What breaks most · 1990 to 2003 model years
FORD FORD problems by year
Owners have filed 285 safety complaints with NHTSA about the FORD FORD across model years 1990 to 2003. Three years stand out: 2000 for electrical system complaints, 2002 for suspension complaints and 2003 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 1991, 1992 and 1993.
- Years to check closely: 2000, 2002, 2003
- Fewest complaints: 1991, 1992, 1993
- Complaints on file
- 2851990 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 200052 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 1530 fires · 21 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 68kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | 0 | Tires (3) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | Seat belts (1) | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | Tires (3) | |
| 15 | 1 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (3) | |
| 18 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 16 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 17 | 1 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 25 | 2 | 0 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 52 | 4 | 0 | Electrical system (12) | |
| 31 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 43 | 2 | 0 | Suspension (10) | |
| 40 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (13) |
What fails on the 2000 FORD FORD
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 23% |
12 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 13% |
7 | 1 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 12% |
6 | 1 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 12% |
6 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 10% |
5 | 0 | — |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Air bags | 6% |
3 | 3 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 6% |
3 | 0 | Shop all exterior lighting parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
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.
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Have experience electrical problem for years. A blower continues to run even when the vehicle is turned off, causing the radio and windshield wipers not to work properly.
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While driving my 2002 FORD taurus i experienced the failure of both front coil springs which cut open like a can opener one front tires and damaged the other. I had to have both tires and springs replaced. If i was traveling more than 15 mph i fear i would not be here today.*cn
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I purchased my 2003 FORD focus in 2005 and ever since the ignition switch gets stuck but it has got stuck over the last three years . *cn
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 FORD years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2000, 2002, 2003 carry the most filings on the FORD FORD. The 2000 alone has 52 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common FORD FORD problem?
On the 2000 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 12 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do FORD FORD problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all FORD FORD complaints that include mileage is about 68,000 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.