This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Ford Focus 2005- the key will not come out of the ignition, after putting the car in park, and turning the ignition off. I took it to Ford, and they charged me $300 for replace the ignition cylinder. They said they were 90% sure it would fix the problem. Well, it didn't. it is still happening. They now say maybe it's some cable, but it will cost $450 to fix it. They also refuse to apply the $300 for the last unnecessary fix to this fix. I see on the internet that thousands of Focus owners have this problem. Ford refuses to acknowledge that this is a problem.
My car fails to start until I crank it 3 or 4 times. Sometimes it begins to start then sputters and dies. It has been an everyday thing for about 3 months now. It happens about every time I go to start my car with a few times it starting right away.
- Whiteland, IN, USA
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My key gets stuck in the ignition intermittently. Nothing I do releases it. Sometimes I have to leave it in my car for days before I come out one of the mornings and it just decides to let me have my key back. On and off ever since I have gotten the car.
Key stuck in ignition started car drove home. Parked car. Turned it off. Key stuck. Disconnected battery. Key came out. Reconnected battery. Reinserted key. Key wouldn't turn. Car wouldn't start. Left overnight. Tried again. Left alone for a few more hours. Re inserted key. Depressed brake...moved car out of park and back into park. Key then worked fine.
My key is stuck in the ignition and will not release. Has happened multiple times over the past 6 months. At first I thought it was a damaged key but when it happened on a 2nd key the car was taken to our local Ford dealer. Dealer has replaced lock, and after a repeat occurrence re-keyed the lock and re-cut the keys. Now key is stuck and will not release. Maryland law requires keys to be removed from the vehicle in the interest of public safety.
2005 Ford Focus station wagon- loss of tail lights, high mount stop light, dash lights, running lights due to short in liftgate wiring. The wiring harness in the liftgate fatigues at the bend area. Wires break, resulting in a open or short which blows fuse. The blown fuse results in no high mount stop light, running lights, tail lights, and instrument lights. In addition the heated rear defrost and windshield wiper also fail. The harness must be replaced to fix the problem. This issue was part of a recall in 2000- NHTSA campaign id number 00V411000. My car is a 2005. The problem was never fixed in production.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the key was stuck in the ignition switch, which failed to release. The failure occurred without warning. The manufacturer was notified and the vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN and mileages were unknown.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Focus. The contact experienced difficulty removing the ignition key, which was stuck in the ignition switch. She made several attempts to release the key, but was unsuccessful. The failure occurred without warning. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and they advised that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN and mileages were unknown.
My battery light came on in the middle of this past week on my way to work...then on Friday afternoon, my mother-in-law and I decided to go to asheville, nc...we got as far as waynesville, and my car quit...(about 80,000 miles on my car)...I was able to roll it off and pop the clutch and get it to start...I drove about 5 miles, and it quit again...this time, I could not get it started again...had to call a tow truck...had my car towed to andy shaw Ford in sylva, nc, the town closest to where I live...they checked out my car and said that it was the alternator...they also told me that in cold and hot weather, the alternators will go out...my husband has a 1998 Toyota Tacoma, with 240,000 miles on it and he has never had to replace the alternator in his truck...I have had three other new cars, the first one bought in 1986, Ford festiva...it had 149,000 O so on it when it quit....never had to replace the alternator...the next one I bought was a 1995 Toyota tercel, hit a deer with about 149,000 on the car...never had to replace the alternator in this car...the next one I bought was a 2000 Kia rio...totaled it out when someone hit me in 2005...the car had about 140,000 on it then...never had to ever replace the alternator in that car...so, why did the alternator go out on the Ford Focus?
Noticed on the way home from work on Friday that when I clicked on the left turn signal, it went in a "fast blink" which usually means a burned out bulb, short, or blown fuse, but usually just a burned out bulb. Once I got home in the driveway, I get out and test the lights and see that the front left turn signals are flashing fast, and the back left turn signal is not flashing at all. I'm still hoping for a burned out bulb at this point. I make a note to change it out in the morning. On Saturday Oct 4th I pull off the left rear lighting assembly, consisting of two screws holding it to the car, and I find two bulb connections; the bottom one (brake lights) has a normal quarter turn and pull out connector to get to the bulb. Only that bulb is fine. The top one also has one of those "quarter-turn-and-pull" connectors, only it does not "pull" heck it doesn't even quarter turn, it's frozen in place, and the back side of this light assembly is melted into an egg shape (supposed to be round). Now I'm not into just a bulb any more. It's Saturday, and my nearest Ford dealership is on M-F bankers hours, so I order a replacement from autozone for $100 which should be here this week. I see from NHTSA web site that there are no existing recalls for this issue, however somebody else apparently has also submitted this exact same problem. I will be asking my Ford dealer about it this coming week, but I am also filing this complaint to document a part failure on a car that is only three years old, and whatever the reason; this failure involves electrical systems, external lighting, melting plastic parts, and failed safety equipment. I leave it up to you to determine if further action is required. Updated 02/19/10. The consumer stated the issue with the melted assembly around the brake light socket was not limited to the back left, but also present in the back light tail light of his 2005 Ford Focus station wagon. Updated 02/19/10. Updated 08/20/10
My 2005 Ford Focus ignition keeps locking up on me, unable to take keys from the vehicle-leaving me stranded or car open to theft. I was in a car accident over a year ago, since Ford wont touch vehicle-says everything was because of accident which was only minor damage. Since the accident I haven't had a problem with vehicle until now. At time of accident, the air bags didn't deploy, now everytime I honk on horn the air bag light comes on and stays on for a day or so.
While driving in the early morning or evenngs I notice that the ABS light and battery light glow on. They come on and go off. Last evening the car was sitting in my driveway with the doors locked and windows up. The dome light came on and went off several times. I looked into the car and found that the oil light and the door ajar light were on when the dome light was off. Also, when the door ajar and oil light are on, the wireless remotes do not work. I have taken the vehicle in for the ABS and battery light 2 times with no resolve. I took the vehicle in for service today with video of the dome light, oil light, and the door ajar light.
Thursday morning, (10/6/05) I was driving northbound on the dan ryan I94. I was in the left hand lane in rush hour traffic. I noticed white smoke coming from the front of my hood. I thought I must be overheating, though that seemed weird since it was fairly cool outside and nothing on my dash showed distress. I pulled quickly to the left shoulder, turned off the car and decided to call road side assistance. While on hold a strange smell started to fill the car and I noticed more smoke and the smoke was getting darker. I grabbed my bag, and got out of the car. Within a minute, there were small flames coming from the front of the car. I began to walk quickly away from the car along the shoulder. All this to say that the car is totaled, the fire department made it before it exploded....but it is destroyed.
The cigarette lighter popped out and landed on papers and vehicle caught on fire. It burned the passengers in the middle between the to seats. Have not contacted the dealer. This happened Monday August 15, 2005. The consusmer sustained burns on right hand.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Milford, DE, USA