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Ford · NHTSA safety record

2010 Ford Focus

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

287

Complaints

22

Crashes

4

Fires

19

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2010 Ford Focus have filed 287 safety complaints with NHTSA between January 2010 and June 2026. The most complained-about system is vehicle speed control, named in 50 of them (17%). The typical failure was reported at 50,000 miles, the median across the 249 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 287.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 50 17%
POWER TRAIN 45 16%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 43 15%
ENGINE 42 15%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 31 11%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 26 9%
STRUCTURE 24 8%
SUSPENSION 19 7%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 17 6%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 15 5%
WHEELS 15 5%
STEERING 13 5%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2014 at 40.

2010 2014 2026
2010 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

2 injured · crash · towed

[XXX] WERE DRIVING IN THEIR 2010 FORD FOCUS AND ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A SIGN. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND ACCELERATED. THE SHEPHERD WERE IN A CRISIS. THE VEHICLE JUMPED A RAILROAD TRACK, FLIPPED, AND LANDED IN AN EMBANKMENT. [XXX] AIRBAG (PASSENGER) DID NOT DEPLOY. BOTH ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED AND WOULD LIKE TO FILE A CLAIM AGAINST FORD MOTOR COMPANY REGARDING THE DEFECTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA complaint 11375304. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

2 injured · crash · towed

On June 22 myself and my wife were pulling out of the Food Lion Parking Lot. As we proceeded out to the main Road the gas pedal stuck. The car kept accelerating and know matter what I did I could free the gas pedal. Because of that we hit 3 cars in the intersection. Our car literally exploded putting Myself and my wife in the hospital .My wife has had 3 surgeries for a broken pelvis.She is still in serious condition.Myself I suffered 3 broken ribs and a lacerated liver. Ford should be held accountable for our terrible pain and suffering.?

NHTSA complaint 11597854. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

2 injured · crash · 15,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN HE CRASHED INTO A DEER. THE IMPACT CAUSED THE ROOF TO DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND INQUIRED OF HOW THE ROOF WAS SECURED TO THE VEHICLE BUT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE THE REQUESTED INFORMATION. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE ROOF SHOULD HAVE BEEN WELDED MUCH MORE SECURELY THAN WHAT IT WAS. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 15,000. UPDATED 04/19/12*LJ UPDATED 05/02/12

NHTSA complaint 10452349. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

1 injured · crash · towed · 93,000 miles

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING 35-40 MPH, AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A RIGHT-HAND TURN ON A COUNTY ROAD. THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER LOCKED, OR THE POWER STEERING FAILED, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO NEGOTIATE THE TURN. SHE RAN OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HIT A LIGHT POLE STRAIGHT ON, CAUSING HER MINOR INJURIES, BUT TOTALING THE CAR.

NHTSA complaint 10915082. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

148,264 miles

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while leaving the parking lot and attempting to shift into reverse(R), the gear shifter failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment to diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,264.

NHTSA complaint 11747137. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
Multiple mechanics working at and including but not limited to: Firestone, discount tires, Midas, Walmart, independent mechanics have informed me the rear wheels can not be realigned with the front wheels due to how it was designed. This has caused my rear wheels to become more and more out of alignment with no way to repair the misalignment. So all steering components have been more and more hard to control and are being destroyed at a faster rate. Including but not limited to: car sound deadening stuff. Bolts, nuts, screws, undercarriage, tire wear, the front alignment etc. It has not been inspected by anyone but mechanics.

NHTSA complaint 11639131. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

crash · 14,000 miles

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the RMP increased and revved causing the vehicle to crash into an unoccupied vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated there was a minor scratch on the front of her vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened, and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

NHTSA complaint 11594409. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

90,000 miles

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the air bag was flopping around. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but no assistance was provided. The contact called the local dealer, where it was determined that the air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA complaint 11582364. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

179,000 miles

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that intermittently, after starting the vehicle and while driving at various speeds, the clutch pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the vehicle was unable to shift gear as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact was made aware that the clutch assembly had previously been replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 179,000.

NHTSA complaint 11506998. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Ford Focus

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2018 825 7 —
2017 891 10 —
2016 1,177 10 —
2015 1,015 9 —
2014 2,596 12 1
2013 2,105 11 3
2012 3,761 7 5
2011 113 0 —

Other 2010 Ford models

Fusion 5,126 Escape 2,068 F-150 842 Edge 673 Fusion Hybrid 507 Mustang 260 Taurus 204 Ranger 156

Every Ford on this site — 348 vehicles, 1210 recall campaigns and 10 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst