2009 Ford Focus Life Expectancy

With a regular maintenance schedule, a 2009 Ford Focus can last 17 years or more. Here’s what to know.
Written by Katherine Duffy
Reviewed by Bellina Gaskey
background
The 2009 Ford Focus has a life expectancy of about 250,000 miles, reaching 300,000 miles in some cases. This means that the 2009 Focus can last about 17 years, but its lifespan depends heavily on proper
car maintenance
.
  • A 2009 Ford Focus can last around 250,000 miles with the possibility of reaching 300,000 miles. 
  • The average lifespan of a Ford Focus is much closer to 200,000 miles with average care.
  • Having a routine maintenance schedule for your Ford Focus is the best way to extend its life expectancy.
The 2009 Ford Focus came in a sedan or coupe style and is still a zippy commuter car used by many drivers today. If you’re curious about how long yours might last or whether it’s worth it to look for a used model, you’ve come to the right place. 
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How many miles can a 2009 Ford Focus last?

Properly maintained, a 2009 Ford Focus can last around 250,000 miles, with the possibility of reaching 300,000 miles with near-perfect maintenance. The majority of US drivers add about 14,000 miles to their vehicle’s odometer each year, which means that a regularly driven 2009 Ford Focus has a life expectancy of about 17 years

How long does a Ford Focus engine last? 

When regularly maintained, a Ford Focus engine can last around 250,000 miles on average. The only engine option for a 2009 Ford Focus is a 140-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine across all trim levels. 
The engine is reliable and produces adequate power for everyday drivers, and has decent fuel economy at 24 mpg city and 35 mpg highway

Can a Ford Focus last 500,000 miles? 

We can’t rule out this possibility completely—but it’s very uncommon to see any car hit 500,000 miles, let alone a Ford Focus. 
The 2009 Ford Focus has routinely received above-average reliability rankings from authorities like Kelley Blue Book, Repairpal, and Edmunds, but only a sliver of Ford Focuses can ever expect to come close to this high mileage. 

Average life expectancy for a Ford Focus 

While Ford claims that with proper maintenance, a Focus can last up to 250,000 miles, a 2022 Hot Cars article reports that this number is much closer to 200,000 miles.
So while it’s possible that your Focus will last 250,000 miles or more, the average life expectancy of a Focus is more important when trying to calculate how far your car will carry you. 
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the average lifespan of a passenger car in the United States is around 11 years. This is much less than the 17 years it would take to hit the 250,000-mile mark. 
While the Ford Focus has been lauded as a fairly reliable vehicle, a Ford Focus is only as reliable as its owner. The life expectancy of your 2009 Ford Focus depends on: 
  • Regular maintenance: Skipping out on regular maintenance tasks like getting your oil or transmission fluid changed can put a serious dent in your Focus’s life expectancy. Ford Focuses that make it to 250,000 miles follow a routine maintenance schedule.  
  • Mileage: If you drive your Focus less than 14,000 miles per year, it might last even longer than the expected 17 years. 
  • Accident history: If you get into an accident with your Focus, this could seriously impact your car’s lifespan. Vehicle parts become more vulnerable to wear and tear after a crash, making it more difficult for your Focus to meet that 250,000-mile mark. 
If you’re thinking about buying a used Ford Focus, start by looking for a model with well under 200,000 miles. These models can generally be expected to last a few more years with proper care. 
If the Focus you’re considering has over 200,000 miles, make sure you check out the vehicle’s maintenance history and have it inspected by a mechanic you trust before bringing it home. 

How to extend a 2009 Ford Focus’s life expectancy 

The best way to extend the life expectancy of a 2009 Ford Focus is to keep up with a regular maintenance schedule. 
We know—we sound like a broken record. But following the recommended benchmarks for
oil changes
, brake services, transmission fluid changes, and power steering fluid flushes really does help your vehicle run smoothly beyond the 200,000-mile mark. 

Common 2009 Ford Focus problems to watch out for 

While it’s not without its hiccups, the 2009 Ford Focus’s problems are few and far between, and the problems it does have are fairly minor. If you own a 2009 Ford Focus, watch out for the following issues: 
  • Uneven tire wear: This is the most common complaint from Focus owners with cars that have hit 25,000 miles. This issue is usually due to an underlying alignment issue that costs about $250 to fix.
  • Loose carpeting: Most Focus owners who have this issue experience it at around 10,000 miles. The Focus’s carpet begins to separate from the trim panels. While
    many owners glue down the peeling edges
    , you can also bring your Ford into your local dealership to have this issue fixed professionally. 
  • Failing door locks: The issue crops up at around 60,000 miles for Focus owners that experience failing door locks. You can replace the door lock actuators to solve the problem, but it costs around $500 depending on your location and labor costs. 
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FAQs 

Only 0.03% of cars make it to this mileage mark. Cars that make it past the 300,000-mile mark are almost unheard of—but it’s not a bad goal to work towards when putting a regular maintenance schedule into place for your Focus.
The Ford with the longest average lifespan is the
Ford Expedition
, with an average lifespan of 244,682 miles. As for the highest recorded mileage ever recorded on a Ford vehicle, a 2013 Ford F-350 Super Duty started making headlines in 2021 when it was reported to have 999,999 miles on its odometer after just eight years.
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