39 complaints reported

2003 Ford Focus Latches/Locks

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
39
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Dec 2005

MY 2003 FORD FOCUS HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRUNK LATCH FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. WHEN I GO TO CLOSE THE TRUNK IT DOES NOT SHUT. IT WILL SHUT IF I PULL ON THE SAFETY LATCH THEY HAVE IN CASE SOMEBODY GETS LOCKED IN THE TRUNK,HOWEVER EVEN WHEN IT CLOSES THAT WAY WHENEVER IT RAINS MY TRUNK WHEN I OPEN IT GETS ALL WET!I HAD A BUNCH OF CHRISTMAS PRESENTS IN THE BACK AND WHEN I OPENED THE TRUNK THEY WERE SOAKED! ALSO THE DOOR LATCHES SOMETIMES LOCK ON THEIR OWN. TWICE I HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT OF MY CAR. I NO LONGER EVER LEAVE MY CAR WITHOUT MY KEYS! *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2004
Dec 2005

CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING 2003 FORD FOCUS RECALL WORK NOT DONE, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO PARTS. *TS (RECALL # 05V030000) *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 1901
Dec 2005

THE REAR DOORS WERE DIFFICULT TO UNLOCK ON THE CONSUMERS 2003 FORD FOCUS. *JB ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE REAR DOOR OPENED BY ITSELF. THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR IS NOW BEING HELD SHUT WITH BUNGEE CORDS. *JB *NM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2005
Oct 2005

REAR LATCH MALFUNCTIONS. REGISTERS THAT TRUNK IS SHUT WHEN IT IS NOT AND NOT WHEN IT IS. WHILE GOING OVER SPEED BUMP TRUNK POPS OPEN DUE TO LATCH NOT HITCHING PROPERLY. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2005
Jul 2005

IN JULY OF 2004 OPENED REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT CLOSE. ONE MONTH LATER RIGHT SIDE PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE AFTER BEING OPENED. BOTH DOORS HAD TO BE TIED TOGETHER WITH A ROPE TO KEEP THEM SHUT. AS OF JULY 14, 2005 BOTH THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS WILL NOT OPEN. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR IN FRONT STICK AND OCCASIONALLY WILL NOT CLOSE. THIS WAS REPORTED TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE IN MARCH OF 2005 BY PHONE. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ON 2003 FORD FOCUS BUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2000-2002. I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED MYSELF. THE COST IS $250.00 PER DOOR. THE CAR WAS ONLY A YEAR OLD WHEN THIS PROBLEM STARTED. IT WAS ALSO OUT OF WARRANTY. I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE EACH LATCH REPACED. I ALSO WILL NOT CARRY ANY PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICHLE FOR FEAR THE DOORS WILL FLY OPEN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2004
Jul 2005

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS WHERE THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR LATCH HAS FAILED. JUST FOUND OUT TODAY THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FORD RECALL # 05S27) , BUT IT IS ONLY FOR 2000 - 2002 MODELS & MINE IS A 2003. MY CAR IS IN FOR REPAIR AT MY FORD DEALER NOW , THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM & HV TO ORDER NEW PARTS FOR MY CAR .I HV BEEN TOLD I MUST PAY FOR REPAIRS. WHY ARE THE 2003 MODELS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2005
Jun 2005

DT: A 4 DOOR VEHICLE, AND THE DOORS WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY. IT HAS A BINGE CORD TO HOLD THE BACK DOORS CLOSED. THE FRONT DOORS SOMETIMES LATCH, AND AT OTHER TIMES THEY DO NOT. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY WILL ONLY FIX THE LATCHES IF CONSUMER PAYS FOR IT. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2004
Mar 2005

DT: THE DOOR POPS OPEN EVEN IF ITS IN A LOCKED POSITION, THE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON UNLESS THE DOOR IS OPEN COMPLETELY. FOUND A RECALL CONTACTED THE DEALER THEY SAID THIS VEHICLE WAS NOTUNDER THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THIS HAPPENED AROUND IN JULY 2, 2005. THE DOOR LATCHES CORRODED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2005
Jan 2005

REAR DOOR OPENS HARD TO THE POINT THAT BREAKAGE OF DOOR HANDLE SEEMS IMMINENT. AT TIMES DOOR WILL ONLY OPEN FROM INTERIOR. A SMALL OUTWARD DENT HAS APPEARED IN THE DOOR HANDLE AREA AS A RESULT OF PULLING ON DOOR HANDLE SO HARD. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED TO DATE AS NO INJURIES HAVE OCCURRED. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2005
Jun 2004

THE VEHICLE'S DRIVERSIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLES MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *MR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2004
May 2004

AFTER A MONTH OF OWNING THE VEHICLE I WAS GETTING WATER IN MY TRUNK. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHTING DEVISE AND REPAIRED THE RUST. A MONTH LATER SAME PROBLEM. BROUGHT IT BACK AND THEY DID THE SAME THING. NOW IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN BUT WARRANTY IS UP.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2004
May 2004

I HAVE A 2003 FORD FOCUS. THE CYLINDER AND KEY DESIGN IS NO GOOD. LOTS OF FOCUS OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THEY (FORD) SAY ITS BECAUSE THE KEYS WERE TO HEAVY OR SOMETHING BUT I ONLY HAVE MY CAR AND HOSUE KEY ON MY RING. NOW IN ORDER TO START THE CAR I NEED TO PLAY WITH THE KEY FOR 1 TO 15 MINUTES JUST TO GET THE CAR STARTED. IT WOULD COST ME AROUND $275 TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED BY FORD. I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 15 MONTHS. (13 AT TIME OF FAILURE). *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2004
Jul 2003

TRUNK LATCH FAILED TO WORK, UNABLE TO CLOSE TRUNK ONCE OPEN AND UNABLE TO OPEN TRUNK ONCE CLOSED. CAR WAS IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE 2ND TIME FOR THIS PROBLEM, ORDERING NEW TRUNK LATCH MECHANISM FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO REPLACE. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED PART WAS DEFECTIVE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2003
Feb 2003

AFTER FORD BOUGHT BACK MY 2002 LEMON AND EXCHANGED IT FOR A 2003, THE TRUNK LATCH BROKE ON THE CAR. THE TRUNK OPENED ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING. IT IS CURRENTLY IN FOR REPAIR.*JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2003

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2003 Ford Focus has 39 Latches/Locks complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.