Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
As I was stopped at red light it stalled as I drove thru. So I pulled over. Got out to open hood. It was smoking.struggled to open hood. Ran around to get towel to smother the fire. But it was too far gone. Man told me just leave it. It was total loss.
Alternator caught fire, feb 2017. Replaced and checked system. July 30, 17 alternator smoked and melted inside. , positive terminal on battery was so hot that the connector was too hot to touch. Replaced. Alternator and battery. Picked up car from repair shop and within one mile the alternator melted its internal wiring wiring and smoked. Car is back in shop. Each time this happened the car was being driven.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Focus. While driving various speeds, a loud noise was detected from the front of the vehicle and the check engine indicator illuminated. The contact also mentioned that the key overheated in the ignition switch and the vehicle hesitated to drive when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact further mentioned that the vehicle's fuel consumption was higher than normal. The contact also mentioned that both passenger doors were inoperable. The contact mentioned that the driver's side door needed extra strength to open and the rear passenger door was stuck and would not open. The vehicle was taken to multiple unknown dealers where the contact was informed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced and the engine valve was stuck. The cause of the other failures was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Dt: contact states daughter came home from work on 7-15-05 and she had not had any problems with the car prior to this. The next day on 7-16-05 she noticed the car had caught on fire while it was parked in the driveway. The fire had already gone out. She had the car towed to the dealership, and the mechanic said Ford was coming on 7-19-05 to inspect the car. She talked to someone who had just retired from wayne assembly plant and he said they had been having a lot of problems with the fuel line coming off due to increased pressure on the Ford focuses. She has never received any recall notices. She does not know where the fire originated. The car is at the clinton michigan Ford dealership.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire while parked. He has not contacted the dealer or manufacturer. The fire department arrived at the scene and are currently filing a report. The fire was caused by the electrical system of the driver side battery. The vehicle is no longer able to be driven. The contact researched other vehicles like his and noticed a pattern of fire related failures. The current and failure mileages were 32,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Focus. While parked, the vehicle was not able to start. The failure occurred constantly. The contact had to jumpstart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the battery failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 142,000.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact noticed that the failure recurred intermittently whenever a bump or a pothole was hit on the road. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000. Updated. 06/09/15
My battery light seems to flash when the car is off. Car has stalled several times while driving try to accelerate over 50 miles an hour car will shut off. Back hatch on wagon seems to release itself while driving well unlock automatically. Have replaced three thermostat and thermostat housing due to overheating car will not tell me is overheating it will boil in the overflow return tank pressurize and shoot the cap off?...
My vehicle instrument cluster failed causing alternator to die and false readings on the dash with multiple alerts such as battery, airbag , oil and incorrect speed dial. The vehicle instrument failed at 30,000 miles and if you search it is a very common issue with the Ford Focus vehicle's. The vehicle staled and died while being drove in town and thank god it did not happen while on the highway.
All of the backlighting on the gauge cluster and buttons beside the radio screen is intermittent. I do not drive the vehicle at night because of this issue. Due to the risk of not being able to see what speed I am traveling at. I have been the sole owner of this vehicle and I bought it brand new from the dealership back in 2004. Nothing has been modified on this vehicle.
Electrical complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 183 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Ford Focus, 47% of the model year's 387 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (74 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Focus electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2004 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 2004 Ford Focus electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 6 fires and 2 injuries and 1 death to electrical system 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.