Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
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).
Both rear doors will not stay closed as the latches do not work. The doors will swing open when driving if not secured with a strap, making it unsafe to have passengers in the back seat. Other models and different years of the same model have had recalls issued for the same issue. I haven't taken it to be inspected as I cannot afford to pay $140 at the dealership for the diagnosis. I did not own the vehicle when the issue first occurred so I don't know if there were any warning signals prior to the issue appearing.
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?
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the rear passenger and driver doors failed to lock without warning. The contact reached out to a local dealer (west herr Ford Lincoln of amherst located at 2600 millersport hwy, getzville, ny 14068) who informed the contact that they were aware of the failure and that there was a recall, but was unable to locate the contact's VIN within the recall. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer informed the contact that her VIN was not included in the recall. The contact inquired to speak with a manager , but was denied. The contact was referred to NHTSA. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V643000 (latches/locks/linkages). The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the rear passenger door failed to unlock with the key or manually. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to luther Ford-Lincoln (3629 u s 119, homer city, pa 15748, [phone]), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided reference number: [redacted]. The failure mileage was 80,000. * the consumer stated driver back door would not lock or unlock same for passenger side back door.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the rear passenger side door would not open from inside or outside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the locking mechanism was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 66,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the rear driver and passenger side doors failed to open. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000. The consumer has since traded the vehicle. Updated 07/23/14
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. While the vehicle was parked, the front passenger side and rear driver side doors failed to lock. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000. The VIN was not provided.
My 2010 Ford Focus was purchased on 3/10/2010. Within the first week of ownership, the door locks were not working properly and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair. The problem repeated intermittently and the vehicle was taken back numerous time with the same complaint. Today, after having dealt with working/non-working locks on the doors, especially the driver's door for more than a month, we got the same response, "we need to see the vehicle when the problem is occurring." how am I supposed to recreate the problem to suit their objection to making a repair? In checking further into this I found that this situation has existed since the 2000 Ford Focus. When is Ford going to be made to fix this so that we do not end up pay out nearly $500 for a 4-door lock assembly replacement? Enough is enough! …
I was locked in my own car! The driver's side door would not unlock. I tried the inside door latch, the outside door latch, key fob, and even tried to unlock with the key from the outside. I had friends trying to help me get the door unlocked, with no luck. I had to crawl out the passenger side of the car. After letting the car sit of over an hour, the door would finally unlock. The dealer is saying it is the actuator motor going out, cost for the motor alone is $400. That does not include the labor to install it. I think it is ridiculous that an electrical motor would go out with only 38000 miles on it. From what I have read, there most certainly should be a recall. Hopefully it will not require someone getting trapped in a car and loosing their life for that to happen.
First automatic door lock problem: the passenger side rear door lock will not respond to fob, interior auto door lock opener or manual intervention. Repair shop checked fuse, but it was OK. Later that day the lock began to work. A few days later it stopped working and has not worked since. Door is unusable because it is locked. Second automatic door lock problem: the driver's side rear door lock stopped locking. Won't respond to fob, interior auto door lock opener or manual intervention. Door can not be locked. Third automatic door lock problem: passenger side door won't unlock using fob, interior auto door lock opener. Manual intervention using inside door handle opens the door. Fourth automatic door lock problem: I hope it won't be the drivers door!!!
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2010 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2010 Ford Focus, 11% of the model year's 287 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Ford Focus door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches 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 door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
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.