Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | ||||||||||||||||
| 05V030000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 05/22/2002 to 01/26/2005 | V (Vehicle) | 589932 | 03/09/2005 | ODI | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 02/01/2005 | 02/02/2005 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain passenger vehicles with four or five doors and originally sold in or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, a build-up of corrosion at the pawl pivot area of the rear door latch can cause a binding condition of the pawl that may affect proper engagement of the pawl into the catch. the occupant may experience difficulty opening or closing a rear door, and eventually the rear door may not latch properly. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If not latched properly, the door may open while the vehicle is in motion. if an occupant fell out of the vehicle, personal injuries could occur. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will have a lower rocker seal added to the door and have the rear door latches evaluated free of charge. a latch that passes the evaluation will be lubricated to prevent future corrosion. a latch that does not pass the evaluation will be replaced. in addition, a sticker will be affixed to the rear doors advising the owners to use the recommended lubricant. the recall began on march 9, 2005. owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Ford recall no. 05s27.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - HOOD - LATCH | |||||
| 03225 | 11/10/2003 | 10008158 | Difficult to open or unable to open hood condition. *tt | 07/22/2004 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | |||
| 07/31/2011 | 102000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch). after the vehicle was repaired, it was difficult for the rear drivers side door to remain closed. while driving approximately 50 mph the rear drivers side door opened while a child was seated in the rear seat. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the door latch was extremely corroded. the rear drivers side door would no longer latch. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000. rvk | |||
| 07/31/2011 | 102000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch). after the repairs, it was difficult for the rear drivers side door to remain closed. while driving at approximately 50 mph the rear drivers side door opened while a child was seated in the rear seat. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the door latch was extremely corroded. the rear drivers side door would no longer latch. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000. ds | |||
| 03/19/2009 | 120000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated the rear driver side and passenger side door locks do not work on the vehicle. the contact did not have the vehicle inspected, but did find nhtsa recall campaign id number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch) which deal with the latches, but the manufacturer told the contact their vehicle was not included in the recall. the failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 145,000.rl | |||
| 06/28/2011 | 37000 | ||
| Trunk latch failed at 37,000 miles on 2003 ford focus. could not get the trunk to latch to drive home. cost over $400 to replace the part which is not in yet. driving around another week with my only car's trunk tied down. | |||
| 05/27/2011 | 91000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that when closing the right passenger rear door, the door would not completely shut; making it dangerous to drive on the road. the vehicle was performed under nhtsa campaign id number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch), but the failure reoccured. the dealer and manufacturer were contacted, but were unable to assist the contact. the failure mileage was 91,000 and the current mileage was 95,000. nw | |||
| 06/17/2011 | |||
| My key will not turn over and my wheel is locked up. the problems started and i would just turn the wheel and sooner or later it would turn over. now im stranded in my driveway with the wheel locked up and no turing the key over. missed work and money. i searched the internet on this and the was over 300 diff people with this problem. i bought this car (ford) to save gas and money. i think this should be recalled if this many people are having this problem. i dont know why it hasnt yet | |||
| 06/03/2011 | 108200 | ||
| Late night 35 miles from home. key would not turn in the ignition. had to get a ride home. returned the next day and had a locksmith replace the ignition lock with a strattec ignition lock. | |||
| 05/27/2011 | 160000 | ||
| The door handles on my 2003 ford focus have a recall on them, but only on certain ones and mine isn't one of them, although all four of my handles are broken. the first incident that happened with the door handles was i got out of my car at a store and left my four year old daughter in the car with it running to get a paper, and when i went to open the driver door, the door handle broke and all of the other doors were locked (because they automatically lock when you put the car in gear). i was 8 months pregnant at the time and was stranded at the store with my daughter locked in the car for about an hour. and then, on may 27th 2011, i went to leave my house and i usually keep the driver's side window down because the only doors that we can open are the driver's door and front passenger door and only from the inside. but on this day it had rained so i put the window up and when i went to leave my house i had already went outside and went through the whole procedure of getting the back door opened so i could put my 3 month old son in the car and i guess when i went back inside to get him, the drivers door got blown closed by the wind, because whenever i put him in and shut his door, i went around to the driver's door and it was shut and my 3 month old was stuck in the car!! it took 30 minutes for my husband to get to the house (because i had to call him home from work) and he had to climb in through the trunk and manover the carseat out of the way so he could wiggle in there and get the baby out. my son was covered in sweat from head to toe and was having a hard time breathing whenever we got him out because he already has breathing problems and he was in the car with all of the windows up for 30 minutes. i believe that the ford company should fix our door handles because if that isn't a safety issue, then i don't know what is!! | |||
