to duplicate the problem and no repairs were made. the manufacturer was alerted.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving, the heated seat activated. after it was on for 30-40 minutes a smoldering smell was detected. the foam liquefied and came through the seat. the dealership replaced the seat. this happened two more times and the seat was replaced. on the third failure minor injuries were sustained. *nm

Premature wear on inside front tires. *jb

Vehicle was traveling on highway, weather was clear, road was dry. steering wheel began to vibrate, vehicle suddenly veered to right and out of control. vehicle struck guard rail head on, upon impact air bags did not deploy. my wife was seriously injured when her head struck the windshield. she received cuts to her forehead, multiple contusions and a fractured ankle that will require surgery to repair. the vehicle was inspected by a crash investigator and it was determined that a defective tie rod was the likely cause of the loss of control and there was sufficient force to deploy air bags. *nm

Key will not turn in ignition. *jb

2004 ford focus hood flew up shattering windshield. *ts the hood latch was defective. *jb

Bought a brand new car with 07 miles on it. at 9,000 miles, only three months after the vehicle was purchased it began to have major problems. repeatedly returned vehicle to the dealership where it was purchased, but was greeted with refusal to fix the vehicle and poor customer service issues. was given faulty/defective replacement vehicles as part of warranty when car was not drivable and undergoing repairs. ford refused to fix vehicle at one point, and new dealership was involved. new dealership verified problems occuring, but were unable to diagnose and/or fix vehicle. refuasal upon ford motor company to buy back and/or replace the vehicle with a new vehicle. eighteen months later, filing a lawsuit against ford motor company with the texas lemon law at my own expense in order to find resolution to the problem. *nm

Brake problem. at about 2000 to 3000 miles breaks starts to squeal and grind. took it in to service at dealer complaining about problem, as it got worse and was not normal in 6,000 miles. was told no problem, routine break in. then at 12,000 miles still a problem. went to another dealer, said the same thing. now with nearly 18,000 miles, rotors are grooved very bad. evidence and warning was evident in the earlier miles as well. ford has done nothing to help. i feel they owe me a new pair of rotors and pads. also, complained of clutch noise problem. i have heard of a tsb claiming certain 2004 focus have a transaxle misalignment causing pre-mature clutch wear and noise. wiper switch has been replaced by rc lacy ford, better service, but they won't service me anymore, since i did not buy it there, and ravena is so close. i need to contact crossroads about all future warranty issues and complaints. doors in the rear also stick, and wear of door striker is evident. tires have also been worn pretty bad pirelli 195/60 r15. back pair are totally bald, and only have had like 18,000 miles, i think it was a alignment issue, which for a car 17 months old should not be an issue. i noticed wear at around 13,000 miles. during my second tire rotation. have had too many problems with this new vehicle. also issues with extreme chipping around the rear wheel well. also have had a hesitation problem at about 25 mph. #rd gear used to be difficult to engage. please help me resolve these issues. i got nowhere with the dealers myself. the vin is not the appropriate vin. my car is a 2004 zx5 duratec 2.3e 5 spd. almost all options included. thank you. *nm

Dt: the consumer stated that while driving, the cruise control activated by itself and caused the vehicle to accelerate. the acceleration was rapid in nature. the contact was not attempting to use the cruise control at that time, she was approaching a stop sign. the vehicle has not been to dealer or a mechanic for a diagnosis of the problem. *ak the consumer also stated the windshield lining was coming apart, one of the rotors were warped. updated 11/29/05. *jb

I drove and parked the 2004 ford focus about 40 mins from my home. about 2 hours later, i went to get in my car and the steering wheel was locked. i inserted the key and it would not turn. several people tried jiggling the steering wheel, stepping on the brake all to no avail. i called aaa and ford roadside and was told by both that it would need to be towed and that they could do nothing at this time (sat. evening/ sun morning of columbus day weekend). *nm

I was on my way home and i started to here a noise from the front end. then it felt like my car was stopping while i was accelerating. when i put it in reverse my front tires locked. i put it in neutral to try to push it back put it would not move. i had my kids in the car and i was glad we were not in traffic. i took it to a dealer and they are taking their time and haven't looked at yet. i pay 334. a month and my car is a death trap. i have nothing to drive and i cant afford to keep up a rental car. 2004 ford focus. *nm

