2003 Ford Focus Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2003 Ford Focus most often describe problems with the ignition — the key goes in but will not turn, sometimes leaving them stranded. Door and trunk latches that fail to stay latched, worn or broken suspension parts that chew through tires, and occasional reports of stalling or non-deploying airbags also appear in the sampled complaints.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Ignition key will not turn

   • 491 complaints (50%)
   • median 62,500 mi at 6.1 yrs old (389 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $400 (median of 83 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2020

   Owners describe putting the key in the ignition and finding it locked, so the car will not start; some say they had to wiggle the key and steering wheel for minutes, and others had to have the vehicle towed. Complaints commonly say the ignition cylinder or switch was replaced at the owner's expense, and several note the dealer described it as a common problem. A few owners say the replacement part later failed the same way, and one describes the key cylinder coming out of the column. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 20,000 to over 130,000 miles, with many appearing between roughly 25,000 and 90,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Before buying, sit in the car and turn the key from lock to start several times, and ask whether the ignition cylinder or switch has been replaced. If the steering column is locked, confirm the key and wheel both release reliably.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Failure of the ignition switch on my 2003 Ford Focus se. Key switch just stopped turning. Replacement of switch: part $89, towing: $60, labor $250...getting the steering wheel fixed later, after it was not installed properly: $100. I have done a search on this failure...there are many hundreds of complaints on the Ford Focus enthusiasts sites.”

   NHTSA complaint #10169712, filed 2006-10, 45,500 miles

   “My 2003 Ford Focus stranded me on 11/1/2009 because the key would not turn in the ignition. This is a known issue with this car for years 200 - 2003 and Ford has done nothing about it. It cost me $300 to get the lock changed out in order to drive the car. This should have been recalled as it is very dangerous to strand owners like this.”

   NHTSA complaint #10291119, filed 2009-11, 91,000 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Rear suspension wear, tire cupping and broken springs

   • 74 complaints (8%)
   • median 32,132 mi at 3.5 yrs old (54 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $450 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2002–2020

   Owners describe vibration, rattles and premature or uneven tire wear, with repeated alignments and frequent tire replacement; one reports a broken coil spring that cut into a tire, and another reports a corroded rear stabilizer bar. Complaints note that dealers sometimes re-aligned the car or installed a stabilizer kit without resolving the underlying problem, and one owner says a bent rear part was replaced with an adjustable one. Reported from very low mileage (about 13,000) up through higher-mileage cars, often noticed as uneven tire wear or vibration.

   What to check: Inspect all four tires for uneven wear or cupping and look at the rear springs and stabilizer bar for cracks or heavy rust. Ask whether the car has had repeated alignments or spring replacement.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I took my car to have a oil change, and my mechanic saw that the left side rear suspension cross stabilizer bar is rusted and the bolts are rusted. He said to call Ford there should be a recall. There is not so I called Ford and they just filed a complaint.I can not take my car on the interstate or go over 40 MPH if I did my mechanic said if the right side broke off the car would flip. My concern is does something have to happen first I transport my grand kids but I can't go over 40. Can you help me with this.”

   NHTSA complaint #10654150, filed 2014-11, 151,000 miles

   “Metal peice on the back of the car like tie rod ends needs to be replaced it is broke and cause the car to go out of alignment and ruin all tires. Have to replace the metal piece with one that is adjustable. Have take the car to three different places to get the job done. We live in wyoming so that means that we have to travel a ways to get to these places. Sheidan and gillette. Thunder basin Ford is currently ordering the part so that we can get the rear alligned properly. They stated that the peice was probably bent from the manufacture.”

   NHTSA complaint #10071141, filed 2004-01, 14,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Electrical power loss and alternator/battery failures

   • 43 complaints (4%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 7.8 yrs old (34 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2019

   Owners describe the electrical system cutting out entirely, sometimes while driving, with the car restarting seconds later or staying completely dead. Other complaints report alternators and batteries needing replacement, in some cases more than once, and melted rear bulb sockets with a charging voltage measured around 15.5 volts. Reported from moderate mileage upward, roughly 65,000 to over 150,000 miles, on cars driven regularly over many years.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the alternator or battery has been replaced and when, have a mechanic check charging voltage, and look inside the rear lamp housings for melted or discolored sockets.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Both rear tail lights have melted the bulb socket and the light housing. My local Ford dealer says this is not a problem and he has never heard of this happening. The vehicle's charging system is putting out about 15.5 volts to everything electrical he also says this is not a problem. Also while driving the car the cabin fills with the smell of burning rubber also again I was told this is no problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10367954, filed 2010-11, 115,000 miles

   “Everything shuts off. Has happened multiple times. Most of the time it will start again in approx. 3 seconds. Now it is happening more frequently. It has even happened while the car is running. I made a right turn, and the car totally died. I quickly put on my flashers, put the car in park, and luckily it started. This has happened twice. Right now my car is in my parking lot and is totally blank. No power whatsoever. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10573857, filed 2014-03, 72,000 miles
4. 4
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Rear door and trunk latches do not stay latched

   • 68 complaints (7%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 7.1 yrs old (55 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $371 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2023

   Owners report rear doors or the trunk that will not stay latched, with doors coming open while the car is moving; one owner describes tying a door shut to get home. Complaints say the dealer either could not find a problem or said the vehicle was not covered by the latch recall, and some owners report the same problem on vehicles they believe fall outside the campaign population. Mostly described on vehicles with higher mileage, from roughly 39,000 to 190,000 miles, on older cars.

   Recall 05V0300004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Open and close each rear door and the trunk, tug them firmly to see whether they stay latched, and check the door jambs and latch area for corrosion. Ask whether recall 05S27 latch work was performed on the vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Both rear doors on my 2003 Ford Focus do not stay latched and will fly open during driving maneuvers. I cannot have passengers in the back seat of my vehicle because of fear that they could fall out while driving. My model and year were recalled by Ford in 2005 for this issue. When I recently took my vehicle to the Ford dealer to have the issue evaluated I was told there was no issue with the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10992393, filed 2017-05, 190,000 miles

   “Nhtsa campaign id 05v030000 regarding recall of Ford Focus models 2000-2005 for rear door latch problems (Ford recall 05s27) identifies vehicles manufactured at the wayne assembly plant from may 22, 2002 through january 26, 2005 as potentially affected. My vehicle was not identified as affected by Ford for this recall. However, my vehicle was manufactured at the wayne assembly plant in june 2003 and I have experienced the same door latch problems described in the recall notice. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10214911, filed 2008-01, 38,000 miles

Buying note. When looking at a 2003 Focus, test the ignition key repeatedly and confirm the rear latches hold, then check tire wear and ask about prior suspension or alignment work. Ask for service records on any electrical or stalling complaints and confirm the airbag warning light behaves normally.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 80 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.