| 05/29/2011 | 120000 | ||
| Key wont turn in ignition windows down in a bad neighborhood | |||
| 05/27/2011 | 160000 | ||
| The door handles on my 2003 ford focus have a recall on them, but only on certain ones and mine isn't one of them, although all four of my handles are broken. the first incident that happened with the door handles was i got out of my car at a store and left my four year old daughter in the car with it running to get a paper, and when i went to open the driver door, the door handle broke and all of the other doors were locked (because they automatically lock when you put the car in gear). i was 8 months pregnant at the time and was stranded at the store with my daughter locked in the car for about an hour. and then, on may 27th 2011, i went to leave my house and i usually keep the driver's side window down because the only doors that we can open are the driver's door and front passenger door and only from the inside. but on this day it had rained so i put the window up and when i went to leave my house i had already went outside and went through the whole procedure of getting the back door opened so i could put my 3 month old son in the car and i guess when i went back inside to get him, the drivers door got blown closed by the wind, because whenever i put him in and shut his door, i went around to the driver's door and it was shut and my 3 month old was stuck in the car!! it took 30 minutes for my husband to get to the house (because i had to call him home from work) and he had to climb in through the trunk and manover the carseat out of the way so he could wiggle in there and get the baby out. my son was covered in sweat from head to toe and was having a hard time breathing whenever we got him out because he already has breathing problems and he was in the car with all of the windows up for 30 minutes. i believe that the ford company should fix our door handles because if that isn't a safety issue, then i don't know what is!! | |||
| 05/29/2011 | 120000 | ||
| Key wont turn in ignition windows down in a bad neighborhood | |||
| 05/27/2011 | 160000 | ||
| The door handles on my 2003 ford focus have a recall on them, but only on certain ones and mine isn't one of them, although all four of my handles are broken. the first incident that happened with the door handles was i got out of my car at a store and left my four year old daughter in the car with it running to get a paper, and when i went to open the driver door, the door handle broke and all of the other doors were locked (because they automatically lock when you put the car in gear). i was 8 months pregnant at the time and was stranded at the store with my daughter locked in the car for about an hour. and then, on may 27th 2011, i went to leave my house and i usually keep the driver's side window down because the only doors that we can open are the driver's door and front passenger door and only from the inside. but on this day it had rained so i put the window up and when i went to leave my house i had already went outside and went through the whole procedure of getting the back door opened so i could put my 3 month old son in the car and i guess when i went back inside to get him, the drivers door got blown closed by the wind, because whenever i put him in and shut his door, i went around to the driver's door and it was shut and my 3 month old was stuck in the car!! it took 30 minutes for my husband to get to the house (because i had to call him home from work) and he had to climb in through the trunk and manover the carseat out of the way so he could wiggle in there and get the baby out. my son was covered in sweat from head to toe and was having a hard time breathing whenever we got him out because he already has breathing problems and he was in the car with all of the windows up for 30 minutes. i believe that the ford company should fix our door handles because if that isn't a safety issue, then i don't know what is!! | |||
| 05/29/2011 | 120000 | ||
| Key wont turn in ignition windows down in a bad neighborhood | |||
| 05/27/2011 | 160000 | ||
| The door handles on my 2003 ford focus have a recall on them, but only on certain ones and mine isn't one of them, although all four of my handles are broken. the first incident that happened with the door handles was i got out of my car at a store and left my four year old daughter in the car with it running to get a paper, and when i went to open the driver door, the door handle broke and all of the other doors were locked (because they automatically lock when you put the car in gear). i was 8 months pregnant at the time and was stranded at the store with my daughter locked in the car for about an hour. and then, on may 27th 2011, i went to leave my house and i usually keep the driver's side window down because the only doors that we can open are the driver's door and front passenger door and only from the inside. but on this day it had rained so i put the window up and when i went to leave my house i had already went outside and went through the whole procedure of getting the back door opened so i could put my 3 month old son in the car and i guess when i went back inside to get him, the drivers door got blown closed by the wind, because whenever i put him in and shut his door, i went around to the driver's door and it was shut and my 3 month old was stuck in the car!! it took 30 minutes for my husband to get to the house (because i had to call him home from work) and he had to climb in through the trunk and manover the carseat out of the way so he could wiggle in there and get the baby out. my son was covered in sweat from head to toe and was having a hard time breathing whenever we got him out because he already has breathing problems and he was in the car with all of the windows up for 30 minutes. i believe that the ford company should fix our door handles because if that isn't a safety issue, then i don't know what is!! | |||
| 05/29/2011 | 120000 | ||
| Key wont turn in ignition windows down in a bad neighborhood | |||
| 12/24/2010 | 56000 | ||
| Key would not turn the ignition, stalled the car and then could not turn the car back on in the middle of rush hour traffic, on christmas eve none the less. | |||
| 11/26/2010 | 86331 | ||
| The key would not turn in the ignition of my 2003 ford focus zts, thus, the vehicle would not start. after a call to the local locksmith, i was surprised to hear this is a common problem for a ford focus. when arriving, the locksmith proceeded to explain to me why the stock ignition switch of my car is a defective design, comparing to a new switch they were about to install. upon further research online, i could not find any information about a recall for the defective item. i did find, however, plenty of complains of ford owners having the exact same problem. i am surprised such a critical component has not been recalled since it jeopardizes the reliability of the vehicle. | |||
| 10/08/2010 | 49580 | ||
| The key in my 2003 ford focus will not turn the ignition. we were stranded in the middle of nowhere. the key is fine..the actual ignition mechanism is locked and will not turn. | |||
| 09/23/2010 | 90050 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact stated that both of the rear doors were frozen. the door in the rear of the driver side could not be opened and the door behind the front passenger seat could not be closed. the contact called the dealership and the dealer advised him to contact the manufacturer. when he called the manufacturer, he was informed that the vehicle was not included in recall 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch). the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were 90,050-bk | |||
| 08/09/2010 | 119623 | ||
| 2003 ford focus ignition lock-up. every time the key is removed from ignition and then reinserted, it is very hard to get it to unlock to turn and start. we have been stranded in parking lots during 110 degree weather while trying to get the key to turn. we will have to either replace the ignition or call a locksmith. this is an everyday problem now. | |||
| 08/18/2010 | 50000 | ||
| My 2003 ford focus will not start due to the fact that ford has apparently used defective lock cylinders on the 2003 ford focus's. i walked up to my local ford delearship and was told that it would cost 350 to repair the car. (not including charges for getting the vehicle to them) this has prevented me from driving a car that i am still making payments on. | |||
| 06/20/2010 | 100600 | ||
| I have a 2003 ford focus and the ignition and the key suddenly won't turn in the ignition. i have looked this problem up online and it looks like a far too common problem. my wife is 8.5 months pregnant, and i thank god this didn't happen any later as it is our only vehicle. please take prompt action against ford and make them issue a recall! thank you. | |||
| 05/23/2008 | 12000 | ||
| Ign key will not turn ing key gets stuck left me stranded in a bad high crime area i under stand that this is a problem on all the foucs why is a recall mot been done | |||
| 05/04/2010 | 51834 | ||
| Ignition cylinder lock sticks, unable to turn key and start car | |||
| 04/22/2010 | 133000 | ||
| Key won't turn in the ignition of our 2003 ford focus just happened today - no prior problem with ignition will most likely call a locksmith | |||
| 04/20/2010 | 55000 | ||
| No previous indication of any problem, just went to my 2003 focus and could not turn the key. went in the house and got the other key. it would not turn. the ignition column is permanently locked. ford has known of this failure for 10 years and done nothing??? why is there no recall for such an ongoing and known defect? i'm surprised i have not heard of deaths related to this as weather conditions, robbery or rape could certainly contribute to this fixable problem. shame on ford. | |||
| 03/31/2010 | 88000 | ||
| The ignition of my 2003 ford focus se, locked up on me and left me stranded in a parking lot. | |||
| 03/15/2010 | 75000 | ||
| My 2003 ford focus has a ignition switch problem all of a sudden the key will not start the car it has left us stranded and has taken us as long as 30 minutes to start car. we have tried several remmedies like silicone spray, tapping on key so it will start this problem has effected a host of focus owners with costly repairs and we will soon have to spend money to repair this obviousely flawed design. | |||
| 12/05/2009 | 69000 | ||
| The ignition switch (that is, where the key goes to start the car) would not turn. i was stuck and had to have the car towed. there had been no warning, that is, the key was never hard to turn, i never had to jiggle the steering column, or anything liket that. i just parked the car in front of a store, and fie mints later, went out and found out they key would not turn. (i could remove and re-insert the key, it would not turn) . further more, the dealer and aaa, of course, say to try jiggling the steering wheel. all that did was lock the fromt wheels in a turned posotion and made it very hard to move the car get it to a position to be towed. having the wheels lock in a turned position, as is common, could be a hazard too. the aaa guy could not free (turn) the ignition switch it either. i had first cell-phoned called the deader, they had no suggestions. i see i hade the same problem so many other 2003 focuses have reported. the dealer guessed that the cause was that one of the pins in the lock just slipped out of place. the ford dealer had to replace the ignition switch. it was not cheap. i called ford motor company they would not pay for it, or part of it. | |||
| 03/04/2010 | 65000 | 1 | |
| 2003 ford focus. went to drive the car got in put the key in the ignition and it won't turn. this is the second time it has happened. 3/4/10, the first time, it finally, after about 10 minutes turned after putting the key in and out of the ignition. the second time on 3/5/10, it just wouldn't turn. the car is sitting, will have to call a lock smith to get it fixed. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 70413 | 1 | |
| Ignition key will not turn, and vehicle can not be started, removing key and inserting again and again would allow it to start this happened every time. now it will not turn at all. *tr | |||
| 12/23/2009 | 91000 | 1 | |
| I was holiday shopping on the 23rd, just came back to my 2003 ford focus svt in the parking lot of the mall and the ignition would not turn. tried and tried and tried. no luck, i'm stranded, it's snowing out and it's 10:00pm. why most i rune a friends evening to come and pick me up because of a faulty ignition switch. $130 dollar tow and an estimate from my ford dealer to fix it for $490. i've already researched this a little and i can't believe there is not a service bulletin on this problem. how many people have to get stranded for this to get fixed? i just paid off the car and it has 91,000 miles on it. *tr | |||