We own a 2004 ford focus zx3. it has around 50,000 miles on it. the car is primary used for commuting, 150 miles round trip each day. last week when going to leave work my husband inserted the key in the ignition but the lock would not turn. he had to slam on the key to finally get the key to turn so he could come home. it has progressively got worse and this morning the key is unable to turn at all. we've barely had the car two years. when looking online for a fix/recall notice i discovered that there are thousands of other americans who have experienced the same problem, some of them several times. at what point does ford accept the responsibility for using subpar materials and fix the thing on their tab? i am now sitting with a car in my driveway, unable to even be taken to the dealer without a tow truck. it is blocking my garage which houses our only other form of transportation. i am going to be out around $100 today for transportation costs and that doesn't even include fixing the focus. *jb

Dt: contact owns a 2004 ford focus. while driving on the highway the car shut down without warning. no particular speed or circumstance. this incident happened several times on interstate. while going 70 to 75 mph. the car shut down, no battery, no lights, and it was very hard to steer. it happened at stop sign or at speeds of 35 to 45 mph .after putting vehicle in park then in neutral or park it will start back up. vehicle was taken back to dealership 3 times in the last 3 weeks. mechanic recalibrated the automatic transmission control module (pcm) ,and was told it would be okay. took it off the dealership and within 10 miles incident started happening again. flight recorder was installed on october 6, 2005 was told to push a button every time the vehicle shut off, but the problem was that there was electricity going to anything to make the flight recorder show the problem. *ak

On the alternator plug there is three wires one wire broke off by itself and it has left the battery light on all the time i don't feel i should have to go and get the new plug for the alternator if it is defective as well. *nm

In minneapolis 4/23/04 the car stalled in stop and go freeway traffic and took a few minutes on the freeway to re-start-mileage then-approx 2317 r/o open date r/o close date 9/21/04 10/05/04 the first 4 dates are transmission related. initially the car would pop out of 2nd gear while slowing or turning a corner 2/03/05 2/10/05 bearings replaced 2/12/05 2/15/05 cruise inoperable 3/15/05 3/23/05 transmission replaced. 3/25/05 3/30/05 this is a throttle body replacement all of these repairs were done under warranty. in a further page i do not know what "oem" means so haven't answered that question. *jb

I was able to get the key in and out of the ignition but was not able to turn the wheel or the key. everything was locked. had to get the 2004 focus towed and pay 300+ dollars for repair as the warranty is up (40k + mis.) *jb

I purchased my 2004 ford focus in april of 2004. the battery went dead in may 2005. i had the car towed to the ford dealer and the ealer replaced the battery. car was dead again july 4. the car was jumped and take to the dealer. dealer said they couldn't find a problem and charged the battery. it was dead again on july 9th. i had dealer come get the car and they said it was a bad cell in the battery and replaced the battery again. i was dead again on july 21st. had the dealer come get the car they jumped it and took it in. they charged the battery and still tell me they can't find anything wrong with the car.

Dt: contact states daughter came home from work on 7-15-05 and she had not had any problems with the car prior to this. the next day on 7-16-05 she noticed the car had caught on fire while it was parked in the driveway. the fire had already gone out. she had the car towed to the dealership, and the mechanic said ford was coming on 7-19-05 to inspect the car. she talked to someone who had just retired from wayne assembly plant and he said they had been having a lot of problems with the fuel line coming off due to increased pressure on the ford focuses. she has never received any recall notices. she does not know where the fire originated. the car is at the clinton michigan ford dealership. *ak

Dt: consumer experienced brake failure with his 2004 ford focus. the manufacturer stated that the part was not available locally, but they were trying to locate it nationally. the brakes made a racket, there was a weight that adjusted the counterweight, and needed other parts replaced as well, but they have to wait on the weight to come in before the work could be done. they stated that there were six other dealers that have ordered the part, and it was sent out in the order that it was requested. consumer stated this has been happening for approximately a month and a half to two months. when on vacation he took the vehicle in for a squeaking noise, and they resurfaced the brakes, which eliminated the squeaking noise. by the time they returned from the trip, approximately 1100 miles, the squeaking noise came back, and the racket started. consumer had the vehicle serviced before going on the trip, and was told the vehicle was okay to drive.*ak

