Model Year Problem Record

Ford Focus 2003 - Problems, Recalls, and Investigations

The complete public record for the 2003 Ford Focus: what owners reported, which systems drew recalls, and where complaints exist that no recall has ever covered.

977Distinct owner complaintsSource: NHTSA Complaints

1Recall campaignsSource: NHTSA Recalls

1Defect investigationsSource: NHTSA Investigations

93Complaints reporting a crash or fireOwner Reports, Unverified

Complaints by System

Distinct complaints naming each system, most reported first. Select a system for its own page.

Did a Recall Cover It?

The join between complaints and recalls for this model year, system by system. A gap does not prove a defect - it means owners reported the problem and no recall campaign covers that system on this model year.

Electrical System536 complaints

536 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Latches, Locks and Linkages83 complaints

83 complaints; 1 recall campaign covers this system. Campaigns: 05V030000.

Engine78 complaints

78 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Steering76 complaints

76 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Brakes71 complaints

71 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Power Train50 complaints

50 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Suspension50 complaints

50 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Air Bags49 complaints

49 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Vehicle Structure41 complaints

41 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Visibility26 complaints

26 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Unknown Or Other25 complaints

25 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Equipment23 complaints

23 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Tires22 complaints

22 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Seats19 complaints

19 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Seat Belts16 complaints

16 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Lighting16 complaints

16 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Fuel and Propulsion System16 complaints

16 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Vehicle Speed Control14 complaints

14 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Wheels10 complaints

10 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Driver Assistance and Stability Systems3 complaints

3 complaints; no recall campaign covers this system.

Recall Campaigns

Every campaign covering this model year, in our own words. The campaign number is the official reference.

05V030000Reported February 1, 2005 - 589,932 vehicles potentially affected

Latches, Locks and Linkages. Recall covering the latches, locks and linkages system, reported to NHTSA on February 1, 2005. The campaign covers an estimated 589,932 vehicles across all affected models.

Defect Investigations

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened these investigations touching this model year.

AQ10001Opened November 18, 2010 - Closed December 28, 2015

Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit. No recall campaign resulted from this investigation.

Complaints by Year Received

When this model year's complaints reached NHTSA - whether its problems surfaced early or late in its life.

20021

200354

200495

2005119

2006105

2007102

2008118

2009104

201084

201139

201238

201326

201428

201518

201620

20179

20188

20194

20203

20231

20241

How to Read These Counts: complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not failure rates. Older and higher-volume vehicles accumulate more reports, and counts are not adjusted for vehicles sold - no per-sales rate or reliability ranking is shown, because the public data does not support one.

Data as of October 30, 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaints, recalls, and investigations files (U.S. Government public domain). DefectRecord is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. For your specific vehicle, use NHTSA's VIN lookup. Report an error.