Consumer Alert: Ford Focus Ignition

To: Ford Management
From: A Disgruntled Focus Owner

My family has been loyal Ford owners for some time, despite all those clever little sayings like "Found On the Road Dead." My early years were spent riding around in a big red LTD, which was then traded in for a Taurus wagon. The next year a teensy little Festiva was added to our family and I drove it all through high school and college and finally sold it when I graduated. My mom traded in the Taurus for an Escort and when my parents had to buy a car after my dad got a job in the Chicago suburbs they headed right to the Ford dealership.

Several years ago I noticed the Focus on the road and thought it was cute. Overall it seemed to get ok ratings and when it came time for me to buy a car I found I could get a relatively lightly used Focus for a lot less than a Corolla or Jetta. I knew those were better made cars, of course, but I could afford the Focus, the Focus was cute, and my family had always gone with the Fords.

Yesterday morning I got in my car, stuck the key in the ignition, and turned. Only the key didn't turn. It was stuck fast. I jiggled the steering wheel, took the key out and put it in again, tapped the key, turned the key over, rapped on the steering column a bit. Nothing. The key just would not turn in the ignition. So after putting a lot of money into my car a couple of months ago, I now have to shell out $200-$300 more to fix this ignition thing.

And you know, I could handle it if it was just one of those things that sometimes goes wrong with cars in general. Like a couple of months ago when a casing on my radiator sprung a leak. Yeah, it happens. It's annoying, and I wish it wouldn't happen, but it does.

However, after looking around on the internet here, here, here, here, oh, and here, I discovered that this isn't just some random little oopsie needing to be repaired. Hundreds of people have had these problems with Focuses (or Foci, if you will) since they started being sold. This is a problem endemic to the Focus, and for those poor people who have had the dealer replace the part, or who have had a mechanic order the part from the manufacturer, it continues to be a problem. I read about one person who between 2000 and 2004 had the same part replaced 3 times. It's sort of a big problem when your customers physically cannot start their cars.

Thank goodness I have the internet as a resource and can see that not only is this a common problem, but a locksmith can fix it for substantially less than a dealership or a mechanic. So last night the locksmith came and took a look at my car, and we got to talking.* He confirmed what I had already read: they see a lot of Focuses with this exact problem. After hearing that for myself, I know that I will be filling out this complaint form, signing this petition, and I'm really bummed out that I can't get involved with the class action in California.

So, Mr. Ford, if you're wondering why your company is failing and why you're not selling many cars and having to let people go, I think I may have a couple of clues for you. First and foremost, you need to make more gas-efficient vehicles that appeal to the modern American consumer. But second, and equally important, you need to not tick off your loyal consumer base. My car, Bunny, has been a good friend for these past 2 1/2 years, but I now feel a teensy bit of betrayal, knowing that this problem was there all along, lurking, waiting to pounce. And you knew, Ford, you knew. You should have issued a recall years ago, but instead you decided it wasn't worth it for you. Well, your company is still failing despite (or maybe because of) your cheap tactics, and I will think very seriously in the future about whether or not I want to even consider buying a Ford again. That's a 30-year rider and driver of Fords talking. Take note.



* Unfortunately the guy who came last night couldn't fix it because the cylinder has to be replaced completely, but I will be making an appointment for the guy who can fix it to come by tonight and then hopefully it will be all fixed.