IllustrationDRIVER SEAT SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN RIGHT FRONT TIRE HIT ROUND LANE MARKER AT ABOUT 40 MPH.*AK
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
What owners actually said
387 reportsWHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN A PEDESTRIAN WAS WALKING IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. TO AVOID HITTING THE PEDESTRIAN VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE SLOWING TO ATTEMPT TO STOP, DEPRESSING BRAKE BECAME VERY HARD, AND CAR WOULD NOT STOP. THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASED MOMENTARILY WHILE FOOT ON BRAKE, TACHOMETER SHOWED INCREASED RPM, CAR MOVED FOWARD FASTER, AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THIS WAS 4TH TIME THIS OCCURRED WITH NEW VEHICLE, WITHIN FIRST 2000 MILES. FIRST THREE TIME…
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WHILE SLOWING TO ATTEMPT TO STOP, DEPRESSING BRAKE BECAME VERY HARD, AND CAR WOULD NOT STOP. THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASED MOMENTARILY WHILE FOOT ON BRAKE, TACHOMETER SHOWED INCREASED RPM, CAR MOVED FOWARD FASTER, AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THIS WAS 4TH TIME THIS OCCURRED WITH NEW VEHICLE, WITHIN FIRST 2000 MILES. FIRST THREE TIMES NO COLLISION OCCURRED DUE TO LUCK.
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD. CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE PRESSURE IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP.*AK
THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER AFTER BEING PUSHED IN GETTING HOT POPPED OUT OF THE HOLDER AND LANDED EITHER ON THE OCCUPANT'S LAP OR ON THE CARPETING. WHEN THIS WAS SHOWN TO THE RENTAL COMPANY, AND A DEMONSTRATION WAS DONE, THE LIGHTER BURNED THE REPRESENTATIVE'S LEGS. THIS WAS A BUDGET RENTAL VEHICLE.*AK
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
LOCK CYLINDER WILL NOT OPERATE TO START CAR. KEY WILL NOT TURN. I PURCHASED CAR USED WITH 24161 MILES AS USED WITH BALANCE OF NEW CAR WARRENTEY. FIRST HAPPENED AT 30810 MILES , 35500 MILES,40211 MILES, AND AT 42152 MILES. THE CAR IS UNUSABLE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. *JB
I RENTED A FORD FOCUS 2004 WITH JUST UNDER 12,000 MILES IN SAN FRANCISCO FROM FOX RENT A CAR. THE BRAKES WERE MAKING NOISES WHEN I WOULD COME TO A STOP. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR DOWN LOMBARD STREET THE CAR SMELLED LIKE BURNING WIRES BUT AT THAT TIME I WAS NOT SURE IF THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM OUR CAR OR ANOTHER ACR. TWO DAYS LATER…
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I RENTED A FORD FOCUS 2004 WITH JUST UNDER 12,000 MILES IN SAN FRANCISCO FROM FOX RENT A CAR. THE BRAKES WERE MAKING NOISES WHEN I WOULD COME TO A STOP. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR DOWN LOMBARD STREET THE CAR SMELLED LIKE BURNING WIRES BUT AT THAT TIME I WAS NOT SURE IF THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM OUR CAR OR ANOTHER ACR. TWO DAYS LATER I DROVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND EXITED, DROVE ON THE SERVICE RAOD GOING NOW ABOUT 25MILES/ HOUR THEN AS I CAME TO THE OTHER CARS I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN TO A STOP TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN. I WAS PRESSING ON THE BRAKE BUT NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE IF MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND IT WAS AND STILL THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING. I THEN PUT MY FOOT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR ON THE BRAKE AND STILL NOTHING HAPPENED. I THEN GENTLY ROLLED INTO THE CAR INFRONT OF ME. FOX RENT A CAR STADED IT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSABLE FOR A NEWER CAR TO HAVE BRAKE PROBLEMS. I THEN CONTACTED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO STATED "FORD HAS NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES." LATER I SEARCHED ON GOOGLE AND FOUND I WAS NOT ALONE. *JB
I BROUGHT CAR BRAND NEW FROM FORD IN MARCH 2004. SINCE THEN THE BRAKES, AND CALIPERS, ROTORS HAVE SQUEALED HORRIBLY. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE SHOP THREE TIMES HAD NUMEROUS PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. I FINALLY TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC OUTSIDE FORD WHO TOLD ME THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND GLAZED…
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I BROUGHT CAR BRAND NEW FROM FORD IN MARCH 2004. SINCE THEN THE BRAKES, AND CALIPERS, ROTORS HAVE SQUEALED HORRIBLY. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE SHOP THREE TIMES HAD NUMEROUS PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. I FINALLY TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC OUTSIDE FORD WHO TOLD ME THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND GLAZED. THIS CAR IS ONLY3 MONTHS OLD. THEY ARE AT A .8 AND SHOULD BE 1 INCH. THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE NVER BEEN REPLACED. I HAVE CHILDREN THAT RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE WITH ME.*AK
THE INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHT AND TURN SIGNALS WERE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH. *AK *NM
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.