Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2009 Ford Focus, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system45
- Power train39
- Vehicle speed control33
- Suspension25
- Wheels22
- Air bags22
- Latches/locks/linkages18
- Tires17
- Engine16
- Unknown or other16
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 21 injuries and 3 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 116 2009 Focus vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 89 people died inside them, and 13 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 2009 Ford Focus failed the safety check 3.57% of the time — 42% more often than the average 2009 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 117,280 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2009 Ford Focus cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (74 kW, 99 hp), 1.8 petrol (92 kW, 123 hp) and 1.8 ethanol (92 kW, 123 hp), out of 9 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 petrol | 74 kW 99 hp | 2,308 |
| 1.8 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 1,946 |
| 1.8 ethanol | 92 kW 123 hp | 576 |
| 2.0 petrol | 107 kW 143 hp | 374 |
| 1.6 petrol | 85 kW 114 hp | 309 |
| 1.4 petrol | 59 kW 79 hp | 134 |
| 2.5 petrol | 166 kW 223 hp | 87 |
| 2.5 petrol | 224 kW 300 hp | 82 |
| 1.6 diesel | 80 kW 107 hp | 72 |
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
5,949 first registered in 2009 are on Dutch roads; 22% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €22,975.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde3,365
- Band onvoldoende profiel2,833
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld1,853
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)1,579
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt1,521
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm1,369
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd1,008
- Band beschadigd827
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
43,538 cars built in 2009 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 5,684 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, 62,477 of these cars first registered in 2009 took their annual MOT test. 57% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2009 the figure was 59%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 23.6% | 18.7% |
| Suspension | 17.5% | 16.4% |
| Tyres | 9.2% | 7.5% |
| Visibility | 7.0% | 6.5% |
| Brakes | 6.4% | 10.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5.5% | 5.8% |
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
2,165 of these cars first registered in 2009 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 233,000 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
817 2009 cars are on the New Zealand register; 2% arrived as used imports, 97% 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 2 variants: combined 8.5–8.6 L/100 km (about 27–28 mpg US), CO₂ 196–198 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.8 | 6.8 | 8.5 |
| Focus · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.8 | 7.2 | 8.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2009 Ford Focus.
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 2009 Ford Focus: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10254138 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is lost, follow these steps to recover the code. Dealer Key Code access is granted through the Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES); dealership managemen |
| 10140323 | The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts and Service - Parts Product Line Information - Keys/Entry Devices - Aftermarket Keyless Entry Keypad Code Access. Access to this site is granted through Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES) and Dealer Principal, General Manager or Parts and Service Director can authorize users. Once authorized the retrieval process for master code can be obtained. The mast |
| 10138524 | The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts and Service - Parts Product Line Information - Keys/Entry Devices - Aftermarket Keyless Entry Keypad Code Access. Access to this site is granted through Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES) and Dealer Principal, General Manager or Parts and Service Director can authorize users. Once authorized the retrieval process for master code can be obtained. The mast |
| 10109070 | The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer |
