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 within the last year and has persisted to the point of being very difficult to open. No warnings or messages prior, since it is a body issue. Has not been inspected by any professionals.
The worst 2005 Ford Focus problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical113
- Airbags51
- Locks50
- Transmission47
- Acceleration45
- Body43
- Brakes30
- Engine29
- Fuel system27
- Suspension27
- Lights20
- Steering18
- Tires15
- Wheels15
- Seat belts13
- Seats10
- Visibility10
- Driver assistance1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2005 Ford Focus
Door locks 45No deployment 19Airbag light 17Stalling 16Headlights 10Check engine light 9Ball joint 8Tire blowout 8Won't start 8Grinding brakes 7Fire or smoke 7Hesitation 7Slipping 7Loss of power 6Seat belt 6ABS 5Fuel gauge 5Fuel pump 5Sudden acceleration 5Wipers 5
Recalls 1
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 05V030000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2005 Ford Focus
Defect investigations
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
On November 18, 2010, the federal safety agency's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.
AQ10001
Technical service bulletins for the 2005 Ford Focus 55
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic...
- For 2000-2005 Focus vehicles built on or before 1/26/2005 Safety Recall 05S27 has been issued for vehicles...
- Ford: rear door latches are experiencing corrosion in pawl pivot area that prevent proper engagement of...
- Ford: on some vehicles, operating for an extended time in high corrosion area, a safety recall 05S27 was...
- Ford: premature front/rear tire wear and/or vehicle drift on wet or snow covered roads. if performing an...
- Fuel fill slow early shut off. kb
- Possible engine damage - install special service tools prior to removing crankshaft pulley bolt. kb
- Increased brake pedal efforts required on initial stopping after cold start at high altitude. kb
- External liftgate release switch non-functional on manual door lock equipped vehicles. tt
- Rear tire wear - rear toe specification correction. tt
2005 Ford Focus fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 22 | 29-32 | 25-26 |
| 2.3L 4‑cyl | FWD | 20 | 28 | 23 |
What 2005 Ford Focus owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 hospital. No one was in the car with me. There were no warning lights/signs before.
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 replaced. This had been on and off for approximately 2 years starting with blowing out the bulbs then the fuse started blowing out in jan 2021. Midas replaced harness this march. Car is a 2005 focus wagon,
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 manufacturer was notified of the failure and but offered no further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 53,085.*dt consumer stated mechanic stated engine mounts were bad and needed to be replaced.
My vehicle will not pass inspection due to the frame being all rusted & full of holes.
Motor mounts are bad and makes the engine rattle and vibrate tail light will not work I've changed fuse bulb and sockets still nothing and driver seat belt gets stuck
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered abnormally while attempting to move from a stopped position. The vehicle was taken to bell ford located at 2401 w bell rd, phoenix, az 85023, where some unknow repairs were performed however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to babbitt ford located at 11 n verde st, flagstaff, az 86001, and was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was returned to babbitt ford where it was diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a defective ring in the transmission which need to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
On july 7, 2015, I bought 4 tires 117632 affinity touring bl p195/60r15 87t with a 70,0000 mile warranty. I paid $415.58 which included four of the before mentioned tires; nevada recycling fee; lifetime new tire wheel balance labor; lifetime rubber valve; scrap tire recycling fee; and tire installation. I bought these tires at firestone complete auto care green valley 220 north stephanie street, henderson, nevada 89074, phone#702‑434‑0692. I had 59,284 miles on my car. On december 31, 2019, because of the tires going flat and the wear bar too low for me to drive safely on these tires, I had to buy four new tires. I had 106,125 miles. I still had 23,159 miles left on my 70,000 miles warranty. I bought 4 114572 primewell ps830 195/60r 15 88hbl dot#y9k5d8hk3210 tires prie $47.99. The firestone located at 1323 boulder city parkway, boulder city, nevada 89005 phone#294-0098 gave me a credit of $26.80 for all four tires charging $41.29 for each tire. I paid a total of $303.20 for these tires. I am very upset that I had to buy cheaper tires because the better tires I bought did not last the full $70,000 miles.
Tl* the contact's daughter owns a 2005 ford focus. While driving at an unknown speed, the rear passenger door opened on its own. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The driver was able to park on the side of the road and closed the rear passenger door. The contact was also informed by his daughter that both rear doors failed to open. The contact associated the failures with the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was informed of the failures. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Compare the 2005 Ford Focus
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2005 Ford Focus
Is the 2005 Ford Focus reliable?
Owners have filed 441 complaints about the 2005 Ford Focus, fewer than a typical Focus model year.
What is the 2005 Ford Focus year score?
The 2005 Ford Focus scores 81 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Ford Focus: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Ford Focus?
Electrical system, with 113 complaints, typically around 69,900 miles. Next is airbags (51).
How many recalls does the 2005 Ford Focus have?
1 recall, covering latches/locks/linkages.
What gas mileage does the 2005 Ford Focus get?
Official estimates for the 2005 Ford Focus range from 23 to 26 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 22 city and 29-32 highway.
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