Ford Focus 2000–2007
1st generation (North America) · C170 (Mk1)
NHTSA data through 13 August 202611,828 complaints, 6,507 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 6,507
- Median of reported failures
- 57,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Electrical system (27.0%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 32,655 and 89,600 miles.
Figure 1 · Ford Focus 2000–2007 · 6,507 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 366 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 65 complaints (1.0%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 12,000
- 25%
- 32,655
- Median
- 57,000
- 75%
- 89,600
- 90%
- 125,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 350 | 5.4% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 194 | 3.0% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 216 | 3.3% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 199 | 3.1% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 228 | 3.5% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 239 | 3.7% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 288 | 4.4% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 366 | 5.6% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 354 | 5.4% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 332 | 5.1% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 342 | 5.3% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 262 | 4.0% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 328 | 5.0% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 265 | 4.1% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 250 | 3.8% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 230 | 3.5% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 265 | 4.1% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 177 | 2.7% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 189 | 2.9% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 138 | 2.1% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 181 | 2.8% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 127 | 2.0% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 118 | 1.8% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 90 | 1.4% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 101 | 1.6% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 79 | 1.2% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 101 | 1.6% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 63 | 1.0% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 62 | 1.0% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 45 | 0.7% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 49 | 0.8% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 31 | 0.5% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 36 | 0.6% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 26 | 0.4% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 24 | 0.4% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 20 | 0.3% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 27 | 0.4% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 14 | 0.2% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 17 | 0.3% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 19 | 0.3% |
| 200,000+ | 65 | 1.0% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 11,828 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000–2007 Ford Focus, and 6,507 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 32,655 and 89,600 miles. The median is 57,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the electrical system (27.0% of complaints, typically around 61,000 miles), the engine and its cooling system (8.2% of complaints, typically around 53,000 miles), the hydraulic brake circuit (7.4% of complaints, typically around 24,000 miles).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2000–2007 Ford Focus last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2000–2007 Ford Focus were filed by 57,000 miles and 90% by 125,000 miles — figures drawn from 6,507 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
65 reports (1%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Focus reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2000–2007 Focus: the 3-minute check
Generated from 6,507 mileage-tagged complaints, 4 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check vehicle-wide (recall history) on 2000–2002 cars. The MY2000 Focus was one of the most-recalled vehicles of its era, with roughly a dozen NHTSA recall campaigns in its first two years covering front suspension, wheels, fuel system and electrical items. Early-build cars…
- Check rear suspension / wheel bearings on 2000–2004 cars. Rear wheel bearing and rear spindle attachment failures, producing noise, play and in NHTSA recall cases the risk of wheel separation.
- Check ignition system on 2000–2007 cars. Coil pack failure on the 2.0L Zetec/Duratec causing misfire, rough running and stalling; a routine high-mileage failure item on this generation.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 33,000 and 90,000 miles, with a median of 57,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the electrical system and the engine and its cooling system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The engine and its cooling system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 53,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Ford Focus 2000–2007
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit876 reports24,00014,000–41,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 876 reports, median 24,000 miles, middle half 14,000 to 41,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline575 reports42,00021,000–70,000Transmission and driveline: 575 reports, median 42,000 miles, middle half 21,000 to 70,000 miles.
- Fuel system795 reports51,00035,000–80,000Fuel system: 795 reports, median 51,000 miles, middle half 35,000 to 80,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system969 reports53,00030,000–86,000Engine and its cooling system: 969 reports, median 53,000 miles, middle half 30,000 to 86,000 miles.
- Suspension810 reports59,00031,000–90,000Suspension: 810 reports, median 59,000 miles, middle half 31,000 to 90,000 miles.
- Airbag system702 reports59,00030,000–97,000Airbag system: 702 reports, median 59,000 miles, middle half 30,000 to 97,000 miles.
