7.8
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $250
- Average Mileage:
- 69,400 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 9 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (6 reports)
- fix the ignition & gear shift (1 reports)
- pull up three rings between the shifter handle and shaft (1 reports)
- replace ignition lock cylinder (1 reports)
This is the second time that this has happened. It happen in 2009 and had it replaced. Having it happen again is criminal. We have to find out still if it is covered under warranty but researching right now to find out more information on this ridiculousness.
- cityboy6653, Oakdale, MN, US
This has happened several different occasions. A friend of mine was stuck in my car for 40 minutes trying to get the key out. It took me another 10 minutes to get it out. This has been a pain in the ass. It appears to happen randomly.
- Kristine S., Country Club Hills, IL, US
key won't come out of ignition gear shift moves up & down & won't lock have too use hand brake too keep car from moving. this is a real inconvenience I am suffering through a slip & fall & NOW NO CAR THIS IS NOT GOOD FORD i HAVE SEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS On LINE ABOUT IGNITIONS something should have been done a long time ago but yet in still you want your payments every month for a piece of junk.my car started out with the gear being hard to squeeze but it would go after a few minutes then today it just stopped please help me.
- Parthenia F., Emporia, VA, US
Ford and the dealer think that I should pay two to four hundred dollars to rectify Ford's initial installation of an inferior lock cylinder. This problem has affected many Focus owners. Ford takes the short-sighted view that honor and responsibility for poor specifications is trumped by immediate cost savings on their part.
- carcom, Ephrata, PA, US
JUST HAPPENED, HOPEFULLY IT NOT AN ARM & A LEG TO FIX.
- louny, Nyack, NY, US
The key is getting stuck in the ignition. I just got the car, used and everything was OK for about 32 days so it sucks that the dealer was very unsympathetic--like "good luck with that"
- Ray S., Coloma, MI, US
Although I can not find any TSBs from Ford on this problem for Focuses, there are some for it for late model Fusions and Zephyrs. My web searches have turned up quite a few instances of this happening in various model Fords - including other years of the Focus.
There appear to be two possible culprits: 1. A mechanical problem within the shifter involving a piece of plastic not properly hitting a switch that tells the ignition that the car is in Park. 2. A bad solenoid switch within the shifter. People have had both fixes done on their Fords - FOR EXORBITANT SERVICE CHARGES! That Ford would charge people to fix what is OBVIOUSLY a poorly designed or substandard part is outrageous!
I have owned many cars - used and new - and I have NEVER had this problem NOR HAVE I EVER HEARD of ANYONE'S having this problem in over 40 years of driving.
- Chab G., Findlay, OH, US
Every once in awhile, the key won't come out of the ignition. Some electricians have said it's because the car doesn't think it's in Park, some locksmiths have said it's the steering column latching onto the ignition and the key... basically no one has a solid answer, and it's really annoying. I've played endlessly with putting the car in drive and then park, twisting the steering column, wiggling the key... I feel very uncomfortable about this problem because I have to leave my key in the ignition, with the door unlocked, until I can get a second key to lock the door. And even then, leaving my car with the key in the ignition is not exactly safe! I just wish someone could tell me for sure what is wrong so that I can get it fixed, but not even the dealership could give me a straight answer.
- schleiffer, Beltsville, MD, US
The key got stuck in the ignition when we were visiting in Iowa and we are from Minnesota. It was a royal pain. We brought it to the Ford Dealership there and had it replaced for $485.91. Then less than five years later in on June 4, 2013 the key got stuck in the ignition again. Luckily this time we were at home but extremely frustrating to have a part fail in less than five years.
I did some research online to find out about this problem, how long the warranty is, make a case to argue with Ford that they should fix this if they want my business since we are considering getting a new car. I find out through www.fordproblems.com that this has been a problem with the Focus since 2000. This is ridiculous!
SOLUTION: On another website I found out how to fix the key stuck in the ignition. On the shifter of the automatic between the shifter handle and the shaft there are these black three rings piece that has slid down. Simply move it back up and the key comes right out!
Although it is a ridiculously simple fix and should not be a problem it would be nice if Ford suggested this as a fix.
- cityboy6653, Oakdale, MN, US