2011 Ford Focus: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 156 complaints
156
Total Complaints
49,000mi
Median Mileage
Electrical System
Top Issue
15
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

33,092 25th Percentile
49,000 Median Mileage
82,423 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System
25
Power Train
19
Unknown Or Other
12
Latches/Locks/Linkages
12
Body
10
Steering
9
Vehicle Speed Control
8
Air Bags
6
Suspension
5
Wheels
5

Severity Assessment

15
Crashes
0
Fires
17
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. A THROTTLE CONTROL/TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT ALSO BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. UPON ..."
"I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON MICHIGAN HIGHWAY 91 BETWEEN LANGSTON AND TURK LAKE BETWEEN 2:30 AND 3:00 AM WHEN A DEER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF THE CAR. I WAS GOING ABOUT 55 MPH AT THE TIME. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES BUT DID HIT THE DEER. THE CAR WAS NOT SERIOUSLY DAMAGED AND I CONTINUED ON. I NOTICED THAT TH..."
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN PROPERLY AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT'S CHEST ABRUPTLY STRUCK THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORT..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Electrical System 25 complaints
25th: 31,282 mi Median: 48,000 mi 75th: 65,246 mi
Power Train 19 complaints
25th: 30,300 mi Median: 65,000 mi 75th: 85,000 mi
Unknown Or Other 12 complaints
25th: 27,000 mi Median: 51,604 mi 75th: 83,000 mi
Latches/Locks/Linkages 12 complaints
25th: 39,250 mi Median: 51,000 mi 75th: 59,000 mi
Body 10 complaints
25th: 49,750 mi Median: 76,211 mi 75th: 105,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 19 MO: 11 NC: 9 OH: 8 NY: 8 MD: 7 TX: 7 MN: 7 MA: 6 WA: 6

Who Files Complaints?

7.7%
Original Owners
92.3%
Second+ Owners

Ford Focus — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
20005149358
20012359227
20021198107
2003122470
200449743
200559960
200627035
200752486
200833325
200932137
201040828
20124953179
2013290380
20143580140
2015129942
2016154239
2017115628
2018107524

Maintain Your Electrical System

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Clean battery terminals annually with baking soda and water
  • Replace the battery every 3-5 years before it leaves you stranded
  • Don't leave accessories running with the engine off
  • Check for corroded ground connections if you have intermittent electrical issues
  • Replace dim headlights promptly — they're a safety issue and a wiring symptom

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28