On many occasions the rear hatch (zxw wagon) has opened on its own. I've always assumed I must not have closed it properly as it also has not latched on many occasions when closing it. Sometimes it can take several attempts, closing it firmly. One the most recent occassion of the hatch opening while driving our dog was in the car bag cargo area, so you can imagine my anger at the latch. Another issue has been the licence plate lights not illuminating the plate at night, which has resulted in a stop by an officer. Yesterday, may 18th 2017, the battery light illuminated for about 2 minutes on my drive home, then went off. When I got home I put a meter on the battery while the engine was running and got 12.04-12.7 volts. While searching youtube for some how-to alternator videos I stumbled across a video that spoke of the wiring in the hatch area. I removed the boot and sure enough, half of the wires had damaged jackets and a few were exposed. I've made temporary repairs and as now the voltage reads 14.5 or more with the engine running. Also, the license plate lights are working again. This repair is surely going to be temporary at best as I simply do not have the funds for a repair facility to do the work and I have limited resources. I could not sell the car with clear conscience without disclosing my discovery which surely means most people arent going to want it. I would like to know if there was any recall for this, considering it could have the potential to cause many malfunctions in the vehicle's safety as well the safety of passengers, cargo and other drivers on the roadway. This latch popping issue has happened in pretty much every condition.....my driveway, in my neighborhood, the highway etc.
2005 Ford Focus electrical complaints
Page 2 of 5: complaints 11 to 40 of 113, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Takata recall car randomly shuts off but radio is still on at stop light. I put it on nuetral and it starts back up no problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that the middle brake light stopped working due to the wiring harness in the hatchback. Also, the lock on the hatchback did not work properly and the harness leading to the battery needed to be replaced due to the failure within the hatchback. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and repaired. The mechanic stated that the harness for both the battery and hatchback needed replacing due to the failure of the middle brake light. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 187,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. While driving 25 MPH, the door ajar warning light illuminated with no indication as to which door was affected. The contact mentioned that all doors were properly closed when the failure occurred. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. While driving various speeds, the vehicle pulled without warning. The contact was unable to open the front passenger and driver doors from outside the vehicle. The rear passenger door failed to open. The rear driver side door handle was slightly detached. The electrical warning light was illuminated. A certified mechanic stated that the tie rods and wheel well needed to be replaced, and the rack and pinion tightened. The tie rod and wheel well were replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. While stopped at an intersection, the vehicle shut off and lost all power without warning. The contact heard a clicking noise from the steering rack. The contact called roadside assistance; however, the vehicle restarted after the tow truck driver shook the battery a couple of times. The contact drove home. The failure recurred a few days later and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was a recall for the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v030000 (latches/locks/linkages). The manufacturer stated that there was no recall for the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 150,000. Updated 04/22/16*lj the consumer stated the radio would intermittently turn on then off, the battery cable must be touched in order to start the vehicle, and the airbag light was illuminated.
The ford zxw wagon's liftgate wiring harness had frayed inside the rubber housing at the junction where the gate pivots between the car body and liftgate. The wires shorted which caused the electric gate release to open at 70mph, while driving straight on a freeway. The liftgate rose up, opening the back of the cargo area to traffic. Luckily freeway speed winds kept it from completely opening, but when slowed to 30mph it went straight up. I'm lucky I had no children or animals in the back cargo area. And the fellow drivers on the road were lucky nothing shifted and fell out. The liftgate refused to latch after this point, making driving the car safely impossible. In researching the cause and repair, I noticed several forums where an identical problem with ford's design was posted. The replacement bill at a ford dealership was around $1,200, not including my time lost to research, repair, or finding alternative means of transportation for my business purposes. This is dangerous, potentially life threatening, and unfortunately, not fixed. The mechanics at ford said the replacement part is the same as what was original. This will likely happen again.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that the ignition key was locked within the ignition switch. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Both the front and back drivers side doors can be locked either electronically with the remote or manually by hand. The front drivers side door handle wont operate from the outside. It has been fixed twice already and now broken for a third time. This seems to be a widespread problems with the 02-08 focus. A little googling will show just how often this happens.
