What breaks most · 1999 to 2018 model years
Ford Focus problems by year
Owners have filed 22,070 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Focus across model years 1999 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2012 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2000 for electrical system complaints and 2014 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 1999, 2011 and 2006.
- Years to check closely: 2012, 2000, 2014
- Fewest complaints: 1999, 2011, 2006
- Complaints on file
- 220701999 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 20123767 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 1105288 fires · 896 injuries · 35 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 60kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 132Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 3686 | 248 | 18 | Electrical system (1343) | |
| 1761 | 172 | 14 | Electrical system (496) | |
| 939 | 82 | 8 | Electrical system (277) | |
| 977 | 52 | 7 | Electrical system (522) | |
| 387 | 34 | 6 | Electrical system (183) | |
| 441 | 43 | 5 | Electrical system (113) | |
| 204 | 22 | 2 | Electrical system (47) | |
| 391 | 60 | 2 | Air bags (118) | |
| 250 | 21 | 2 | Electrical system (57) | |
| 229 | 26 | 0 | Electrical system (45) | |
| 287 | 22 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (50) | |
| 113 | 8 | 0 | Electrical system (25) | |
| 3767 | 107 | 8 | Powertrain and transmission (1445) | |
| 2109 | 49 | 12 | Powertrain and transmission (1101) | |
| 2597 | 68 | 12 | Powertrain and transmission (1574) | |
| 1016 | 31 | 9 | Powertrain and transmission (557) | |
| 1180 | 27 | 10 | Powertrain and transmission (672) | |
| 896 | 18 | 10 | Powertrain and transmission (452) | |
| 830 | 15 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (318) |
What fails on the 2012 Ford Focus
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 38% |
1445 | 31 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 25% |
927 | 23 | Shop steering parts for the 2012 Ford Focus |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 13% |
475 | 9 | Shop engine parts for the 2012 Ford Focus |
| Unknown or other | 10% |
358 | 9 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 9% |
352 | 9 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2012 Ford Focus |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 9% |
332 | 9 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2012 Ford Focus |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 8% |
284 | 2 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2012 Ford Focus |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 4% |
166 | 13 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2012 Ford Focus |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
We have had constant problems with the car just randomly not starting. Some days it’ll work fine and then the next it won’t start even if you try to jump it
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The key would no longer turn in the ignition, leaving me and my baby niece stranded far away from home. We parked the vehicle and when we returned, we found ourselves stranded, because the ignition lock could no longer be operated. Apparently this is a known problem with FORD focus locks!
-
The transmission over heating light comes on and says stop safely or wait 5 mins you can be going down the road and it jumps out gear and want go anywhere and it very dangerous.and I want no if ford fixes the problem.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Focus years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2012, 2000, 2014 carry the most filings on the Ford Focus. The 2012 alone has 3767 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Ford Focus problem?
On the 2012 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 1445 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Focus problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Focus complaints that include mileage is about 60,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.