Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The sub frame broke while driving the car. Entire sub frame had to be replaced. Almost caused an accident. Struts had to be replaced. Caliper and rotor had to be replaced. Control arm had to be replaced. Just replaced the ignition switch tumblers after the switch locked up and refused to work. There are no recalls listed for this car. Service manager said that Focus are notorious for these problems. Car has 34,000 miles on it. The brake line running from the front of the car to the rear rusted out causing a lose of brakes. The car is dangerous.
Emergency brake locks up. Car has to either be forced to move by either gunning the engine, or rocked by a person until it releases. Car had to be towed due to brake lock up after mechanic could not release it at my home. New brake was installed. Continues to lock up. Car had been in park for all incidents. This vehicle has a standard transmission, which for safety requires the use of an e-brake. This has happened more often in last 5-7 years. I thought the problem would resolve after new e-brake was installed.... It hasn't.
Dt: the consumer had problems with the vehicle since purchase. The vehicle caught on fire on September 16, 2005. The motor was off, and it burst into flames. The fire department came and they said it look like it started from the wiring harness. The vehicle stalled before it caught on fire. Was having the same problem two weeks before, and took it to dealer. They replaced some ignition items. Also, was having latches, brakes, and engine problems.
While coming out of the driveway and coming to a stop consumer depressed the brakes and heard a grinding sound. Vehicle did not stop, and it side swiped a sign post near a school zone. The police did not investigate the incident nor were there any injuries. Vehicle experienced some dents , and the loss of the exterior driver's side mirror.
Brakes turn to sponges and goes to floor dealer says cannot duplicate problem and kicks it out now three more problems have arisen motor shuts off at slow u-turn speed and trans downshifts hard into low gear causing a face plant in the steering wheel, lastly the air bag light comes on and then goes off after 3 hours of driving.
One day May car just didn't start, the ignition cylinder has been replaced- the car has under 49000- and it has already had several problems! The master cylinder( for the brakes) , the ignition cylinder, and several pieces have already had to be replaced on my 2003 Ford Focus!!! Please recall this car! The parts put in the Ford Focus 2003 during the manufacturing are obviously defective!!!! At the consumers expense they must replace these parts and deal with all the consequences. The Ford company should take responsibility for their mistakes! Details on problems: 1- my car shuttered started smoking from the hood a bit- and smelled as if something had burned underneath the hood. ( the ignition light came on ) at almost 30000 miles. Took it into the deal- they replaced a coil- name unknown. …
I purchased a 2003 Ford Focus in February of 2012. Immediately after purchasing it, I had to spend $700.00 to fix the motor mounts, bearings in the front wheel, something regarding a cover for the tail pipe/muffler area, A/C, (twice repaired, and went out). Fuel pump, door jams in front (2 door), locks on the doors would automatically lock whether you wanted them locked or not. Door on passenger side refuses to open from the outside. Spent over $4,000 in fixing, replacing, engine & body parts.etc. Just when I bought a second set of new tires last week and did the 3 month oil change, it konked out on me, after a shrilling, high-pitched noise. Just got off the expressway. Found out from a repair shop that this model, especially the 2003 is known for transmission, shoddy parts, and is a safety hazard! The pump inside the transmission broke. …
My drivers side rear brake drum separated at the bearing and my entire wheel assembly flew off of the vehicle and caused me to lose control temporarily and also become totally stranded and immobile. There seems to be no direct cause for this as the bearing inside the drum was not seized or malfunctioning. The mechanic that serviced the repair has over 30+ years experience and could not recall ever seeing this happening on any vehicle ever. I frequently drive this vehicle on highways and interstates (and had done so just an hour prior this day) and I am thankful to the powers above that this did not happen at highway speeds or this could have been catastrophic for me and my family. This type of failure should have never occurred as this is of primary importance that the wheels of the vehicle stay on the vehicle during normal driving conditions. …
Brake lockup under ABS. When the vehicle is engaged in a braking event sufficient to activate the ABS system, all four brakes lockup and do not release until the vehicle has come to a complete stop. This has happened under winter conditions (snow/ice), in the rain and in the dry. The incident in the rain occurred when attempting to take an exit ramp off of an interstate. The car briefly hydroplaned enough for the ABS to activate, and then went out of control with the tires locked up. The car slid off of the exit ramp and into the grass, where it finally came to rest. Luckily no one was hurt. The incidents in the dry took place during an auto-cross on a closed course and were sufficient to severely flat-spot the tires. This happens every time ABS is engaged under hard braking. Occasionally, it is possible to down-shift and "drive through" the brakes without coming to a complete stop. …
My calipers have failed twice on my 2003 Ford Focus sedan. I bought it new in 2004 as a end of model year and have lots of brake and acceleration issues. My brake light comes on all the time when I am driving. The car won't accelerate and makes a loud revving noise. I have about 27K miles on it and the calipers failed at 10K and the second time at 22K. It was covered under warranty but the Ford mechanics said they didn't know why it has happened. So the reason it fails has never been repaired but they replace the calipers. How they have failed to repair the brake lights from coming on was to replace the parking brake (but didn't fix the problems). The brakes make a squealing metallic noise and I was told that was 'normal' by the mechanics. After bringing it to the dealership over 10 times I was told by the mechanic to bring my problem to Ford co. …
Brake complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2003 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 62 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Ford Focus, 6% of the model year's 977 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford Focus brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2003 Ford Focus, though it has 1 recall 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 2003 Ford Focus brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 23,000 miles, and 60% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 5 injuries to brakes 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.