2003 Ford Focus Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Focus years
- About as many complaints as other years 8th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 977 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Focus. That ranks 8th out of 20 Focus model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (522 complaints, 53%), typically at around 60,000 miles. Complaints mention 52 crashes, 17 fires, 51 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 977owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 52complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Ford Focus problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 522 | 53% | 60,000 | “key turn” (28%) | $620 |
| Latches/locks/linkages problems | 82 | 8% | 66,666 | “key turn” (20%) | $510 |
| Steering problems | 73 | 7% | 70,500 | “key turn” (23%) | $540 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 60 | 6% | 56,189 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 51 | 5% | 20,000 | “brake pads” (20%) | — |
| Suspension | 49 | 5% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 48 | 5% | 19,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 46 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 40 | 4% | 59,246 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 25 | 3% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 25 | 3% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 22 | 2% | 28,612 | — | — |
| Equipment | 20 | 2% | 32,765 | — | — |
| Engine | 18 | 2% | 111,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 18 | 2% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 16 | 2% | 70,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 | 2% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 1% | 9,250 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 12 | 1% | 16,633 | — | — |
| Wheels | 10 | 1% | 42,585 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 1% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 5 | 1% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 0% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 0% | 91,216 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 0% | 104,500 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 10,453 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Ford Focus recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles with four or five doors and originally sold in or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, a build-up of corrosion at the pawl pivot area of the rear door latch can cause a binding condition of the pawl that may affect proper engagement of the pawl into the catch. The occupant may experience difficulty opening or closing a rear door, and eventually the rear door may not latch properly.
Risk: If not latched properly, the door may open while the vehicle is in motion. If an occupant fell out of the vehicle, personal injuries could occur.
Fix: Dealers will have a lower rocker seal added to the door and have the rear door latches evaluated free of charge. A latch that passes the evaluation will be lubricated to prevent future corrosion. A latch that does not pass the evaluation will be replaced. In addition, a sticker will be affixed to the rear doors advising the owners to use the recommended lubricant. The recall began on march 9, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit (AQ10001) — opened Nov 18, 2010, closed Dec 28, 2015.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
wiring harness fused together
Vehicle has a recall for Rear Door Latches. I have attempted to take the vehicle to 2 different Cloninger Ford in Hickory and Cloninger Ford in Valdese. Both dealerships claim they can not do the recall due to parts. I would like to know what steps do I need to take to get my vehicle repaired for…
Ignition issues. The key will not turn in the ignition. Cannot start my vehicle or turn the steering wheel. My car only has just over 56,000 miles. I am seeing that this is a common complaint and could be a safety issue. I am elderly and disabled and it could be a serious issue to my health if i am…
Drivers side rear door will not latch just flies open. *tr
2003 ford focus. Consumer writes in regards to inadequate structural steel. *ld the consumer stated the steel on the control arms were poorly manufactured. While driving the vehicle, it suddenly dead stopped, turned right, making a cracking noise. The control arm had snapped and dug into the tar…
Other Ford Focus years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Focus | 837 | 7 |
| 2017 Focus | 898 | 10 |
| 2016 Focus | 1,183 | 10 |
| 2015 Focus | 1,022 | 9 |
| 2014 Focus | 2,603 | 12 |
| 2013 Focus | 2,112 | 11 |
| 2012 Focus | 3,769 | 7 |
| 2011 Focus | 113 | 0 |
| 2010 Focus | 287 | 0 |
| 2009 Focus | 229 | 0 |
| 2008 Focus | 250 | 1 |
| 2007 Focus | 391 | 0 |
| 2006 Focus | 205 | 0 |
| 2005 Focus | 441 | 1 |
| 2004 Focus | 387 | 1 |
| 2003 | 977 | 1 |
| 2002 Focus | 939 | 1 |
| 2001 Focus | 1,761 | 7 |
| 2000 Focus | 3,686 | 11 |
| 1999 Focus | 11 | 0 |
See all Ford Focus problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
Embed this 2003 Ford Focus badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Ford Focus?
Owners most often report electrical system, latches/locks/linkages, steering problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 522 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford Focus?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Ford Focus a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Focus model years, the 2003 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.