| 01/07/2009 | 50000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2003 ford focus zx5 and the rear hatch latch does not always engage so have to slam it down a few times to get it to latch. i noticed the recall, but i live in nebraska and the recall does not apply there. i believe this needs to be expanded. also the door latches are getting harder and harder to open, is there any recall on them. also i have a problem with the steering column adjustment lever it will not stay, it releases as you are driving causing the steering wheel to bounce up and down. not safe. *tr | |||
| 11/10/2009 | 139000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2003 ford focus zts that has 140,000 miles. i know my vehicle is out of warranty. the ignition has been giving me problems that scare me from time to time that i may get stranded. you put the key in, go to turn the key to start and the ignition acts locked. you try again and again but still nothing. this has left me trying to turn my ignition for up to 10 minutes so far. this started about 2 months ago, once a week. now it happens everyday, not every time, but at least 2 out of 5 times i go to start my vehicle it happens. this is definitely getting worse very quickly. this seems to be a common problem with the 2000-2003 ford focus models. i have heard that even if i take my vehicle to a ford dealership to have the ignition replaced which will cost up around $500, that the new ignition will probably do the same thing due to ford not correcting the problem in the design of the ignition. i will try calling a locksmith due to the cost being less. i just wanted to let you know this is a common problem occurring and should be checked into as a recall matter. i do not have the patience to wait for that to happen nor do i have the confidence that i will be able to continue to get my vehicle started so i will get this problem fixed. *tr | |||
| 09/25/2009 | 75000 | 1 | |
| We drove our 2003 ford focus to the grocery store. upon returning to the car, the key would not turn in the ignition and stranded my wife, 4 year old and 6 month old children and myself wondering what we could do. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| The key was starting to stick then i could not get the in the ignition switch to start the car so my son that works for ford said to tap on the key then it should start so i did and it worked it is an on going thing i think that if ford knows there is a problem they should do a recall on it the car is a 2003 ford focus and is not under warranty like the other owners that have complained about the same problem so now i have to pay to get it fixed like all of the other owners it happens almost every day i go to get my car started it is very annoying. *tr | |||
| 09/08/2009 | 1 | ||
| I have a 2003 ford focus zx5 hatchback. it only has 80,000 miles on it, but we have had a huge problem that many others have had with this car. the ignition locks up frequently, and the key will not turn. this problem has left me stranded on many an occasion. it has happened to me 5 times. each of those times, i have managed to get it working again by violently jamming the key and jiggling it in the ignition, or waiting a while before attempting to insert the key again. today, however, none of these methods worked, and the ignition seems to be permanently stuck. after careful research on the internet, it seems that this is a common problem with ford focus 2001-2003. it has left many drivers across the country stranded in inopportune times and locations, as well as cost them hundreds of dollars each time that the wheel locks up. the sheer volume of people with the same problem indicates that this problem is quite common. it seems that the problem arises from substandard engineering on ford's part. please look into forcing a recall. *tr | |||
| 07/29/2009 | 114000 | 1 | |
| 2003 ford focus door latches broken. doors flew open while driving vehicle on highway and local streets. someone could have fallen out or another car could have hit the door when it flew open and have caused a serious crash. ford had a recall on the 4 and 5 door focus but not on a 3 door which is mine. one door has been fixed $293 at a dealer and the other door needs to be fixed. i feel ford should reimburse me and fix the other door free of charge. this can cause a serious accident and ford knows they have had problems with these door latches. if someone gets killed ford will probably have a lawsuit against them. *tr | |||
| 07/05/2009 | 81000 | 1 | |
| I was stranded many miles from a highway because i could not get my ignition key turned, steeringwheel turned or automatic shifter moved. all blocked. luckily, i was able to get a ride back to where i could use my cellphone. a friend checked the internet on the problem and he found the suggestion to hit the key. later many taps this actually worked and i was able to drive home. *tr | |||
| 06/28/2009 | 59246 | 1 | |
| I own a 2003 ford focus and back in february 2006 i took the car in for a recall to fix door hinges that become hard to open or actually break. they completed the work. as i was driving the other day my rear passenger door just swung open and the door will no longer latch. i called ford and they said since they put some grease or something like that on my door back in 2006 (they never put a new latch on the car) that i am out of luck and have to pay the $336 myself to fix the latch that i feel they should have replaced under the recall in the first place. two of my other three doors are getting hard to open and i feel it is only a matter of time before they completely break also. i have two children and thank god one of them was not in the back seat the day the car door just decided to swing open. *tr | |||
| 05/11/2009 | 66666 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2003 ford focus for my daughter and she was stranded after driving it to work when she couldn't get the steering wheel unlocked to use her key. the dealership told her it is common in ford focuses of this year. this has resulted in the shaft needing to be replaced for $500 and there is not guarantee that it won't happen again because of this make/model of car. this is ridiculous since ford has known about this for years and as far as i know, there has been no recall issued to date. unacceptable! *tr | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 1 | ||
