There are 38 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2001 Ford Focusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
MY DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER DOOR HAS BEEN ACTING UP FOR MANY YEARS NOW AND FORD WILL NOT FIX IT. NOW MY DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE. MANY OF THE 2001 FORD FOCUS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE AND THEY SAY MY VIN NO. IS NOT ONE OF THEM. PLEASE HELP ME GET MY DOOR FIXED. WHEN I WENT TO GET IT INSPECTED ON 11.2.18 THEY OPENED MY DOOR AND NOW IT WILL NOT CLOSE AND AGAIN THEY SAY THAT I HAVE TO FIX IT. AS MENTIONED, THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR YEARS AND I AM STILL DEALING WITH IT. MY CAR IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND DO NOT WANT TO GET RID OF IT. I BELIEVE THAT FORD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE LATCH. MY CAR HAS HAD A FEW RECALLS THAT WERE FIXED, ONE OF WHICH WAS A FEW YEARS AGO THAT THEY HONORED. I HOPE TO GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED QUICKLY AND THEY WILL NOT PASS MY CAR FOR INSPECTION AND I NEED MY VEHICLE. THANK YOU.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. UPON DRIVING OVER A SPEED BUMP AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SWERVED. AFTER REACHING HER DESTINATION, THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INSURANCE ADJUSTOR WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,909.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE CROSSMEMBER FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE CONTACT, WHO WAS AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
CAR WILL NOT IDLE WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT IN THE CITY, WHEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE FROM PARK, RUNS ROUGH AT LOW SPEEDS WHILE IN TRAFFIC AND GOING THOUGH PARKING LOTS. STARTED ONE MORNING, RAN HORRIBLY, STALLED AND HASN'T STARTED SINCE. THE BACK DOOR DOESN'T STAY LATCHED WHEN SHUT.
WHILE DRIVING A 2001 FORD FOCUS SE AND NAVIGATING A CURVE, THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR FAILED TO REMAIN SECURE AND SUDDENLY OPENED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. UPON ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE DOOR, IT APPEARS THE DOOR LATCH DOES NOT ENGAGE AND THE DOOR CANNOT BE CLOSED SECURE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THERE IS SIGNIFICANT CORROSION AROUND THE LATCH MECHANISM. THE DOOR MUST BE MANUALLY RESTRAINED WITH ROPES TO REMAIN CLOSED. *TR
UNDER NORMAL USE THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ON THREE OF THE FOUR CAR DOORS BROKE. WITHIN A WEEK'S TIME ALL THREE BROKE AND THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE DOORS WAS TO REACH THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW AND PULL THE INTERIOR HANDLE. AT MY EXPENSE THE FORD SERVICE DEPT. REPLACED THE BROKE HANDLES, HOWEVER THE RIGHT REAR PART COULDN'T BE LOCATED TO REPAIR IT. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY RECALL. SHOULD THEIR HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT PRIOR TO MY REPLACING THE HANDLES, SOMEONE TRYING TO HELP A PERSON STUCK INSIDE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THE PASSENGER OUT OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I LOOKED ONLINE TO READ ABOUT THESE HANDLES I FOUND THAT THIS WAS A BAD DESIGN YEAR FOR DOOR HANDLES AND AFTER ABOUT 3 YEARS IT WAS THEN REDESIGNED. WHY NOT A RECALL THEN? *TR
ON OUR FORD FOCUS, THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE, ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT WORK. YOU CAN REACH IN THE WINDOW (OR LEAN OVER CTR CONSOLE) TO PULL THE HANDLE AND OPEN IT. THE HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE IS STUCK IN THE FULL PULLED OUT POSITION, AND CANNOT BE PUSHED IN. THE BACK DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR STARTED PERIODICALLY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS OPENING. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WITH THE BACK DOOR MAY BE DUE TO THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS BEING ENGAGED. I OPENED THE REAR DOOR, INSERTED, AND ROTATED THE KEY. AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, THERE WAS NO CHANGE. YOU COULD PULL THE HANDLE ON THE INSIDE, AND OUTSIDE, AND THE MECHANISM SEEMED TO BE WORKING, SO I CLOSED THE DOOR ....BEFORE CHANGING THE ROTATION BACK. NOW, THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN ANY, FROM THE INSIDE, OR OUTSIDE. THIS IS A GREAT CONCERN BECAUSE IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT, OR FIRE, THE PERSON IN THE BACK SEAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT THIS VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW: IS THERE A WAY TO RESET THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS, WITHOUT OPENING THE DOOR (SINCE THIS DOOR WILL NOT OPEN)? *TR
ON OUR FORD FOCUS, THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE, ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT WORK. YOU CAN REACH IN THE WINDOW (OR LEAN OVER CTR CONSOLE) TO PULL THE HANDLE AND OPEN IT. THE HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE IS STUCK IN THE FULL PULLED OUT POSITION, AND CANNOT BE FORCED IN EVEN. THE BACK DOOR STARTED NOT WORKING PERIODICALLY. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM ON THE BACK DOOR MAY BE THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS BEING ON. I OPENED THE REAR DOOR, INSERTED THE KEY, AND ROTATED IT. AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, THERE WAS NO CHANGE. YOU COULD PULL ON THE INSIDE, AND OUTSIDE HANDLE, AND THE MECHANISM SEEMED TO BE WORKING, SO I CLOSED THE DOOR ....BEFORE CHANGING THE ROTATION BACK. NOW, THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THIS CONCERNS ME IF THERE WERE AN ACCIDENT, OR FIRE, THE PERSON IN THE BACK SEAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A WAY TO RESET THE CHILD DOOR LOCKS-WITHOUT OPENING THE DOOR (SINCE THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN)? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIFTGATE WIRES FAILED. THERE WAS ALSO A CRACK IN THE SEAM OF THE LIFTGATE WINDOW AND RAIN WATER WAS ABLE TO ENTER THE VEIHCLE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE WIRES TO SHORT AND MELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE WIRING NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.
