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What 113 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Focus

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (113)Crash / fire / injury (9)Electrical system (25)Transmission & drivetrain (20)Latches & locks (17)Body & structure (14)Steering (10)Speed control (9)Airbags (6)Wheels (6)Brakes (5)Suspension (5)

5 of 113 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters

Oct 29, 2018BrakesAirbags

I WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT WITH A 18 WHEELER BECAUSE MY BRAKES WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO STOP.

NHTSA ODI 11143859

Jun 27, 2018Transmission & drivetrainBrakesCrash

SEVERAL TIMES, MY BREAKS HAVE NOT RESPONDED WHILE PRESSING DOWN ON THEM, MY FOOT WILL BE TO THE GROUND AND THERE IS NOTHING. IT CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED GOING 35 MILES AN HOUR.

NHTSA ODI 11104294

Nov 25, 2015Speed controlBrakesCrash5 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. IN ADDITION, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD. THERE WERE FIVE OTHER PASSENGERS IN THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

NHTSA ODI 10806768

Apr 3, 2015SteeringAirbagsSpeed controlBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES AND NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 5/15/15*CN UPDATED 09/16/2015 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10703535

Jun 10, 2011Brakes

I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON MICHIGAN HIGHWAY 91 BETWEEN LANGSTON AND TURK LAKE BETWEEN 2:30 AND 3:00 AM WHEN A DEER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF THE CAR. I WAS GOING ABOUT 55 MPH AT THE TIME. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES BUT DID HIT THE DEER. THE CAR WAS NOT SERIOUSLY DAMAGED AND I CONTINUED ON. I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE MUSHY AND LESS EFFECTIVE THAN NORMAL AFTER THE INCIDENT. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS I WAS TOLD THAT ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES HAD "BURST".

NHTSA ODI 10406489

Working with the data? Download all 113 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Ford Focus verdict →