Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Ford Focus, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system277
- Suspension109
- Engine and engine cooling103
- Air bags72
- Service brakes, hydraulic64
- Tires62
- Fuel system, gasoline58
- Power train58
- Steering53
- Structure51
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 78 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 44 2002 Focus vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 31 people died inside them, and 7 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Ford Focus failed the safety check 3.40% of the time — 70% more often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 105,052 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2002 Ford Focus cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (74 kW, 99 hp), 1.4 petrol (55 kW, 74 hp) and 1.8 petrol (85 kW, 114 hp), out of 6 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 petrol | 74 kW 99 hp | 1,365 |
| 1.4 petrol | 55 kW 74 hp | 331 |
| 1.8 petrol | 85 kW 114 hp | 90 |
| 2.0 petrol | 96 kW 129 hp | 66 |
| 2.0 petrol | 127 kW 170 hp | 44 |
| 1.8 diesel | 66 kW 89 hp | 20 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
1,942 first registered in 2002 are on Dutch roads; 4% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €28,533.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde955
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen869
- Band onvoldoende profiel764
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm509
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld486
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt347
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)316
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht307
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
5,771 cars built in 2002 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 9,471 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 12,093 of these cars first registered in 2002 took their annual MOT test. 52% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2002 the figure was 58%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 22.7% | 20.8% |
| Suspension | 22.4% | 15.8% |
| Brakes | 13.2% | 13.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 9.1% | 9.7% |
| Tyres | 8.1% | 6.0% |
| Visibility | 7.7% | 7.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
1,118 of these cars first registered in 2002 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 251,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
222 2002 cars are on the New Zealand register; 87% arrived as used imports, 11% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 8 variants: combined 8.5–9.4 L/100 km (about 25–28 mpg US), CO₂ 196–216 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Sedan · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.6 | 7.2 | 8.5 |
| Focus Wagon · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.6 | 7.2 | 8.5 |
| Focus Sedan # · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.6 | 7.6 | 9.3 |
| Focus Wagon # · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 10.6 | 7.6 | 9.3 |
| Focus Sedan · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.5 | 8.1 | 9.4 |
| Focus Sedan # · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.4 | 8.1 | 9.4 |
| Focus Wagon · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 10.5 | 8.1 | 9.4 |
| Focus Wagon # · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 10.4 | 8.1 | 9.4 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2002 Ford Focus.
| 2005025 14 Feb 2005 | Other Certain four door (sedan and wagon) and five door vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward … |
| 2002076 23 Apr 2002 | Engine Certain Focus SVT vehicles built with manual transaxles. There is the potential for the speed control cable to hang up at the throttle body bracket during high,… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2002 Ford Focus: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637815 | CONCERNS WITH FRONT SUSPENSION CREAK, CRUNCH NOISE WHILE TURNING AT SLOW SPEEDS. *TT |
| 637732 | DPFE SENSOR PULSING OR TICKING NOISE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TT |
| 637615 | ROUGH IDLE, LOW POWER AND / OR STALL AT IDLE, A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATED AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0300 THROUGH P0304 STORED IN MEMORY. *TT |
| 637599 | SUBJECT REGARDING AIR CONDITIONER ADD ON KITS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT |
| 637571 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE B1213, B1342, B1601, B2431. *TT |
| 637554 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 15 INCH FIRESTONE TIRES MAY EXHIBIT SIGNS OF DIAGNONAL WEAR OR CUPPING ON THE REAR TIRES. *TT |
| 637552 | SOME VEHICLES BUILT 09/2001 THROUGH 11/2001 AND EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L ZETEC ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT A FEAD BELT NOISE. *TT |
| 637549 | INFORMATION PERTAINING TO VEHICLE PULL OR DRIFT TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHILE TRAVELING. *TT |
| 637475 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT DOOR LOCKS THAT MAY INADVERTENTLY LOCK ON THEIR OWN. *TT |
| 637454 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CRANK / NO START, POOR IDLE, AND / OR LACK OF POWER, WITH CAMSHAFTS OUT OF TIME. *TT |
| 637442 | SOME SVT BUILT PRIOR TO 3/27/2002 ARE EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT BACK TRIM COVER AND FOAM PAD SEAT BACK WITH VELCRO TO RETAIN THE TRIM COVER UNDER THE SEAT. *TT |
| 636410 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 15 INCH FIRESTONE TIRES MAY EXHIBIT SIGNS OF DIAGONAL WEAR OR CUPPING OF THE REAR TIRES. *TT |
| 636352 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A LOCKED REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR AFTER MOVING THE REAR SEAT FROM THE FOLD DOWN POSITION TO THE SEATING POSITION. *TT |
| 636348 | INFORMATION ON VEHICLES WITH PROGRAMMABLE MODULES. *TT |
| 636302 | SUBJECT REGARDING INTERIOR DOOR LOCK STRATEGY. *TT |
| 636288 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT AN INTERMITTENT SELF-ACTIVATION OF THE POWER DOOR LOCKS. *TT |
| 636241 | SOME VEHICLES WITH 15 INCH FIRESTONE TIRES MAY EXHIBIT SIGNS OF DIAGONAL WEAR OR CUPPING ON THE REAR TIRES. *TT |
| 636224 | INFORMATION ON NORTH AMERICAN BUILT VEHICLES WHICH WERE NOT EQUIPPED WITH A PERIMETER / ACTIVE ANTI-THEFT ALARM SYSTEM. *TT |
| 636196 | SUBJECT REGARDING NORTH AMERICAN FOCUS NOT EQUIPPED WITH ACTIVE ANTI-THEFT ALARM SYSTEM. *TT |
| 636173 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE AND 2.0L ZETEC ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATED WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0122, THROTTLE POSITION CIRCUIT LOW INPUT. *TT |
| 636114 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A VERTICAL CRACK IN THE OUTSIDE MIRROR GLASS WITH NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF IMPACT, ESPECIALLY DURING COLD AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. *TT |
| 636104 | SOME WAGONS MAY EXHIBIT THE LIFTGATE NOT STAYING IN THE FULLY UPRIGHT POSITION IN COLD CLIMATES. *TT |
| 636089 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 2.0L SPI ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) P0300 THROUGH P0304 STORED. *TT |
| 636065 | INFORMATION REGARDING DISCHARGED BATTERY CHARGING SERVICE TIPS AND GUIDELINES. *TT |
| 636052 | INOPERATIVE OR INACURRATE SPEEDOMETER, 4X4 LAMP ILLUMINATD, AND / OR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1635 OR P1639. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
FRONT SUSP COLLAPSE/WHEEL SEPARATION
ENGINE STALLING
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARM
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation