Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On 9/2/2020 around 10 pm in michigan I was making a pizza delivery, I pulled into the subdivision where I had to make the delivery, all the sudden my car completely shut off. I couldn't accelerate or brake. I got my car fo saftey away from the houses because my first instinct was safety. I grab my phone to call my boss, I thought my car juat broke down. Then I saw smoke and sparks. I called the emergency services and the cars smoke got darker and the flames got bigger. I was very scared. All my windows exploded and the car melted to ground. By the looks of my photo the fire started near the battery and cables. Ever since that night, I've been scared of fires, hot surfaces, and weary around cars. I'm lucky to be alive but it was very dangerous as the flames reached about 10 feet high. Luckily it did not catch anything near by on fire.
Takata airbag deployed after the car had come to a stop. Ali stopped to avoid hitting a car that had suddenly braked in front of her. There was no damage to the car in front her as ali was able to stop in time, but there was major damage to her car. When the Takata airbag deployed it burnt her left forearm/hand and incurred $107.00 in medical expenses. Caliber collision says that to repair the car it would cost ali $7,639.37.
Driving Ford Focus slowly in snow,a Jeep spun out of control hit the drivers side front of car spun around and hit us again from the rear.airbag deployed and it my passenger full in face. Damaged her face with chemical burns and created a coroidital tear in her eye that is permanent and permanent vision loss in one eye. The impact of the airbag jarred her brain and she now has a brain injury called chiari malformation,
Sunday 05 jan 2014 I had recently parked my car, turned it off, and was outside of my vehicle (2001 Ford Focus) when I began to notice smoke coming from the hood of the vehicle. I was confused at first, as the car was completely off for a few minutes before any problems began. Within a matter of two minutes the smoke had increased, thickened, and began to smell. My friend was nearby and had noticed that something was not right. He came over and we both took a couple steps toward the front of the car to figure out what was going on. Immediately flames burst up from the hood. At this point we instantly ran from the vehicle, dialing 911. The flames got worse as we waited from a distance for the fire department to arrive. At this point I was unsure as to whether the car would completely blow up or not, as the flames became worse with every minute. …
My driver side passenger door has been acting up for many years now and Ford will not fix it. Now my door will not close. Many of the 2001 Ford Focus have been recalled for this issue and they say my VIN no. Is not one of them. Please help me get my door fixed. When I went to get it inspected on 11.2.18 they opened my door and now it will not close and again they say that I have to fix it. As mentioned, this has been an issue for years and I am still dealing with it. My car is in excellent condition and do not want to get rid of it. I believe that Ford is responsible for fixing the latch. My car has had a few recalls that were fixed, one of which was a few years ago that they honored. I hope to get this issue resolved quickly and they will not pass my car for inspection and I need my vehicle. Thank you.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Focus. Upon driving over a speed bump at an unknown speed, the contact heard an abnormal noise and the vehicle swerved. After reaching her destination, the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the subframe was completely corroded. The vehicle was inspected by an insurance adjustor who confirmed that the rear subframe was corroded and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 115,909.
While driving a 2001 Ford Focus se and navigating a curve, the rear drivers side door failed to remain secure and suddenly opened while vehicle was in motion. Upon attempting to close the door, it appears the door latch does not engage and the door cannot be closed secure. Upon further inspection, there is significant corrosion around the latch mechanism. The door must be manually restrained with ropes to remain closed.
Car will not idle when stopped at a light in the city, when shifting into drive from park, runs rough at low speeds while in traffic and going though parking lots. Started one morning, ran horribly, stalled and hasn't started since. The back door doesn't stay latched when shut.
Excessive dust and dirt entering car. Believed to be coming in through the rear doors. Have had the car at the dealership 5 or more times for repairs for the excessive dust problem. Dealership has failed to fix the problem... Car is now just above miles for warranty coverage and Ford will not respond to phone calls. There is a serious defect in the structure causing inside of rear doors to be covered in dust and as driving car dust leaks into car creating a circulating cloud of dust floating inside the car. Daughter has allergies and causing major problem. Hard to even breath while driving car down 1 mile of gravel road. Dealership says they have done all they can and Ford is refusing to even look at the problem being that the car is now out of warranty. Problem first begain shortly after purchase. Dust continued to worsen so reported to dealership May 2002. …
On May 9, 2011 my car went for emergency repairs to bill wilcox's charlon Ford agency of ridgecrest, ca. After $1725 repairs, I experienced a reduction in mileage, dropping from 30-31mpg to 25-26 mpg, a 17 to 18 % drop. That began immediately, with the initial purchase of gas - in visalia; and, it was later confirmed was caused by the improper use of a torch on a suspension cross member. The car was taken to rob holbrook's auto crew in clearfield, utah, checked for undercarriage damage and evidence that charlon Ford's repairs caused the problems. He is a licensed safety inspector for the state of utah. Widespread damage to that main cross member, where the attachment for the rear motor mount is affixed to that portion of the sub frame, was confirmed. …
Body complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2001 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 60 complaints about the body & structure of the 2001 Ford Focus, 3% of the model year's 1,761 complaints. The component named most often is body (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Ford Focus body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2001 Ford Focus, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Ford Focus body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 110,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 6 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.