Was driving on the highway and broke down. Car towed to garage and alternator replaced along with the battery. The car ran fine for about 1 week where after turning the car off it wouldn't start again. Again had it towed to the garage and the battery needed to be changed. A week later the car did it again and again the battery was replaced. I took the card to my ford dealership and had an electrical check done and the electrical test came back that the battery that was just put it was low and the alternator had tested fine. Changed the battery again..yup you guessed it...it died again. Changed the battery again and the car has now been running for 2 weeks now. Called ford's home office and filed a complaint not that it will do anything.
Car started normally. Dashboard lights came on as usual. Lights went out in sequence as usual. Normal driving started with no abnormal dashboard display. Moments later all dashboard light started flashing off and on eratically. There was no effect on driving that could be discerned. All the car handling features seemed normal. As driving continued some or all of the dash lights would come on and off eratically. The only light that stayed on when the rest went out was the engine symbol light. The fuel gauge also indicated no-fuel eratically.
I've had this 05 ford focus for less than a year and had several problems, all resolved but this one. I was taking my 4 year old and autistic 13 year old step children to the park last monday and my car started going haywire. It would lose and gain power in intervals and all of the dash cluster stopped working. The car lost power and died on the side of the road with no cars in sight. Ended up having to walk almost 3 miles with them before we finally saw someone nice enough to give us a ride. Since then the car has drained and ruined 3 batteries and two alternators. My dash lights are now staying on with no key in the ignition and batteries keep getting drained. There's also a chirp I'm assuming something to do with the security system or the wiring harness on the alternator or dash. I have not been able to get the car out of park for 6 days and it is/was my only mode of transportation for these two children. I'm finding it very difficult to get things done with such an unreliable car. This problem is still not resolved.
So idk every [xxx] year! For the last few years! It goes good then she starts acting funny boom battery light comes on. I use the voltmeter and everything's fine full charge same with the alternator. A week or so passed then the starter went out replaced 7/3/13!! Wtf! Fried put a new one in. Now my[xxx] clutch feels different don't know what it's not slipping but it's really smooth.2 days go by and boom acts like the battery is dead..nope take key out get voltmeter it's at 12.5 so I try again seems ok doesn't turn over. Again turn key all lights on seems ok nothing.... Ok 1 more turn key struggles like starter then lights flicker dash wacks out boom dead nothing!!!!! Get out still 12.5volts. I don't know try 1 more time I pumped the clutch ad it hesitated to turn over and boom it works!!!! Get home. Turn it off all is well acts like nothing is wrong! 4 to 6 days again this time it did it 2 him just different.here's the kicker!!!!! It's fine fully charged all lights ok all volts ok he pulls out ( ha ha pulls out!) then she idles irregularly like a loop higher loop get it home and keeps looping. So I remember this from like 5 yrs ago it was something with the maf or ecg I believe so I look for answers.... Now he goes out 4 hrs later nothing dead won't turn over won't do nothing!!!!! I hate this car!!!!! I swear I will find the [xxx] problem to this [xxx]!!!!! I can't believe this [xxx] car! She was so good now she's a lil [xxx]! I know it's something stupid as [xxx] and watch just like last year in august the [xxx[ clutch is going to go out again! I loved this car but from reading constantly I've decided this is a serious ford issue!!!! I have spent thousands on this! If I didn't have lifetime warranties on the alternator etc I could only imagine the cost!! Through all this horror I've also had to replace o2 sensors maf sensor all engine mounts 3 times!!! Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Turn signal stopped working. Removed rear tail lenses to replace all the bulb and found brake/turn signal socket fused to interior portion of tail lens inhibiting removal due to heat warpage. Will contact dealer for replacement sockets for right and left sides and lens replacement for right and left sides. This should be a recalled item due to hazard of no turn or brake light and poor design to allow bulb to produce enough heat to cause thermal reaction and possible fire hazard.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that the instrument panel, overhead dome light, rear windshield wiper, and rear exterior lights failed without warning. The dealer and manufacturer were notified, but the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 135,000.
