Equal-exposure complaint evidence and changes in the reported problem mix

2001 vs 2002 FORD FOCUS

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.

First 299 months on market for each model year

Exposure window calculated through Aug 22, 2026

Age-matched reports

▼ 47.6% fewer reports in the equal exposure window

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.

View component share data as a table

Component	2001 share	2002 share	Share change
FUEL SYSTEM	15.1%	6.9%	▼ 8.2 pts smaller share
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	24.3%	27.9%	▲ 3.5 pts larger share
SUSPENSION	6.6%	9.1%	▲ 2.5 pts larger share
WHEELS	1.3%	3.3%	▲ 2.1 pts larger share
SERVICE BRAKES	8.3%	6.3%	▼ 2.0 pts smaller share
STRUCTURE	2.5%	4.1%	▲ 1.6 pts larger share
ENGINE	11.9%	10.3%	▼ 1.6 pts smaller share
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	2.9%	1.9%	▼ 1.0 pts smaller share
TIRES	2.0%	2.9%	▲ 0.9 pts larger share
POWER TRAIN	3.8%	4.6%	▲ 0.8 pts larger share
STEERING	3.4%	4.1%	▲ 0.7 pts larger share
AIR BAGS	7.3%	6.7%	▼ 0.7 pts smaller share
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	1.3%	0.8%	▼ 0.5 pts smaller share
VISIBILITY	2.7%	2.3%	▼ 0.4 pts smaller share
SEAT BELTS	0.9%	1.1%	▲ 0.2 pts larger share
PARKING BRAKE	0.2%	0.3%	▲ 0.2 pts larger share
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	76.7%	68.4%	▼ 8.3 pts smaller share

NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-08-22

2001 14

Campaign components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES, SEATS, STEERING, VISIBILITY, and WHEELS

2002 8

Campaign components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING and LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21