- Electrical system3,194 reports61,00042,000–87,000Electrical system: 3,194 reports, median 61,000 miles, middle half 42,000 to 87,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 3,194 | 27.0% | 61,000 | 42,000–87,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 969 | 8.2% | 53,000 | 30,000–86,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 876 | 7.4% | 24,000 | 14,000–41,000 |
| Suspension | 810 | 6.8% | 59,000 | 31,000–90,000 |
| Fuel system | 795 | 6.7% | 51,000 | 35,000–80,000 |
| Airbag system | 702 | 5.9% | 59,000 | 30,000–97,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 575 | 4.9% | 42,000 | 21,000–70,000 |
| Latches and locks | 524 | 4.4% | 70,000 | 49,000–100,000 |
| Steering | 453 | 3.8% | 56,000 | 34,000–86,000 |
| Body structure | 412 | 3.5% | 70,000 | 38,000–116,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Ford Focus 2000–2007 · 6,507 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 52% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 75% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 88% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 1.0% of reports (65) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
52% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 24,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 42,000–87,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 30,000–86,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 31,000–90,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 35,000–80,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 30,000–97,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 21,000–70,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
75% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Electrical system — median 61,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 53,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 24,000 mi
- Suspension — median 59,000 mi
- Fuel system — median 51,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 42,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Airbag system — middle half 30,000–97,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
88% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Electrical system — median 61,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 53,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 24,000 mi
- Suspension — median 59,000 mi
- Fuel system — median 51,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 59,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 42,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 57,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The electrical system accounts for 27.0% of complaints (3,194 reports, 2,078 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 61,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 42,000 and 87,000 miles.
A single system taking 27.0% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 8.2% of complaints (969 reports, 435 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 53,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 30,000 and 86,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 7.4% of complaints (876 reports, 332 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 24,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 14,000 and 41,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 6.8% of complaints (810 reports, 419 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 59,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 31,000 and 90,000 miles.
The fuel system accounts for 6.7% of complaints (795 reports, 462 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 51,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 80,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 5.9% of complaints (702 reports, 355 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 59,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 30,000 and 97,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2000 model year drew the most — 5,152 complaints — while 2006 drew the fewest at 270. The median year sits at 899.
That makes 2000 an outlier: roughly 5.7 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 11,828 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 988 (8.4%)
- Fires
- 328
- Injury reports
- 608
- Fatality reports
- 40
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Vehicle-Wide (recall History) 2000–2002
The MY2000 Focus was one of the most-recalled vehicles of its era, with roughly a dozen NHTSA recall campaigns in its first two years covering front suspension, wheels, fuel system and electrical items. Early-build cars carry disproportionate complaint density and should be expected to skew the generation's totals.
Rear Suspension / Wheel Bearings 2000–2004
Rear wheel bearing and rear spindle attachment failures, producing noise, play and in NHTSA recall cases the risk of wheel separation.
Ignition System 2000–2007
Coil pack failure on the 2.0L Zetec/Duratec causing misfire, rough running and stalling; a routine high-mileage failure item on this generation.
Transmission 2000–2007
4F27E 4-speed automatic failures - harsh or slipping shifts and internal component wear, typically at higher mileage.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5,152 | 2,038 |
| 2001 | 2,361 | 1,264 |
| 2002 | 1,198 | 767 |
| 2003 | 1,224 | 934 |
| 2004 | 499 | 376 |
| 2005 | 600 | 461 |
| 2006 | 270 | 224 |
| 2007 | 524 | 443 |
What owners reported
While driving my 2000 Ford Focus zx3 my car lost all horsepower and would barely drive down the road. I had the throttle body replaced and now it is making a loud noise if you try to excelerate. With this occuring i am left with nothing to do but, spend "more" money on problems everyone is having with this year and…
2000 · 25 miles · Engine and its cooling system
Dt: the turn signal do not cancel after a turn. The spring broke three times. The trunk does not latch properly. Dealership has taken care of both issues, but the problem recurred. In cold weather the idle speed was too high. When put into reverse it backed out like a rocket. This caused an accident on april 9, 2000.…
2000 · 37 miles · Exterior lighting
Along with the on going problems i have with my 2000 Ford Focus, i recently stalled while sitting at the light, i came to find that my positive battery cable was so corroded and burt. Causing me to stall. I had taken it to the dealer in august of 2003 they claimed to have inspected and rerouted the battery cable and…
2000 · 39 miles · Electrical system
Built from 6,507 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page