Dt: consumer pushed on accelerator while vehicle was in drive, it appeared as if vehicle was in neutral,. vehicle was on a slop at a stop sign and started rolling backwards. *ak

Steering and suspension/ center support bearing/part# y542-3b436-a failed... believe car sold out of allignment. rear-end, believed cause all wear on front suspension components, uneven wear on all tires also, and wobbly unstable rear end. car was repaired 6-3-2005 also, the throttle body linkage had to be replaced, worn out, was causing sudden acceleration and hesitated acceleration, sometimes acting like stuck....

Brake on new 2004 ford focus has large ridges and rim is covered with brake dust. was told that this was "how it was suppose to look". car has 2300 miles

Vehicle hesitated/stalled when applying the accelerator pedal from a stop position. vehicle had been to the dealer on three separate occasions. the first time dealer replaced the coil assembly, spark plugs and spark plug wiring. within two weeks or less the problem recurred. the last two times dealer informed the consumer that they could not duplicate the problem.*ak

Driver placed the key inside of the ignition switch and the key failed to come out of ignition. driver contacted the dealer for an appointment. *ak

The front tire on driver's side showed a 6-8 inch length spot on the inter tread of the tire, and both rear tires showed signs of high and low spots running diagonally. dealer inspected the tires, and informed consumer that this problem was not caused by improper wheel alignment. these tires were original , pirelli tires, size p205/50r16, and dot# xaw1e1991403.*ak

Brakes failed on our 2004 ford focus zx5 4 door hatchback as my wife went to stop at a stop sign leaving our development and was broadsided by a truck. this resulted in a total loss of vehicle and injuries sustained to my wife. police and medical personnel were on the scene. she was transported to hospital.

Instrument cluster is bad and the guages will not work. part is not available and my vehicle has been down for a month and 1 week as of right now. service manager has given part to area rep for ford, and that was a week ago. *ak

Driver's side wheel made a loud grinding noise when applying the brakes. when taken vehicle to dealer for service the front left brake pad wore out faster than all other three. the cause of why this was happening was undetermined.*ak

Rotors gone bad hansel ford said at 9200 miles the squeaking was normal, then at 13000 i called they still said it was normal but now the warranty was up, then at 20000 miles they check it because it was doing it more, now the rotors have groves beyond repair, yet the brake pads still had between 65% and 90% left to them, i had to replace both rotors and pads for safety for my daughter.

I bought the car with 0 miles on it. i heard loud squeaky noise in the brakes at any speed when slowing down. the first week, i took the car back to ford. ford sent me home telling me it was dust in the drums. they said it should wear off in a while. 1 month later and the noise still was present not better or worse. i took it in again, they had the nerve to tell me to just wait longer. 3 months and the noise continued. i then took it back and they put new brake pads. i had the car for 3 months and the brake pad were bad??? they put new brake pads on, and again the noise remained. will they ever fix this problem??? it is now 1 year after and the noise remains. don't buy a focus, even brand new and 100,000 mile warranty and still have problems no one will fix.*ak

Consumer received recall notice concerning seat heater/cooler. however, the consumer has been waiting since january. she was told twice that the parts were in. however, when she contacted the dealer she was told the parts did not come in. *ak *sc *jb

Vehicle was traveling on the road during inclement weather when all of a sudden the driver lost control. this caused the vehicle to flip over twice. upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. *ak

I parked my car to go work one evening,and i came back and it fails to work.neither of my keys will turn the ifnition.my keys go in and out of the the ignition switch only. my car has 40k miles on it,and it needs a recall immediately.i do not have money to fix right now,so i am stranded.*ak

I own a 2004 ford focus zts, purchased new in june, 2004. since purchase, i have had the horn replaced twice,meaning the car has it's 3rd horn. the problem appears to be water entry into the horn itself, possibly shorting out the device. the water could be from a car wash, or from water entry while driving in rain. this is a safety defect, in that i have no idea whether the horn works or not until i attempt to use it. this could be a major issue if i need to warn someone of my presence.*jb

