2004 Ford Focus Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Focus years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 14th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 387 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Ford Focus. That ranks 14th out of 20 Focus model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (183 complaints, 47%), typically at around 53,000 miles. Complaints mention 34 crashes, 13 fires, 34 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 387owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 34complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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 | 183 | 47% | 53,000 | “key turn” (23%) | $620 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 31 | 8% | 14,739 | — | — |
| Steering | 29 | 7% | 54,111 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 28 | 7% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 24 | 6% | 53,374 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 22 | 6% | 49,380 | — | — |
| Power Train | 20 | 5% | 34,190 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 5% | 41,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 17 | 4% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 14 | 4% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 13 | 3% | 145,275 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 3% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 9 | 2% | 30,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 2% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 2% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 8 | 2% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 2% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 2% | 19,392 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 1% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 5 | 1% | 4,800 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1% | 120,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 50,759 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 175,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 29,449 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 115,250 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 142,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 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.
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…
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.
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…
I was coming home one night, in my 2004 Ford focus, when another driver comes speeding up behind me. He then proceeds to pass me during a corner, cutting me off. I hit the brakes and lost control. Ended up rolling my vehicle with my 8 month old daughter and i. Back window exploded, and not a single…
rear passenger door wont latch shut.Door flies open when making turns
Other Ford Focus years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Focus | 837 | 7 |
| 2017 Focus | 899 | 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 | 387 | 1 |
| 2003 Focus | 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
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Ford Focus?
Owners most often report electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic, steering problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 183 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Ford Focus?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.