2008 Ford Focus UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Starter has always been difficult but now key stuck in ignition and won't start either
The trunk when pulled open will drop down. I pulled my trunk door all they way up went to get something inside the trunk it came down and hit me on the head. This has happened before I was able to catch it before it hit me. This time it hit me on the top of the head hard and my left hand when I tried to catch it. It comes down fast and forcefully. Something is wrong and seriously injure someone. I had a cut on my hand and couldn’t see my head for laceration. But I was afraid I could have been knocked out or had a concussion. Please look into this.
THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE NO LONGER WORKS FROM THE OUTSIDE. IT FEELS LIKE THE DOOR HANDLE ISN'T LATCHING ON TO THE MECHANISM INSIDE THE DOOR TO OPEN IT. I CAN OPEN MY DOOR FROM THE INSIDE THOUGH. I HAVE FOUND ONLINE THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND AM CONFUSED TO WHY NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED OUT FOR THE FAULTY DOOR HANDLE BRACKETS.
STARTING ISSUES RELATED TO IGNITION HOUSING AND OR SWITCH. HAD TO PAY $500 TO HAVE REPLACED. WAS TOLD BY REPAIR SHOP THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD VEHICLES ESPECIALLY THE FOCUS SERIES. THERE ARE ALSO NUMEROUS YOUTUBE VIDEOS DOCUMENTING THE SAME ISSUE AS WELL AS SEVERAL FORUMS AND ARTICLES THAT CAN ALL BE FOUND WITH AN EASY SEARCH ON THE WEB. MY CAR STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING AT AROUND 100,000 MILES UNTIL IT WOULD START AT ALL.
DOOR LOCKS STICK AND LOCK. VARIES WITH TEMPERATURE/DUST. UNKNOWN ACTUAL CAUSE BUT HAPPENS TO BACK DOORS. SOMETIMES DRIVERS SIDE SOMETIMES PASSENGER. MOST RECENT BACK DOORS ARE UNLOCKED AGAIN BUT DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WILL NOT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE BUT WILL FROM INSIDE. WHEN IT WAS BACK DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUT. DOES NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF MOVING OR NOT. THIS STARTED WITH THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND THEN SWITCHED TO DRIVER SIDE OVER A YEAR AGO AND HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR ME. THE PASSENGER SIDE FINALLY RELEASED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO BUT DRIVERS SIDE WAS STILL LOCKED. AFTER A TRIP SHOPPING I HIT THE LOCK SWITCH BY ACCIDENT AND DOOR UNLOCKED. AFTER I OPENED THE DOOR IT DID NOT WANT TO LATCH. I FINALLY GOT IT TO CLOSE AFTER MESSING WITH THE LOCK BETWEEN COMPRESSED AIR, PB BLASTER AND GREASE. BOTH BACK DOORS ARE FREE NOW BUT MY DRIVERS SIDE FRONT DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE NOW. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE LOCKED BUT ITS NOT WORKING RIGHT. THE BACK PASSENGER WAS VERY SIMILAR BUT IT FREED ITSELF. NOT SO SURE I WILL HAVE ANY LUCK WITH THE NEW ISSUE.
DOOR LATCH WILL NOT CLOSE.DOOR BOUNCED OPEN UPON TRYING TO CLOSE IT. THIS IS THE 3RD DOOR LATCH! NEEDS TO BE RECALLED!!!
IGNITION SWITCH THE CAR IS HARD TO START GOT TO PUSH KEY IN TO START
THE KEY HAS TO BE PUSHED IN EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN ON THE ENGINE. IT TAKES SOMETIMES UP TO 5 MINUTES REPEATEDLY TURNING THE KEY FOR IT TO ENGAGE.
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IT SHIFTS HARD INTO GEARS AND THEN IT DOESN'T WANT TO STAY IN 4TH GEAR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. IT DOWN SHIFTS AND THEN WANTS TO RUN 3,000 OR HIGHER RPMS WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY.
CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC AND I COULD NOT GET IT STARTED. STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION TO GET THE CAR STARTED. HAVE TO KEEP THE KEY PUSHED IN, STRAIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL TO GET IT STARTED AND SOMETIMES WOULD TAKE 10 TIMES. NOT A GOOD THING IN TRAFFIC. TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A MISSING SCREW IN AN ENCLOSED CRIMPED AREA OF THE HOUSING FOR THE IGNITION WHICH I WAS THEN TOLD THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE EXCEPT FOR AN ASSEMBLY ERROR. WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO WAY IT COULD HAVE FALLEN OUT. WE HAVE A STICK SHIFT SO IT IS VERY EASY TO STALL IT WHILE IN TRAFFIC IF NOT PAYING ATTENTION. WE ALMOST GOT HIT BECAUSE WE COULD NOT GET IT STARTED. THIS PROBLEM STARTING IT HAS GONE ON FOR SOME TIME, BUT IT HAD CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. WAS TOLD THIS ONE SCREW HOLDS THE HOUSING IN PLACE SO THE KEY WORKS PROPERLY.
2008 FORD FOCUS - 2 DR DRIVER DOOR ONLY KEYED ENTRY POINT... LOCKED CAR CAME BACK ...DOOR WOULDN'T OPEN WITH KEY .CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AFTER THE 1ST TIME JUST LEFT UNLOCKED. TOOK CAR FOR OIL CHANGE FORGOT TO TELL THEM DON'T LOCK AND OF COURSE THEY LOCKED WHEN DONE.HAD TO CALL ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE TO GET IT UNLOCKED. THIS IS REALLY UNSAFE IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS.
THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS BEGAN TO SEIZE UP OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT A YEAR. NOW ONLY ONE DOOR WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK USING THE ELECTRONIC LOCKING SYSTEM. THE DOORS CAN BE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED MANUALLY BY PULLING AND PUSHING ON THE PLASTIC MANUAL DOOR LOCKS.
MANUAL DOOR LATCHES ON 4-DOOR, KEY ENTRY. USE OF KEY TO GAIN ENTRY ON BOTH FRONT DOORS BEGAN A GRADUAL FAILURE. HAD TO WORK THE KEY, APPLY PRESSURE TO THE DOORS, ETC, UNTIL BOTH LOCKS FAILED TO OPEN WITH KEY. TWICE HAD PUT CHILDREN IN THE CAR, ACCIDENTALLY LOCKED DOORS, THEN UNABLE TO OPEN DOORS WITH KEYS. FORD SAYS IT ISN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY, ALTHOUGHT THE PROBLEMS FIRST STARTED APPEARING WHEN THE CAR WAS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD. FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, HAD TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE UNLOCKED. EVENTUALLY HAD AN AUTO BODY MAN DISASSMBLE THE DOORS, LUBE THE LATHES, AND THE WORK AGAIN, ALTHOUGHT THEY ARE STARTING TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY AGAIN. NEW LATCHES ARE $120 TO $160 EACH IF YOU CAN FIND THEM. *TR
Trend Over Time
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Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2008 Ford Focus has 13 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.