← New search

2003 Ford Focus

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Ford Focus do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 864.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

753 reports with mileage · 224 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 522 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 82 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 73 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

52 crash reports17 fire reports37 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

46 reports
Clear category filter
49,500 miles · Mar 30, 2005
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE OF THE COLLISION HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TOTA…

Read full complaint

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE OF THE COLLISION HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *SC *JB

NHTSA ODI #10115025

30,300 miles · Mar 24, 2005
Air BagsCrash

I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT WITH MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZTS. MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FIRE DEPT. AND POLICE DEPT. BOTH EXPRESSED DISBELIEF THAT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY CAR SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. THE WHOLE FRONT END HAS TO BE REPLACED INCLUDING BOTH THE FRAME RAILS, AS WELL SOME ENGINE COMPONENTS. I WILL …

Read full complaint

I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT WITH MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZTS. MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FIRE DEPT. AND POLICE DEPT. BOTH EXPRESSED DISBELIEF THAT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY CAR SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. THE WHOLE FRONT END HAS TO BE REPLACED INCLUDING BOTH THE FRAME RAILS, AS WELL SOME ENGINE COMPONENTS. I WILL KNOW MORE WHEN THE REPAIRS START. THE VEHICLE I WAS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WITH HAD BOTH OF THEIR AIRBAGS DEPLOY. IF I WERE NOT WEARING MY SEATBELT, I WOULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS INJURIES.

NHTSA ODI #10114648

28,000 miles · Mar 4, 2005
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED BROKEN RIBS AND A CONCUSSION. ALSO, PASSENGER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION. VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10113483

35,000 miles · Feb 1, 2005
Air BagsCrash

AFTER COLLIDING WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE STRUCK A TREE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10109501

5,414 miles · Jan 18, 2005
Air BagsCrashInjury

TRAVELING EAST-BOUND ON I-10. FORCED ONTO LEFT SHOULDER BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MOVE BACK ONTO THE FREEWAY WAS HIT SQUARE ON THE DRIVERS DOOR BY A PICKUP TRUCK TRAVELING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. VEHICLE ROLLED 3-4 TIMES BEFORE COMING TO STOP. NONE OF THE FRONT OR SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IN THE 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE C…

Read full complaint

TRAVELING EAST-BOUND ON I-10. FORCED ONTO LEFT SHOULDER BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MOVE BACK ONTO THE FREEWAY WAS HIT SQUARE ON THE DRIVERS DOOR BY A PICKUP TRUCK TRAVELING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. VEHICLE ROLLED 3-4 TIMES BEFORE COMING TO STOP. NONE OF THE FRONT OR SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IN THE 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CAR ONLY HAD 5000 MILES ON IT. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10106573

Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 2004
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK.....*AK

NHTSA ODI #10105100

14,000 miles · Oct 1, 2004
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, AND THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10094854

8,500 miles · Aug 2, 2004
Air BagsInjury

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BANG AFTER A TRACTOR TRAILER PASSED ON THE LEFT SIDE. VEHICLE BEGAN TO FILL WITH SMOKE, AND THE CONSUMER FELT A SHARP PAIN IN THE SHOULDER. DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER CLAIMED THAT THE VEHICLE NEVER MADE CONTACT WITH THE TRACTOR TRAILER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10084006

Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2004
Air BagsPower TrainCrash

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND NOT RUNNING. THEN, THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT WARNING AND COLLIDED INTO A BUILDING. BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION…

Read full complaint

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND NOT RUNNING. THEN, THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT WARNING AND COLLIDED INTO A BUILDING. BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *LA

NHTSA ODI #10083430

Mileage unknown · Feb 12, 2004
Air BagsCrash

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION.UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES, BUT WAS QUITE SORE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10058053

Official recalls

1

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

1

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.