Electrical System. Review the 183 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

34 crash reports13 fire reports24 injury reports

Fuel/propulsion System complaints

3 reports

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250,000 miles · Aug 22, 2019

Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A LOUD NOISE WAS DETECTED FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE KEY OVERHEATED IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO DRIVE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT FURTHER MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE'S FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT BOTH PASSENGER DOORS WERE INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR NEEDED EXTRA STRENGTH TO OPEN AND THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR WAS STUCK AND WOULD NOT OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MULTIPLE UNKNOWN DEALERS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE ENGINE VALVE WAS STUCK. THE CAUSE OF THE OTHER FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 250,000.

NHTSA ODI #11245773

Mileage unknown · Jul 19, 2019

Fuel/propulsion SystemLatches/locks/linkages

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURES LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06E056000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V030000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES). SHE STATED THAT DUE TO POOR DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTORS WOULD NOT FULLY SEAT WITH THE TUBE INTERFACE, EVEN THOUGH THE PERSON MAKING THE CONNECTION MAY BELIEVE THAT THE QUICK CONNECTOR WAS FULLY ATTACHED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AND BOTH REAR DOORS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI #11233491

100,000 miles · Oct 3, 2013

Fuel/propulsion System

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESUME ACCELERATION. THE FUEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED. THE AIR IDLE CONTROL WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 06E056000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

NHTSA ODI #10546659

Official recalls

05V030000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

Feb 1, 2005

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH FOUR OR FIVE DOORS AND ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A BUILD-UP OF CORROSION AT THE PAWL PIVOT AREA OF THE REAR DOOR LATCH CAN CAUSE A BINDING CONDITION OF THE PAWL THAT MAY AFFECT PROPER ENGAGEMENT OF THE PAWL INTO THE CATCH. THE OCCUPANT MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY OPENING OR CLOSING A REAR DOOR, AND EVENTUALLY THE REAR DOOR MAY NOT LATCH PROPERLY.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF NOT LATCHED PROPERLY, THE DOOR MAY OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. IF AN OCCUPANT FELL OUT OF THE VEHICLE, PERSONAL INJURIES COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL HAVE A LOWER ROCKER SEAL ADDED TO THE DOOR AND HAVE THE REAR DOOR LATCHES EVALUATED FREE OF CHARGE. A LATCH THAT PASSES THE EVALUATION WILL BE LUBRICATED TO PREVENT FUTURE CORROSION. A LATCH THAT DOES NOT PASS THE EVALUATION WILL BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, A STICKER WILL BE AFFIXED TO THE REAR DOORS ADVISING THE OWNERS TO USE THE RECOMMENDED LUBRICANT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 9, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit

Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other

On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.