2000 Ford Focus Ignition Problems
- 536
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 536 stored complaint records:
- 7 indicate a crash
- 2 indicate injury
- 4 indicate fire
- 2 indicate a death
What owners report
- Switch · 8 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 108 |
| 60–100k mi | 107 |
| 100–150k mi | 33 |
| 1–30k mi | 27 |
| 150–400k mi | 4 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Ignition · Steering
I parked my car one night in a parking lot. The car was parked for less than 10 minutes. When i came back my steering wheel was locked and i could not turn the ignition to start the car. The lights and radio work so the battery is not dead. Two aaa roadside workers tried to turn the ignition and it did not work. *tr
ODI 10216824
Ignition
IGNITION LOCKED UP. *TR
ODI 10216538
Ignition
2000 ford focus zx3 with ignition problem. Consumer states that the key would not turn in the ignition. She says that the dealer charged her for the repair. She believes this is a manufacturing defect. *kb the dealer replaced the ignition lock cylinder. *jb
ODI 10220595
Ignition
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. He stated the key would only tunr three quarters of the way when inserted into the ignition. In addition, he has sometime he has to shift the vehicle into neutral to turn the igniting. As a result, the vehicle would not start immediately. The failure and current mileages were 94,000.
ODI 10214071
Ignition · Switch
Tonight (12/29/2007), for the fourth time (six times total), the ignition switch on my 2000 ford focus died, leaving me stranded yet again. This time, i was left stranded in 12 degree weather for seven hours. It is amazing i didn't get frostbite - or worse. I bought my focus in 2002, with 52,000 miles on it. The prior owner had replaced the ignition switch twice on the car - once about 12,000 miles (under warranty)…
ODI 10213194
Column · Ignition
Cracked ignition. Jammed steering column. Both were replaced. Old part is available. *tr
ODI 10213089
Ignition
My daughter who is 17 came out of work at 10 pm on a sunday night and her key wouldn't go in the ignition of her 2000 ford focus. Thus she was stranded alone after dark in an empty parking lot. I feel that this is a safety issue. Not everyone can afford a cell phone and if she hadn't had one she would have been in real trouble because there is nothing close to where she works. We stress about maintenance so she will…
ODI 10212304
Ignition
As i left work on the night of 12/4/07, i entered my 2000 ford focus and found that i could not turn the key in the ignition. The key would not fully enter the ignition cylinder and thus could not start the car. As such, i was stuck in the parking lot with no way to drive myself home without calling for a ride. Luckily, i was able to find somebody, even though there was a strong winter storm at the time. I had the…
ODI 10210934
Ignition
I have had to replace my 2000 ford focus ignition 4 times in the 7 years i've had this car. The first was in 2001 then the last was 2007. I can not keep fixing this problem when it cost me over $500.00 i was quoted by ford. *tr
ODI 10215741
Anti-Theft Devices · Ignition
For the second time, my 2000 ford focus ignition lock has failed in that the key won't turn and vehicle is immobilized. Current mileage on vehicle is approximately 48,500 and ignition cylinder was drilled out and replaced by ford dealer at 28,000 miles and replacement part frequently stuck and now ignition cannot be unlocked. *tr
ODI 10209923
Ignition
I own a 2000 ford focus. On the morning of november 22, 2007 i parked my vehicle in my driveway, which in turn blocked the exit of my other vehicle from the garage. When i went to start my vehicle that night to go to work, the key wouldn't fit into the ignition. I was eventually able to jam the key into the ignition, but it would not turn forward. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership where it cost me $380 to…
ODI 10209757
Ignition
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus zx3 hatch back. She stated the factory key for the vehicle would not turn in the ignition. The dealer gave her a second key that also did not work. The dealer advised her to place the old key in the ignition to start the vehicle momentarily then removing it, and replacing it with the new key. The key failed to turn the ignition on. There were no repairs made to the vehicle. The…
ODI 10304013
Ignition
