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CarComplaints.com Notes: Even though the first model year of a major redesign should typically be avoided, Ford did a good job & the 2008 Ford Focus doesn't appear to have any major defects.

That said, the following model years of this 2nd generation Focus (2009-2011) do appear to be slightly better.

2.6

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
56,979 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Ford Focus engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Ford Focus Owner Comments

problem #7

Mar 152024

Focus

  • 159,625 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and a corroded subframe. The contact was informed that the subframe was significantly thin due to corrosion and that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,625. The VIN was unavailable.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #6

May 082013

Focus

  • 59,430 miles
Evaporator core leaking.

- Lowell, MI, USA

problem #5

Aug 262011

Focus

  • 58,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Focus. The contact was driving 45 mph when the front passenger and driver seats began to vibrate abnormally. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic where the mechanic stated that the vibration was caused by sagging motor mounts. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer advised that the vehicle was designed to vibrate. The contact stated the passenger could not sit in the seat due to the vibration. The failure mileage was 58,000.

- High Springs , FL, USA

problem #4

Aug 032010

Focus 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The ignition key is binding in ignition cylinder when turning to start position only. Twice it has not started on the first try. Twice I heard a metal sound when starting. This is a problem with Ford Focus 2008, and has been brought to my attention by my auto repair shop. It was suggested to me to go direct to a Ford dealer service shop which I did. The car warranty expired 5/2011 so I don't qualify for free repair on this problem. As far as I can see in researching there has not been a recall on it. I think Ford should pay.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #3

Aug 232011

Focus 4-cyl

  • 45,800 miles
Vehicle suddenly lost power, only continuing to run at a rough idle. The vehicle would not allow any acceleration. The only possible response was to limp to the shoulder of the road. After turning off the ignition the vehicle was restarted and ran as normal for the rest of the trip. Four days later the same thing occurred. Upon taking the vehicle to the Ford dealer and having them tell me to continue to drive the vehicle until it occurred again and then have it towed in, I convinced them to look further into it. I was able to locate several complaints on line of the same type. The necessary repair was to replace the throttle body. The next day the dealer contacted me and said the Ford hotline stated they had previous complaints and advised to replace the throttle body. This was done and the vehicle has operated correctly since the repair.

- Boones Mill, VA, USA

problem #2

Jul 232011

Focus

  • 20,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Focus. While the contact was driving approximately 45 mph all of the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel and suddenly the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who stated the oil filter detached from the engine which resulted in internal damages. The engine was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

- Columbus , OH, USA

problem #1

May 252010

Focus

  • 56,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Focus. The contact stated that around two months ago the vehicle started to stall. The contact stated that the wrench icon illuminated on the dashboard and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer five times and they have not found any failures. The dealer notified the contact and stated that the black box was not recording any data. The vehicle warranty had nearly reached its limit of 60,000. The contact was concerned that they would not diagnose the failure before the mileage reached 60,000. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 56,000 and the current mileage was 59,100.

- Novi, MI, USA

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