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2008 Ford Focus

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2008 Ford Focus do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 864.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

199 reports with mileage · 51 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

21 crash reports0 fire reports18 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

7 reports
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159,625 miles · Mar 20, 2024
Engine And Engine CoolingSuspension

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and a corroded subframe. The contact was informed that th…

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The contact owns a 2008 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and a corroded subframe. The contact was informed that the subframe was significantly thin due to corrosion and that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,625. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11578442

59,430 miles · Sep 27, 2014
Engine And Engine Cooling

EVAPORATOR CORE LEAKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10639548

58,000 miles · Oct 5, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEATS BEGAN TO VIBRATE ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VIBRATION WAS CAUSED BY SAGGING MOTOR MOUNTS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEAL…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEATS BEGAN TO VIBRATE ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VIBRATION WAS CAUSED BY SAGGING MOTOR MOUNTS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED TO VIBRATE. THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER COULD NOT SIT IN THE SEAT DUE TO THE VIBRATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA ODI #10428809

Mileage unknown · Sep 19, 2011
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

THE IGNITION KEY IS BINDING IN IGNITION CYLINDER WHEN TURNING TO START POSITION ONLY. TWICE IT HAS NOT STARTED ON THE FIRST TRY. TWICE I HEARD A METAL SOUND WHEN STARTING. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH FORD FOCUS 2008, AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY MY AUTO REPAIR SHOP. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ME TO GO DIRECT TO A FORD DEALER …

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THE IGNITION KEY IS BINDING IN IGNITION CYLINDER WHEN TURNING TO START POSITION ONLY. TWICE IT HAS NOT STARTED ON THE FIRST TRY. TWICE I HEARD A METAL SOUND WHEN STARTING. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH FORD FOCUS 2008, AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY MY AUTO REPAIR SHOP. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ME TO GO DIRECT TO A FORD DEALER SERVICE SHOP WHICH I DID. THE CAR WARRANTY EXPIRED 5/2011 SO I DON'T QUALIFY FOR FREE REPAIR ON THIS PROBLEM. AS FAR AS I CAN SEE IN RESEARCHING THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON IT. I THINK FORD SHOULD PAY. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10426328

45,800 miles · Sep 5, 2011
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER, ONLY CONTINUING TO RUN AT A ROUGH IDLE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY ACCELERATION. THE ONLY POSSIBLE RESPONSE WAS TO LIMP TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RAN AS NORMAL FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. FOUR DAYS LATER THE SAME THING OCCURRED. UPON …

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VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER, ONLY CONTINUING TO RUN AT A ROUGH IDLE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY ACCELERATION. THE ONLY POSSIBLE RESPONSE WAS TO LIMP TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RAN AS NORMAL FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. FOUR DAYS LATER THE SAME THING OCCURRED. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER AND HAVING THEM TELL ME TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT OCCURRED AGAIN AND THEN HAVE IT TOWED IN, I CONVINCED THEM TO LOOK FURTHER INTO IT. I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON LINE OF THE SAME TYPE. THE NECESSARY REPAIR WAS TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. THE NEXT DAY THE DEALER CONTACTED ME AND SAID THE FORD HOTLINE STATED THEY HAD PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS AND ADVISED TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS WAS DONE AND THE VEHICLE HAS OPERATED CORRECTLY SINCE THE REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10423786

20,000 miles · Sep 2, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE OIL FILTER DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE WHICH RESULTED IN INTERNAL DAMAGES. THE EN…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE OIL FILTER DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE WHICH RESULTED IN INTERNAL DAMAGES. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA ODI #10423035

56,000 miles · Jul 30, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AROUND TWO MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE STARTED TO STALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WRENCH ICON ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT FOUND ANY FAILURES. THE DEALER NOTIFIED THE CONTACT AND …

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AROUND TWO MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE STARTED TO STALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WRENCH ICON ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT FOUND ANY FAILURES. THE DEALER NOTIFIED THE CONTACT AND STATED THAT THE BLACK BOX WAS NOT RECORDING ANY DATA. THE VEHICLE WARRANTY HAD NEARLY REACHED ITS LIMIT OF 60,000. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THEY WOULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE BEFORE THE MILEAGE REACHED 60,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,100.

NHTSA ODI #10346390

Official recalls

1

07V541000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Nov 21, 2007

CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY ASSEMBLED.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION MAY PREVENT THE DRIVER AIR BAG FROM PROPERLY DEPLOYING AND REDUCE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE YOUR DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 20, 2007. 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

1

PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking

Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve

ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO