2010 Ford Focus
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Vehicle speed control is the leading concern among 287 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 15th highest complaint count among 19 Focus model years with reports.
Of the 2010 reports, 22 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 19 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints
287 reports, newest first.
Power train, Jun 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while leaving the parking lot and attempting to shift into reverse(R), the gear shifter failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment to diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,264.
Steering, Suspension, Structure, Jan 28, 2025
Multiple mechanics working at and including but not limited to: Firestone, discount tires, Midas, Walmart, independent mechanics have informed me the rear wheels can not be realigned with the front wheels due to how it was designed. This has caused my rear wheels to become more and more out of alignment with no way to repair the misalignment. So all steering components have been more and more hard to control and are being destroyed at a faster rate. Including but not limited to: car sound deadening stuff. Bolts, nuts, screws, undercarriage, tire wear, the front alignment etc. It has not been inspected by anyone but mechanics.
Service brakes, Engine, Jul 1, 2024, crash
On June 22 myself and my wife were pulling out of the Food Lion Parking Lot. As we proceeded out to the main Road the gas pedal stuck. The car kept accelerating and know matter what I did I could free the gas pedal. Because of that we hit 3 cars in the intersection. Our car literally exploded putting Myself and my wife in the hospital .My wife has had 3 surgeries for a broken pelvis.She is still in serious condition.Myself I suffered 3 broken ribs and a lacerated liver. Ford should be held accountable for our terrible pain and suffering.?
Engine, Jun 14, 2024, crash
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the RMP increased and revved causing the vehicle to crash into an unoccupied vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated there was a minor scratch on the front of her vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened, and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
Air bags, Apr 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the air bag was flopping around. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but no assistance was provided. The contact called the local dealer, where it was determined that the air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Power train, Feb 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that intermittently, after starting the vehicle and while driving at various speeds, the clutch pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the vehicle was unable to shift gear as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact was made aware that the clutch assembly had previously been replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 179,000.
Power train, Aug 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after he shifted the gear shifter to Park(P), the vehicle lunged and rolled backward as he was exiting the vehicle. The contact's right leg was stuck inside of the vehicle, causing him to fall to the ground while the driver's side front tire ran over his right arm. A bystander jumped into the vehicle and was able to park vehicle. The contact later received medical attention for injuries to his legs, right arm, and back, and was diagnosed with a blood infection. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred while the contact was parking the vehicle and he applied the parking brake to stop the vehicle from rolling. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Wheels, May 25, 2022
Today, I took my Ford Focus in for service(05/25/2022). I had the oil changed and my vehicle tires rotated.While the service was being performed,I was informed my tire lug nuts were loose and defective in most cases.My advisor told me I should replaced all the lug nuts for safety as she knew of a Ford recall involving the lug nuts. I discovered there was no recall,but there was a class- action lawsuit that was dismissed in 2019.I looked at the old lugs and decided to not keep them on the vehicle and had new ones installed.I have the old lugs nuts for inspection if needed.I do not want to take a chance on my vehicle safety,so that is why I had them replaced.
Power train, Feb 15, 2022, crash
The contacts mother owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her mother attempted to park, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle violently accelerated on its own without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into a satellite pole. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries reported. A police report was not filed. The driver was able to reverse the vehicle and park into the parking spot, however the contact stated the failure reoccurred sporadically several times after the crash. The driver took the vehicle to a local dealer to have the vehicle inspected, however the dealer was not able to duplicate the failure. A few months later and the failure reoccurred again and the driver took the vehicle back to the dealer where the dealer repaired and replaced the throttle body control module on the vehicle, but the failure persisted after the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tires, Aug 28, 2021
Three out of four 215/45/r17 Douglas tires bought at Walmart in Piqua oho ended up with bubbles on the sidewall a week after the year from the day they were bought. one right after the other. When i went to have them replaced at a discounted price, i could not because i had to put a spare tire on (it is considerably smaller) causing the tread on one tire to be slightly uneven from the others. so this voided the warranty. Now tell me how passenger side and driver side front tires both end up with sidewall bubbles and one blows out within a week apart? Nothing changed in my driving routine. Bought two nearly new tires to maintain my ability to get around, and a third tire develops a bubble and had to be replaced. The last tire is slowly leaking!? i drive to work and back. I live less than 2 mins from my place of employment. i do still have my paperwork from buying the tires. btw the warranty was never registered correctly because when i tried to call about it they had no idea where to find it. i had to send all sorts of paperwork to them and still got no results.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 8, 2021
Both rear doors will not stay closed as the latches do not work. The doors will swing open when driving if not secured with a strap, making it unsafe to have passengers in the back seat. Other models and different years of the same model have had recalls issued for the same issue. I haven't taken it to be inspected as I cannot afford to pay $140 at the dealership for the diagnosis. I did not own the vehicle when the issue first occurred so I don't know if there were any warning signals prior to the issue appearing.
