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

What owners actually said

977 reports

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2007

Steering

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I PURCHASED MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZX3 JUST OVER A YEAR AGO AND HAVE RECENTLY HAD TROUBLE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP. AFTER JERKING THE WHEEL AROUND A BIT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO GET IT TO START UNTIL TODAY. BUT TODAY WHEN I WENT TO GET IN MY CAR AND GO TO WORK NO AMOUNT OF JERKING OR TWISTING WOULD GET MY KEY TO TURN AND MY CAR TO START. BEFORE CALLING FOR A TOW I DECIDED TO CHECK FOR INFO ON LIKE AND WHAT DO I FIND? THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON IN THE ZX3 SINCE 2000! AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT! SO NOW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DROP OVER $300 ON A FIX FOR MY CAR AND FROM WHAT I READ I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN NEXT YEAR. WHY IS THE BEING ALLOWED TO GO ON? IF FORD CARES SO LITTLE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT DRIVE THEIR CARS THAT THEY CAN'T FIND A LONG TERM FIX TO A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM THAN YOU CAN BE SURE THAT THIS WILL BE THE LAST FORD I PURCHASE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10194003

32,765 miles · Jun 21, 2007

Equipment

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I HAD NO EVENT THAT LEAD TO THE FAILURE OF THE (IGNITION) IN MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZX3. I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AT 10:30 P.M. AND I STOPPED TO PUT AIR IN MY TIRES AT A LOCAL GAS STATION. WHEN I GOT BACK IN TO MY VEHICLE I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TRIED TO TURN THE IGNITION OVER BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE TRYING TO TURN THE KEY BECAUSE I THOUGHT MAYBE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND YET NOTHING HAPPEND. I WALKED A MILE BACK HOME AND GOT MY SPARE KEY AND RETURNED TO MY VEHICLE AND TRIED IT AGAIN AND IT TO FAILED TO TURN THE IGNITION. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND I HAD TO MISS WORK THAT EVENING. IT ENDED UP COSTING ME $336.28 TO REPAIR THE IGNITION SWITCH/TUMBLER. I LOOKED ONLINE FOR OTHER FORD FOCUS OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND FOUND OVER 30,000 OTHER OWNERS JUST ON ONE WEBSITE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THERE IGNITION. I FOUND PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION MORE THEN TWO TO THREE TIMES IN THERE FORD FOCUS. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT FORD DENIES HAVING ON THERE FORD FOCUS. THE FORD FOCUS IGNITION IS MADE IN GERMANY BY A COMPANY CALLED HUF. THE FORD FOCUS IS THE ONLY FORD VEHICLE THAT HAS THE HUF IGNITION USED IN IT. THAT IS VERY IRONIC CONSIDERING THAT THE ONLY FORD VEHICLE WITH NUMEROUS IGNITION PROBLEMS IS THE FORD FOCUS. FORD NEEDS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AT ONCE. FORD ALSO GOES ON TO STATE THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. I BEG TO DIFFER, FOR JUST ONE EXAMPLE OUT OF MANY THAT I COULD DESCRIBE, I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS WHERE THE HEAT CAN REACH OVER 110 EVERYDAY OF THE WEEK IN THE SUMMER. IF THE IGNITION BROKE WHILE I WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ANY WHERE OUTSIDE OF LAS VEGAS I COULD BE STRANDED AND IF I HAD NO WATER I COULD EASILY DIE WITHIN HOURS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I COULD LIST A NUMBER OF SAFTEY PROBLEMS THAT COULD COME FROM THIS IGNITION PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #10193884

Mileage unknown · Jun 14, 2007

Electrical System

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ONE EVENING STOPPED AT THE STORE, TURNED CAR OFF, WENT BACK TO START CAR, IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN OVER. CALLED TOWING COMPANY, THEY WERE ABLE TO TURN IT OVER. INFORMED ME I NEEDED TO GET THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. LOOKED AROUND FOUND AN LOCK SMITH THAT COULD DO IT, CHARGED AN ARM AND LEG. THE PROBLEM IS RECURRING AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. FORD IS NOT RESPONDING TO THE PROBLEM, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE, A PETITION HAS BEEN ISSUED WITH OVER 900 SIGNATURES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD NEEDS TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10193324

52,000 miles · Jun 12, 2007

Equipment

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RECENTLY WE PURCHASE A USED 2003 FORD FOCUS THAT HAS THE BLAUPUNKT RADIO. A NEW RADIO STATION WAS PROGRAMMED AND THE BUTTON PUSHED TO STORE IT. RIGHT AFTER THE RADIO STARTED TURNING ON AND OFF WITH MUSIC BLARING THEN SILENCE THEN BLARING AGAIN OVER AND OVER. THERE WAS NO WAY TO STOP IT EVEN AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF. I KNOW THIS MAY SEEM INSIGNIFICANT BUT AT THE TIME WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE PASSENGER SET THE STATION AND THEN THIS STARTED HAPPENING WHICH WAS VERY DISTRACTING TO THE DRIVER. IT COULD VERY EASILY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. BLAUPUNKT SENT AN EMAIL ADMITTING THIS IS A DEFECT IF YOU SET A STATION THAT HAS BLANK RDS INFORMATION. SUBSEQUENT WEB SEARCHES SHOWED A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN. I'M REPORTING IT BECUASE FORD PASSED IT OFF AS NO BIG DEAL BUT I THINK IT'S AN UNSAFE CONDITION.

NHTSA ODI #10193091

35,123 miles · Jun 11, 2007

Electrical System

2003 FORD FOCUS. STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT UNLOCK AFTER INSERTING KEY . *AK

NHTSA ODI #10192950

101,000 miles · Jun 6, 2007

Seats

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SEAT WELDS HAVE FAILED AND THE BACK OF THE DRIVER SEAT CAME APART. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN A CRASH. THE ENGINE SIZE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 101,000.

NHTSA ODI #10192538

40,000 miles · May 22, 2007

Electrical System

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED

NHTSA ODI #10191476

25,700 miles · May 22, 2007

Electrical System

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD LOCK UP AND THE KEY WAS UNABLE TO BE TURNED. A MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AS NEEDING A NEW IGNITION CYLINDER. THE IGNITION CYLINDER HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 39,035 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WA…

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NHTSA ODI #10191441

Mileage unknown · May 21, 2007

Seats

UNDER NORMAL WEAR THE BACK OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE ON THE 2003 FORD FOCUS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10191300

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2007

Electrical System

I WENT TO START THE CAR AFTER WORK LIKE ALWAYS AND THE IGNITION WAS STUCK IN LOCK! I HAVE BEEN READING ONLINE ALL DAY ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT THIS HAPPENED TO. PLEASE MAKE FORD RECALL THIS PRODUCT OR AT LEAST REFUND THE CONSUMER THE COST TO FIX A PRODUCT THAT IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. I HAVE YET TO GET TO SEE THE FINAL BILL O…

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NHTSA ODI #10191252

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.