IllustrationTAKATA RECALL I HAVE CALLED THE FORD DEALERS IN BOTH CARSON CITY AND RENO NEVADA. BOTH DEALERS STATE THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO DO THE RESULTS.
2009 Ford Focus
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 2009 Ford Focus are lower than 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
460–25K
5325–50K
3150–75K
3175–100K
23100–150K
5150K+
189 reports with mileage · 40 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 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
26 crash reports2 fire reports13 injury reports
What owners actually said
229 reportsOCCASIONALLY, WITHOUT WARNING OR PREDICTION, WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, MY BRAKE PEDAL WILL TRAVEL NEARLY TO THE FLOOR WHICH REDUCES BRAKING TIME AND ABILITY. BRAKING TYPICALLY RETURNS TO NORMAL AFTER EACH INCIDENT. AT NO POINT DOES AN ABS OR BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT COME ON. THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST 1 OR 2 TIMES DURING MY COM…
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OCCASIONALLY, WITHOUT WARNING OR PREDICTION, WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, MY BRAKE PEDAL WILL TRAVEL NEARLY TO THE FLOOR WHICH REDUCES BRAKING TIME AND ABILITY. BRAKING TYPICALLY RETURNS TO NORMAL AFTER EACH INCIDENT. AT NO POINT DOES AN ABS OR BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT COME ON. THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST 1 OR 2 TIMES DURING MY COMMUTE EACH WAY TO WORK, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 18 MILES AWAY OR A 1 HOUR DRIVE TIME WITH TRAFFIC.
INSERT KEY, TURN TO START, WILL NOT START, HAVE TO PUSH IN KEY HARD FOR THE IGNITION TO START CAR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY, BUT THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AWAY FROM THE SCE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY, BUT THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AWAY FROM THE SCENE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A HISTORY OF STEERING FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL JERKED TO THE RIGHT ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. A DEALER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE CRASH OR THE STEERING FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5,000.
THE AIRBAG LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON ONE DAY AND IT DOES NOT GO OUT. I RESEARCHED IT ON GOOGLE AND IT APPEARS TO BE VERY COMMON IN FORD FOCUS VEHICLES. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT IN MY RESEARCH I LEARNED ALTHOUGH THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE, IF THE LIGHT IS ON THE AIR BAG WILL NOT WORK IF NEEDED.
THE IGNITION SWITCH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN OR START THE CAR. IF I DO NOT PLAY WITH THE STEERING WILL IT WILL NOT START. I DON'T THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE THIS HARD TO START A CAR.
THE IGNITION ,AT TIMES DOSE NOT START CAR. BATTERY STAYS CHARGED.
IGNITION SWITCH WORN PARTS, COMMON COMPLAINT RECALL EARLIER MODELS, PROBLEM PERSISTS IN 2009 FOCUS. WARRANTS RECALL AND FORD FIX.
THE DOORS BECOME LOCKED AND YOU CANNOT OPEN THEM FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. ALL UNLOCKING DEVICES TO UNLOCK THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK THEM. TOOK TO A MECHANIC AND HE GOT LOCKED INSIDE THE CAR AND COULD NOT GET OUT. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SITUATION.
HAD AND ACCIDENT AFTER 6 MONTHS OF PAYING ON THE CAR, WHICH WAS SEPT. 2009.. INSIDE OF TIRED BALD, TOOK TO FORD TO HAVE OIL CHANGED, AND SUPPOSED LOOK OVER, BUT WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT THE INSIDE WARN TIRES. BACK DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUT, FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE, HAVE HAD TO BUY TIRES EV…
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HAD AND ACCIDENT AFTER 6 MONTHS OF PAYING ON THE CAR, WHICH WAS SEPT. 2009.. INSIDE OF TIRED BALD, TOOK TO FORD TO HAVE OIL CHANGED, AND SUPPOSED LOOK OVER, BUT WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT THE INSIDE WARN TIRES. BACK DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUT, FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE, HAVE HAD TO BUY TIRES EVERY SIX MONTHS, BECAUSE CAR WEARS THEM OUT, CONSTANT REPAIRS THAT NEVER SEEM TO FIX THE CAR HANDLING ISSUES.. HAD FAR TOO MANY REPAIRS FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS OF HAVING THE CAR..
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.