Engine, May 12, 2021
ALOT OF VIBRATION WHEN IDLE, IDLES UP AND DOWN WHEN IN PARK.
Engine, May 9, 2021
VIBRATION WHEN CAR IS IN PARK. OR JUST SITTING STILL AND RPM GOES UP AND DOWN WHEN CAR IS RUNNING IN PARK.
Structure, May 3, 2021
SAFETY ISSUE 3 OF DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE IN A ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER SIDE DAMAGED THERE WILL NO WAY TO OPEN DOORS FROM OUTSIDE THIS SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR A RECALL
Air bags, Jan 27, 2021, crash
I WAS SEVERELY INJURED WHEN A VEHICLE TURNED IN FRONT OF ME WHILE GOING 40 MPH I SLAMMED ONTO THE BRAKE SO HARD I BROKE MY TOE AS I T BONED THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ALL OF HER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED MINE DID NOT MY FACE SLAMMED THE STEERING WHEEL SO HARD MY HEAD SLAMMED INTO THE HEAD REST BEHIND ME. MY INJURIES SO FAR ARE A CONCUSSION, FRACTURES BENT NOSE, A JAW STRAIN AND POSSIBLE FRACTURED MY TWO FRONT TEETH, NECK INJURY AND WHIPLASH, AND A MUSCULAR ISSUE WITH MY RIGHT SHOULDER. AT THIS POINT I CAN NOT WORK BECAUSE OF MY INJURIES.*DT
Other or unspecified, Jan 22, 2021
CAR STALLS WHEN NO FUEL IS GIVEN, IE: AT RED LIGHT, STOP SIGN, EVEN JUST SLOWING DOWN WHILE MAKING A TURN. OCCURS ON CITY STREET AND HIGHWAY DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. BROUGHT CAR INTO MECHANIC - DID DIAGNOSTIC, ETC. COULD FIND NOTHING TO CAUSE ENGINE TO DIE SUDDENLY. HAVE HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT FORD DEALER.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 1, 2021
ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING AND WILL NOT RESTART. I SUSPECT THAT IT IS RELATED TO SIMILAR ISSUES DRIVERS ARE HAVING WITH THE EVAP CANISTER PURGE VALVE IN OTHER MODEL YEARS: "THE CANISTER PURGE VALVE MAY MALFUNCTION AND CREATE EXCESSIVE VACUUM IN THE FUEL VAPOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH CAN RESULT IN THE ENGINE STALLING WITHOUT RESTARTING. DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE AND REPLACE THE CANISTER PURGE VALVE AS NEEDED. IF THE VALVE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE CARBON CANISTER, FUEL TANK AND FUEL DELIVERY MODULE AS DETERMINED TO BE NEEDED. ALL REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE TO RESOLVE THE CONCERN."