| The car has been having issues with the locks for a while now. we can not put the key into the door to unlock it because it wont always work. the handle on the front driver side door has broke once and was replaced. now the key for the ignition will not turn to start the car. the steering wheel has locked and will not allow the key to turn to start the car. *tr | |||
| 11/09/2008 | 50000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact turned off the ignition and attempted to restart the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. suddenly, the gear shift locked and became inoperative. the contact exited the vehicle and the driver's side door automatically locked without assistance. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and they replaced the ignition cylinder. the failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 52,000. | |||
| 12/01/2008 | 74000 | 1 | |
| No initial indications of the problem until it happened, a sudden onset. one day, i got in my car, tried to start the engine, and the key would not turn. i tried turning the wheel to get the key to turn, and still no ability to turn the key in the lock and start the car. i tried a second key that is not used, just in case it was a worn key, but still no ability to turn the key in the column lock. finally, after about 15 minutes of trying to jiggle and finagle the key to turn, it did. since then, i have found that if the key is removed, and the steering wheel it turned until a positive clunk is heard and felt, indicating that the steering wheel lock has engaged, the problem repeats every single time. if i remove the key and make sure to not turn the wheel so that the steering wheel lock is not engaged then i can reliably insert the key and turn it in the ignition lock and start the car. i called ford to attempt to request a good will repair because i have been a good and long term ford customer (i have owned a ford pinto, a ford focus, a ford contour, and a ford escape before this ford focus) but the agent threw up a load of resistance. now i am told that they will do nothing until i take it to a ford dealer and pay for an inspection to verify the problem. this service to verify what i can reliably reproduce every and any time, is unnecessary and will cost approximately half of what it will cost me to have my local garage effect the change and make the repair. i am just another one of thousands of people who suffer due to this design defect that ford must know about. *tr | |||
| 11/10/2008 | 95251 | 1 | |
| The lock cylinder froze in my 2003 ford focus two months after the warranty expired. the repairs totaled $343. *tr | |||
| 11/09/2008 | 41000 | 1 | |
| I got into my 2003 ford focus last sunday and the key would not turn. it had been acting up in recent days but on this day nothing would work. therefore my car was rendered useless. long story short...towed it to the dealer they took the lock tumbler cylinder out and sure enough--defective mechanism. ford refuses to cover it in a warranty or extended service plan and now i am out of pocket $400 plus the tow to even get my car to turn on. did some internet research and we found this is a common issue. *tr | |||
| 01/25/2007 | 70000 | ||
| I have replaced the transmission, the water pump, the thermostat, and all radiator hoses. the car overheats daily still. the stereo cuts on and off and can't be turned off by the power button. the rear left seatbelt is stuck where it can't be used. the driver window fell into the door, when the panel was removed it showed that the whole wire system had snapped. the driver door also can only be opened from the inside. *tr | |||
| 05/17/2008 | 67000 | 1 | |
| The ignition has locked up on my 2003 ford focus each time i have tried to start the car for the past 3 days. i have been stranded in some dangerous places (including a parking structure in downtown los angeles at 1:30am) for up to 40 minutes trying to get the car to start. *tr | |||
| 01/22/2008 | 65000 | 1 | |
| On january 22, 2008 the key would not start the car, it would not turn to release the steering wheel lock. this had happened a number of time previously but we were able to turn it after considerable effort. this was an extremely cold day in michigan and could have been a serious problem if i did not get some help from my daughter. we called several locksmiths and finally one mobile locksmith came and replaced the lock. *tr | |||
| 12/16/2006 | 70000 | 1 | 06/27/2006 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while parked, the steering wheel would not unlock. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. also, the trunk would not close. the dealer was not contacted. | |||
| 09/16/2005 | 30000 | 4 | |
| Dt: the consumer had problems with the vehicle since purchase. the vehicle caught on fire on september 16, 2005. the motor was off, and it burst into flames. the fire department came and they said it look like it started from the wiring harness. the vehicle stalled before it caught on fire. was having the same problem two weeks before, and took it to dealer. they replaced some ignition items. also, was having latches, brakes, and engine problems. *ak | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 35000 | 15 | 02/14/2003 |
| I have a 2003 ford focus. the cylinder and key design is no good. lots of focus owners have this problem. they (ford) say its because the keys were to heavy or something but i only have my car and hosue key on my ring. now in order to start the car i need to play with the key for 1 to 15 minutes just to get the car started. it would cost me around $275 to get this problem fixed. this should be recalled by ford. i've only had the car for 15 months. (13 at time of failure). *ak | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | |||
| 04/11/2008 | 5000 | 3 | 09/05/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. while parked in the backyard, the contact started the vehicle and the rear window blew out. the dealer repaired the window. a few days later, the locks on the passenger side door would not unlock. the dealer repaired that failure as well. afterwards, the ignition cylinder began to fail. the contact took the vehicle in for repair and had to pay $300. the current and failure mileages were 5,000. updated 05/21/08 *bf the consumer stated the trunk needed to be repaired as well. updated. 05/20/08. *jb | |||
