2004 Ford Focus problems and complaints
Owners have filed 387 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Ford Focus. The most-reported areas: Electrical System (183), Service Brakes (40), Hydraulic (31).
Key takeaways
- 387 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 34 involve a crash, 13 a fire, 34 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 183 | 47% |
| Service Brakes | 40 | 10% |
| Hydraulic | 31 | 8% |
| Steering | 29 | 7% |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 28 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 24 | 6% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 22 | 6% |
| Power Train | 20 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 5% |
| Suspension | 17 | 4% |
| Structure | 14 | 4% |
| Engine | 13 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Ford Focus 2-DR. HB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
| 2004 Ford Focus 4-DR. Wagon | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
| 2004 Ford Focus 4-DR. | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Engine And Engine Cooling - filed 2026-01-13
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle jerked abnormally. There were three clicks before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after approximately 10 minutes. The contact stated tha...
Electrical System,unknown Or Other,engine - filed 2023-04-05
As I was stopped at red light it stalled as I drove thru. So I pulled over. Got out to open hood. It was smoking.struggled to open hood. Ran around to get towel to smother the fire. But it was too far gone. Man told me just leave it. It was total loss.
Unknown Or Other - filed 2022-10-07
2004 ford focus started bucking a few years ago, on occasions only. For months there was no problem and than it would buck. If I shut off the engine and waited a few minutes and started it, it would drive without bucking. Recently, it stalled while driving. Fortunately, I was on a country road and could pull over t...
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More for the 2004 Ford Focus
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.