36 complaints reported

2008 Ford Focus Electrical System

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
36
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jun 2014

I PURCHASED MY CAR USED AND WAS VERY HAPPY WITH IT FOR THE FIRST 3 YEARS, BUT NOW I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. I HAVE HAD ONE PART REPLACED, BUT THEY ARE TELLING MY THAT IT IS JUST A TEMPORARY SOLUTION AS AFTER ONLY 2 WEEKS IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I WOULD DRIVE SOMEWHERE AND GO INTO A STORE, ONLY TO COME OUT AND CAN'T START MY CAR. SOME TIMES IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME OTHER DAYS JUST ONCE. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ANOTHER PART THAT COULD COST OVER $800, WHEN THE FIRST TIME IT WAS OVER $250! THIS IS GETTING CRAZY AS I NOTICED THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THESE AND FIX THEM!! *JS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2014
May 2014

TRAVELED 1152 MILES FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO WISCONSIN. CAR HAD PROBLEMS WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED TO START THE ENGINE EACH TIME I WOULD STOP. WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. I TURNED THE KEY AND COULD ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS AND TURN ON THE RADIO, WITH THE KEY REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2014
May 2014

I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE IGNITION KEY NOT GOING IN THE IGNITION. THAT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. *JS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2010
Aug 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL TO START. THE CONTACT HAD TO CONTINUOUSLY JIGGLE THE IGNITION KEY FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2013
Apr 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THE IGNITION AT TIMES WOULD NOT START THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO CONTINUOUSLY JIGGLE THE IGNITION KEY FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SECONDARY KEY FOR THE IGNITION HAD TO BE USED TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,0000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2013
Jan 2013

VEHICLE BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE KEY HAVING CONTACT WITH THE IGNITION. WHEN KEY IS TURNED, IT DOES NOTHING TO START THE ENGINE. KEY MUST BE PUSHED IN WHILE TURNING FOR IT TO START. PROBLEM KEPT GETTING WORSE UNTIL THE KEY WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL. REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE CYLINDER AND THE TUMBLER AND THE ENTIRE SET OF KEYS. PROBLEM SOLVED FOR ONE YEAR, THEN BEGAN AGAIN. WORKING ON SECOND REPAIR IN ABOUT A YEAR- REPLACING IGNITION SWITCH AND THE CYLINDER. THE MECHANIC AND LOCKSMITH WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS REPAIR, SAY THEY FIX ABOUT 6-7 FORD FOCUS' PER MONTH WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2012
Dec 2012

DRIVERS SIDE, PASSENGER DOOR CANNOT BE UNLOCK BY ANY MEANS. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHILE A CHILD WAS IN A SAFETY CHILD-SEAT AND COULD NOT BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE DOOR. THE UNLOCK BUTTONS ON THE DRIVERS DOOR HAD NO EFFECT, THE UNLOCK BUTTONS ON THE KEY BOB HAD NO EFFECT AND THE MANUAL LOCK/ UNLOCK BUTTON CAN NOT BE MOVE FROM THE LOCK POSITION. THE DOOR REMAINS LOCKED UNTIL REPAIRS CAN BE MADE. A QUICK WEB SEARCH SHOWS THAT THEIR IS NO SHORTAGE OF FOCUS OWNERS HAVING EXPERIENCE THIS SAME SAFETY ISSUE. WHAT IF THE CAR HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE CHILD HAD TO BE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED? I FEEL THAT EVEN ALLOWING VEHICLES TO BE MANUFACTURED THAT DOES NOT HAVE FOOL PROOF MANUAL LOCK RELEASES FOR EACH DOOR IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND A GROSSLY NEGLIGENT THREAT TO EVERYONE EACH TIME THEY ARE IN A VEHICLE. IS IT REALLY THAT MUCH OF A STRETCH TO IMAGINE A VEHICLE INVOLVE IN AN ACCIDENT AND LOSING ELECTRICAL POWER AND NONE OF THE DOORS COULD BE UNLOCKED? SO, MY COMPLAINT IS NOT THAT SOMETHING BROKE OR FAILED TO WORK, BUT THAT ITS FAILURE COULD UNNECESSARILY CAUSE SUCH AN EMINENT UNNECESSARY THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2012
Oct 2012

SAME EXPERIENCE! A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY WERE ALSO UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY STARTING AND ALL OF THE LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURES CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2010
Dec 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY WERE ALSO UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY STARTING AND ALL OF THE LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURES CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2011
Aug 2011

DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK MANUALLY OR WITH THE DOOR UNLOCK BUTTONS. THIS PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. SOMETIMES ONE DOOR WON'T UNLOCK, SOMETIMES ALL DOORS WON'T UNLOCK.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2010
Jan 2010

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, USUALLY AT SPEEDS AROUND 67 MPH, THE ENGINE LOOSES POWER AND GOES TO IDLE. IT WILL NOT ACCELERATE, BUT IDLES AT 1100 RPMS. THE FIX IT LIGHT TURNS ON. ONCE PULLED OVER, I TURN OFF THE ENGINE, THEN RESTART. IT RUNS ROUGHLY FOR A MOMENT THE APPEARS TO RUN NORMALLY AND THE FIX IT LIGHT GOES OUT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WILL NOT DRIVE IT LONG ENOUGH TO DUPLICATE THE EVENT - USUALLY HAPPENS EVERY FEW HUNDRED MILES. THE MOST RECENT EVENT WAS MAY 30TH 2010 IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE 405 FREEWAY, LOS ANGELES. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2010

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2008 Ford Focus has 36 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.