Ford Focus / 2002
2002 Ford Focus problems
Owners have filed 1,198 complaints about the 2002 Ford Focus with NHTSA. Electrical system accounts for 24.6% of them — far more than any other system, ahead of suspension at 9.6%.
Complaints1,198
Crashes107
Fires23
Injuries112
Deaths2
What owners report breaking
Electrical system 24.6% · 295
Suspension 9.6% · 115
Engine and engine cooling 8.8% · 106
Service brakes, hydraulic 6.8% · 81
Air bags 6.2% · 74
Tires 5.2% · 62
Fuel system, gasoline 4.9% · 59
Power train 4.8% · 58
Severity
Of those complaints, 107 describe a crash, 23 describe a fire, 112 report an injury and 2 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 19 model years of the Ford Focus in this data, 2002 sits 9th by complaint volume. 2000 draws the most.
Filing volume has held steady, 7 in the last three years against 8 in the three before.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 47,700 miles.
In owners' own words
Went to start car and it would not start. When I turned the radio on the windshield wipers would come on, when I turned the wipers on the headlights would go off. Ford dealer tried to say that the cause was related to a remote starter that had been installed. Took it to another dealer and it was found to be a problem with the wiring. Also having transmission problems and problems with the lock on the trunk. Electrical system
55,000 Miles on the vehicle. On 3/25/05, while parked & locked, the ignition malfunctioned on its own, resulting in a fire that burned the steering column. The fire caused other damages and heavy smoke within the sealed passenger compartment. The fire extinguished itself with the lack of oxygen. Pictures of the wiring harness, steering column and interior are available with the insurance company claim file. Electrical system · reported at 55,602 miles
Decklid wiring harness can fatigue and develop broken wires in the bend area of the hinge. Similar to nhtsa recall id# 00v411000. Consequences: this could result in either a loss of individual lamp functions, or in the case of a short of the broken wires that causes a fuse to open, in the loss of stop lamp or tail lamp function. Loss of stop lamp or tail lamp function could increase the risk of a crash. Electrical system · reported at 80,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…