2009 Ford Focus

small car / 4-door sedan

2009 Ford Focus 4-door sedan
2008 Ford Focus 4-door sedan shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2008-11 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Ford Focus SE 4-door

The Ford Focus was restyled for the 2008 model year, and the restraint system (airbags and seat belts) was modified. In addition, side airbags were made standard (they had been optional in earlier models). Frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Ford as part of frontal crash test verification. However, because there were no significant front structural upgrades, the structural rating of the current model is based on both Ford's test and the Institute's test of a 2000 model.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CF00025 VTF0714
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 15 12
Left (cm) 20 19
Center (cm) 19 18
Right (cm) 17 14
Brake pedal (cm) 18 21
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 3 3
Right (cm) 3 4
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -1 -3
Rearward (cm) -2 0
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 2 1

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTF0714
Head
HIC-15 145
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.6
Extension bending moment (Nm) 9
Maximum Nij 0.30
Chest maximum compression (mm) 37
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 2.1
Femur force - right (kN) 0.9
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 1
Maximum tibia index - left 0.50
Maximum tibia index - right 0.39
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.0
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 3.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 66
Right 65

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2008-11 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Ford Focus SE 4-door with front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Ford Focus was restyled for the 2008 model year, and changes were made to the side structure to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes. In addition, the side airbag design was changed and they were made standard (they had been optional in earlier models).

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0845
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -1.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0845
Head HIC-15 290
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 48
Lateral force (kN) 1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 35
Average deflection (mm) 30
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.63
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.71
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.1
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.7
Combined force (kN) 5.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.0
L-M moment (Nm) 205
A-P moment (Nm) 46

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0845
Head HIC-15 524
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 57
Lateral force (kN) 2.0
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 46
Average deflection (mm) 37
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.99
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 1.06
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.2
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.1
Combined force (kN) 2.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.6
L-M moment (Nm) 210
A-P moment (Nm) 68

How the side crash test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 25
Distance below top of head (mm) 36
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 10.1
Head contact time (ms) 56
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 40
Max neck tension (N) 489

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.