| 10095184 | REPLACING THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SYNC/NAVIGATION SYSTEM WITH EITHER AN AFTERMARKET SYNC/NAVIGATION KIT OR MODIFYING ORIGINAL SYNC/NAVIGATION PARTS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FEATURES IS NOT RECOMMENDED NOR SUPPORTED ON ANY FORD, MERCURY OR LINCOLN VEHICLE. ONLY APPROVED GENUINE FORD ACCESSORIES OR ORIGINALLY INSTALLED SYSTEMS ARE SUPPORTED AND CERTIFIED TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY WITH OTHER VEHICLE SYSTEMS. IF YOU SUSPECT A SYSTEM HAS BEEN MODIFIED, THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES CAN BE USED TO VERIFY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT: MONRONEY LABEL (WINDOW STICKER), PROFESSIONAL TECHNICIAN SOCIETY (PTS) OASIS TAB SELECT |
| 10091151 | SOME 2008-2017 FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SYNC MAY GENERATE A VHR THAT IDENTIFIES A CONCERN WITH THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION CATEGORY INDICATING SERVICE IS REQUIRED DUE TO A BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED. IF THE PARK BRAKE WAS APPLIED WHEN THE VHR WAS GATHERING DATA FROM THE MAJOR VEHICLE SYSTEMS, THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION MESSAGE WILL BE REPORTED AS THE VHR LOOKS FOR ANY WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. RERUN THE VHR WITH THE ENGINE ON AND VEHICLE IN PARK, AND ENSURE THE PARK BRAKE IS DISENGAGED. IF THE SYNC VHR IS STILL REPORTING A CONCERN TO |
| 10090681 | SOME 2008-2017 FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SYNC MAY GENERATE A VHR THAT IDENTIFIES A CONCERN WITH THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION CATEGORY INDICATING SERVICE IS REQUIRED DUE TO A BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED. IF THE PARK BRAKE WAS APPLIED WHEN THE VHR WAS GATHERING DATA FROM THE MAJOR VEHICLE SYSTEMS, THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION MESSAGE WILL BE REPORTED AS THE VHR LOOKS FOR ANY WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. RERUN THE VHR WITH THE ENGINE ON AND VEHICLE IN PARK, AND ENSURE THE PARK BRAKE IS DISENGAGED. IF THE SYNC VHR IS STILL REPORTING A CONCERN TO |
| 10057865 | FORD: AFTER POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE REPROGRAMMING, THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) IS ON WITH SEVERAL DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) P06B8, P068A, P2610, IF KEY NOT LEFT FOR 30 SECONDS IN OFF POSITION FOLLOWING PROGRAMMING ON SOME MODEL 2009-15 VEHICLES. *PE |
| 10057723 | FORD: A JOB AID WAS DEVELOPED AND NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE PTU INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL FLUID LEAKAGE FOR ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES. *PE |
| 10039053 | FORD: IF THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT LACK OF POWER, SURGE, OR HESITATION WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES WILL OVERRIDE ACCELERATION. *RM |
| 10038965 | COMM-TRANS LUND: SOME 2009-2011 MODELS MAY HAVE THE AIR BAG INICATOR FLASHING WITH A STORED TROUBLE CODE. THIS IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. *RM |
| 10037092 | FORD: ONE SOME 2008-2010 FOCUS VEHICLES THERE MAY BE AN INOPERABLE SPEED CONTROL. *RM |
| 10034586 | FORD: EQUIPPED WITH 17 INCH WHEELS ONLY; STEERING FOLLOWS ROAD IRREGULARITIES AND/OR RUTS. VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT THE VEHICLE'S STEERING SEEMS TO FOLLOW ROAD IRREGULARITIES. FIRST, COMPARE TO A SIMILAR VEHICLE UNDER THE SAME ROAD CONDITIONS. IF COMPARABLE PERFORMANCE IS EVIDENT, CONSIDER THIS NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE AND NO REPAIRS SHOULD BE PERFORMED. *PE |
| 10034585 | FORD: PREMATURE FRONT/REAR TIRE WEAR AND/OR VEHICLE DRIFT ON WET OR SNOW COVERED ROADS. IF PERFORMING AN ALIGNMENT, RECORD ALL ALIGN-MENT ANGLES PRIOR TO ANY ADJUSTMENTS, AND ENTER IN WARRANTY CLAIM IF APPLICABLE. *PE |
| 10030834 | FORD: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A PARTS NO CRANK/NO START CONDITION WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES 9DTC) P1260 IN THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) AND U0100 IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER (IC). *PE |
| 10027986 | FORD: SOME VEHICLES BUILT ON OR AFTER 10/3/05 MAY EXPERIENCE A CUSTOMER CONCERN OF THE POWER STEERING (P/S) SYSTEM LEAKING AND/OR SYSTEM NOISY. *PE |
| 10027912 | FORD: VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT (MIL) ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0456 (VERY SMALL EVAPORATIVE EMISSION SYSTEM LEAK DETECTED; VERY SMALL LEAK 0.020" (0.51 MM) DIAMETER). *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)