While driving vehicle stalled . driver was able to restart the vehicle fifteen minutes later, and drove it to the dealer. however, mechanic could not duplicate the problem. driver informed the mechanic that this problem has happened more than once, and has not been resolved. *ak ford mrfg stated that this type of stalling (failure) does not indicate a safety problem. there has been a constant problem with 1/2 tank of gas or less since the car reach 50,000 miles. *bf

While driving 30 mph vehicle hit a pothole, and the front passenger side rim bent. *ak

Car was purchased new 6/15/04 with 317 miles. there has been over $1500 worth of factory work done on this vehicle from brake pads, rotors, sensor being replaced on transmission. now the car is constantly jerking when accelerating at 20 mph and stalling. on february 16th, my car wouldn't start and was jerking. i had it towed to my home. on friday, february 18th the radio came on without the key being placed in the ignition. i have filed the lemon law and suggest others do it as well if there problems aren't resolved. i was told my car has an electrical shortage, but don't want it back. i have a small child and am afraid something terrible will happen.*ak

Car was purchased new in 4-04 at 4800 miles brakes groved, dealer said no problem; rotors cut & new pad at 10,000 and at 12000 grinding is back, also a flopping rubbing noise in front right which i think is because the rotor were cut too far and now there is too much play between pads and rotor, also electrical problems, lights, dash icons, door locks go on and off even without a key. gem module & battery replaced but instrument cluster does not work and is on national backorder. no speedometer, no odometer, gas gauge etc. while driving, door locks lock and unlock at will, dash occassionaly flashed on for 15 seconds and then goes out again. agency thinks it's the instrument cluster but because they can't get one to replace it, we can't be sure. the computer was kicking out codes for equipment that isn't even on the vehicle. dealer says never saw this problem before.

Windshield wiper motor goes if it gets clogged up with a small amount of snow. the way the car is designed when you brush the car off from snow, some of it lodges into area that is hard to get the snow out of, when wipers are turned on the motor does not work. had this replaced approx 4 or 5 months ago, and now it has happened again. i was told by the ford service dept this has happened to other focus owners. i have owned many different cars of varying makes and models and this is the first time i have ever had this problem, it is definately a design flaw. some type of guard needs to be installed to protect it from snow and ice.*ak

Type of automobile is a 2004 ford focus. on several occasionsx ignition locks up and cannot start car. i have researched the internet and found this is a common problem in the ford focus dating back to the 2000 model and yet ford has done nothing to correct the problem. this could be a dangerous problem for a mother with children if she were to travel at night and when returning to the car could not start her engine. it is not covered by insurance for repair or under warranty if expired and it is a manufacturing defect on the part of ford and the consumer should not be responsible for repairs that after researching has been evident since the release of the ford focus. it is time that ford did something about this instead of leaving it up to the consumer to repair. *ak

About 1 month after i bought my car the brakes started to squeak every time i would apply they brakes. it has continuted to do so up until even this morning. the rotors now have grooves in them ,and the brake pads still have well over 50% of the pad remaining. so far nothing has been done other than to say "it must be moisture."*ak

While applying the brakes pedal went to the floor the vehicle started shaking uncontrollably with out warning. the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove to the dealer. the mechanic informed the driver that the problem can not be duplicated. the driver informed the mechanic that this problem has occurred more than once and has not been resolved. please provide additional information. *nm

June 2004, i purchased a new 2004 focus with p195.60.15 good year eagle rsa tires. i assume this is a standard tire used by ford for this model, as i was not asked by the dealership if i would like to upgrade or change the tires. i never dreamed a car would be sold in this area without an adequate functional tire on. i am unable to control this vehicle in winter weather. with no warning, the car will veer out of control. i have driven in this type weather conditions for years, but never have i ever had a car with this type of handling problem. i do not have any difficulty with it in rain or dry conditions, so it is not a mechanical malfunction. i have had multiple failures in december & january. i was told by good year tire dealer that the tires are a high-performance tire and are not meant for winter driving. there are no gripping treads for snow and ice. i have to replace the tires on this car with 5,600 miles on them for safety purposes so that i do not risk injury or death to myself or someone else. i just do not understand why ford has put this type of a tire on the vehicle. i should have been told by ford the tires are not adequate for certain conditions. i am very upset that i have to replace a set of new tires on a new vehicle so that i can feel safe and not have an accident due to incorrect tires. i contacted the dealership where i purchased the car, however, they are not being very cooperative with my complaint. the only explanation i receive from them is that they don't know what i am talking about, or they have never had that kind of a complaint, or i am using bad driving judgment for the conditions. *nm

