2005 Ford Focus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
600 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Ford Focus, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 13/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 69,961 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2005 Ford Focus has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2005 sits among all Focus years
What owners report
“Hatchback wiring harness between body and hatchback, has multiple wire insulation failure and wire breakage causing fuses to blow and non-functioning parking lights, reverse lights, break lights, instrument column lights, and uncontrolled release of electrical trunk while driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Focus
“Our key is stuck in the ignition of our car. We can"t get it out. I'm afraid that we may have our car stolen because we have to leave the key permanently in the ignition”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Focus
“Vehicle hit another car at aprox. 45 mph when other car made illegal turn. Airbag failed to deploy.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Focus
“Key gets stuck in the ignition. Upon research it is obvious that this is an issue with the ford focus. Remedies suggest to move the piece on the shift upward, however, this is not working for my vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Focus
“I was driving 35-40 mph near midway airport in chicago. I attempted to break and my accelerator was stuck. I had to constantly press the break to attempt to bring my car to a stop ... But the gas pedal was stuck in an acceleration mode. I attempted to tap the gas pedal and depress it ... While…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Focus
“The front door handles quit working and there's no way to get door open???? Front door handles quit working. Cant get in my car”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Focus
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 438 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 66,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 34,000 and 102,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
RIDE CONTROL, LLC (RIDE CONTROL) IS RECALLING CERTAIN READYMOUNT ASSEMBLIES, P/N 746641MT AND 746646MT, WITH CORRESPONDING AFTERMARKET CUSTOMER PART NUMBERS: GABRIEL G56944 AND GABRIEL G56945, AND PRIVATELY BRANDED PARTSMASTER WITH PART NUMBERS G68944 AND…
Fix: RIDE CONTROL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND WILL SET UP PROCEDURES TO INSPECT, REPAIR, AND/OR REPLACE THE AFFECTED PARTS WITHOUT CHARGE TO THE OWNER. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY…
K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD…
Fix: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTORS MAY NOT FULLY SEAT WITH THE TUBE…
Fix: UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
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,…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Ford Focus reliable?
The 2005 Ford Focus drew 600 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 13/100, scored against the model's worst year (2000).
What are the most common 2005 Ford Focus problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Ford Focus are electrical (137 complaints), latches & locks (52), and airbags (51).
At what mileage do 2005 Ford Focus problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Ford Focus problems around 66,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 34,000 and 102,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Ford Focus have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Ford Focus. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.