Ford Focus
Owners filed 22,083 complaints across 20 model years of the Ford Focus. The 2012 drew the most (3,768); the 1999 the fewest (11).
Model years20
Complaints22,083
Recalls132
Fires287
Deaths35
Every Ford Focus model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 834 | 7 | 3 | 15 | Power Train | Above average | |
| 2017 | 896 | 10 | 2 | 18 | Power Train | Above average | |
| 2016 | 1,180 | 10 | 2 | 27 | Power Train | Above average | |
| 2015 | 1,018 | 9 | 4 | 31 | Power Train | Above average | |
| 2014 | 2,601 | 12 | 9 | 68 | Power Train | Do not drive | |
| 2013 | 2,110 | 12 | 12 | 49 | Power Train | Fatalities reported | |
| 2012 | 3,768 | 8 | 15 | 107 | Power Train | Fatalities reported | |
| 2011 | 113 | 0 | — | 8 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2010 | 287 | 0 | 4 | 22 | Vehicle Speed Control | Above average | |
| 2009 | 229 | 0 | 2 | 26 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 2008 | 250 | 2 | — | 21 | Electrical System | Above average | |
| 2007 | 391 | 2 | 7 | 60 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 2006 | 204 | 2 | 3 | 22 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 2005 | 441 | 5 | 9 | 43 | Electrical System | Above average | |
| 2004 | 387 | 6 | 13 | 34 | Electrical System › Ignition | Fatalities reported | |
| 2003 | 977 | 7 | 17 | 52 | Electrical System › Ignition | Fatalities reported | |
| 2002 | 939 | 8 | 20 | 82 | Electrical System › Ignition | Fatalities reported | |
| 2001 | 1,761 | 14 | 47 | 172 | Electrical System › Ignition | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 3,686 | 18 | 118 | 248 | Electrical System › Ignition | Fatalities reported | |
| 1999 | 11 | 0 | — | — | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | Routine |
Which Ford Focus years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2012 is the weakest year on record, with 3,768 complaints concentrated in the power train. It carries 8 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.