REAR DOOR WILL NOT STAY LATCHED AND SWINGS WIDE OPEN. *TR
THE LATCHES ON THREE OF THE DOORS EITHER DO NOT LATCH WHICH MAKES THE DOOR FLY OPEN OR IT LATCHES AND DOESN'T OPEN, AFTER INSPECTION THE LATCHES ARE SO CORRODED WITH RUST THAT THEY DO NOT WORK AT ALL. BEFORE I REALIZED THAT THE DOOR WASN'T LATCHING I HAD A PROPANE TANK FOR A GRILL IN THE BACK SEAT WHEN I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND IT HIT THE DOOR AND THE DOOR FLEW OPEN AND THE TANK WENT FLYING DOWN THE STREET AND ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON THIS BUT MY VIN # ISN'T ON THE RECALL BUT SHOULD BE! I WAS QUOTED OVER $800 TO FIX THE DOORS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. *TR
HI, I RECENTLY WENT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP TO GET AN OIL CHANGE ON MY 2001 FORD FOCUS, SO WHEN THEY LIFTED MY CAR UP TO CHANGE THE OIL THEY NOTICED SOMETHING THAT WAS A MAJOR PROBLEM, MY FRONT SUBFRAME HAD ABOUT A HALF A FOOT DIAMETER HOLE IN IT BECAUSE IT HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT, IT WAS ALL CORRODED AND THEY SAID THAT IF I HAD HIT A POT HOLE IN THE ROAD THAT IT COULD HAVE BROKEN IN HALF AND THE FRONT END WOULD FALL STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND BECAUSE THE FRONT SUBFRAME HOLDS UP THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE CAR. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY RISK TO ALL DRIVERS OF SOME FORD FOCUS BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN ABOUT THIS UNLESS THEY HAD TOLD ME AT THE DEALERSHIP. I CAN SEND SOME PICTURES OF THE SUBFRAME IF YOU LIKE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE NO ONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS FRONT SUBFRAME RUSTING AWAY, I WAS TOLD BY FORD THAT THE FRONT SUBFRAME SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR, BUT APPARENTLY THAT WASN'T THE CASE FOR MINE. I AM GETTING IT REPAIRED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY RISK IT CAN CAUSE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME READING THIS. *TR
WATER LEAKS ONTO THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR IN THE FRONT.. APPARENTLY FROM A DEFECTIVE SEAL ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD. *TR
ON 10/3/08 I WAS CHANGING OIL ON MY 2001 FORD FOCUS WITH 60000 MILES AND NOTICED RUST HOLES THROUGH THE FRONT SUBFRAME, WHICH HOLDS THE MOTOR, LOWER WHEEL CONTROL ARMS TO THE CAR BODY. IT IS A VERY CRUCIAL PART THAT SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THE FRAME WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT IF I HIT A LARGE BUMP THAT THE FRAME MAY BREAK IN HALF AND THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CAR IS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING. THIS REPAIR WAS ESTIMATED BY THE DEALER TO BE AROUND $900.00. THE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED AS I WRITE THIS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART FORD HAS USED AND THEY SHOULD INSPECT AND REPLACE THE PART ON THIS MODEL BEFORE ONE DOES BREAK AND SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR
WATER LEAK INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER FOOT WELL. STARTED IN JULY, WENT BACK TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES, FINAL TIME WAS TOLD IT NEEDS TO GO TO A BODY SHOP, POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE BODY PANEL ISSUES? *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THREE OF THE DOORS ON THE VEHICLE WILL NOT OPEN AND THE DRIVER DOOR WILL NOT STAY CLOSED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN ALERTED.
DT: 2001 FORD FOCUS - THE CONSUMER RECEIVED MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 05S27 CONCERNING CORROSION OF THE REAR DOORS IN MARCH 2005. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THAT THIS RECALL DID NOT AFFECT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A HATCH BACK CAR. CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING; THIS WOULD NOT EFFECT THIS VEHICLE. THE REAR DRIVER'S DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE DUE TO THE CORROSION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FLEW OPEN. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS SNAPPED IN HALF. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE FELL ONTO THE AXLE, WHICH DAMAGED PART OF THE AXLE. *AK
MY QUESTION REGARDS TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL ABOUT WATER IN THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR. BUT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. ITS JUST THAT WATER COMES INTO THE PASSENGER FLOOR WHEN IT RAINING. EXAMPLE= DRIVING FOR A WHILE WHEN IT IS RAINING THE FLOOR BECOMES WET. BUT AFTER IT DRIES OUT, THERE IS NO WATER. EVEN ON SUNNY DAYS. I HOPE WHAT I'VE TYPED MAKES SINCE. BECAUSE THAT IS THE BEST THAT I CAN EXPLAIN IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. RODNEY RAY NOTE''''' THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT SO THE ONE THAT IS IN THE INCIDENT DATE IS NOT FOR REAL''''''''''''''''''''BECAUSE THIS SITE WON'T LETY ME PASS WITHOUT ONE. *AK
Showing 1–20 of 38 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026