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Selling a junk Ford Focus

Any Focus sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Ford Focus

NHTSA has 29,852 owner complaints on file for the Ford Focus, model years 1999 to 2018, the 6th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (6,878, 23%), electrical system (4,479, 15%), fuel system (2,642, 9%). 1,634 complaints involved a crash, 424 a fire, and 1,007 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 60,000 miles. The 2000 model year has the most complaints (5,152). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is transmission and drivetrain, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a bad transmission: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Ford Focus by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
199915Engine and cooling000—
20005,152Electrical system3581711860,000
20012,361Electrical system227671459,400
20021,198Electrical system10723850,000
20031,224Electrical system7023757,038
2004499Electrical system4518650,759
2005600Electrical system6011566,000
2006273Electrical system384265,000
2007524Air bags8611259,438
2008336Electrical system250266,000
2009323Electrical system392046,900
2010409Speed control285052,000
2011157Electrical system150050,000
20124,987Transmission and drivetrain17928868,434
20132,930Transmission and drivetrain80201257,590
20143,635Transmission and drivetrain140171252,756
20151,335Transmission and drivetrain437962,000
20161,574Transmission and drivetrain4251061,000
20171,190Transmission and drivetrain2841057,000
20181,130Transmission and drivetrain248755,428

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Ford Focus recalls

NHTSA lists 45 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for fuel system (7), lights (6), electrical system (5). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2012 model year, fuel system (campaign 26V369000, Jun 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Focus vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 18V735. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly…
  • 2015 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 26V376000, Jun 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18V169 and 18V845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the tra…
  • 2013 model year, equipment (campaign 26V011000, Jan 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short …
  • 2016 model year, equipment (campaign 26V012000, Jan 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater i…
  • 2016 model year, engine and cooling (campaign 23V905000, Dec 2023): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.

What a Ford Focus is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Focus on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Ford Focus worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Focus gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Ford Focus that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Ford Focus?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Ford Focus numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.