The back door drivers side will not lock. The drivers door will not open from the outside. I replaced the door handle but it will still not work. It does not seem to be touching opening mechanism.
This is the third time I had to place front left and right head lamps and high beams . I brought this car off of enterprize dealer in nevada. Over the years I began haven lots of problems with this car. So much needed to be done on this car and I spent lots of money too. Not knowing until now this car has some recall issues. Passenger rear door replace and broken again. The rear brake are rusted and needs to be replace,drums pads ext.. Noise in the steering wheel when I turn the car.
Referring to case # [xxx]. Upon further inspection it was determined that the root cause of the short was in fact the small bundle of wires going into the liftgate. Repairs have been made to all affected wires. Including installation of a brand new headlight switch ford certified. Cost of repairs 2347 dollars and 97 cents.upon reading other complaints on this website I've seen at least 40 other cases caused by the same bundle of wires. This is very dangerous and as you can see could potentially cause a vehicle to burst into flames while driving. Something's gotta be done. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Driving on route 209 approximately 40 miles an hour. I noticed white smoke coming through the dash. Immediately pulled the car over, put the car in park, removed the key, and got out of the car. With no key in the ignition the starter began turning over. I didn't have any tools to unhook the battery. The starter turned over for about a minute, then the windshield wipers, headlights, and horn all began activating. I immediately called my mechanic for emergency roadside assistance. After about 4 minutes of the wipers head lights and horn all activating with no key in the ignition, someone stopped and had some tools unhook the battery.mechanic showed up about five minutes later, had the car towed to his shop, and began searching for the problem. After removing the dash panels he says that the headlight switch cost a shortwhich melted all the wires togetherunder the dash and going back to the tail lights.he says it is due to the small wires that ford uses and they're harnesses and the way they twist them together so they will fit into the small plastic tube under the dash. I haven't been able to find a recall to attach this problem too. However I really think ford should be responsible for these damages. I'm considering this car a total loss.
The left rear turn signal stopped working- the blown bulb indication was noticed by the fast flash signal on the dashboard indicator. When going to replace the bulb it was found that the upper socket for the turn signal socket is melted to the lens cover. The lens cover socket mounting hole was distorted by heat. Once the socket was removed the bulb was found not to be blown. The socket housing shows internal signs of heat damage -color change. The bulb was in position in the socket and the bulb base showed no sign of melting at the bulb contact points. It appears the heat was generated in the socket connection to the bulb base. There are multiple complaint of a similar finding on multiple years of the ford focus that were easily found with a internet search- ford focus melted socket. Purchasing replacement socket from dealer as this is a major personal safety issue.
Since we received the car, we have noticed inconsistent acceleration and deceleration - both in town and on the highway. This particular incident was a simple slowing down for a stop light. I pressed on the brake gently to start coming to a full stop behind a few cars. As my car tried to slow down, I noticed it was fighting to slow down. I pressed on the break harder, but it wasn't going to be enough to stop without hitting the car in front of me. I tapped the accelerator, then back on the break, no change. Not knowing what else to do, I put the car into neutral. The engine did not stop revving up so I turned the car off. After waiting a minute, I turned the car back on and operated fine for the remainder of the day.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that the wiring harness failed on the rear hatch of the vehicle. The brake lights stopped working and it caused the gear shift to become stuck. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the design of the wiring harness was too short and when it was stretched the wires caused the failure to occur. The failure mileage was unknown. The current mileage was 110,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH with the headlights in operation, the headlights and instrument panel lights became extremely dim. The engine was turned off and the vehicle failed to restart. A certified mechanic inspected the vehicle and replaced the alternator. The failure was contributed to a faulty liftgate wiring harness. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 176,000. Updated 08/15/13
Key stuck in ignition. The column was not locked. On the gear shift there is a plastic sleeve. I put the gear shift in park and slid my hand below the knob and pulled the sleeve up and the key comes out.
