Problems · by component
2010 Ford Focus electrical system problems
43 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2010 Ford Focus cite electrical system, 15% of all 287 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
43
15% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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”
“ONE AFTERNOON I GOT IN MY CAR WENT TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND MY BLINKER WAS BLINKING FASTER THEN NORMAL. THAT NIGHT I WAS PULLED OVER BECAUSE I HAD NO BRAKE LIGHT ON THE RIGHT SIDE NOR DID I HAVE A BLINKER. THE NEXT FOLLOWING DAY I GOT TO LOOKING AT MY TAIL LIGHT TO CHANGE IT TO MY SURPRISE MY TAIL LIGHTS WAS I TAPPED THE LIGHT COVER AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT THE BULB WAS BLACK. I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE MY CONTROL KNOB WAS ON THE OFD POSITION WHICH IT WAS. THE HEAD LIGHTS WOULD ONLY COME ON IF I TURNED TO CONTROL TO ON POISTION. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR 5 YEARS NOW I HAVE NEVER REPLACED THE LEFT SIDE HEAD OR TAIL LIGHT BUT I HAVE CHANGED TO RIGHT SIDE TWICE.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FOCUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND THE CONTACT WAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE, ALL FOUR DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY FOBIK COULD NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS AND THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN WHEN PROMPTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FINALLY OPENED WITH THE KEY FOBIK. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CLIMB OUT OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR HAD A HISTORY OF BECOMING STUCK AND REMAINED LOCKED AFTER THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE. A DEALER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000.”
“WHENEVER I START MY CAR, THE RPM'S ARE BETWEEN 2-3 AND IT TAKES A COUPLE MINUTES TO REACH THE NORMAL IDLING RPM RATE. THE ENGINE ALSO MAKES CLICKING NOISES AND IS LOUDER THAN USUAL AND JUST DOES NOT SOUND RIGHT. AND PREVIOUSLY, MY CAR HAS RANDOMLY STALLED AND JUST TURNED OFF WHILE THE BATTERY STAYED RUNNING WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN OR JUST IDLING AT A STOP LIGHT. MOSTLY, MY CARS ENGINE JUST TURNS OFF WHILE RUNNING IT IN THE DRIVEWAY IN THE MORNING WHILE THE BATTERY STAYS ON. IT HAS NOT STALLED IN AWHILE BUT THERE IS STILL SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE AND THE RPMS. ALSO SOMETIMES, A WRENCH LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DASHBOARD WHEN I AM EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM.”
“THE IGNITION SWITCH DOESN'T WORK. YOU CAN TURN THE KEY ON, BUT IT WILL NOT MAKE THE CONNECTION TO TURN THE ENGINE OVER. WE HAVE PUSHED THE KEY IN AND TURNED IT ON, BUT STILL NOTHING. WHEN THE KEY IS IN THE ON POSITION EVERYTHING WORKS (RADIO, LIGHTS, AIR, WINDOWS, ETC.) EVERYTHING BUT THE ENGINE! WHEN SEARCHING THIS ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE NOTICED THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FOCUS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START WHILE TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE, THE KEY HAD TO BE WIGGLED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.”
Showing 6 of 43 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.