2003 Ford Focus Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 2003 Ford Focus, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 20,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “brake pads” (20% of reports).
- 51service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- 20,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 40%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Brake pads: mentioned in 10 of 51 complaints (20%)
- Applying brakes: mentioned in 7 of 51 complaints (14%)
- Front rotors: mentioned in 5 of 51 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 31 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 51 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire.
Ford Focus service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Focus | 2 | 0% | 69,470 |
| 2017 Focus | 1 | 0% | 9,026 |
| 2016 Focus | 4 | 0% | 134,500 |
| 2014 Focus | 4 | 0% | 38,000 |
| 2013 Focus | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2012 Focus | 5 | 0% | 6,750 |
| 2011 Focus | 2 | 2% | 73,673 |
| 2010 Focus | 3 | 1% | 9,000 |
| 2009 Focus | 5 | 2% | 6,318 |
| 2008 Focus | 2 | 1% | 70,866 |
| 2007 Focus | 11 | 3% | 25,000 |
| 2006 Focus | 7 | 3% | 32,000 |
| 2005 Focus | 18 | 4% | 15,500 |
| 2004 Focus | 31 | 8% | 14,739 |
| 2003 Focus | 51 | 5% | 20,000 |
| 2002 Focus | 64 | 7% | 23,000 |
| 2001 Focus | 176 | 10% | 24,641 |
| 2000 Focus | 406 | 11% | 32,406 |
| 1999 Focus | 2 | 18% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes, hydraulic for the 2003 Ford Focus. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Manufacturing defect places the plastic inner fender against the front left brake line. The plastic inner fender is allowed to rub a hole in the front left brake line. The front left brake line leaked due to wear caused by the plastic inner fender. Loss of brakes due to a hole in the front left…
Leaking brake line. The leak was caused by the front left plastic inner fender rubbing against the brake line. I have digital pictures available. *tr
Brake lockup under abs. When the vehicle is engaged in a braking event sufficient to activate the abs system, all four brakes lockup and do not release until the vehicle has come to a complete stop. This has happened under winter conditions (snow/ice), in the rain and in the dry. The incident in…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford Focuss have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 51 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the 2003 Ford Focus (5% of the 977 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford Focus service brakes, hydraulic?
No recall currently lists service brakes, hydraulic for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
The median reported mileage is 20,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 2003 Ford Focus?
The most frequent phrase is “brake pads”, in 10 of 51 complaints, followed by “applying brakes” (7).
Other 2003 Ford Focus problems
See all 2003 Ford Focus problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all Focus years.