2005 Ford Focus Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Focus years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 12th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 441 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Ford Focus. That ranks 12th out of 20 Focus model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (113 complaints, 26%), typically at around 69,961 miles. Complaints mention 43 crashes, 9 fires, 41 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 441owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 43complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 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 | 113 | 26% | 69,961 | “stuck ignition” (17%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 51 | 12% | 55,000 | “air bag” (37%) | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages problems | 50 | 11% | 71,000 | “door lock” (18%) | — |
| Power Train | 47 | 11% | 53,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 45 | 10% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 43 | 10% | 76,025 | — | — |
| Suspension | 27 | 6% | 39,171 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 20 | 5% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 4% | 14,578 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 18 | 4% | 15,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 18 | 4% | 60,133 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 18 | 4% | 57,300 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 17 | 4% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 15 | 3% | 22,400 | — | — |
| Wheels | 15 | 3% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 13 | 3% | 76,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 11 | 2% | 81,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 11 | 2% | 45,750 | — | — |
| Seats | 10 | 2% | 112,800 | — | — |
| Visibility | 10 | 2% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 1% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 1% | 84,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | 1% | 27,328 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 191,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 22,778 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 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.
My rear passenger door latch is corroded. It is difficult to open, it sometimes fails to open. I have children under the age of 3 in the backseats of my car. I do not want the latch to fail and the door to open while in motion. It is available for inspection upon service. Problems started to appear…
In a rear end accident the airbags never deployed. The seat belt also didn't catch me and my chest hit the steering wheel. I pressed hard on the breaks but it didn't feel like it was slowing down. I now have a fractured sternum and cannot drive or work. I have filed insurance claims and been to the…
I was driving my car and the engine started on fire. It ruined the entire engine. It was not overheating. All my fluids were full. I don't know why it happened.
Fuse continued to blow out causing entire left side of lights from front to back to turn off until new fuse replaced old. Was connected to continued lifting of hatchback on wagon model. Electrical harness was arcing and insulation flaking off and would have caused a fire had not the harness been…
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that while stopped, she would notice that her vehicle would bounce up and down. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed her that the engine mounts were defective and needed to be replaced immediately. The…
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 | 441 | 1 |
| 2004 Focus | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Ford Focus?
Owners most often report electrical system, air bags, latches/locks/linkages problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 113 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Ford Focus?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 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 2005 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.