| 05/20/2007 | 96000 | 2 | 05/11/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. when the vehicle was purchased, the contact noticed that the rear passenger side door was tied shut because it would not latch properly. the dealer stated that her vehicle had previously been repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch) and she would be liable for the repair costs. the manufacturer did not assist. the vehicle has not been repaired. the powertrain was unknown. the failure mileage was 96,000 and current mileage was 96,748. updated 05/06/08 *bf updated 05/06/08 *tr | |||
| 01/15/2007 | 38000 | 1 | 08/01/2003 |
| Nhtsa campaign id 05v030000 regarding recall of ford focus models 2000-2005 for rear door latch problems (ford recall 05s27) identifies vehicles manufactured at the wayne assembly plant from may 22, 2002 through january 26, 2005 as potentially affected. my vehicle was not identified as affected by ford for this recall. however, my vehicle was manufactured at the wayne assembly plant in june 2003 and i have experienced the same door latch problems described in the recall notice. i feel that my vehicle should have been included in the recall and that ford motor company should address this problem. so far they have refused to take any action to remedy my complaint. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 20 | 04/01/2003 | |
| Door latches are very difficult to open, both from the outside and inside, sometimes leaving me sitting in the car wondering how i am going to get out. before my warranty was up, the dealer told us that this was just typical of our model of car and that there was nothing that could be done about it. *tr | |||
| 08/18/2007 | 10 | 06/14/2007 | |
| Ref. nhtsa 05v030000 my daughter took her car to reemy ford of johnson city tn. to have the safety recall taken care of. reemy ford said they complied with the recall. since then the door will not latch. the recall states if the latches do not pass the evaluation they will be replaced. when reemy was call to fix the problem they told my daughter that they had complied with the recall and that was not the problem. latch does not latch, sounds like the recall notice. *jb | |||
| 12/04/2006 | 1 | 12/31/2003 | |
| Ignition key switch would not turn to start key. i had to replace the lock assembly on 2003 ford focus i bought brand new 12/31/2003. told by scott reynolds of reynold's ford that even one of his mechanic's wife had same problem as a number of people have.*jb | |||
| 05/05/2005 | 46898 | 1000 | 05/19/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford focus. the contact pressed the unlock button to open the passenger side door and it failed to open. she had to manually pull the door three times before it opened. ford stated that her vehicle was not included in recall # 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch). the current and failure mileages were 46,898. | |||
| 04/29/2004 | 700 | 1 | 04/09/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the starter failed. there were no warning signals for the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined the flywheel and the starter had to be replaced. after the first incident, the contact took the vehicle to the dealer thirty times for the following failures: brakes rotors were replaced four times; battery and alternator had to be replaced; the transmission had to be replaced after the second attempt to repair it. the electrical wiring under the dashboard had to be rewired. the air conditioning was repaired three times with the replacement of defective valves; the rear door latches were repaired according to recall # 05v300000. the dealership had not corrected the noises from the steering column. the manufacturer was contacted and refused to cooperated in finding a suitable resolution. the last problem found by the dealership was the required replacement of the engine heads. the engine heads were attached to the vehicle frame. | |||
| 07/01/2006 | 1 | 12/29/2004 | |
| Owner of a ford focus/2003. ignition switch locked up and had to get my car towed ($45.00) as well as pay for repairs ($183.00). called ford headquarters and talked with a representative about being reimbursed. i also mentioned the problem i was having with my gauges. upon starting car, gauges are all out of wack, swinging back and forth and landing on zero. after being on the road for about 15 or 20 minutes they will positioned at the right place. the representative seem to only care to hear about one of the problem (ignition switch) and not the other one. i was put on hold for a while and when rep return she told me to call company that was repairing my focus and they will help me in this matter. i called the company and the guy that eagerly took my money stated that he will do a claim for me and he stated that i will get some of my money but not all of it back. in checking the recalls i see ignition switch lockup is one of them. i only have had my car for a little over a year. my windshield is cracked and insurance says i must pay $250 before they fix it, when turning on air conditioner, driving seem difficult (hard to pull), liftgate water leaks, and upon purchasing my car, brakes were squeaking; i mentioned this to the dealer and he told me not to worry about it that the brakes were new and had to be broken in. well they are still squeaking after a year in a half. i need all of these things fixed on my car, right now i am a month behind in car payments (good record on making my payments), had to use the money to get the ignition switch repaired. *jb | |||
| 07/10/2006 | 40000 | 3 | 11/01/2002 |
| My door handle on my driver side of my car has broke again and i can't open it from the outside. it won't open from the inside sometimes either. back in 2005 both the driver's side and passengers side handles on my vehicle broke. i have a two door and had to climb through the trunk to get my car to the dealership. i had to pay for the repairs which were very pricey considering the parts were less than $50.00. i now am having the issue again and i refuse to pay out of my pocket to fix it. i want to know if there has been a recall and why the ford dealership is telling me that i am going to have to pay for it. i take very good care of my vehicle and this has become a very frustrating experience. *nm | |||