The vehicle wandered across the road while driving at any speed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer informed the consumer that the steering tie rod was bent and needed to be replaced. *jb

While driving, the consumer heard a loud boom. upon making a right turn, the front of the vehicle collapsed. the ball joints were lying on the ground, the tie rod was broke in half and the brake had also broke in half. the vehicle was completely inoperable. the consumer stated she did not hit anything. please provide any further information. *jb

The ignition switch and steering column was locked. the owner will contact manufacturer.

Continuous problem with smell of gas in vehicle. experience bad acceleration and car burning excessive amounts of gas. *bf the vehicle would also coast and stop in the middle of the street. the emission system light had come on. there was an incident when the consumer viewed white smoke coming from out of the muffler. the consumer was informed that the fuel pump was the problem. *sc

Massive head on collision of a 2004 ford focus failed to deploy the airbags. *jb

When braking at any speed consumer heard a squeaking noise coming from brake rotors/pads. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Consumer placed the key inside of the ignition switch and it failed to turn the vehicle on. consumer had to hit the ignition switch hard in order for the key to come out. consumer contacted the dealer for inspection and appointment.*ak

When braking there would be a squeaking and a rattling noise coming from the front suspension. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

I wish to report a possible defective tire. on nov 20, 2004,i purchased a 2004 ford focus se. with 5.914 miles. on 12/9/04, while driving along the interstate freeway, my car's tire blew out. upon examination, there was several blowout tears along the outer sides of the tire. i reported the incident to the local ford dealer who referred me to goodyear. goodyear said they believed the tires failure was caused by tire "under pressure" and a nail puncture. the goodyear technician made a determination upon visual inspection based on ripples along the tear marks were caused by under pressure. the ford dealer made the same explanation as did goodyear. however, i disagree with the opinions of both ford and goodyear. request an examination of my tire to determine if there is any tire or belt manufacture defects. my tire is a goodyear eagle, rsa version, size p195/60/r15. my tire is available for inspection to determine failure.*jb

2000 ford focus zx3: the tumblers of the ignition are jammed. the key has a rough time going into the mechanism and often gets stuck on the way in or out. once in, the ignition will not turn at all. the car now has to be towed to be worked on. *jb

While driving 45 mph applied the brake pedal and the brakes failed. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. however, the cause had not been determined. *ak

My husband just purchased a 2004 ford focus wagon and the back seat has no headrests. this makes it useless because of the risk of head/neck injuries should a crash occur. such a simple thing would have made such a difference!*ak

The brakes have been replaced 6 times since i purchased the car. they go out every 3 to 4,000 miles. i hit a tree with the side of my car because i had no brakes at all at on point while i was driving. the car gives no warning with the brakes. i talked to ford about who was going to be liable if i wrecked and somebody got hurt. they say it my problem. i'm not getting anywhere with the dealership. they just tell me i don't know how to drive. i feel my car is very unsafe on the road. i also have a 4year old that i won't dare put in the car. just for the fact that there may no brakes when i stop. o do admit in the first 6,000 miles i used it for business. they stated my job was the cause of it. but i no longer use this car for my business. and everytime i call the ford hotline about my car's brake problem. they just also blame it on my job. i told them i no longer do the job in this car. they just assume i do. i do use my car for errands and just driving around. *ak

Consumer applied the brakes and pedal went to the floor. the air bag light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, but mechanic could not duplicate the problem. *ak

