2009 FORD FOCUS Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2009 Ford Focus. This model year has 228 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Electrical Faults.
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2009 Ford Focus Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Electrical Faults
Transmission / Drivetrain
Unintended Acceleration
Considering a 2009 Ford Focus?
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2009 Ford Focus. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Faults | 45 | — | — | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 39 | — | — | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 33 | 4 | — | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 25 | 2 | 1 | — | |
| Engine Problems | 23 | — | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 22 | 5 | — | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 22 | 13 | 1 | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 18 | — | — | — | |
| Tire Issues | 18 | 1 | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 15 | 1 | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 12 | 1 | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 12 | — | — | — | |
| Brake System | 9 | 4 | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 9 | 5 | — | — | |
| Visibility | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 5 | 2 | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Visibility/Wiper | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2009 Ford Focus. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 228 most recent complaints
Rocker panels rust out and cause the lifting points on the car unable to be used. Mechanics refuse to work on my car due to not being able to lift the vehicle per manufacturer lifting points.
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Focus. The contact stated while parked in the driveway, the contact opened both rear doors; however, while attempting to close the doors, the doors failed to latch securely. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mec…
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the contact felt the front passenger’s side brake was seizing. The contact stated there was smoke coming from the brakes. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the side of th…
My car started to rough idle, when I go to press the gas pedal there is no rev or acceleration or anything. It came up with a code for the throttle body and had it replaced and it worked fine for a while and then it happened again, so I replaced the throttle body again and it sta…
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start-up after multiple attempts without warning. The contact initially took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and the ignition switch and housing were replaced. A few months later, the failure…
THE FUEL PUMP KEEP DISABLING! WHEN TRYING TO CRANK THE CAR IT WILL CONTINUE TO TURN OVER AFTER THE KEY HAS BEEN PULLED BACK OUT OF THE START POSITION
TL* THE CONTACT'S SON OWNS A 2009 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT SON STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS JUMP STARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAG…
THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO HESITATE SHIFTING THEN WOULDNT GO PAST THIRD SHIFT AND THEN COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD.
WHEN I TRY TO START MY CAR, SOMETIMES IT WON'T TURN OVER WHEN TURNING THE KEY. I HAVE TO TRY A FEW TIMES IF NOT MULTIPLE TIMES IN ORDER FOR IT TO START AND IT JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE OVER TIME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT UNTIL HE COULD SHIFT INTO THE CORRECT GEAR IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE V…
MY CAR WAS STATIONARY. THE DOORS LOCK AND DO NOT UNLOCK. AFTER HOURS OF SEARCHING THE MANUAL AND GOOGLE I FIGURED OUT HOW TO BYPASS THE AUTOMATIC LOCK AND TURNED THAT OFF SO MY DOORS WOULD NOT LOCK WHILE I DROVE. THAT WORKED FOR A WHILE BUT, THEN THE DOORS JUST STOPPED OPENING FR…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DOORS FAILED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK AND WERE INOPERABLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT A MODULE NEEDED TO BE RESET. THE LOCAL DEAL…
MY IGNITION IS NOT WORKING. I TURN THE KEY OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND THE CAR WON'T START. THE LIGHTS COME ON, THE BATTERY IS CHARGED, THE AIR WORKS, BUT THE VEHICLE WON'T START. I USED TO BE ABLE TO GET IT STARTED BUT I NOW HAVE BLISTERS ON MY HAND FROM TRYING TO START THIS CAR.
THIRD TIME HAVING A PROBLEM WITH IGNITION SWITCH! CAR WILL TURN ON BUT WON'T START, COSTING MORE TO FIX THAN THE CAR IS WORTH.
THE THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT HAS BEGUN GOING OFF ( TWICE NOW) BUT ONCE TURNED OFF AND TURNED BACK ON IT DOES NOT COME ON. WHEN IT COMES ON IT LOOSES POWER AND THERE ARE ISSUES WITH ACCELERATION. IT HAS ONLY DONE IT AFTER A LONG DRIVE AND GOING (MOVING) AT A NORMAL PACE OF ABOUT 45 …
MY SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WOULD NOT UNLOCK AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES I LOOKED MORE CLOSELY AND I WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK IT...BUT NOW IT WILL NOT LOCK ...IT IS NOT LATCHING LIKE A SPRING OR SOMETHING ISNT WORKING...I WAS STATIONARY TRYING TO EXIT MY CAR AT MY APARTMENT
IGNITION MODULE...IGNITION SWITCH. CAR WON'T START WITH KEY, UNLESS PUSHED IN HARD, AND EVEN THEN IT TAKES SEVERAL TIMES FOR IT TO START.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK AND THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. ED MULLINAX FORD (8000 LEAVITT RD, AMHERST, OH 440011, 440-296-3021) STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT …
I HAD JUST GOT IN MY CAR TO GO GROCERY AND I STARTED UP MY ENGINE AND SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. HOWEVER, I WAS GOING UP TO 5000 RPMS JUST TO GO 30MPH AND IT DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT WHEN I WAS DRIVING, SO I PULLED OVER AND STOPPED THE CAR. WHEN I DID THIS, I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS ONLY FUNC…
I HAVE HAD THE MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS REPLACED TWICE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS ON THIS VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD TO REPORT IT AS THAT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN.
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2009 Ford Focus.
Recalls for 2009 Ford Focus
0 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2009 Ford Focus. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
No recall campaigns found for this model year in the current data. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls directly for the latest information.
2009 Ford Focus — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2009 Ford Focus reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2009 Ford Focus has 228 NHTSA owner complaints, 25 crash-related, and 0 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Electrical Faults (45 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Ford Focus?▾
#1: Electrical Faults (45 complaints). #2: Transmission / Drivetrain (39 complaints). #3: Unintended Acceleration (33 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2009 Ford Focus?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2009 Ford Focus?▾
The 2009 Ford Focus has 25 crash-related complaints and 2 fire reports out of 228 total NHTSA complaints. 21 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2009 Ford Focus have any recalls?▾
No NHTSA recall campaigns were found for the 2009 Ford Focus in the current data. Always verify with a VIN check as recalls can be added at any time.
Should I buy a 2009 Ford Focus?▾
The 2009 Ford Focus has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Electrical Faults issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Ford Focus reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2009 Ford Focus
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.