| 10/09/2005 | 40000 | 100 | 09/06/2005 |
| Back doors are difficult to open when i pull the handles it will (pop) open. i am afraid that the doors will not latch properly when closed. *jb | |||
| 11/25/2004 | 300 | ||
| My 2003 ford focus has had problems with the trunk latch for about a year now. when i go to close the trunk it does not shut. it will shut if i pull on the safety latch they have in case somebody gets locked in the trunk,however even when it closes that way whenever it rains my trunk when i open it gets all wet!i had a bunch of christmas presents in the back and when i opened the trunk they were soaked! also the door latches sometimes lock on their own. twice i have been locked out of my car. i no longer ever leave my car without my keys! *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Consumer complaint regarding 2003 ford focus recall work not done, because there were no parts. *ts (recall # 05v030000) *jb | |||
| 07/02/2005 | 1 | 03/30/2003 | |
| Dt: the door pops open even if its in a locked position, the light does not come on unless the door is open completely. found a recall contacted the dealer they said this vehicle was notunder the recall due to vin. this happened around in july 2, 2005. the door latches corroded. *ak | |||
| 04/21/2005 | 38000 | 300 | 04/18/2004 |
| Rear door opens hard to the point that breakage of door handle seems imminent. at times door will only open from interior. a small outward dent has appeared in the door handle area as a result of pulling on door handle so hard. problem has not been corrected to date as no injuries have occurred. *jb | |||
| 07/14/2004 | 43000 | 5 | 02/22/2003 |
| In july of 2004 opened rear passenger door and it would not close. one month later right side passenger door would not close after being opened. both doors had to be tied together with a rope to keep them shut. as of july 14, 2005 both the rear passenger doors will not open. both driver and passenger door in front stick and occasionally will not close. this was reported to ford customer service in march of 2005 by phone. i was told there was no recall on 2003 ford focus but there was a recall on 2000-2002. i was told that i would have to take it to the dealer and pay to have it fixed myself. the cost is $250.00 per door. the car was only a year old when this problem started. it was also out of warranty. i cannot afford to have each latch repaced. i also will not carry any passengers in the vehichle for fear the doors will fly open. | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 2 | 01/12/2004 | |
| The rear doors were difficult to unlock on the consumers 2003 ford focus. *jb on 2 separate occasions, the rear door opened by itself. the rear passenger door is now being held shut with bungee cords. *jb *nm | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 3 | 02/15/2003 | |
| Dt: a 4 door vehicle, and the doors will not latch properly. it has a binge cord to hold the back doors closed. the front doors sometimes latch, and at other times they do not. took vehicle to the dealer, and they will only fix the latches if consumer pays for it. *ak | |||
| 02/05/2005 | 1 | ||
| I have a 2003 ford focus where the rear passenger door latch has failed. just found out today that there is a recall for this problem ford recall # 05s27) , but it is only for 2000 - 2002 models & mine is a 2003. my car is in for repair at my ford dealer now , they were unable to fix the problem & hv to order new parts for my car .i hv been told i must pay for repairs. why are the 2003 models not included in the recall. *jb | |||
| 04/05/2004 | 18000 | 1 | |
| The vehicle's driverside and passenger side door handles malfunctioned. as a result the consumer is unable to get into the vehicle. the cause has yet to be determined. *mr | |||
| 05/19/2003 | 1418 | 4 | 03/29/2003 |
| While driving the vehicle stalled. the consumer restarted the vehicle but soon after the vehicle stalled again. after doing this for the fourth time the vehicle was towed to the dealership. it was determined that the pcm failed. the left brake light bulb burned out. the power door locks were inoperative. *nlm *cb *nlm | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - HOOD - LATCH | |||
| 11/08/2012 | 62500 | 1 | |
| The left rear door doesn't latch properly, causing the door to fly open on it's own. thank goodness kids were not in the car when this occurred. since the first incident, the door will not latch and is now tethered with rope and can't be used. ford know about this problem as they have a current recall notice nhtsa campaign id number: 05v030000 ford claims that my vehicle is not covered. the issue for my vehicle is that it was purchased in the state of florida in 2003 and registered in the state of florida in feb of 2005 when the recall came out. (it is now registered in the state of ny where it has been since 2006. if the recall came out one year later, my car would be covered?) covered or not, ford knows that the car is unsafe. a remedy would be to re-issue the recall again so that it covers any 2003 focus as i am certain that my car is not the only car sold in a state not covered, but that has since relocated to a state where corrosion can occur due to salt and winter conditions (unbeknownst to consumers). i am lucky that my kids were not hurt, but someone else might not be as lucky. *tr | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - TRUNK LID - LOCK | |||
| 09/30/2006 | 49980 | 1 | 02/15/2005 |
| 1st- trunk latch does not disengage, i have taken it to the dealership in my nearest town. after 3-4 times of adjusting and oiling, it still does not release correctly, when you push the dashboard release, open the trunk it closes the latch on its own, you cant close the trunk unless you repress the dash release, which is difficult with arms full, or pull the safety release provided for not getting locked in the trunk, this has been going on since i purchased my car. 2nd- my ignition froze up yesterday morning. no for warning. hadn't had any problems. now i have to get back to my car and get it to the garage. being newer to the area and no other vehicle at my disposal it is definitely going to cost me not to mention the repair cost. 3rd- oh my god--- i just read about the back door problems people have been having, i transport very precious cargo back there, my grand children, being that there are 3 of them two have to be by the door. i will have the service area check my doors when they fix the ignition. why wasn't i told about this. *nm | |||
