The Lemon Index2004 Ford Focus.
The 2004 Ford Focus is about average by owner complaints: 176 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 98, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about electrical, it has 6 recalls, and it gets 24 to 27 mpg combined. The best Ford Focus year is 2011.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 387 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Ford Focus year. 2004 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 30K to 86K miles on the car (292 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- electrical complaints mostly came at 39K–77K miles
- brakes complaints mostly came at 5K–43K miles
- steering complaints mostly came at 30K–80K miles
Recalls 6
- equipment 2012
RIDE 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…
- lights 2009
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- lights 2008
K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES.
Show all 6 recalls
- fuel system, gasoline 2006
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES.
- lights 2006
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE.
- latches/locks/linkages 2005
CERTAIN 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…
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Ford told dealers about
Ford sent dealers 60 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Loss of power, hesitation and/or misfire after cold start
- Intermittent no crank condition
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedFleet vehicle recall completion audit2010–2015
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★☆ · rollover ★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $2400–2700 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.3L 4-cyl.
In owners' words
Electrical system failed to illuminate properly. The interior and exterior lights failed. This caused poor visibility for the driver.
2004 Ford Focus owner · NHTSA complaint 10073915
More owner reports
My high beam is always on. My low beam and fog light do not work. The low beam and fog light are independent switch.
NHTSA complaint 10153387
Instrument cluster is bad and the guages will not work. Part is not available and my vehicle has been down for a month and 1 week as of right now. Service manager has given part to area rep for Ford, and that was a week ago.
NHTSA complaint 10118675
Quick answers
Is the 2004 Ford Focus reliable?
About average by government complaints. It drew about the average number of complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 98; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Ford Focus year by this measure is 2011.
What are the most common 2004 Ford Focus problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are electrical (39%), brakes (19%) and engine (9%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2004 Ford Focus have?
6 safety recalls (latest: equipment). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2004 Ford Focus get?
24 to 27 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2004 Ford Focus problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 30,000 and 86,100 miles. The middle report was at 53,000 miles, from 292 complaints.
Does the 2004 Ford Focus have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 8% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2004 Ford Focus cost in fuel a year?
About $2400 to $2700 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2004 Ford Focus have?
2.0L 4-cyl, 2.3L 4-cyl.
What Ford Focus year is better than the 2004?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2011, 2010 and 2015.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works