2009 Ford Focus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
323 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Ford Focus, alongside 0 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 7/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 84,662 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2009 Ford Focus has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2009 sits among all Focus years
What owners report
“Insert key, turn to start, will not start, have to push in key hard for the ignition to start car”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Focus
“Had and accident after 6 months of paying on the car, which was sept. 2009.. Inside of tired bald, took to ford to have oil changed, and supposed look over, but was never told about the inside warn tires. Back doors will not open from inside or out, front driver side door will not open from the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Focus
“Driving at 45 mph suddenly lost acceleration, wrench light illuminated. The car continued to run but extremely scary. Then you regained acceleration and continued only to lose it repeatedly. Took car to have diagnostics run, but the light went off and they could not diagnose a problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Focus
“Upon starting the vehicle, the engine light was on and the vehicle would not travel more than 30 mph. The vehicle would not accelerate at all in response to pressing the accelerator. The vehicle would only coast when lifting off the brake pedal. After taking the vehicle to the dealership, the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Focus
“I have had the motor and transmission mounts replaced twice in the last two years on this vehicle. I was told to report it as that should never happen.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Focus
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 272 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 46,450 miles. Half of those reports fall between 25,000 and 86,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls
No recall campaigns on file for the 2009 Ford Focus.
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 2009 Ford Focus reliable?
The 2009 Ford Focus drew 323 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 7/100, scored against the model's worst year (2000).
What are the most common 2009 Ford Focus problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Ford Focus are electrical (48 complaints), wheels & tires (39), and transmission & drivetrain (39).
At what mileage do 2009 Ford Focus problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Ford Focus problems around 46,450 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 25,000 and 86,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Ford Focus have recalls?
No recall campaigns are on file for the 2009 Ford Focus. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check the VIN before buying.
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.