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 2006 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Hello national highway traffic safety administration, I would like to create a vehicle complaint regarding the Ford Focus 2006 sedan zx4 that I purchased the vehicle September 20, 2017. While driving within a service road, the vehicle's stalled and stopped running while driving upon multiple instances over the same day of purchasing and through out the weekend of September 22 - September 30th. As a result, I returned the vehicle to the dealer of lansing power motors inc. For an inspection September 23, 2017. Upon completion of the inspection, the mechanics confirmed that "nothing was wrong with the vehicle" and suggested to purchase a new computer for the vehicle. On October 30, 2017 I was involved in a car accident which I think was due to bad electrical brakes which resulted in the vehicle being t-boned by another driver within a residential intersection. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Focus. The contact stated that when the ignition key was turned, it would remain stuck in the on or off position. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was informed that the key might need to be replaced. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was left at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,000.
The rear passenger side door lock does not lock. This is the side the baby carseat is located. All the other doors do lock/unlock. It happened suddenly without any reason. I have noticed multiple occurrences of this issue on internet forums for Ford and Ford does not have a recall or a mandatory fix but they need to as this is a real safety and security issue!
Rear hatch wiring harness has frayed wires and can cause a fire there is rubbing against wiring harness from the rubber boot covering it. These wires are live and cause a fire and are always on due to connection to all rear electrical components. I found this out when trying to figure out why my rear hatch would not open unless unlocked with the key.
Driving down the road and gas peddle get stuck and sometimes wont push down to go sometimes while on the highway the headlights and all lights flicker all the time when I have them on at night gottin pulled over a couple of times tookin it too the shop and they said everythings OK on highway 36 between brookfield and chillicothe mo
The wiring harness flexes where it passes from the body to the tailgate causing the iinsulation and wiring to break and short to the body resulting in a blown fuse and no rear lights. This has occurred whilst driving and when stationary opening the hatchback.
Driving down the street and vehicle just stopped running/died. It has been at the dealer for almost two weeks and they haven't figured it out yet. No call, same run around when I call about update....
I purchased a 2006 Ford Focus on 12/3/05, it had 4 miles on it when I drove out of the dealership. On Thursday May 3, 2006, it caught fire in my carport. The mileage is between 2,000-3,000 miles, I believe. I arrived home from a meeting at a local bank, having driven approximately 2 miles. I parked the car in the carport, turned off the engine and entered the house. I did not notice any strange noises or odors. My husband arrived home about 15-20 minutes later. He began tooting the horn on his vehicle to get my attention. When I opened the door, he yelled "get your keys." I could see flames under my car and smoke seeping out the sides of the hood. I threw him the keys and ran for the fire extinguisher. He entered my Focus got the engine started and backed the vehicle out of the carport and away from the house. …
On Friday the ignition on my car did not immediately turn. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Saturday afternoon it refused to turn at all. The key would not turn in the ignition lock cylinder. It fit and was removable but just wouldn't turn. The car would not therefore, start. I was left stranded in a public place pregnant with my 3 year old child for so long drug dealers started showing up. I had to pay for a tow truck when it finally arrived. This is in a 2003 Ford Focus ztw wagon. It is 3 years old with 50,000 miles on it. I spent all day Tuesday on the phone speaking with various levels of mechanics and management. They all agreed that Ford is not taking any responsibility for this defect. One operator did not even record my phone call. Ford is recalling different model vehicles for ignition cylinder problems. …
The trunk light would not come on when trunk was opened (replacing the bulb didn't help). Later, the 'door open' dash light came on and stayed on. The electric trunk open button sometimes would not open trunk. A bit of troubleshooting with a vom at the trunk light pointed to an electrical problem (a voltage drop when a new bulb was placed in the trunk light socket). Turns out that the wiring bundle (containing six individual multistrand wire lines) had five of the wires lines fatigued apart , breaking the five circuits. The wire lines were sometimes making intermittent contact when the trunk was opened and closed, not necessarily with the matching wire line. I could hear noise as the wires were moved past each other (not sure if this was just physical scratching or, worse, electrical sparking). …
Electrical complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Ford Focus, 23% of the model year's 205 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford Focus electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Ford Focus. 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 2006 Ford Focus electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries 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.