The 2004 Ford Focus has 387 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 6 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are electrical system and service brakes. Owners most often flag long crank / slow start after sitting: recurrent. caused by fuel pressure bleeding off through a failing check valve in the fuel pump/sender unit or a faulty fuel pressure regulator. owners report cycling the key on-off to prime the system as a temporary workaround.
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2004 Ford Focus vehicles (US, public record).
Across the 15 Focus model years we track, complaint volume runs from 11 (1999) to 5,225 (2014). With 387 complaints, the 2004 Focus sits belowthe model's median of 1,018.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
equipment
Campaign 12E007000RIDE CONTROL, LLC (RIDE CONTROL) IS RECALLING CERTAIN READYMOUNT ASSEMBLIES, P/N 746641MT AND 746646MT, WITH CORRESPONDING AFTERMARKET CUSTOMER PART NUMBERS: GABRIEL G56944 AND GABRIEL G56945, AND PRIVATELY BRANDED PARTS…
latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Campaign 05V030000CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH FOUR OR FIVE DOORS AND ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMP…
exterior lighting:headlights
Campaign 08E050000K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF F…
exterior lighting:headlights
Campaign 09E025000DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMEN…
Owners of this generation are overwhelmingly positive, calling it a "great kept secret" and "low key the most reliable vehicle ever made." The 2.0 Duratec engine is praised as bulletproof, the manual transmission is preferred, and the automatic is described as
Owner insights for the 2nd generation Focus. Read the full 2nd generation owner report.
Used Focus listings typically run $6,725–$9,794 across 2006 to 2018 model years.
Compare every Focus year side by side to see how 2004 ranks against the rest.