RoadVitals

1999 Ford Focus

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Oct 10, 2006
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 11 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 Ford Focus, most frequently naming the engine, brakes and electrical categories. 3 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine646.2%
  • Brakes215.4%
  • Electrical215.4%
  • Airbags17.7%
  • Body & structure17.7%
  • Steering17.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 11
ElectricalEngine
Filed Oct 10, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS RESTARTED BUT STALLED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND LATER DRIVEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 11/14/2006 - THE FAILURE A AY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE. THE CODES INDICATED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR, VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR, AND O2 SENSOR WAS OUT, AND THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SWITCH WAS OUT OF RANGE. *NM

NHTSA ID
10170348
Incident
Oct 4, 2006
Mileage
166,508 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 19, 2006

CONSUMER REQUESTING RECALL INFORMATION ON 1999 FOCUS. *TS THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED EMISSION PROBLEMS. *JB

NHTSA ID
10156252
Incident
Jan 1, 1901
Body & structure
Filed Oct 12, 2004

HEAD IMPACT TUBES (OFLEX TUBES) ARE BEING INSTALLED THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME BY HAND ON HEAD LINERS AT FORMER EMPLOYER GRUPO ANTOLIN-WAYNE 47440 MICHIGAN AVE. SUITE 130, CANTON, MICHIGAN 48188. THE HEAD IMPACT TUBE ARE TO BE MEET FEDERAL REGULATED SAFETY STANDARDS, THEY ARE TO BE PUT ON BY A FIXED FIXTURE THAT I BROUGHT TO THE COMPANY'S ATTENTION. THE COMPANY HAS NO MASTER TOOLING TO CHECK SPECIFICATIONS FOR FINISHED PRODUCT. *NM

NHTSA ID
10095642
Incident
May 10, 1999
Electrical
Filed May 4, 2004

WHILE PLACING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION., AND MECHANIC REPLACED SOLENOID SWITCH. *AK

NHTSA ID
10072059
Incident
May 4, 2004
BrakesEngine
Filed Aug 15, 2003

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER HAD TO USE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL ENGINE STALLED. DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL FILTER. *AK

NHTSA ID
10034046
Steering
Filed Jun 25, 2003

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 6/25/2003. DEALER STATED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE RACK AND PINION, AND THE TIE RODS HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10024958
Airbags
Filed Mar 4, 2003

THE VEHICLE IMPACTED A POLE AT 25 MPH. AS A RESULT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE BENT BUT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10009792
Incident
Feb 20, 2003
Mileage
125 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 25, 2003

THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A CRACK IN THE ENGINE HEAD AND THE MOTOR MOUNT BEING BUSTED.*JB

NHTSA ID
10009284
Incident
Feb 17, 2003
Mileage
73,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

CSP-08B01

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

FORD: CERTAIN 1999-2001 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES UP TO 6000 LB GVWR REGISTERED IN NEW YORK AND CERTAIN 2001 VEHICLES UP TO 6000 LB GVWR REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF MAINE, CERTIFIED FOR SALE IN CALIFORNIA-FEDERAL EMISSION WARRANTY REFUND. *PE

7451

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0L ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT A TIMING BELT SHREDDING OR TIMING BELT STRIKING THE FRONT COVER. *TT

13468

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0L ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT A TIMING BELT SHREDDING OR TIMING BELT STRIKING THE FRONT COVER. *TT

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Ford Focus by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
20188257562.7
201788910561.6
20161,17610460.0
20151,0159562.0
20142,59612360.1
20132,10512357.6
20123,7608357.7
20111130037.9
20102870038.2
20092290040.2
20082502152.8
20073912157.1
20062042051.4
20054415158.7
20043876160.4
20039777157.3
20029398564.1
20011,76114965.9
20003,686181364.2
1999Viewing110027.3

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.