Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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.
I was driving without any warning a pop sound and my clutch would not go into any gears. I had to force it into second gear all the way home. Total of 3 failures approx. 1 month apart final result on my third trip for repairs ended with me unable to stop in time which caused me rear ending the back of a truck. I damaged the front of my car. After numerous attempts to repair my car both engine and body I still have no car. My car has 1,200 miles on it. 2005 Ford Focus bought brand new from dealership and unable to go anywhere in it. I don't have the old parts. The lady told me that she would check into it to see if the damages would be covered by them. Considering the accident would not of happened in the first place if they would of fixed my car right the first time. Either way she called me to let me know they weren't going to cover it.
The left lower control arm on the front suspension failed at approximately 45 MPH on a 5 lane city road causing the wheel to fold under the vehicle. The car made an immediate left turn into oncoming traffic and control of the vehicle was lost. Fortunately the car came to a stop without hitting anything and no one was injured but the potential for a serious accident was certainly there. The control arm failed due to corrosion and upon inspection, it was found that the right front lower control arm is also rusted through and cracked and nearing failure as well. Pictures are attached. The car has approximately 105,000 miles on it and we are the second owner. It has been extremely well maintained throughout its life. In my 50 years of experience working on automobiles I've never seen a control arm failure like this.
The exhaust manifold Cadillac convertible causes slight noise and leaks connecting. To the engine. I think Ford should take a look this car seems to have muffler and exhaust problems causing a lot to be repaired out the pocket on the highway it seems to suck air stall a little whole in motion
Every time we would attempt to drive our 2005 Ford Focus zx3 on slippery roads the rear end would wiggle from side to side, at 20 MPH or faster, it felt as if you were going to loose control at any time, it was real bad when you went from clean roads to slippery, it felt like it was going to go sideways ! Ford gave our dealer several things to try, but they were never able to stop car from wiggling all over, this car was not safe to drive, dealer had the car at there lot for aprox 28 days, mainly because I would not let my wife drive this car when roads were slippery, we feared for her safety ! …
We purchased our 2005 Ford Focus zx4 ses brand new in February 2005. Since the date of purchase we have had to replace the rear tires 5 times, two of the 5 times we replaced the whole set. The original factory tires on the rear of vehicle (yokohama 205/50/zr16) were bald at 11,000 miles. At that time we replaced them with 4 new yokohama tires. Six months later, we had to buy another complete set of tires (Michelin/205/55/r16) because the tires in the rear were cupping and wearing in a diagonal cross pattern. We took the vehicle to Ford both times and they denied that there was any factory defects on the vehicle. Ford claimed it must be an alignment issue, we paid $79.99 for a 4 wheel alignment, and even had the front end checked, as well as shocks and struts, and Ford claimed there was nothing wrong. …
2005 Ford Focus passanger side a arm bolt holding the a arm to the wheel lossend and just one bolt fell out on the road causing the tire and the remainder of the front wheel assembly to jam under the fender pulling the axle out of the transmission stopping the car thankfull that the car was going slow and stopped and not on a freeway at a high rate of speed. This car has only 39171 miles and had been to the Ford dealer frequent for a noise problem that they could not find the noise and never fixed the problem. This car has been in the family and has not been abused comments were made at the repair shop as to the amount of damage the lack of one bolt caused and that lucky as to the speed to which it came apart this event could have been alot worse. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 for Focus zxw station wagon. The contact stated that when the key was in the ignition and the shift over ride button was depressed, the key would become locked in the ignition. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the vehicle was operating as designed. The contact glued the shift over ride button in place and changed the ignition, which resolved the failure. The contact also stated the metal frame of the driver's seat became cracked. The contact had to prop the seat up so that he could drive the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 205,000. Updated 02/20/13 the consumer stated the transmission was poorly designed. Updated 02/21/13 the consumer stated the experienced numerous problems with the transmission, after having the fluid flushed. …
I purchased my used vehicle in 06/08 and immediately there were issues with the tires. I took it back to the dealership and they agreed to replace "one bad tire". In order to keep all the tires in good and equal condition I purchased three more. Over the past 10 months it has been back to the dealership three times for "alignment issues" and to a private alignment shop for the same issue. Extensive research online has indicated that there is a "known issue" with the Ford Focus that allows a "generous" spread for alignment specs. As long as it can be aligned within Ford's specs it is considered acceptable, however the tires continue to wear unevenly causing vibration and incorrect tread wear. I was told by Ford today that they don't know what the "number is" but that they are allowed to do nothing until that "magic number" is reached. …
My 2005 Ford Focus which I bought new off the dealership now has 100000 miles on it. Within the past year, while driving, the back end fishtails back and forth as if it is being hit by a strong wind. As soon as I told a repair shop this they immediately recognized the problem because they have had many other Focus owners complaining about the same thing. The rear control arm assembly is defective. This is not something that should need to be ever changed on a vehicle. The repair shop said that when they order a new one from Ford, the new one sent is much stronger and bulkier which tells them that Ford is aware of this defect. The repair bill for this is over $1200! This is very dangerous as you feel you are loosing control of the vehicle at any time. …
Suspension complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2005 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the suspension of the 2005 Ford Focus, 6% of the model year's 441 complaints. The component named most often is front (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Focus suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 39,000 miles, and 47% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to suspension 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.