When parking a 2004 ford focus, they are designed in a manner if you park to close to a curb stop the oil filter can be hit and knocked off the car. all of the oil drained out and within less than 4 miles the car was inoperable. ford motor looked at the vehicle still under warranty and claimed the owner would need to come up with $5300 to fix the car. they claimed the consumer was liable and it was her fault and not a design defect, claiming the motor froze after 2-4 miles and no oil light ever coming on. *nm

While as a sole driver and occupant of a 2005 ford focus, i was stopped at a red light and rear-ended by a four door 1995 dodge intrepid at a speed of approximatley 50 miles per hour. my driver's seat collasped in the collision which jerked my neck and back into the rear seat. as a result my thorasic spine, cervical sipne was so injreud as to cause my neck and back including my both arms to suffer a degree of paralysis, and injury to the upper spinal cord. *ak

While applying the brake pedal consumer heard a squeaking noise coming from the rear and the vehicle jerked. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, an d mechanic determined that the brake pads needed to be replaced. *ak the vehicle was taken back to the dealer on october 7, 2004 to have the rear brakes replaced. the dealer indicated that the replacement of the rear brakes would make the noise subside. as of november 5, 2004 the vehicle still makes noise. *nm

Steering wheel locked up, can't start car. had to take a hammer and pound key to get started, as a tow truck operator told me all these ford focuss are doing this. *ak

While placing the key inside the ignition switch ignition failed to start up the vehicle, and the key failed to be removed from the ignition. consumer took vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic stated this vehicle was not on recall, and the warranty expired. consumer had to pay for parts and labor. *ak

The rear doors are intermittently inoperable. they sometimes jam and will not open, and then there are times the won't shut. however, there have been times while driving that door will just open on it own.*ak

My husbandand i and two other riends were driving about 45 mph and t-boned a small car because they failed to stop. everyone sustained very bad seat belt injuries. i was a front seat passenger and i hit the windshield with my face but did not sustain bad injuries from it and the wieldshield didnt break. the airbags never deployed!!!! i would'nt have hit the windshield if they did. the only selling point of which i bought the small car for my three children and i. i am afraid to get behind the wheel again.*ak

Vehicle is having a problem with the brakes. driver has to pump the brakes and jam the brakes to the floor then the vehicle will stop. the brake problem is intermittant. owner says that an engineer from the manufacturer came to test the vehicle and the problem did not duplicate itself. provide further details.

Consumer was unable to start vehicle. it was towed to the dealer, who replaced the ignition lock and cylinder.*ak

Vehicle was not not performing adequately. the check engine light came on. steering column was defective, vehicle changed lanes on its on. the dealer stated no defects were found.*ak the consumer stated that the vehicle was not guaranteed to start. sometimes the consumer has to turn the key 10 times. the vehicle acceleration is slow then fast then muted. the vehicle does not brake right and looses power. the vehicles steering is vaque. the consumer stated that the vehicle changes lanes without the consumer steering the vehicle in that direction. the consumer stated that the malfunction light came on twice and the dealer states nothing is wrong. *tc

Rear window developed stress cracks without being stroke by an object. dealership was notified and acknowledged that the stress cracks occurred because of a defect, but the manufacture failed to replace the window under warranty. the window was replaced by the insurance company. *ak

Driver seat side airbag deployed when right front tire hit round lane marker at about 40 mph.*ak

While driving 25 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to 90 mph. the consumer attempted to apply the brakes to slow the vehicle down. consequently, the consumer rear ended another vehicle. the police indicated to the consumer not to drive the vehicle and was towed. please provide further information. *jb at the time of impact the engine stalled, the power steering and power brakes went out. the consumer would like ford to pay for the expenses. *tc *jb

Both rear doors intermittently opened while driving. dealer was notified. *ak

While making a right turn a pedestrian was walking in front of the vehicle. to avoid hitting the pedestrian vehicle lost control and was involved in a crash. upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. *ak

While attempting to stop at a traffic light brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. consumer had to apply excessive pressure in order for the vehicle to stop.*ak

The cigarette lighter after being pushed in getting hot popped out of the holder and landed either on the occupant's lap or on the carpeting. when this was shown to the rental company, and a demonstration was done, the lighter burned the representative's legs. this was a budget rental vehicle.*ak

While slowing to attempt to stop, depressing brake became very hard, and car would not stop. the engine speed increased momentarily while foot on brake, tachometer showed increased rpm, car moved foward faster, and hit another vehicle. this was 4th time this occurred with new vehicle, within first 2000 miles. first three times no collision occurred due to luck.

