Ford Focus Generation 1 (1996–2004)

Ford Focus Generation 1 (1996–2004) — production years, market prices by model year, NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, and live listings for sale on VehiSales.

Ford Focus — body generations

Generation Produced Facelift
Generation 1 1996–2004 —
Generation 2 2005–2007 —
Generation 3 2008–2012 —
Generation 4 2013–2018 —

Vehicles within one generation share the same platform and body style.

Engines used in the Focus

Engine families this model shipped with, by NHTSA VIN build data — each links to every model that shares it.

Engine Years in this model Also used in VIN builds ⓘ
Ford 2.0L I4 (Duratec & EcoBoost) 2000–2018 24 models 225
Ford 2.3L EcoBoost I4 2003–2018 33 models 36

Ford Focus fuel economy: every year & engine (EPA) →

Used Ford Focus prices by year →

About this generation

The Ford Focus is a compact car manufactured by Ford from 1998 until 2025. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide. The original Focus was primarily designed by Ford of Europe's German and British teams. Production of the fourth generation Focus began in 2018 in Germany and China. In 2025, Ford announced that the Focus will no longer be built, in line with an announcement made in 2022.

Source: Wikipedia — Ford Focus, CC BY-SA.

Recalls & complaints by year (NHTSA)

Year Recalls Complaints Most reported
2000 18 3,881 Electrical System, Engine And Engine Cooling, Service Brakes
2001 14 1,815 Electrical System, Fuel System, Gasoline
2002 8 1,018 Electrical System, Suspension, Engine And Engine Cooling
2003 7 1,017 Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages, Steering
2004 6 387 Electrical System, Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.

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