The rear driver side door lock will not lock. The child safety lock doesn't even make it work. All other doors work with the remote entry key fob and alarm activates but the rear passenger door remains unlocked. I can not even lock it manually. I fear my grandchildren will be able to simply open the door and exit the car and am very concerned for their safety not to mention the possiblity of someone entering the car to do harm or vandelize the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 for focus zxw station wagon. The contact stated that when the key was in the ignition and the shift over ride button was depressed, the key would become locked in the ignition. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the vehicle was operating as designed. The contact glued the shift over ride button in place and changed the ignition, which resolved the failure. The contact also stated the metal frame of the driver's seat became cracked. The contact had to prop the seat up so that he could drive the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 205,000. Updated 02/20/13*lj the consumer stated the transmission was poorly designed. Updated 02/21/13 the consumer stated the experienced numerous problems with the transmission, after having the fluid flushed. The consumer stated the side view mirrors were rigid and were easy to break, the rear suspension springs were not designed to carry weight, which caused the vehicle to bounce on the highway and secondary road bumps. The heat shields attached to the exhaust system were designed poorly, to the point they were bent and caused a rattle. The steel rims, bent easily, which created a vibration and balance problem. The headlights lenses were discolored, the valve cover gasket leaked oil onto the spark plugs, the hood cables were defective. The hood cable froze and broke. Updated 07/25/13
Purchased the car new, have had to have alternator and battery replaced 3 times now. Every time it goes out without warning and in most cases on the highway or in heavy city traffic. I almost couldn't stop nor steer the car safely away from the road. Each occurrence has cost me 500.00 usd from towing, parts, and labor.
The rear passenger door will not lock or unlock with the keyless entry nor the buttons in the car. Turning on or off the child lock feature does not affect it. I can manually 'force it' either way - barely - for now. This happened once before several years ago - where it was stuck completely unlocked, and you couldn't manually force it. It was like that for several months and then mysteriously fixed itself. I have looked up this particular problem online and have found that this make & model appears to have many cars with this issue yet ford has not done a recall on it. This is a safety issue. Two scenarios are possible here that alarm me: either emergency personnel can not open the door because it's stuck in the locked position and cannot be moved or the door remains unlocked and unwanted persons get in or things in the car get stolen because the lock is stuck unlocked. Common sense would seem to argue that this deserves to be fixed at no cost to the consumer, given the safety issues with this defect.
On 2/26/2011 at approximatly 1900 hrs. I was at nellis air force base in las vegas nevada I had to pull over in a safe area to look for my id as I got out of the car with the car in park and emergency brake on I proceeded to lift the handle in front of the seat that allowes it to be moved forward so I can look under the seat for my id,I couldn't see it so I proceeded to do the same with the passanger seat and it wasen't there so again I was on the drivers side and again pulling up the handle and my right side of my face and ear was within an inch of the side air bag when it explodedand nocked me up against the drivers door frame and the airbag powder was all over me and for 30 seconds I couldn't see or hear. My face was on fire with acid burns all over my face and my right ear. I was seen at the er and was treated which included a cat scan of my hear to see if there was any internal trama and that was negative however I had developed tmj because of the impact to my jaw and migrain headaches which have not subsided to this day. All reports and pictures id taken were sent through e-mail to ford claims dept. I was sent the paper work to fill out and send it back to them,in march 2011 I have to got to a dealer to have the chip red and it cost to have that done was $103.48. It states that the dtc b1231 restraint system was sufficient impact to warrent a deployment yet indicates that no collision occured. So then now the modual needs to be taken out by the dealer which I went to ford and they refused to help, so that evening went to another ford and they helped it took them january 2012 to coordinate with ford to take out the modgual, I just found out a week ago june 14th. That bosh is just now taking a look at that product that was sent to them in january 2012.16 months later nothing else has been done and I don't know what else I can do. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Went to pick my son up from school. Could not get key out of ignition. Took to a local mechanic and cylinders were replaced. That was in march. Got home today (may) and the same problem. Luckily have a driveway but I am annoyed and nervous about keeping this car. Fearful that the key may get stuck at an inopportune time.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2005 Ford Focus?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history