While driving at unknown speed, consumer noticed that when brakes are being depress, the vehicle would sway to the left flowing a loud noise. dealership service vehicle and replace brakes pads and rotors. *la

While driving 72 mph consumer lost control of the vehicle and collided with a deer. both frontal air bags failed to deploy. driver sustained minor injuries. the driver was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for inspection.*ak

Vehicle has stalled / sputtered while driving or idling.*mr the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer on 3 separate occasions and each time they said something different was wrong. the dealer replaced the idle air control valve, cleaned out the entire fuel tank, replaced the fuel pump and filter and have now replaced the transmission. *jb

I rented a ford focus 2004 with just under 12,000 miles in san francisco from fox rent a car. the brakes were making noises when i would come to a stop. when i took the car down lombard street the car smelled like burning wires but at that time i was not sure if the smell was coming from our car or another acr. two days later i drove on the highway and exited, drove on the service raod going now about 25miles/ hour then as i came to the other cars i tried to slow down to a stop to make a right hand turn. i was pressing on the brake but nothing was happening. i looked down to see if my foot was on the brake and it was and still the car was not stopping. i then put my foot all the way to the floor on the brake and still nothing happened. i then gently rolled into the car infront of me. fox rent a car staded it was my fault because it is impossable for a newer car to have brake problems. i then contacted my local ford dealer who stated "ford has never had any problems with the brakes." later i searched on google and found i was not alone. *jb

I brought car brand new from ford in march 2004. since then the brakes, and calipers, rotors have squealed horribly. i have taken the car back to the shop three times had numerous phone conversations with them and the problem is not fixed. i finally took it to a mechanic outside ford who told me the rotors were warped and glazed. this car is only3 months old. they are at a .8 and should be 1 inch. the front brakes have nver been replaced. i have children that ride in this vehicle with me.*ak

When the car had ~ 3000 miles on it, we were driving on the freeway when it suddenly began to vibrate and shimmy like it had multiple flat tires. we pulled off and looked for problems but the tires were fine and nothing was obvious. when we began driving again there was no problem. the following day, the same problem occurred again and we took the car to the dealer. they found feathering on all tires and replaced all 4 tires and rebalanced them. about a week later while driving on the freeway a loud bang sounded in the rear of the car and it again began to vibrate and shimmy. again after getting off the road and looking it over, the car seemed ok. we again took it to the dealer who could not replicate the problem and rebalanced the front tires. about 2000 miles later again while driving on the freeway, the loud bang and vibration re-occurred. when the brakes were applied, the car almost went out of control, sliding and feeling like it would tip over. we again took it to the dealer who could not replicate the problem. this time they did no work and said there was not an identifiable problem with it. we informed ford motor of the problems and are working with a lawyer on a lemon law complaint as the car is dangerous to drive.*ak

Lock cylinder will not operate to start car. key will not turn. i purchased car used with 24161 miles as used with balance of new car warrentey. first happened at 30810 miles , 35500 miles,40211 miles, and at 42152 miles. the car is unusable when this happens. *jb

While driving, the check engine light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. consumer managed to drive the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic performed a diagnostic test on vehicle and found that spark plugs and the head of the engine were worn. mechanic replaced the spark plugs and the head engine. *la

Electrical system failed to illuminate properly. the interior and exterior lights failed. this caused poor visibility for the driver. *ak

The indicator lights on the instrument panel for the high beam headlight and turn signals were not bright enough. *ak *nm

2004 ford focus svt *purchased new on april 30; car is less than 20 days old *engine exhibits "surging" between 2000-3500, all gears, all temperatures, light acceleration *concern that surging could the car to lunge forward, causing an accident or fatality *contacted ford svt team (800-367-3788) and was told they are aware of the problem, but not currently working on a fix as "not enough. *ak

