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.
2005 Ford Focus: doors won't lock, open or latch
45 of the 441 complaints about the 2005 Ford Focus describe doors won't lock, open or latch.
- owner complaints
- 45
- of this car's complaints
- 10%
- typical mileage
- 78,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 2 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Doors won't lock, open or latch by model year
What owners say
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
The backseat doors will not latch and or lock. They have to be held together with zip ties. The randomly opened while I was driving down the road. This is a serious safety concern, as I cannot use my care to transport my child. I know other versions of this same vehicle have had a safety recall issued for this, and I am curious as to why my specific model was left out when I am experiencing the same problems. This car is no longer driveable.
2 door hatchback both driver and passenger door handles do not open the door. The handle is loose like it isn't catching on anything. I have to leave my window rolled down and open the door with the inside handle. Sometimes the inside handle has issues. What happens when the inside handle stops working and I need to get out in an emergency? I took it the dealer and they wanted to charge me hundreds of dollars fro repair. Doing research online, this seems to be a widespread issue with this car.
Driver's side door does not latch properly. I've spoken to several people at ford and although this is a known issue, they will not cover the expense of a new door latch for older model focus. The latch on my focus has been working improperly for the past year now.
Door lock on rear, passenger door won't lock
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. The contact stated that the rear passenger side door would not latch or stay secured. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the door latch was faulty. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v3000 (locks/latches). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 68,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that the front passenger side door failed to lock electronically or manually. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the the front passenger side door latch assembly and cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,811.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger side exterior door handles failed to open the vehicle properly. The contact could open the vehicle from the inside, but not the outside. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the clamps and handles needed to be replaced in order to open the door from the outside. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,086.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford focus. The contact stated that the drivers door, passenger front and rear door exterior handles were fractured. The fractured door handles could only open the doors using the handles on the inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for further inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
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
Questions about the 2005 Ford Focus door locks
Is doors won't lock, open or latch a common problem on the 2005 Ford Focus?
45 of 441 owner complaints about the 2005 Ford Focus (10%) mention doors won't lock, open or latch. The model year with the most reports is 2012.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2005 Ford Focus?
There is 1 recall and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2005 Ford Focus
No 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
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