IllustrationMY IGNITION LOCKED UP ON MY FORD FOCUS. *TR
2005 Ford Focus
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2005 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
740–25K
6725–50K
7350–75K
5175–100K
50100–150K
29150K+
344 reports with mileage · 97 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 113 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 51 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
43 crash reports9 fire reports32 injury reports
What owners actually said
441 reportsKEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION, THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS REPAIR AS THE PROBLEM IS NOT AN ISOLATED INSTANCE. THERE ARE HUNDRED OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS, YET FORD WILL NOT ABSORB THE REPAIR. *TR
LIKE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS MY 2005 FORD FOCUS IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN IN A 2005 FOCUS AND I WAS LEFT STRANDED. THIS THANKFULLY WAS AT MY WORKPLACE AND I WAS NOT IN ANY IMMEDIATE DANGER. *TR
POWER DOOR LOCKS LOCK UNEXPECTIALY WHILE ENGINE IS ON OR OFF. *TR
MY WIFE'S 2005 FORD FOCUS, GOING 35-40 MPH, RAN HEAD-ON INTO THE SIDE OF A SUV THAT RAN A STOP-SIGN IN FRONT ON HER. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
I OWNED A 2005 FORD FOCUS STATION WAGON AND SUFFERED A REAR END COLLISION WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT. AS A RESULT OF THE POOR SEAT CONSTRUCTION, MY LUMBAR SPINE WAS WEDGED IN THE GAP BETWEEN THE SEAT CUSHION AND THE BACK CUSHION DURING THE IMPACT. AT THE TIME, I HAD THE SEAT LOWERED FOR COMFORT. UNFORTUNATELY, AS YOU LOWER THE SEA…
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I OWNED A 2005 FORD FOCUS STATION WAGON AND SUFFERED A REAR END COLLISION WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT. AS A RESULT OF THE POOR SEAT CONSTRUCTION, MY LUMBAR SPINE WAS WEDGED IN THE GAP BETWEEN THE SEAT CUSHION AND THE BACK CUSHION DURING THE IMPACT. AT THE TIME, I HAD THE SEAT LOWERED FOR COMFORT. UNFORTUNATELY, AS YOU LOWER THE SEAT, YOU ALSO CREATE A GAP BETWEEN THE SEAT CUSHION AND THE BACK CUSHION, EXPOSING THE LUMBAR SPINE TO THAT GAP. THIS IS WHERE MY LOWER SPINE WAS WEDGED AS A RESULT OF THE REAR-END COLLISION. THE BACK CUSHION HAS TOO LITTLE SUPPORT TO KEEP THE SPINE FROM BUCKLING AND WEDGING ITSELF, BUTT FIRST. NOW, THE GAP WASN'T THAT BIG FOR ME, ONLY ABOUT AN INCH OR SO, BUT THE SEAT PADDING AROUND THE GAP IS UNSUPPORTED AND FLEXIBLE. IMAGINE NOW A REAR END COLLISION WITH A TALL PERSON SITTING IN THAT SEAT, WHERE THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE GAP BETWEEN THE SEAT CUSHION AND THE BACK CUSHION, SAY MAYBE TWO OR MORE INCHES. IN A REAR END COLLISION, WITH THE FRONT BRAKES APPLIED, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY BUCKLES UPWARD AND FORWARD, WHILE THE BODIES IN THE CAR MOVE DOWN AND BACK, AS IN MY CASE (SINCE OBJECTS AT REST [MY BODY] RESPOND ONLY AFTER THE IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE). JUST WATCH ALL THOSE DUMMY COMMERCIALS... THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD IF YOU MANIPULATE THE LEVER TO LOWER THE SEAT CUSHION. FACT: THE EUROPEAN FORD FOCUS DRIVER SEAT MOVES AS AN ENTIRE UNIT (BOTH SEAT CUSHION AND BACK CUSHION MOVE TOGETHER AS A UNIT, NEVER CREATING SUCH A GAP) FACT: THE U.S. MODEL IS THE CHEAP ALTERNATIVE TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF AN ADJUSTABLE SEAT. INSTEAD, THE LEVER LOWERS AND RAISES ONLY THE SEAT BUCKET PORTION FOR THE DRIVER, WHILE EXPOSING A GAP BETWEEN IT AND THE BACK CUSHION. THE BACK SUPPORT STAYS IN THE SAME PLACE ANOTHER FACT: ALL EUROPEAN MODELS HAVE HEADRESTS IN THE BACK SEAT ANOTHER FACT: AL U.S. MODELS HAVE NO HEADRESTS IN THE BACK SEAT. *TR
THE REAR DOORS OF MY FORD FOCUS HAVE TWICE OPENED WHILE DRIVING DUE TO A RUSTED OUT LATCH MECHANISM. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS 9/30/07 AND THE SECOND WAS 11/5/07. THE SECOND TIME THERE WAS A CHILD IN THE BACKSEAT. THE CAR IS A 2005 MODEL AND ONLY 2 YEARS OLD. THE LATCHES WERE RECALLED ON 2000-2005 MODELS BUT APPARENTLY NOT MY SPE…
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THE REAR DOORS OF MY FORD FOCUS HAVE TWICE OPENED WHILE DRIVING DUE TO A RUSTED OUT LATCH MECHANISM. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS 9/30/07 AND THE SECOND WAS 11/5/07. THE SECOND TIME THERE WAS A CHILD IN THE BACKSEAT. THE CAR IS A 2005 MODEL AND ONLY 2 YEARS OLD. THE LATCHES WERE RECALLED ON 2000-2005 MODELS BUT APPARENTLY NOT MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE. AFTER HAVING TO PAY 2 TIMES IN A LITTLE OVER A MONTH TO REPAIR THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE DOOR LATCHES IN MY VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING EITHER OF THESE INCIDENTS. *TR
2005 FORD FOCUS WITH AIR BAG LIGHT ON, AND OTHER PROBLEMS. CUSTOMER STATES THAT ALONG WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT CLOSE AND THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. *KB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL FILTER ERUPTED AND CAUSED FUEL TO SPRAY OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. ANOTHER DEALER REPLACED THE CLIPS THAT KEPT THE FILTER ATTACHED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,320. …
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL FILTER ERUPTED AND CAUSED FUEL TO SPRAY OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. ANOTHER DEALER REPLACED THE CLIPS THAT KEPT THE FILTER ATTACHED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,320. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF GAS FROM THE VEHICLE AND UPON INSPECTION FOUND THAT GASOLINE WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH. THE CONSUMER STATED TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED HER THE FUEL FILTER WAS NOT SEATED CORRECTLY. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE PREVIOUS DEALER WHO INFORMED HER THAT THEY HAD INSTALLED THE FUEL FILTER CORRECTLY THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN FAULTY CLIPS. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER SHE WOULD BE RECEIVING A CHECK FOR REIMBURSEMENT BUT TO NO AVAIL. UPDATED 10/11/07 *TR
2005 FOCUS WITH APPOX. 18000 MILES, I AM UNABLE TO START MY CAR. IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT TURN TO CRANK POSITION NOR WILL IT TURN ON ACCESSORIES. *JB
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.