Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I bought my car from the original owner. I had to buy a re-furbished motor, the tires were splitting and the suspension and air conditioner all needed repairing. When I received the recall from dot, [redacted], I immediately contacted tallahassee Ford. They denied there was a recall and I was mistaken. My VIN # was listed in the recall. I tried several times but Ford kept giving me a run-around and they lied. So now, I have apparently missed a deadline which was not listed on the original notice to me. I am a senior citizen and this has really stressed me out and it really makes me not to purchase another Ford from anyone. On ethics alone, I should be able to make them do what they basically refused by lying to me. It was in motion and went to the shop within two weeks after the notice.
Today my accelerator got stuck when pulling into a parking lot with my kids. I was luckily not going more than 10mph and was able to quickly put the car into neutral and stop the car without hitting anyone or anything. Earlier in the day I noticed it took a little more effort to push the gas pedal down, but not by much and after the car resting for several hours, it wasn't an issue anymore. I wasn't expecting it to be an issue later on. As far as electrical issues go; my headlights do not like to stay on. I have to play with the wires where they connect to the headlights in order for them to turn on, but they often do not stay on, and they frequently will turn off and on while driving, sometimes it's just one side, or alternating sides. This has been an issue for over a year and everytime I have work done to fix it, it only fixes it temporarily and it's back to doing this all over again.
I approached a red light, on farm to market road 1960 (state highway fm 1960) while in motion and I pressed the brake. The motor revved up and would not stop. It seemed like the gas pedal was stuck. I asked my daughter to reach down and pull the gas pedal up. This did not work though. The light by the grace of god turned green. I continued driving forward while holding the brake all the way down on the floor. I released the brake and the motor accelerated faster. I immediately stomped on the brake again. I was accelerating at a faster speed. I quickly looked for a safe place to stop so I turned left into a neighborhood and got out of heavy traffic. I threw the car in neutral, it revved up out of control as if it wanted to explode. I threw it in park and turned the engine off. I towed my car to my home. The issue is unknown at this time. I will send my car to a mechanic asap.
I have a standard and was driving down the highway where the speed limit is 55 MPH when my gas pedal became stuck in between shifting. I tried to push the gas pedal down but it would not go. I had to let my car coast over to a turning lane in order to get out of coming traffic. I put my emergency lights on and had to let my car sit. After a few minutes I tried to push the gas pedal down and it still would not work. I then turned the car off and restarted it and the gas pedal still would not move. I turned the car off again and restarted it and let the car sit again for about 5 minutes. The pedal finally worked but as soon as I made it to the next intersection and made my turn into the parking lot where I work, the gas pedal was stuck again. I then put the car in neutral and let it coast into a parking spot.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Focus. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle accelerated without warning the brake pedal was applied, but failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to two dealers (suburban Ford, located at 37000 highway 26 sandy, or 97055, [phone] and gresham Ford located at 1099 e powell blvd gresham, or 97080, [phone]) where the vehicle was unable to be diagnosed due to no failure codes. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but did not assist. The failure mileage was 32,500... .updated 10/04/17 the consumer stated the failure occurs at any speed. Updated 10/17/2017
I was driving 35-40 MPH near midway airport in chicago. I attempted to break and my accelerator was stuck. I had to constantly press the break to attempt to bring my car to a stop ... But the gas pedal was stuck in an acceleration mode. I attempted to tap the gas pedal and depress it ... While keeping my foot on the brake, but the gas pedal was still stuck. I had to turn my car off for just to stop the acceleration and restart my vehicle to get out of the situation.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the accelerator pedal became stuck and the contact crashed into another vehicle. The vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into a sign post. The contact was able to exit the vehicle while it continued to accelerate. The vehicle was then towed to an auto shop. The technician stated that the vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
This car has delayed reaction or no reaction at all to pressing the gas pedal. It doesn't go, it'll move a little bit, but mostly just fevs really high then all of a sudden it'll kick in and bolt forward, while driving on highway or from a complete stop, doesn't matter. The car lunges a lot, forward and sideways while driving at 60 MPH or faster. Accelerates sometimes on its own. This car is very scary to drive and has no business being on a freeway...ever!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Focus. While idling at a red light with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle spontaneously accelerated. The contact drove the vehicle home. The failure recurred four times. The dealer was not able to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,300.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 12 MPH, the vehicle accelerated independently causing the vehicle to become difficult to slow down. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.
Acceleration complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2005 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2005 Ford Focus, 10% of the model year's 441 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Focus acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2005 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 2005 Ford Focus acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration 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.