2004 Ford Focus Latches & Locks Problems

Your 2004 Ford Focus may have fuel line quick connectors that don't fully seat properly, even though they feel like they're connected all the way. Additionally, you may be unable to open the front driver's side door and both rear doors. Fixing these issues will likely involve replacing the fuel line quick connectors and repairing or replacing the door latch mechanisms.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK PANEL DID NOT LATCH INTERMITTENTLY AND THE TRUNK PANEL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT TOOK NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS FOR THE TRUNK PANEL TO LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LATCHES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE NEARLY THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 101,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS FAILED TO CLOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE OUTSIDE DOOR LATCHES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V030000 (LOCKS/LATCHES) BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 12/18/13*CN

THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR WILL NOT LATCH, AND I'M UNABLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR. A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM WAS ISSUED IN JANUARY, 2005 FOR THE FORD FOCUS MODEL FOR THE PERIOD 2000-2005. MY VEHICLE IS A 2004 FORD FOCUS HOWEVER, THE VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THIS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE PROBLEM I'M EXPERIENCING IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE NHTSA REPORT ID # 05V030000. I BELIEVE THAT MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE RECALL AND RESPECTFULLY ASK YOUR ASSISTANCE. *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS LOCKED SECURELY; AND OPENED ABRUPTLY WITH SLIGHT PRESSURE APPLIED AGAINST THE DOOR. IN ADDITION, THE REAR DRIVER DOOR EXHIBITED THE IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V030000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES: DOORS: LATCH). THE REMEDY REPAIR FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

THE IGNITION LOCK FROZE UP WITHOUT WARNING LEAVING US STRANDED ACROSS TOWN. THANKFULLY WE WERE IN A SAFE PART OF TOWN WITH ACCESS TO TOOLS SO WE GOT THE PROBLEM RESOLVED TEMPORARILY. THE IGNITION CAN BE UN FROZEN BY TAKING APART THE STEERING COLUMN AND REMOVING ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FROM THE LOCK. THEN PUT A DRIP PAN UNDER THE LOCK AND BLOW ALL THE METAL SHAVINGS OUT OF THE LOCK WITH A LIQUID LUBRICANT. DO NOT USE WD40. WE USED A FIREARM LUBRICANT WHICH WILL NOT CLUMP THE NEW SHAVINGS AND IT HAS WORKED RATHER WELL SO FAR (BREAKFREE). AS A PRECAUTION WE LEAVE THE KEY IN THE LOCK WHICH IS RISKY TO DO IN BAD PARTS OF TOWN. TO CIRCUMVENT THIS WE REMOVE THE KEY RFID SENSOR FROM THE CAR WHICH PREVENTS THE ENGINE FROM STARTING AT ALL NO MATTER WHAT THE LOCK IS DOING. THIS HAS STARTED TO CREATE PROBLEMS WITH THE IMMOBLIZER IN THE CAR AND NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT NEEDING THAT TO BE RESET EVERY SO OFTEN. THE BEST PLACE TO GET THIS FIXED IS NOT AT THE DEALERSHIP AS THEY WILL USE THE SAME CRAPPY PARTS THAT GOT YOU INTO THIS MESS TO START. GO TO A LOCK SMITH AND HAVE THEM USE NON FORD PARTS. WE ARE WAITING ON A AFTERMARKET LOCK TO ARRIVE FROM HTTP://WWW.SANDIEGOLOCKANDSAFE.COM WHICH HAS CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE ON THIS ISSUE (ALONG WITH MOST LOCK SMITHS WORTH THEIR SALT). IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU AND YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA GO HERE: HTTP://WWW.FAZMICLAW.COM/ , SEND THEM A MESSAGE AND ATTACH YOURSELF TO THE NOW PENDING LAWSUIT (08-15-2010). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 25 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR WOULD RELEASE WITH THE LOCKS ENGAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE EXACT FAILURE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V030000, LATCHES/LOCKS/ LINKAGES, DOORS) HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE CONTACT FELT UNSAFE WITH A VEHICLE OCCUPANT IN THE REAR NEAR THE DEFECTIVE DOOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

