2005 Ford Focus Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED ABNORMALLY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MOVE FROM A STOPPED POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BELL FORD LOCATED AT 2401 W BELL RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85023, WHERE SOME UNKNOW REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO BABBITT FORD LOCATED AT 11 N VERDE ST, FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86001, AND WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO BABBITT FORD WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE RING IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH NEED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL AND UPSHIFTED/DOWNSHIFTED AT RANDOM. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE RPMS TO ALSO MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. UPON RESEARCH IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THE FORD FOCUS. REMEDIES SUGGEST TO MOVE THE PIECE ON THE SHIFT UPWARD, HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT WORKING FOR MY VEHICLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD TOO MUCH OUTPUT AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ABLE TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AND FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER IN COLORADO WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER IN ARIZONA WHERE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 11/02/17*LJ UPDATED 7/18/18*JB
TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AT AROUND 80,000 MILES TO THE POINT WHERE 2ND AND 3RD GEAR WERE NEARLY NON EXISTENT. WHEN OD LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AUTOZONE TOLD ME THAT SOLENOIDS/TRANSMISSION WERE SHOT. AFTER REPLACING THE SOLENOIDS AS WELL AS THE TRANSMISSION ITSELF WITH AN IDENTICAL TRANSMISSION FROM AN IDENTICAL VEHICLE, IT IS APPARENT THAT THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE INDEED FAULTY. IT IS STILL SLIPPING AND SLAMMING INTO GEAR. OVERDRIVE RARELY FUNCTIONS PROPERLY AND TENDS TO SHUT ITSELF OFF.
BOUGHT THE CAR FOR MY MOTHER IT HAD 91,000 MILES ON IT AND RAN FINE. IT NOW HAS 106,000 MILES ON IT AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED WITH A BROKEN INTERMEDIATE BAND, LOOKED UP THE PROBLEM AND FOUND LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN AND AGAIN. IT WILL SHOW UP AS A SHIFT SOLENOID "D" PROBLEM BUT IF YOU FIX IT, IT WILL NOT HELP. THE BAND IS BROKEN AND MUST BE REPLACED. CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY FROM 2 - 4 GEAR.
CAR SURGES WHEN BRAKING USUALLY UNDER 5 TO 10 MPH. TRANSMISSION DOES NOT WANT TO GEAR DOWN. ESPECIALLY WHEN BRAKING FAST. PROBLEM NOT CONSTANT. TALKED TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT RECREATE. WHEN IT HAPPENS YOU HAVE STAND ON BRAKE OR PUT IN NEUTRAL TO STOP FORWARD SURGE. *TR
WHEN BRAKING COMING UP TO STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN USUALLY UNDER 15 MPH TRANSMISSION DOES NOT GEAR DOWN AND SEEMS TO SURGE. HAPPENS RANDOMLY. YOU HAVE TO ALMOST STAND ON BRAKES AND SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. SURGE MAY LAST APPROX 5 SECONDS. VARIES DEPENDING ON SPEED YOUR BRAKING FROM. IN THE BEGINNING TALKED TO FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE. HAD A FORD ESCORT FOR MY SON IN MID 80'S AND HE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR PROBLEM. VEHICLE NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 72000 MILES AND SEEMS TO GETTING WORSE. I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEMS FOR YEARS AND NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. I WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED IF MANY OTHERS HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,600.... UPDATED 08/19/13 *BF THE SHIFTER WAS REPLACED ON JULY 30, 2013
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED IN THE FIRST, SECOND OR THIRD GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THE FAILURE COULD POSSIBLY BE RELATED TO FRONT END BEARINGS OR AXLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOLENOID IN THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECOND AND THIRD GEARS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,000. UPDATED 09/19/11 *BF UPDATED 2/23/12 *CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO SECOND OR THIRD GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE SHIFT SOLENOID AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO INFORMED HER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AND THEY WILL PERFORM A FULL DIAGNOSTIC TEST AT HER EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO HESITATE AND SHIFT GEARS ERRATICALLY WITH A LOUD BANG. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOTH THE DEALER AND INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIANS INFORMED THE TRANSMISSION EXHIBITED INTERNAL DAMAGES AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANCE TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,000.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS IN DRIVE AND UNDER WAY WHEN RPMS RACED UP. IT SEEMED TO BE OUT OF GEAR. TRANSMISSION INDICATED IT WAS IN DRIVE. I THOUGHT THAT THE OD GEAR HAD MALFUNCTIONED. AFTER DISENGAGING THE OD THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE LOCKED IN 2ND GEAR (AS ENGINE RPM & SOUND INDICATED). AFTER TAKING IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP IT WAS DETERMINED THE SHIFT SOLENOIDS WERE OK & IT REQUIRED THE TRANSMISSION TO BE TORN APART FOR INSPECTION. MAZDA PROVIDES THE AUTOMATIC TO FORD. THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL AT THIS MILEAGE. ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR SHOP IT WAS THE 4TH LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE IN A WEEK REQUIRING A COMPLETE REBUILD OF THE TRANSMISSION.