Manual transmission reverse and first gear failed, causing car to over rev engine. car was taken to dealer where i was told a pin claimed lose in the clutch. during towing of vehicle, tow truck driver noticed that there was a large amount of rust on the undercarriage of the car. this problem is not yet resolved. *nm

Ford sport ka has produced a commercial showing a cat being decapitated as itshead is looking into the vehicle via the power sun roof.*ak as the sunroof closes the cat's head is severed. this commercial while meant to be humorous only to ford clearly demonstrates the clear danger of serious injury and death to pets and children. i formally request that this commercial be scene and reviewed as a demonstration by ford that it's sunroofs on this vehicle and possibly other ford vehicles is inherantly unsafe to children but not providing a resistance mechanism that would retract the moving roof when met with resistance e.g. a childs head or body part.

While driving 35 mph vehicle stalled. *ak

Vehicle was driven less than seventy miles after being released from the manufacturer. within that time, upon merging onto the highway, transmission failed. transmission started slipping with engine revving to 3000 rpms, and vehicle slowly accelerated onto the highway. within a few seconds the transmission engaged,but only in the first gear. this entire incident occurred after the manufacturer had held the vehicle because of a quality control issue. the dealership wanted to replace the entire transmission.*ak

Ignition cylinder / lock seized and prevented vehicle from starting.*ak

I would like to have someone investigate the material used in the real wheel covers of the 2004 ford focus ztw wagon. i believe this product does not protect the vehicle from moving objects. *ak

While driving 25 mph, a loud popping noise was heard coming from the rear. the driver was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem. please fill ion additional information. *jb

While driving 55 mph a loud banging noise was heard coming from the rear wheel. driver was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic informed consumer this vehicle was not covered under a recall. *ak

While driving the engine light illuminated. then, vehicle stalled. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

While driving engine light illuminated, then vehicle stalled. *ak

While driving vehicle stalled. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic did not resolve the problem. *ak

Head on collison with another car. cars in front of me stopped suddenly. i going down one of the busiest roads in town and i couldnt stop in time. front of my car has significant undrivable damage. the air bag did not deploy. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a head-on collision but the air bags did not deploy. four people sustained minor injuries (burn rashes, etc). the vehicle was destroyed. a police report was filed. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current and failure mileages were approximately 79,000.

2004 ford focus key ignition is a faulty design in seemingly all focus models according to my dealer and many sources. this left me stranded in 100 degree weather with my pet and no idea what to do. the repair is quoted at $550 to replace it at the dealer and ford has done nothing to recall their poorly designed ignition. my dealer said every ford focus will eventually need this repaired, why then isn't ford accountable? *tr

Ignition cylinder locked up occasionally. after wiggling the key, it would always crank eventually. cylinder would not turn and therefore car would not start. cylinder is a "dealer only" part. ford will not let others sell this part because then no one would buy their defective part. *tr

The key for my 2004 ford focus station wagon isn't working right. i turn it back and forth in the ignition and it take 5 minutes to start the car. it isn't on recall but should be. there are lots of the same issues on the internet. *jb

3 months after buying a 2004 ford focus lx, the brakes and calipers had to be replaced. approximately, 3 months later again. then again 5 months later but yet to include my rotors were destroyed. everytime i ahve complained that this shouldnt have happened and the dealerahip acted as if everything would be ok. i was in a small accident during this time because my brakes completley gave out. i was the only person involved in this accident. my front bumper is messed up becasue of this. all of these parts have been replaced everytime!!i have spent over 400.00 dollars in rentals ahving to drive them while my car was being fixed. im sick of having to constantly have the same problem corrected. i don't know what else to do. my friend drives a focus and had the same problems. hers was returned immediately when she found out how many times it happened to me. i cant return my vehicle until damages are fixed, which i don't feel is my problem. i would never reccommend this car, and try not to drive it in fear im going to hurt myself or another.

On november 18, 2010, nhtsa's recall management division (rmd) opened an audit query (aq10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.it was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.rmd queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (ford, chrysler, and general motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.the rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.the data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the “"associated documents" link above.in december 2015, congress enacted the fixing america's surface transportation (fast) act.one section of the act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.with the passage of the fast act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.