2009 Ford Focus

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Suspension, Wheels & Tires

Suspension, Wheels & Tires leads by volume: 47 of 229 complaints (21%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more deaths (2) than those mentioning any other identified area.

Complaints filed fell from 250 in 2008 to 229 in 2009.

Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology

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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 5 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.
Category20072008200920102011vs. 2009 Compact Cars
Annual fuel cost ($)2,300–2,7002,2502,250–2,3002,2502,150–2,250
Combined MPG23–272827–282828–29
City / Highway MPG20–24 / 29–3324 / 33–3524 / 33–3524 / 34–3525 / 33–34
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)329–386317317–329317306–317
Complaints filed391250229287113Not compared
Recalls issued22000Not compared
Crash-involved complaints602126228Not compared
Fire-involved complaints70240Not compared
Injuries reported7520211910Not compared
Deaths reported20300Not compared
Configurations compared32222

Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.

Common questions

How many recalls does the 2009 Ford Focus have?

No NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026.

What is the most common complaint about the 2009 Ford Focus?

Suspension, Wheels & Tires: 47 of 229 NHTSA complaints (21%) mention it.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Ford Focus get?

EPA rates it 27–28 MPG combined across 2 configurations.

How much does it cost to fuel a 2009 Ford Focus?

EPA estimates $2,250–$2,300 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

EPA-Rated Configurations (2)

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
ConfigurationTransmissionCylindersDisplacementDrivetrainFuel TypeVehicle ClassCityHighwayCombinedAnnual Fuel CostCO₂
Configuration 1Manual 5-spd42.0LFront-Wheel DriveRegularCompact Cars24 mpg35 mpg (high)28 mpg (high)$2,250 (low)317 g/mi (low)
Configuration 2Automatic 4-spd42.0LFront-Wheel DriveRegularCompact Cars24 mpg33 mpg (low)27 mpg (low)$2,300 (high)329 g/mi (high)

Complaints by Category

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
CategoryComplaintsCrash-InvolvedFire-InvolvedInjuriesDeaths
Engine230000
Transmission & Drivetrain390000
Fuel System171000
Electrical450000
Brakes94020
Steering95060
Suspension, Wheels & Tires476171
Airbags & Restraints26131112
Driver Assistance & Speed Control334030
Body, Seats & Latches292020
Visibility & Lighting70000
Other162000

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

Recalls

No recalls have been issued for this model-year.