2009 Ford Focus Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about sudden loss of power or throttle response while driving, frequently with the wrench or check-engine light, and about doors whose locks or handles stop working. Ignition switch and key-turn problems also recur, and many complaints come from cars well past 50,000 miles, with a smaller cluster of tire-wear and vibration reports at lower mileage.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden loss of power / no throttle response (limp mode)

   • 63 complaints (28%)
   • median 57,800 mi at 4.6 yrs old (59 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2026

   Complaints describe the car dropping to idle or cutting power while cruising, often on a highway, with the accelerator pedal having no effect and the wrench or check-engine light coming on. Turning the car off and restarting usually restores normal operation, sometimes for days or weeks. Several owners were told the throttle body was at fault; others report the warning cleared before a dealer could read any codes. Reported mostly between roughly 35,000 and 85,000 miles, often at steady highway speeds or under acceleration.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body or its connector has been replaced and whether any stored codes were read. A scan tool check for pending powertrain codes is worth doing before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I drive a 2009 Ford Focus. While driving down the highway I will have the wrench light come on. I take it to the dealer and they find nothing wrong. When the light comes on the car loses power. I turn the car off, wait about a minute and turn the car back on. At that time the fault clears and the car drives like normal. This typically happens when I've driven for about 25 to 40 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10340542, filed 2010-06, 36,115 miles

   “We own a 2009 Ford Focus. Right out of warranty in june of 2012 my husband was driving the car on the highway, approx. 70 miles per hour when the car decelerated down to about 40 and would not go beyond that. We took it to the dealership, they charged us full price for a throttle body replacement. I know that other makes in 2009 were extended on the warranty for throttle body problems. I wanted to report this so that we can get reimbursed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10567782, filed 2014-03, 36,500 miles
2. 2
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Doors will not lock, unlock, or open

   • 31 complaints (14%)
   • median 58,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2023

   Owners describe door locks that stop responding to the key fob, the manual key, or the interior handle, often intermittently and sometimes worse in warm weather. Some report being unable to get out of or into the car, and broken inner or outer door handles. Dealers were reported to have replaced lock assemblies, reset modules, or applied lubricant as a temporary measure; the problem often returned. Spread broadly from about 12,000 to 145,000 miles, with several reports in the first few years of ownership.

   What to check: Test every door from inside and outside with the fob, the key, and the handles. Ask whether any lock actuator or door module has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “All 4 door latches and locks do not work correctly. Very dangerous!!! I can't get out or get in through any doors at times. It's different every day. They won't open with fob or manually. I see there are thousands of people with the same problem. Recall and get this fixed before someone gets killed because they can't get out!!!!!!”

   NHTSA complaint #11000935, filed 2017-06, 128,000 miles

   “My car was stationary. The doors lock and do not unlock. After hours of searching the manual and google I figured out how to bypass the automatic lock and turned that off so my doors would not lock while I drove. That worked for a while but, then the doors just stopped opening from the outside. I have been told by several mechanics this is an issue with this year Focus.”

   NHTSA complaint #11279639, filed 2019-11, 65,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Ignition switch hard to turn / no start

   • 51 complaints (22%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 6.2 yrs old (41 state mileage)
   • filed 2011–2021

   Complaints describe the key becoming stiff or refusing to turn, and repeated attempts needed before the car starts, sometimes with loss of power while driving. Some owners were told the ignition switch or ignition actuator needed replacement; in a few cases the repair was followed by the same failure again. Some owners also link the keypad or starting trouble to electrical faults the dealer could not reproduce. Mostly reported between roughly 50,000 and 130,000 miles, worsening over time in several accounts.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check that the key turns smoothly and starts the car on the first try, and ask for receipts showing whether the ignition switch, housing, or starter was replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I try to start my car, sometimes it won't turn over when turning the key. I have to try a few times if not multiple times in order for it to start and it just keeps getting worse over time.”

   NHTSA complaint #11301476, filed 2020-01, 120,000 miles

   “At approx. 50,000 miles the ignition switch was difficult to turn eventually unable to turn key over. Had a new switch installed and now six months later it's starting to go out again. Very poor quality switch.”

   NHTSA complaint #10817282, filed 2015-12, 50,000 miles
4. 4
   Wheels

   Tire cupping, vibration, and uneven wear

   • 43 complaints (19%)
   • median 25,000 mi at 2.7 yrs old (37 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2017

   Owners report humming, wobble, or vibration at highway speed and inside-edge cupping or rapid wear on the rear tires. Many had tires replaced and alignments done, sometimes repeatedly, with the vibration or wear coming back. Dealers and shops variously pointed to the tires, alignment, bearings, or suspension links, and some owners report several sets of tires in a short period. Reported from under 10,000 miles up to about 140,000, with several accounts in the first 45,000 miles.

   What to check: Run a hand over the inner edges of all four tires for scalloping, and ask about the alignment history and whether rear suspension or bearings were ever replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is getting absolutely ridiculous! I am on my sixth set of tires!! They wear uneven after less than 20k miles making a more than annoying wobble. I have gotten numerous alignments and new sway arm links. Dealership said I needed new bearings another alignment and another set of tires! At this point I have spent over $6000 on repairs to this vehicle all related to the same issue!!! There's obviously something wrong that Ford needs to fix! …”

   NHTSA complaint #10648847, filed 2014-10, 140,000 miles

   “My 2009 Ford Focus has had obvious suspension issues since 6000 miles. Rear tires always slip in wet conditions from a stopped position during a normal initial acceleration. Furthermore at speeds greater than (>) 60 MPH the steering wheel vibrates and the car shakes. I am a fairly good driver and in countless normal driving conditions my car has gotten into an out of control state luckily I was able to recover. I had taken the car to a Ford dealership to be told the tires were causing the problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10441177, filed 2011-12, 6,500 miles

Buying note. On a used example, drive it long enough to reach highway speed and confirm the pedal responds cleanly, then test every door lock and handle and check the key turns easily. Look at tire wear patterns and ask for service records on the throttle body, ignition switch, and transmission.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.