I can't believe I stumbled upon this website, and just in time! I had my 01 Focus ignition lock up on me at lunch today and had to call roadside assistance to tow it to the local Ford dealership. In the meantime my wife googled the problem on line and came across this forum. After reading, I called a local locksmith who will fix the problem for me for $100
The dealership wanted $425...
Thanks Everyone!