Reliability & cost of ownership
Ford Focus Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Ford Focus? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Ford Focus problems by model year
132 recall entries and 22066 owner complaints on file across 19 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Focus | 7 | 832 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 Focus | 10 | 895 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2016 Focus | 10 | 1180 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 Focus | 9 | 1018 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 Focus | 12 | 2601 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2013 Focus | 12 | 2110 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 Focus | 8 | 3768 | 4.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2011 Focus | 0 | 113 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2010 Focus | 0 | 287 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2009 Focus | 0 | 229 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2008 Focus | 2 | 250 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2007 Focus | 2 | 391 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2006 Focus | 2 | 204 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2005 Focus | 5 | 441 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2004 Focus | 6 | 387 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2003 Focus | 7 | 977 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2002 Focus | 8 | 939 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 Focus | 14 | 1759 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2000 Focus | 18 | 3685 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Ford Focus, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- power train6784 complaints
- electrical system4334 complaints
- engine2314 complaints
- steering2097 complaints
- unknown or other1536 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system1433 complaints
- engine and engine cooling1262 complaints
- fuel system1245 complaints