no report yet
Doors: latch
Risk. IF NOT LATCHED PROPERLY, THE DOOR MAY OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
2004 Ford FocusProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 387 owner complaints about the 2004 Ford Focus, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 13, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2004 Ford Focus has problems
387 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
183Electrical system9 crash/fire/injury
31Service brakes, hydraulic6 crash/fire/injury
29Steering2 crash/fire/injury
28Latches/locks/linkages
24Air bags
22Engine and engine cooling
20Power train
18Vehicle speed control
17Suspension
10317 other systems18 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 183 | 9 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 31 | 6 |
| Steering | 29 | 2 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 28 | 0 |
| Air bags | 24 | 21 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 22 | 3 |
| Power train | 20 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 18 | 7 |
| Suspension | 17 | 0 |
| 17 other systems | 103 | 18 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2004 Ford Focus recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
53kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 136 electrical system complaints. 90% were reported before 100,000 miles.
15under 30k miles123under 100k miles13100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Electrical system
22 owners mentioned a cost$400median
Middle half: $362 – $450
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2004 vs. every other Focus year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Focus median. How we score
'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2004 Ford Focus safety ratings
2004 Ford Focus 2-DR. HB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2004 Ford Focus, and the recalls they led to.
- Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion AuditNo recall
In owners' words
What Focus owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A LOUD NOISE WAS DETECTED FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE KEY OVERHEATED IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO DRIVE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR…
MY BATTERY LIGHT SEEMS TO FLASH WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. CAR HAS STALLED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING TRY TO ACCELERATE OVER 50 MILES AN HOUR CAR WILL SHUT OFF. BACK HATCH ON WAGON SEEMS TO RELEASE ITSELF WHILE DRIVING WELL UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY. HAVE REPLACED THREE THERMOSTAT AND THERMOSTAT HOUSING DUE…
Own a 2004 Focus?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.