Service brakes, Nov 18, 2020, crash
[XXX] WERE DRIVING IN THEIR 2010 FORD FOCUS AND ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A SIGN. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND ACCELERATED. THE SHEPHERD WERE IN A CRISIS. THE VEHICLE JUMPED A RAILROAD TRACK, FLIPPED, AND LANDED IN AN EMBANKMENT. [XXX] AIRBAG (PASSENGER) DID NOT DEPLOY. BOTH ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED AND WOULD LIKE TO FILE A CLAIM AGAINST FORD MOTOR COMPANY REGARDING THE DEFECTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Electrical system, Sep 30, 2020
I WENT TO USE MY KEYLESS ENTRY AND IT WOULDN'T WORK I ASSUMED IT WAS THE BATTERY SO I CHANGED IT STILL DOESN'T WORK.SO I WAS HAVING TO UNLOCK IT BY THE KEY. I WENT TO UNLOCK MY CAR AND THE KEY WOULD ONLY TURN HALF WAY SO I HAD TO CALL A LOCK SMITH TO UNLOCK MY CAR. NOW I CANT OPEN MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE NOR CAN I LOCK MY CAR PERIOD THE LOCK BUTTON DOESN'T UNLOCK ALL THE LOCKS SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T UNLOCK ANY AND THE TWO BACK DOORS WONT EVEN OPEN HALF THE TIME EITHER
Wheels, Aug 10, 2020
I WAS TOLD BY FORD DEALER MECHANIC I HAD BAD LUG NUTS BECAUSE THEY SWELLED AND THEIR WRENCHES COULD NOT FIT THEM. HE SAID I NEEDED ALL OF THEM REPLACED FOR SAFETY SAKE. THE DEALER ADMITTED THIS WAS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE DONE OTHER CARS TOO. DINO DELLA WAS THE CONTACT THERE. THIS WAS AT PARK FORD, 276 ROUTE 6, IN MAHOPAC NY 10541
Steering, Electrical system, May 25, 2020
IGNITION SWITCH BINDING UP AND THE SWITCH WILL NOT START THE CAR WHEN TURNING THE KEY IN THE SWITCH! *BF VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED.*JB
Engine, May 8, 2020
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE GAS PEDAL NO LONGER ACCELERATES THE VEHICLE ON OCCASION, WOW STUCK IN TRAFFIC OR AT A STOPLIGHT THE CAR SHUTS ITSELF OFF AFTER HAVING A HIGH IDLE. *TR
Power train, Dec 30, 2019
WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD SHIFT UP AND DOWN AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WAS SHUTTER THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT IT HAD TO BE OVERHAULED
Other or unspecified, Dec 14, 2019
I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH FORD HAD MY CAR TOWED OVER SO THEY CAN DO A DIAGNOSIS ON THE TRANSMISSION WHICH THEY CHARGED ME ME $110.00 DOLLARS AND.I HIGHLY DOUBT THEY EVEN CHECKED THE VEHICLE I HAD TO TOW IT BACK TO MY HOUSE. THEY TRIED CHARGING ME.$4000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH THEY ARE AWARE IT'S DEFECTIVE ON FOCUS AND FIESTA MODELS INSTEAD OF TELLING ME THAT THEY WENT AND LET ME SPEND $300 PLUS DOLLARS ON NOTHING I HAD TRIED TO CHANGE OUT TRANSMISSION OIL AND IT WORKED FOR A WHILE. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT ON A GRANT. AND I FEEL FORD RISKED MY LIFE BY NOT INFORMING ME HOW BAD THE TRANSMISSION IS ON THIS VEHICLE PLUS ON MY SERVICE HISTORY THEY LIED AND SAID THEY SERVICED MY CAR WHICH IS NOT THE CASE.
Service brakes, Aug 29, 2019
WHEN TRAVELING IN REVERSE AT A VERY SLOW SPEED (BETWEEN 1 & 4 MPH) THE CAR CONTINUES TO TRAVEL FOR ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE. THIS HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALER. IT IS MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AND/OR WHEN IT IS COLD OUTSIDE, BUT CAN HAPPEN OTHER TIMES. IT IS FAIRLY INFREQUENT. I HAVE HAD A FORD DEALERSHIP CHECK IT, BUT NOTHING WAS EVER FOUND. IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME AND HAPPENED RECENTLY. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS USUALLY OCCURS IN A PARKING LOT WHEN BACKING OUT OF A SPACE. IF A PERSON OR CAR COMES BEHIND ME WHILE I AM REVERSING, THE BRAKES MAY NOT IMMEDIATELY WORK WHEN I TRY TO STOP SUDDENLY.