Problems · by component

2009 Ford Focus vehicle speed control problems

33 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Ford Focus cite vehicle speed control, 14% of all 229 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
33
14% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the vehicle speed control

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE IDLED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WOULD OPERATE ONLY IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 15 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE WARNING LIGHT DIMMED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,600.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 15, 2016Vehicle speed controlODI 10896116
“DRIVING ON HIGHWAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AT 65 MILES AN HOUR WHEN SUDDENLY LOSING THROTTLE CONTROL DOWN TO 35 MILES AN HOUR THE GAS PEDAL WOULD NOT RESPOND. YELLOW WRENCH LIGHT AND WAVY CAR WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED. COASTED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SAT FOR 10 MINUTES. STARTED CAR AND TESTED PEDAL. EASED BACK ON FREEWAY. SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 11, 2016Power train, Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 10883934
“WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR DROPPED OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL AND COASTED TO 5 MILES PER HOUR. PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL HAD NO RESULT. WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID COLLISION WITH NEARBY CARS AND COASTED OFF THE INTERSTATE INTO A PARK AND RIDE LOT. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER REPAIR. WE WERE TOLD BY FORD DEALER THAT THE THROTTLE BODY HAD DIED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS FORD CERTIFIED PREOWNED CAR IS STILL COVERED BY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY BUT THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THROTTLE BODY. NUMEROUS ACTIONS WITH FORD REGARDING FAULTY THROTTLE BODIES IS WIDELY REPORTED AND WE BELIEVE THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN A FORMAL RECALL FOR 2009 FORD FOCUS. REPAIR IS $875 WHICH WE BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE COVERING.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2015Vehicle speed control, Unknown or other, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10747996
“BEFORE TAKING A RIGHT OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, I TURNED MY BLINKER ON (WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE) AND THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD INSTEAD OF TURNING. I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR SPEEDED UP EVEN MORE. I FINALLY CRASHED INTO A FENCE ONTO PRIVATE PROPERTY. THEN I CAME TO A FULL STOP WHEN I HIT AN SUV. THIS CRASH COMPLETELY DAMAGED THE FRONT OF MY 2009 FORD FOCUS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 30, 2015Vehicle speed control, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 10731389
“EVER SINCE WE TURNED OVER SIXTY THOUSAND MILES ON OUR FORD FOCUS SE 2009 WE HAVE STARTED TO EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WHERE OUR CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL GO ON AND THE GAS PEDAL WILL STOP WORKING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS: PULL OVER, SHIFT INTO PARK, TURN THE CAR OFF AND START THE CAR AGAIN. AT THIS POINT THE CEL WILL GO OFF AND IT WILL BE LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. THIS IS TERRIFYING AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! THE FIRST TIME THAT THE CAR STALLED OR WENT INTO LIMP MODE WAS WHEN THE WEATHER WAS DAMP, SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS WEATHER RELATED. WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE DEALER LOOK AT THE CAR. WE BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP. WE DROPPED THE CAR OFF SO THAT THE MECHANIC COULD DO A TEST DRIVE. AFTER AN ENTIRE DAY OF DRIVING, THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, OR PULL A DIAGNOSTIC CODE SO THEY GAVE OUR KEYS BACK AND SAID WE CANT DO ANYTHING TO HELP YOU. THEY THEN SUGGESTED THAT THE NEXT TIME OUR CAR STALLS, IDLE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT DO NOT TURN IT OFF. REALLY!? THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED WE WERE TAKING A 500 MILE ROAD TRIP AND EXPERIENCED THE CAR SHUTTING DOWN AFTER ABOUT 250 MILES. THIS HAPPENED TWICE, ONCE IN TRAVELING TO OUR DESTINATION…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 5, 2015Engine and engine cooling, Vehicle speed controlODI 10670186
“AT 75 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE ALL OF THE SUDDEN SPUTTERED AND LOST ACCELERATION. THE WRENCH LAMP ILLUMINATED AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE 4 LANE HIGHWAY AND NEARLY GETTING SIDESWIPED, SHUTTING DOWN THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTING RESET THE ACCELERATION. THIS HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES IN A 20 MINUTE SPAN. THE CHECK ENGINE FAILURE CODE ACQUIRED FROM ADVANCE AUTO WAS P2112 THROTTLE BODY STUCK OPEN. FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THE P2112 AND P2111 FAILURE CODES AND THAT THEY ARE AN ELECTRONIC DEFECT WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED ON 4 OTHER MODELS OF FMC VEHICLES. FORD HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THE PART. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 18, 2014Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10648538

Showing 6 of 33 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.