Two problems related to automatic transmission have been reported for the 2006 Ford Focus. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2006 Ford Focus based on all problems reported for the 2006 Focus.
Key would not remove from ignition. After a couple of weeks noticed that the transmission was not locking when in park. You didn't have to push in the safety button for it to go into gear. This is a major safety issue to me since many Focus owners have simply gone to leaving the key in the ignition after it sticcks there and find out the cost from the dealer to fix.
Ford 2006, Focus zxw, when parking the car, the moving the automatic transmission stick to park does not lock in all the time. It does seems to park, car does not roll, but trans mission stick easily move away and fll into other gears, and the car moves. When it does not lock unable to remove the key. Most of the time after about up to 3 min later you hear a ting sound then it locks. Once it locks key can be removed. I also had the same issue with 2003 Ford Focus 2 years earlier, dealer replaced the lock then it would release the key, every time I parked.