IllustrationI HAVE TO REPLACED 02 SENSORS 3 TIMES IN LESS THAN 50000 MILES. *NM
2004 Ford Focus
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Ford Focus do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 864.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Focus years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
620–25K
7725–50K
5050–75K
5575–100K
33100–150K
16150K+
293 reports with mileage · 94 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 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
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
22 reportsDT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE AT 55 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE PULLED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AN…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE AT 55 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE PULLED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE AT 55 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE PULLED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, WHICH THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. T…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE AT 55 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE PULLED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, WHICH THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.
BRAKE PROBLEM. AT ABOUT 2000 TO 3000 MILES BREAKS STARTS TO SQUEAL AND GRIND. TOOK IT IN TO SERVICE AT DEALER COMPLAINING ABOUT PROBLEM, AS IT GOT WORSE AND WAS NOT NORMAL IN 6,000 MILES. WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM, ROUTINE BREAK IN. THEN AT 12,000 MILES STILL A PROBLEM. WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER, SAID THE SAME THING. NOW WITH NEARL…
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BRAKE PROBLEM. AT ABOUT 2000 TO 3000 MILES BREAKS STARTS TO SQUEAL AND GRIND. TOOK IT IN TO SERVICE AT DEALER COMPLAINING ABOUT PROBLEM, AS IT GOT WORSE AND WAS NOT NORMAL IN 6,000 MILES. WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM, ROUTINE BREAK IN. THEN AT 12,000 MILES STILL A PROBLEM. WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER, SAID THE SAME THING. NOW WITH NEARLY 18,000 MILES, ROTORS ARE GROOVED VERY BAD. EVIDENCE AND WARNING WAS EVIDENT IN THE EARLIER MILES AS WELL. FORD HAS DONE NOTHING TO HELP. I FEEL THEY OWE ME A NEW PAIR OF ROTORS AND PADS. ALSO, COMPLAINED OF CLUTCH NOISE PROBLEM. I HAVE HEARD OF A TSB CLAIMING CERTAIN 2004 FOCUS HAVE A TRANSAXLE MISALIGNMENT CAUSING PRE-MATURE CLUTCH WEAR AND NOISE. WIPER SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED BY RC LACY FORD, BETTER SERVICE, BUT THEY WON'T SERVICE ME ANYMORE, SINCE I DID NOT BUY IT THERE, AND RAVENA IS SO CLOSE. I NEED TO CONTACT CROSSROADS ABOUT ALL FUTURE WARRANTY ISSUES AND COMPLAINTS. DOORS IN THE REAR ALSO STICK, AND WEAR OF DOOR STRIKER IS EVIDENT. TIRES HAVE ALSO BEEN WORN PRETTY BAD PIRELLI 195/60 R15. BACK PAIR ARE TOTALLY BALD, AND ONLY HAVE HAD LIKE 18,000 MILES, I THINK IT WAS A ALIGNMENT ISSUE, WHICH FOR A CAR 17 MONTHS OLD SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. I NOTICED WEAR AT AROUND 13,000 MILES. DURING MY SECOND TIRE ROTATION. HAVE HAD TOO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS NEW VEHICLE. ALSO ISSUES WITH EXTREME CHIPPING AROUND THE REAR WHEEL WELL. ALSO HAVE HAD A HESITATION PROBLEM AT ABOUT 25 MPH. #RD GEAR USED TO BE DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE. PLEASE HELP ME RESOLVE THESE ISSUES. I GOT NOWHERE WITH THE DEALERS MYSELF. THE VIN IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE VIN. MY CAR IS A 2004 ZX5 DURATEC 2.3E 5 SPD. ALMOST ALL OPTIONS INCLUDED. THANK YOU. *NM
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED . DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE, AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK FORD MRFG STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF STALLIN…
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WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED . DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE, AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK FORD MRFG STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF STALLING (FAILURE) DOES NOT INDICATE A SAFETY PROBLEM. THERE HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH 1/2 TANK OF GAS OR LESS SINCE THE CAR REACH 50,000 MILES. *BF
WHEN PARKING A 2004 FORD FOCUS, THEY ARE DESIGNED IN A MANNER IF YOU PARK TO CLOSE TO A CURB STOP THE OIL FILTER CAN BE HIT AND KNOCKED OFF THE CAR. ALL OF THE OIL DRAINED OUT AND WITHIN LESS THAN 4 MILES THE CAR WAS INOPERABLE. FORD MOTOR LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND CLAIMED THE OWNER WOULD NEED TO COME UP WIT…
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WHEN PARKING A 2004 FORD FOCUS, THEY ARE DESIGNED IN A MANNER IF YOU PARK TO CLOSE TO A CURB STOP THE OIL FILTER CAN BE HIT AND KNOCKED OFF THE CAR. ALL OF THE OIL DRAINED OUT AND WITHIN LESS THAN 4 MILES THE CAR WAS INOPERABLE. FORD MOTOR LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND CLAIMED THE OWNER WOULD NEED TO COME UP WITH $5300 TO FIX THE CAR. THEY CLAIMED THE CONSUMER WAS LIABLE AND IT WAS HER FAULT AND NOT A DESIGN DEFECT, CLAIMING THE MOTOR FROZE AFTER 2-4 MILES AND NO OIL LIGHT EVER COMING ON. *NM
VEHICLE HAS STALLED / SPUTTERED WHILE DRIVING OR IDLING.*MR THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME THEY SAID SOMETHING DIFFERENT WAS WRONG. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE, CLEANED OUT THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK, REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTER AND HAVE NOW REPLACED THE TR…
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VEHICLE HAS STALLED / SPUTTERED WHILE DRIVING OR IDLING.*MR THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME THEY SAID SOMETHING DIFFERENT WAS WRONG. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE, CLEANED OUT THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK, REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTER AND HAVE NOW REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. *JB
2004 FORD FOCUS SVT *PURCHASED NEW ON APRIL 30; CAR IS LESS THAN 20 DAYS OLD *ENGINE EXHIBITS "SURGING" BETWEEN 2000-3500, ALL GEARS, ALL TEMPERATURES, LIGHT ACCELERATION *CONCERN THAT SURGING COULD THE CAR TO LUNGE FORWARD, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR FATALITY *CONTACTED FORD SVT TEAM (800-367-3788) AND WAS TOLD THEY ARE AWARE O…
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2004 FORD FOCUS SVT *PURCHASED NEW ON APRIL 30; CAR IS LESS THAN 20 DAYS OLD *ENGINE EXHIBITS "SURGING" BETWEEN 2000-3500, ALL GEARS, ALL TEMPERATURES, LIGHT ACCELERATION *CONCERN THAT SURGING COULD THE CAR TO LUNGE FORWARD, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR FATALITY *CONTACTED FORD SVT TEAM (800-367-3788) AND WAS TOLD THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT NOT CURRENTLY WORKING ON A FIX AS "NOT ENOUGH. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER MANAGED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT SPARK PLUGS AND THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE WERE WORN. MECHANIC REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND THE HEAD ENGINE. *LA
WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. *AK
Official recalls
105V030000 · 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
1AQ10001 · 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.