Total Complaints
15 filings
FORD FOCUS · model year
1999 FORD FOCUS
15 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1999FORDFOCUS carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1999 FOCUS is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1999 FOCUS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
15
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20061010ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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
Mileage: 166,508
20061010ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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
Mileage: 166,508
20060424ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
CONSUMER REQUESTING RECALL INFORMATION ON 1999 FOCUS. *TS THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED EMISSION PROBLEMS. *JB
20041012STRUCTURE
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
20040504ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
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
20030815SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
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
20030815ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
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
20030625STEERING:RACK AND PINION
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
20030625STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
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
20030304AIR BAGS
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
Mileage: 125
20030225ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A CRACK IN THE ENGINE HEAD AND THE MOTOR MOUNT BEING BUSTED.*JB
Mileage: 73,000
20030203ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE WILL STALL. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PH
20010830ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE ENGINE MELTED COMPLETELY WITHOUT ANY WARNING. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THIS WAS DUE TO A FAILED IMPELLER IN THE WATER HEATER. IT WAS ON ITS WAY INTO THE SHOP FOR THE USUAL REPEAT PROBLEM WITH THE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER (THAT IS WHY THE READING IS 11,000 BUT THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000 MILES). SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE ENGINE AND IT STOPPED COMPLETELY. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE IMPELLER BROKE, CAUSING THE WATER PUMP TO FAIL AND THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND MELT INSIDE. THE ENGINE IS NOW USELESS. THE CAR IS SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP IN PARTS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT IS WORTHLESS NOW AND THAT EVEN A REBUILT ENGINE COSTS MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. THE ENGINE DID NOT SHOW THAT IT WAS HOT (HOWEVER, THIS IS ON THE SAME INSTRUMENT PANEL AS THE MALFUNCTIONING ODOMOETER/SPEEDOMETER). THERE WAS NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. IT IS UNSAFE FOR ENGINES TO SUDDENLY MELT WHILE ONE IS DRIVING. THE CAR HAS HAD ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND R
20010830ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
THE ENGINE MELTED COMPLETELY WITHOUT ANY WARNING. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THIS WAS DUE TO A FAILED IMPELLER IN THE WATER HEATER. IT WAS ON ITS WAY INTO THE SHOP FOR THE USUAL REPEAT PROBLEM WITH THE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER (THAT IS WHY THE READING IS 11,000 BUT THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000 MILES). SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE ENGINE AND IT STOPPED COMPLETELY. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE IMPELLER BROKE, CAUSING THE WATER PUMP TO FAIL AND THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND MELT INSIDE. THE ENGINE IS NOW USELESS. THE CAR IS SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP IN PARTS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT IS WORTHLESS NOW AND THAT EVEN A REBUILT ENGINE COSTS MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. THE ENGINE DID NOT SHOW THAT IT WAS HOT (HOWEVER, THIS IS ON THE SAME INSTRUMENT PANEL AS THE MALFUNCTIONING ODOMOETER/SPEEDOMETER). THERE WAS NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. IT IS UNSAFE FOR ENGINES TO SUDDENLY MELT WHILE ONE IS DRIVING. THE CAR HAS HAD ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND R
20000323SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
BRAKES SQUEALED WHENEVER BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS NORMAL, AND NOTHING WOULD BE DONE. *AK
Compare 1999FORDFOCUS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1999 FORD FOCUS have?▼
The 1999 FORD FOCUS has 15 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 FORD FOCUS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 FORD FOCUS is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC.
Is the 1999 FORD FOCUS safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1999 FORD FOCUS; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.