| 04/15/2006 | 77000 | 1 | 10/14/2002 |
| I am the owner of a 2003 ford focus and i have several issues. in the last year i have experienced problems with the ignition locking and as well as the steering wheel, i contacted the dealer carey paul ford in decatur, ga and was told that i had to pay for repairs, which i did, after being stranded with my son. this cost me 260.00, i am a single mother and cannot afford to spend money on problems that the manufacturer clearly was aware of. the trunk on the vehicle just randomly opens at any given moment, you're riding along the road and the trunks just opens for no reason. this i find just annoying but would also like to have corrected. my latest issue is that on yesterday 04/16/06, while driving along the steering wheel just became loose and i could barely control the car, i made it to a firestone dealer that recommended that i take the vehicle to the dealer, which i will do first thing in the morning. i can't stop thinking that i or someone else on the road could have been seriously injured or killed. i can't understand how a manufacturer can continue to market a product as safe when clearly there are issues with it. i have found numerous web sites and personally spoken with focus owners with the same problems, what will it take to get ford to take responsibility for it's product. any feedback would be greatly appreciated. *nm | |||
| 12/19/2005 | 30000 | 3 | |
| One day may car just didn't start, the ignition cylinder has been replaced- the car has under 49000- and it has already had several problems! the master cylinder( for the brakes) , the ignition cylinder, and several pieces have already had to be replaced on my 2003 ford focus!!! please recall this car! the parts put in the ford focus 2003 during the manufacturing are obviously defective!!!! at the consumers expense they must replace these parts and deal with all the consequences. the ford company should take responsibility for their mistakes! details on problems: 1- my car shuttered started smoking from the hood a bit- and smelled as if something had burned underneath the hood. ( the ignition light came on ) at almost 30000 miles. took it into the deal- they replaced a coil- name unknown. 2- this took several trips into the ford service dept- because it kept happening- before they would actually replace the coil!!! 3- the master cylinder ( brake system) malfunctioned within 30000 miles as well!!! and had to be replaced. 4- the ignition cylinder- with 49000 miles on the car- now has been replaced- no thanks to ford!!! 5- the trunk has never closed properly. i slam it once to close, then i pull up on it to check it's actually locked, it hasn't- maybe on the third time after slamming it shut- it will actually catch and close. these parts are all defective, and it's unjust to the consumers!!!!! *nm | |||
| 11/25/2004 | 300 | ||
| My 2003 ford focus has had problems with the trunk latch for about a year now. when i go to close the trunk it does not shut. it will shut if i pull on the safety latch they have in case somebody gets locked in the trunk,however even when it closes that way whenever it rains my trunk when i open it gets all wet!i had a bunch of christmas presents in the back and when i opened the trunk they were soaked! also the door latches sometimes lock on their own. twice i have been locked out of my car. i no longer ever leave my car without my keys! *jb | |||
| 06/15/2005 | 61000 | 1 | 10/30/2003 |
| Rear latch malfunctions. registers that trunk is shut when it is not and not when it is. while going over speed bump trunk pops open due to latch not hitching properly. *jb | |||
| 06/19/2003 | 09/28/2002 | ||
| Buy the car in livingston montana 09-28-2002 the vin 1fafp33p13w115083 the car had only like 20 miles we drove it off the lot. we went on vacation that summer we had an blow out on the rear driver side we call the ford company in livingston ,montana we was in id so they said that they could not do an thing for us we had drive to the next town about 14 miles back . we got back we took it to ford company the car was pulling to the left and shaking really back and the trunk will not lock (it will not lock if us push the button ) we do not us the trunk still ,the clutch pops out them told us to double clutch an it ( still pops out went you back up sometimes). we took the car back to they ,them on 09-24-2003 they had the car for two weeks almost i have a listed of thing want was wrong an still wrong with the car ,we told them we want an new but the still would not give us one or would not work with us , them said i,m sorry but we could not do that i know you folks had a lot of trouble with car but i can not do nothing i was mad an still. we bought about four sets of tries for that car . the car was only has 48003 miles, we had many outs ,we had an back blow again in nov- 2004 . my wife will not drive it much because she is scared of it. it pulls you all over the road in the bad weather we lived in whitehall , montana very small town if want to go shopping you have to drive 20 mins plus away, she waits on the week ends for take my car. she only drives the car to take our child's school witch is a mile an back. please help us a different car. that my wife will not be scared of. *nm | |||
| 05/29/2004 | 3 | 02/15/2003 | |
| After a month of owning the vehicle i was getting water in my trunk. brought it to dealer and they replaced the license plate lighting devise and repaired the rust. a month later same problem. brought it back and they did the same thing. now it is happening again but warranty is up.*ak | |||
| 07/18/2003 | 5785 | 1 | 01/07/2003 |
| Trunk latch failed to work, unable to close trunk once open and unable to open trunk once closed. car was in for service for the 2nd time for this problem, ordering new trunk latch mechanism from ford motor company to replace. service department stated part was defective. | |||
| 02/24/2003 | 1350 | 1 | 01/08/2003 |
| After ford bought back my 2002 lemon and exchanged it for a 2003, the trunk latch broke on the car. the trunk opened on its own while driving. it is currently in for repair.*jb | |||