I had to have the ignition cylinder replaced in my 2000 ford focus 4 times in the last 5 years and today it locked up again. It is a known problem with ford. It gives no warning. 1 minute it works fine ... The next time i go to start the key --- it is locked up and wont unlock. I am a single mom on disability and it is unsafe to have such an undependable car - i never know when it will start and when it wont. *tr
ODI 10207847
Abs Warning Light · Automatic Transmission · Fuel Pump · Ignition · Latch · Lock · Power Window Devices And Controls · Suspension · Switch/Wiring · Vehicle Speed Control
On 10/23/07 i inserted key into ignition of my ford focus and immediatley the lights and gauges went haywire-vehicle failed to start. To make a long story short ,after unpluging the battery cables and going back to the stranded car the next evening, it started . 2 days later my wipers came on by themselves and would not stop until i turned the car off and restarted. On 10/31/07 while driving my daughter home, the…
ODI 10207593
Ignition
Key would not turn in ignition. Incurred cost for towing car twice, ignition was replaced, and then new keys had to be programmed. *tr
ODI 10204249
Ignition
I was getting in my 2000 ford focus this morning to go to work; i put the key in the ignition and the key would not turn. I fiddled with in for about 10 minutes to no avail. As a result, i had to call off of work. That alone is a lose of money. I have not yet called ford about this problem, but according to other reports, it can cost anywhere from$100- $400 to fix this problem. I just thank god this didn't happen to…
ODI 10200748
Ignition
I just bought a 2000 ford focus and the key is stuck in the ignition. The woman had the tumbler replaced last year (08/06). Will have to take to the dealer and have it fixed. Seems like this is a persistant problem with 2000 ford focus cars. *tr
ODI 10200117
Ignition
Ignition is locked and will not turn to the start position ,i tried to wiggle the steering wheel to make sure the steering wasn't locked and its locked too. *tr
ODI 10198803
Ignition
The key in my 2000 ford focus will not turn. My car is useless. After months of it being difficult and having to use force it finally won't turn at all. Fortunately i am at home and not stranded. Sounds like this is a common problem with these cars. I can't believe this isn't a recall issue. Incredibly frustrating. Sounds like i either pay a locksmith $150 or ford $400 to fix it. *jb
ODI 10198240
Ignition
Ignition will not turn. Key will insert into ignition cylinder, but will not turn and therefore not start. Vehicle was towed to dealership for $100. Dealership quoted $300-400 for ignition cylinder replacement. *jb
ODI 10197812
Ignition
Ignition key will not turn. Key can be inserted into ignition cylinder, but will not turn or start vehicle. Vehicle was towed to dealership for service for $100. Dealership replaced ignition cylinder for $300. *jb
ODI 10197804
Ignition
The car was ok when i bought the vehicle, when my warranty was up, the key took a couple of turns before i could get it to turn fully, this happened rarely. Then it became more frequent, and now it doesn't turn at all. My car is now being towed and hopefully the problem will be resolved. It is very unfortunate that this costs so much. I was going away in a couple of weeks and now i won't be able to because of this…
ODI 10197581
Ignition
I own a 2000 ford focus with 31,000 miles on it. Twice in the last 5 months the ignition jammed. The first time on a freezing cold day at a deserted urban parking lot late at night at february 24, 2007. The second time , on july 12, 2007. *ak
ODI 10196213
Ignition
Parked in a public parking space and came back to retrieve my car. Could get the key in the ignition but could not turn it. Turns out the ignition was faulty and had to be replaced by ford. Everyone i've talked to with this make and model of car has had this problem, but ford has not addressed it. They charged 400 dollars to replace it. *tr
ODI 10202124
Ignition
I just purchased this vehicle from a private party and i had the vehicle , a 2000 ford focus 4 door sedan, for about 4 months and the key did not working correctly in the cylinder. Would have to jiggle the steering wheel and the key for about 30 minutes before it would turn over to start. Just last week on 06/05/2007 the car no longer started, i could not get the key to turn to start. I called the local ford dealer,…
ODI 10193454
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2000 Ford Focus.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.