Vehicles › Ford › Ford Focus
2003 Ford Focus
The 2003 Ford Focus appears in 1 NHTSA recall campaign (latches/locks/linkages) and in 970 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is electrical system: 440 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 123.7 per 1,000 across all 2003 model-year vehicles and against 190.7 per 1,000 for the Ford Focus line as a whole.
That is more than the average of 763.3 complaints per model year across the 20 Ford Focus model years on this register; 51 complaints reported a crash and 17 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2005 (119); the most recent in the file is dated 19 Mar 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 1 investigation naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 24 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Certain passenger vehicles with four or five doors and originally sold in or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, a build-up of corrosion at the pawl pivot area of the rear door latch can cause a binding condition of the pawl that may affect proper engagement of the pawl into the catch. The occupant may experience difficulty opening or closing a rear door, and eventually the rear door may not latch properly.
Consequence: If not latched properly, the door may open while the vehicle is in motion. If an occupant fell out of the vehicle, personal injuries could occur.
Remedy: Dealers will have a lower rocker seal added to the door and have the rear door latches evaluated free of charge. A latch that passes the evaluation will be lubricated to prevent future corrosion. A latch that does not pass the evaluation will be replaced. In addition, a sticker will be affixed to the rear doors advising the owners to use the recommended lubricant. The recall began on march 9, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY (manufacturer campaign 05S27).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2003 Ford Focus (black) against all 2003 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2003 | Focus line | All 2003 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 440 | 190.7 | 123.7 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 68.3 | 39 | 12.6 |
| Steering | 62.5 | 74.8 | 47.3 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 49.3 | 50.3 | 77.7 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 46.9 | 43.5 | 58.7 |
| Power Train | 41.1 | 159.3 | 121 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 535 | 440 | 190.7 | 123.7 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 83 | 68.3 | 39 | 12.6 |
| Steering | 76 | 62.5 | 74.8 | 47.3 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 60 | 49.3 | 50.3 | 77.7 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 57 | 46.9 | 43.5 | 58.7 |
| Power Train | 50 | 41.1 | 159.3 | 121 |
| Suspension | 49 | 40.3 | 44.4 | 57.2 |
| Air Bags | 48 | 39.5 | 41.6 | 82.2 |
| Structure | 38 | 31.3 | 45 | 62 |
| Visibility | 26 | 21.4 | 15.7 | 40.1 |
| Unknown or Other | 23 | 18.9 | 39.3 | 20.2 |
| Tires | 22 | 18.1 | 18.7 | 20.4 |
| Equipment | 21 | 17.3 | 11 | 21.5 |
| Seats | 18 | 14.8 | 6.2 | 13.9 |
| Engine | 18 | 14.8 | 48 | 27.3 |
| Seat Belts | 16 | 13.2 | 10.8 | 12.9 |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 | 12.3 | 10 | 34.7 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 11.5 | 40.7 | 42 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 10.7 | 41.8 | 36.5 |
| Wheels | 10 | 8.2 | 15.5 | 10.8 |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 30.5 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 6 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 | 2.5 | 27.1 | 14.3 |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 2 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 2 | 1.6 | 5.1 | 7.4 |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0.8 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 3.1 |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0.8 | 1 | 2 |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1 |
970 unique complaints, 1,216 component mentions; 50 injuries and 1 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQ10001 | Audit query | Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit | unknown or other | 18 Nov 2010 | 28 Dec 2015 | — |
Other Ford Focus model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 NHTSA | 0 | 11 | — |
| 2000 | 11 | 3,678 | 3,789,813 |
| 2001 | 7 | 1,752 | 3,185,855 |
| 2002 | 1 | 932 | 589,932 |
| 2003 | 1 | 970 | 589,932 |
| 2004 | 1 | 376 | 589,932 |
| 2005 | 1 | 427 | 589,932 |
| 2006 | 0 | 194 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | 364 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 222 | 45 |
| 2009 | 0 | 211 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 256 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 97 | — |
| 2012 | 7 | 2,600 | 5,938,190 |
| 2013 | 11 | 1,324 | 6,126,509 |
| 2014 | 12 | 1,271 | 6,169,878 |
| 2015 | 9 | 293 | 6,300,188 |
| 2016 | 10 | 185 | 1,876,765 |
| 2017 | 10 | 71 | 1,929,573 |
| 2018 | 7 | 32 | 1,807,349 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford Focus model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford Focus have?
1 NHTSA recall campaign name this model year; the most recent, 05V030000, was reported to NHTSA on 1 Feb 2005 and concerns latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch. Across all model years the Ford Focus line has 36 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2003 Ford Focus?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 1 action naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2003 Ford Focus complain about most?
Electrical System: 535 of 1216 component mentions (440 per 1,000). Next is latches/locks/linkages with 83. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 24 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 24 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.