STOPPING CAR AND PLACING CAR IN PARK SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL NOT GO ALL THE WAY IN PARK AND THE KEYS WILL NOT RELEASE FROM IGNITION. WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED THE BUTTON FOR THE AUTOMATIC SHIFTER WILL SHIFT OUT OF PARK WITHOUT PRESSING DOWN THE BRAKE PEDAL. *TR
O/D LIGHT CAME ON. AUTOMOTIVE SHOP RAN A TEST AND RETRIEVED CODE P0767. SHOP REPLACED THE SOLENOID AND CAR WOULD STILL NOT SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR. SHOP WANTED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION BUT I DECLINED AS THE CAR ONLY HAD 52,000 MILES. TOOK THE CAR TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO 2ND OR 4TH GEAR. DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A POSSIBLE BROKEN BAND OR FAILED BAND APPLY PISTON. THEY REMOVED THE PAN AND VERIFIED BROKEN BAND. THEY REPLACED THE 2-4 BAND AND INSTALLED NEW BAND APPLY PISTON AT A COST OF $931.22 PLUS THE COST OF A RENTAL CAR AT $101.16. NO CAR SHOULD HAVE A TRANSMISSION FAIL AT 50,000 MILES. I FEEL THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE PARTS USED IN THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT INSTALLING A NEW TRANSMISSION, I WAS CONCERNED THAT THEY WOULD INSTALL THE SAME TRANSMISSION THAT FAILED IN MY CAR. THE SHOP SAID NOT TO WORRY BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION HAS ALL UPDATED PARTS! THE RESPONSE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE PARTS IN MY TRANSMISSION WERE DEFECTIVE AND I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED THE COST OF MY REPAIRS. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND SINCE THERE WAS NOT A RECALL THEY COULD NOT HELP ME. AGAIN, NO CAR SHOULD HAVE A TRANSMISSION FAIL AT 50,000 MILES. *TR
THE IGNITION KEY STICKS IN MY 2005 FORD FOCUS. IT CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT THIS A COMMON PROBLEM. IT HAS TO DO WITH SHIFTER CABLE THAT COSTS $650. IS IT SAFE? I AM NOT CERTAIN. I AM NOT SURE WHETHER THE SHIFT IS LOCKING ADEQUATELY. WHY HASN'T FORD RECALLED THIS PROBLEM? *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO SHIFT GEARS. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4000.
FORD FOCUS 2005, 20,000 MILES CAN NOT REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION DUE TO PROBLEM AFTER SHIFTING THE CAR INTO PARK. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AS WE HAVE DISCOVERED MANY OTHER OWNERS WITH FORD FOCUS FROM 200-2007 HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DANGEROUS ISSUE HERE IS THAT WE HAVE TO LEAVE THE CAR PARKED WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. EVEN THOUGH THE KEY CAN'T BE REMOVED IT CAN STILL START THE CAR AGAIN AND GO. THIS CAR IS LEFT OPEN FOR THIEVES TO STEAL. IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED AND IT IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX BY DEALERS SINCE IT'S NOT UNDER WARRANTY. WHY IF THERE ARE SO MANY SITES ON THE WEB WITH OWNERS LIKE MYSELF WITH THIS PROBLEM, NOT BEING ADDRESSED AS A RECALL BY FORD. *TR
I PURCHASED A USED 2005 FORD FOCUS WITH EXACTLY 30,000 MILES ON IT, AROUND 40,000 I NOTICED MY TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP, FURTHER RESEARCH REVEALED MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THIS SAME THING BEFORE THEY EVEN REACH 60,000. SEEMS TO ME IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. EVEN AFTER BEING LOOKED AT I AM GOING TO HAVE TO PAY LOTS OF MONEY TO GET IT REPAIRED DUE TO THE WARRANTY ONLY BEING AT THE 40,000 MARK. WHICH THE DEALER NEVER TOLD ME THAT THE WARRANTY THEY OFFERED WAS VOID IF ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY WAS STILL IN EFFECT. IN WHICH I ENDED UP ON THE SHORT END OF THE STICK BECAUSE THEIR WARRANTY THEY GIVE FOR THE USED CARS OUTLASTS WHAT I HAD REMAINING ON THE FACTORY WARRANTY. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. SEVERE SLIPPING WHEN TRANSMISSION GOES TO SHIFT INTO THIRD AND FOURTH GEAR. *TR
I BOUGHT A 2005 FORD FOCUS ZX3 AT THE END OF 2004. AT 42,000 MILES THE CLUTCH WENT OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUAL CARS SINCE FIRST GETTING MY LICENSE OVER 20 YEARS AGO, SO I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. I LOOKED UP INFO ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT FORD KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM (TSB# 05256 NHTSA ID# 10018945 DATED JAN. 1, 2005). NOW THAT THE CLUTCH (WHICH FORD KNEW ABOUT ) WENT BAD, FORD SAYS IT IS NOT A WARRANTY PART AND THEY WILL NOT REPLACE, LEAVING ME TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF MY POCKET. I DON'T THINK CUSTOMERS SHOULD PAY FOR FORD'S BAD PARTS. *TR
ON 2/24/07, I MADE A PURCHASE AT A DRIVE THROUGH WINDOW AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT. I LEANED ACROSS THE CENTER CONSOLE TO PLACE THE ORDER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR. WHILE DOING SO, I BUMPED THE GEAR SHIFT AND IT MOVED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE LOCK BUTTON ON THE SIDE OF THE GEAR SHIFT HANDLE. UPON ARRIVING HOME, I TESTED THE GEAR SHIFT HANDLE, AND FOUND I COULD MOVE IT FROM REVERSE TO NEUTRAL TO DRIVE, AND FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL, ALL WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE GEAR SHIFT RELEASE BUTTON. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT UNINTENDED SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS INCIDENT, AND I BELIEVE THE SHIFT RELEASE BUTTON IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THAT. ON THIS VEHICLE, THIS IS A PROBLEM. *JB
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Quick Summary
The 2005 Ford Focus has 32 Power Train complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.