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 2010 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
We bought a factory certified car to eliminate problems like this.the problem we have is also intermittent and involves the right hand door lock's 95% of the time both front and rear. The not always at the same time.when locked they fail to open with either the remote of the inside switch.we have been to the dealer 4-5 times and it was only the last time he was able to see 1/2 of the problem.he did not have time to get it in that day and I didn't have time to leave .his answer is if it's not broken I cant fix it . I also asked the sales man if they have been having that problem or is the first he herd of it.they have heard of it before and he recommended wd-40 squirted down to clean the actuator.I did try that but it happens again over and over at the most inconvenient of times.this car was bought for my wife and I have a great concern god forbid something happen and the people on the …
The doors, randomly, do not unlock. Every door has had this issue...randomly. The weather is not the issue, this has happened in all types of weather. I have researched this , via google, and I am not the first to report this. Why has there not been a recall fix? The passenger side back door has not unlocked for three weeks. Today the drivers side door will not unlock, causing me to have to climb over to exit through the passenger side door...not safe. I called the dealer, no surprise, they had heard of this issue. From what I have read, I expect to be charged, between $400 & $1200 to fix a manufactures defect...so very wrong! Nor will I be paying for it! Again, what good does it do to report this thousands of times, when this has been happening for at least 15 years, at a cost to the consumers?
Car fails to start when the key is inserted and turned to the proper ignition starting point. My mechanics says the car is not finding the safety chip inside the key and will not allow the car to start. I am having to replace the ignition and have my key re-programmed. This has been degrading over a period of months. Starting with a forcefulness of the key to make it start. The longer it has gone the worse it has gotten. Until it finally would not start at all. The repair will cost me $ 400.00 plus having it towed. It is a failure of the ignition switch to recognize the key's safety chip inside the key. It has caused me to sit and wait for the car to start, sometimes reaching 30 minutes. I take very good care of my cars and his should not be happening.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. While the vehicle was stationary and the contact was inside the vehicle, all four doors would not unlock. The contact stated that the key fobik could not unlock the doors and the driver side door would not open when prompted. The contact stated that the front passenger side door finally opened with the key fobik. The contact was able to climb out of the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the rear passenger door had a history of becoming stuck and remained locked after the contact exited the vehicle. A dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
2010 Ford Focus doors do not open at all from the outside or inside of the car . The remote will not disengage and will keep doors locked. A person cannot just pull on the handle inside or the lock stem to unlock the doors. The door actuator on all four doors need to be replaced due to dust going inside the mechanical parts and oil's creating mud issues. Ford mechanic advised that they seen lots of Ford focuses with the same issue costing the customer a financial burden due to a faulty design which Ford updated the original design to fix the issue, admitting to the bad design sold to the public. People were trapped in the car and cannot get out due too doors not disengaging, the handles are stiff/locked
Whenever I start my car, the RPM's are between 2-3 and it takes a couple minutes to reach the normal idling RPM rate. The engine also makes clicking noises and is louder than usual and just does not sound right. And previously, my car has randomly stalled and just turned off while the battery stayed running while making a right turn or just idling at a stop light. Mostly, my cars engine just turns off while running it in the driveway in the morning while the battery stays on. It has not stalled in awhile but there is still something wrong with the engine and the rpms. Also sometimes, a wrench light appears on the dashboard when I am experiencing the problem.
One afternoon I got in my car went to make a right turn and my blinker was blinking faster then normal. That night I was pulled over because I had no brake light on the right side nor did I have a blinker. The next following day I got to looking at my tail light to change it to my surprise my tail lights was I tapped the light cover and the lights went out the bulb was black. I checked to make sure my control knob was on the ofd position which it was. The head lights would only come on if I turned to control to on poistion. I have owned this car for 5 years now I have never replaced the left side head or tail light but I have changed to right side twice.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger and rear doors failed to open when using the keyless entry system. The contact also stated that the key failed to work in the key-lock on the driver's door. The contact stated that after several attempts of depressing the unlock button on the keyless entry remote, the door was able to be opened. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated. On another occasion while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle stalled. The contact mentioned that the wrench and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the throttle body sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000.
In order to start my daughter's used 2010 Focus the key needs to be turned to the idiot lights and wait until the needles move on the temp and fuel guages and the chime comes on then crank it and it usually starts first try but it can take 3 tries at this procedure. It can be scary. The 2010 manual on page 175 says turn it 3/4 (idiot lights) and wait then crank but the 2008 manual said that too on page 150 but it wasn't ever necessary. 3 Ford dealers say they never heard of the problem before.
Electrical complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2010 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the electrical system of the 2010 Ford Focus, 15% of the model year's 287 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Ford Focus electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2010 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 2010 Ford Focus electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 18% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 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.