KEY WILL NOT TURN ON IGNITION WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR NOR WILL THE STEERING WHEEL TURN AT ALL!!!, COMPLETELY LOCKED IGNITION CAR IS ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD AND NOT DRIVEN VERY MUCH W/ ONLY 68K MILES ON IT!, 2004 FORD FOCUS ZX3. *TR

WE HAVE ALREADY FILED A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT FOR ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME DEFECT WHICH HAPPENED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF OF EACH OTHER. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE FILE A COMPLAINT WITH YOU, ABOUT 2 SEPARATE/SIMILAR EVENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED DURING OUR OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE (2004 FORD FOCUS ZX-3). IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO INSERT/REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. ON THE PREVIOUS OCCASION THE KEY BECAME STUCK AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER THE ONSET OF THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, THE KEY BECAME COMPLETELY STUCK IN THE IGNITION, IT WILL TURN SLIGHTLY EITHER WAY, THE KEY WILL NOT COME OUT, BUT THE CAR WILL START. ON THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR RE-KEYED, AND BOUGHT A NEW LOCK CYLINDER AND HAD IT PROGRAMMED AND INSTALLED AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP. LUCKILY THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WE WERE AT A FRIENDS HOUSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO WE WERE NOT STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, AND THIS TIME FORTUNATELY THE CAR WILL STILL START. HOWEVER, THE KEY REMAINS STUCK IN THE IGNITION SO REALISTICALLY SOMEONE COULD STEAL THE CAR. *TR

IGNITION LOCK UP ON 2004 FORD FOCUS. STEERING WHEEL WON'T UNLOCK AND KEY WON'T TURN. IT SEEMS THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND I THINK SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. *TR

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 2004 FORD FOCUS USED THE REAR PASSENGERS SIDE DOOR WILL CURRENTLY NOT LATCH SHUT. I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE REAR LATCHES OF FORD FOCUS WHICH I DID FIND. THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE BROUGHT IT IN TO THE FORD DEALER AND HAD THE LATCHED LUBED 1/4/2006, AT WHICH TIME IT MET RECALL REQUIREMENTS. NOW THE DOOR WILL NOT SHUT AND THE DEALER HAS ADVISED THAT THIS IS DUE TO THE LATCH IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH PHONED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND WERE ADVISED THERE IS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. THAT BECAUSE THEY LUBED THE LATCHES THAT WAS ALL THEY WERE REQUIRED TO DO. WHICH I FIND COMPLETELY UNSATISFACTORY. IT IS QUITE CLEAR THAT THERE IS A DEFECT WHICH IS WHY FORD HAS RECALLED THE LATCHES THEY SHOULD BE COVERING THIS. THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR IS HARD TO OPEN AS WELL, HOWEVER ACCORDING TO FORD BEING THAT THE LATCHES HAVE BEEN LUBED IT SHOULD BE FINE. NOW IF THE DOOR THAT WON'T SHUT IS FIXED AND MY DAUGHTERS FALL OUT OF THE OTHER DOOR THAT FORD HAS LUBED BEING THAT IS ALL FORD SAYS THAT IS REQUIRED, WHAT WILL FORD AND NHTSA SAY THEN. THIS COMPANY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THERE RECALLS. THE FACT THAT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THESE LATCHES THAT THEY ARE TRULY RESPONSIBLE FOR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. YOUR INVESTIGATION IN THIS MATTER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DOG WAS PLACED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE HATCH. THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE HATCH WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT IT WOULD NO LONGER LATCH. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE BEEN ALERTED. AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE WITH THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR IS DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED THERE WAS 9,500 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER, NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 05V030000 FOR THE DOOR LATCHES. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT PERFORM THE REPAIR WORK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE SITUATION.

2004 FORD FOCUS HOOD FLEW UP SHATTERING WINDSHIELD. *TS THE HOOD LATCH WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB

BOTH REAR DOORS INTERMITTENTLY OPENED WHILE DRIVING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK