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

1,500 miles · Feb 28, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT MY 2003 FORD FOCUS STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER 3 TRIES THE CAR FINALLY RESTARTED AND I DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THEY SAID THE MASS AIR FLOW SYSTEM WAS BAD AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 1500 MILES ON IT AND IS LESS THAN 2 MONTHS OL…

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NHTSA ODI #10008256

1,350 miles · Feb 28, 2003

Latches/locks/linkages

AFTER FORD BOUGHT BACK MY 2002 LEMON AND EXCHANGED IT FOR A 2003, THE TRUNK LATCH BROKE ON THE CAR. THE TRUNK OPENED ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING. IT IS CURRENTLY IN FOR REPAIR.*JB

NHTSA ODI #10008255

Mileage unknown · Feb 20, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

THE VEHICLE STALLED, WHICH CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOSE SLIGHT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.*JB

NHTSA ODI #10008952

3,500 miles · Feb 15, 2003

SeatsCrashInjury

SEDAN WAS REAR-ENDED RESULTING IN LIMITED FLEXIBLE BUMPER DAMAGE. SUBSTANTIAL SPINAL DAMAGE TO THE HEALTHY, 22 YEAR OLD DRIVER WHO WAS SECURELY SEAT-BELTED INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT. WHAT WAS LACKING IN THE SEAT DESIGN TO PROTECT THE DRIVER FROM SUCH INJURIES? PH

NHTSA ODI #10007554

3,500 miles · Feb 15, 2003

SeatsCrashInjury

A STOPPED 2003 FOCUS SEDAN WAS REAR-ENDED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT BY A MAZDA 626 RESULTING IN LIMITED FLEXIBLE BUMPER DAMAGE TO THE FORD FOCUS, BUT SUBSTANTIAL SPINAL DAMAGE TO THE HEALTHY, 22 YEAR OLD DRIVER WHO WAS SECURELY SEAT-BELTED INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT. WHAT WAS LACKING IN THE SEAT DESIGN TO PROTECT THE DRIVER FROM SUCH INJU…

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NHTSA ODI #10007553

440 miles · Jan 20, 2003

Visibility

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AFTER LEAVING MY AUTO, I RETURNED TO FIND THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED, BUT IN TACT/IN PLACE. THERE NO SIGNS OF ANY IMPACT OR ATTEMPTED ENTRY. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING STRIKING THE WINDOW AND APPEARED IT MIGHT BE A FAULTY WINDOW. UPON BRINGING IT TO THE DEALER'S SEVICE SHOP, THE MANAGER SAID HE WOULD NOTIFY HIS FORD REP OF THIS PROBLEM. HE SAID NORMALLY THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING BUT SINCE THE AUTO WAS SO NEW, HE WOULD TRY TO SEE WHAT HE COULD DO. UPON INVESTIGATING IF THERE WAS A FORD RECALL OR SIMILAR REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, I CAME ACCROSS AT LEAST ONE OTHER OCCASSION WHERE THE WINDOW JUST SHATTERED AND WAS REPLACED BY FORD UNDER WARRANTY. THE INDIVIDUAL SAID FORD CLAIMED IT WAS DUE TO WELDING IRREGULARITIES AND SUCH. WHEN I WAS SPEAKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AT FORD, HE CLAIMED THAT THE 2003 FORD FOCUS REAR DEFROSTER WAS CHANGED AND THEY HAD GIVEN IT A HIGHER AMP TO MAKE IT HOTTER. SINCE IT HAS BEEN ABOUT 6 DGREES OUTSIDE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN HOT AND SHATTERED WHEN COOLING QUICKLY - HE DID NOT KNOW AND WAS JUST SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS. REGARDLESS, THE AUTO HAD 440 MILES ON IT AND WAS ONLY ABOUT 10 DAYS OLD WHEN THIS OCCURRED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS IF THIS WINDOWED SHATTERED AND BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING, POSSIBLY CAUSING HARM TO ANY PASSENGERS IN THE BACK - OR ANYWHERE FOR THAT MATTER. I BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO BE CHECKED OUT TO PREVENT ANY POSSIBLE HARM TO ANYONE. THE AUTO IS A 2003 FORD FOCUS SE SEDAN.

NHTSA ODI #10003000

Mileage unknown · Nov 6, 2002

Suspension

THE VEHICLE VIBRATES WHILE TRAVELING SPEED 40 TO 50MPH. DUE TO BAD SUSPENSION REAR OF VEHICLE WOBBLES. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM TS

NHTSA ODI #8022325

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.