Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 04/08/2011 | 31000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 04/08/2011 | 31000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford focus. the contact stated he could hear a whining noise whenever the steering wheel was turned while driving at any speed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told not to worry about the noise. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 31,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 01/16/2011 | |||
| 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. | |||
| 09/08/2010 | 80000 | ||
| 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! | |||
| 02/04/2010 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 12/10/2009 | 140000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 07/17/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 12/14/2008 | 95000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 12/01/2008 | 56000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 06/23/2008 | 115000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 07/03/2007 | 50759 | 2 | 07/03/2007 |
| 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 | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 26925 | 1 | 02/26/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| 04/28/2006 | 31500 | 1 | 04/01/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| 10/08/2005 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 01/13/2005 | 1 | ||
| The ignition switch and steering column was locked. the owner will contact manufacturer. | |||
| 07/13/2004 | 7800 | 1 | 04/28/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 02/12/2006 | 1 | 12/22/2004 | |
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 07/12/2006 | 35000 | 3 | 07/07/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 24000 | 2 | 06/30/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| 01/24/2004 | 27000 | 1 | 01/04/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| 12/25/2004 | 16000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 03/14/2008 | 55656 | 1 | 03/03/2007 |
| 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 | |||
| 09/18/2007 | 42000 | 2 | 10/01/2005 |
| 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 | |||