Ford Focus Beeping? (6 Common Causes)

The Ford Focus is a hugely popular compact car, however like most vehicles it’s not without its beeps, chimes and noises when something isn’t quite right.

In this article we’ll explain why your Ford Focus keeps beeping…

Here’s the short answer why your Ford Focus is Beeping:

The most common reason why your Ford Focus is beeping is due to the lights. If the headlight dial is in the ‘On’ or ‘Park’ position, then when the door is opened you will hear a chime or beeping noise. To fix this, simply set the dial for the lights to the ‘Automatic’ or ‘Off’ position and this should stop the chime.

Why is My Ford Focus Beeping?

There could be a number of reasons why your Focus is beeping however the most common reason is related to the lights.

If you have the dial set to the ‘On’ or ‘Park’ position, this will trigger the chime sound when you open the door.

For most Ford Focus models, once you park the car and have the dial in the ‘On’ position – this won’t drain the battery as the lights aren’t actually left on.

So, you can leave the dial in the ‘On’ position however you will have the mildly annoying beeping sound to put up with.

What do the symbols on the dial mean?:

  • The off position is the ‘O’ on the dial.
  • Automatic is an ‘A’ insight a lightbulb symbol
  • ‘Lights on’ is denoted by a headlamp with lightwaves coming from it
  • Parking lights are two back-to-back headlight symbols with lightwaves coming from them.

Related: Ford Focus Alarm Going Off? (8 Causes & Solutions)

Beeping Caused by Airbag Warning Light

A common cause of beeping on a Ford Focus is due to a fault with the SRS (airbag system) and it often means the airbag warning lamp has blown in the instrument cluster and the problem is not necessarily related to the airbags themselves. This is a backup tone to indicate the warning light is not working.

This is common across many Ford models and there is a simple way to check this:

  1. Turn the key to the ‘ON’ poistion.
  2. Observe the gauge cluster.
  3. All lamps should illuminate, including the airbag lamp.
  4. If it doesn’t you will hear the beeping noise.

The gauge cluster refers to the collection of driving instruments behind the wheel and includes things such as speedometer, fuel gauge, warning lights and tachometer.

If there is no light for the airbag warning in the dash when you turn the key on, then you’ll need to replace the bulb.

By doing so, the beeping should stop, its also important to check for loose connections.

You will need to remove the instrument cluster, open it and in the back it will have all the little light bulbs.

If changing the faulty bulb didn’t do the trick or you’re not confident to change the bulb yourself, we recommend contacting your local Ford dealership.

From the Ford Focus Owners Manual:

NoteThe information below is related to the SRS which is the Supplementary Restraint System which is essentially the vehicle’s airbags.

A warning indicator light in the instrument cluster indicates the readiness of the safety system.

If this warning indicator light is not functioning and there is another fault within the system, the message cluster could display an airbag failure warning.

You could hear five tones (beeps) that repeat periodically until you repair the problem, the warning indicator light could illuminate or both.

Routine maintenance of the airbag is not required.

A difficulty with the [SRS] system is indicated by one or more of the following:

  • The indicator light will not illuminate immediately after the ignition is turned on.
  • The indicator light either flashes or stays illuminated.
  • You could hear five tones (beeps) that periodically repeat until the problem is repaired
  • A message could appear in the information display.

If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the supplemental restraint system serviced at an authorized dealer immediately.

Unless serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a crash.

You may also like: 7 Most Common Ford Focus Problems (Explained)

What Else Could be Causing the Beeping Noise?

If changing the dial on the lights doesn’t do the trick, don’t give up just yet we’ve got some more ideas below.

Faulty ignition switch: If you have a faulty ignition switch, the car will think the key is still left in the ignition which can trigger a beeping sound.

Leave the key in: Try leaving the key in the ignition, open the driver’s door and then turn off your vehicle.

Door chime contact: If the door chime contact next to the ignition cylinder has fallen out of the slot it belongs in, it can be glued back in place.

Fob battery: Make sure your key fob battery has plenty of life left.

Low temperature: Some models have a feature built in whereby when the temperature drops below 39.2°F (4°C ) the car will beep to warn you that there could be ice about and to drive carefully.

Seat belts, door ajar, lights on: These three are often the usual suspects.

Faulty latches: If you’ve got a door latch that’s sticking this will trigger the door ajar alarm, try lubricating with WD-40 if not the latch will need replacing.

Take it to a Ford Dealership: If needed, take the car to a Ford dealership. Tell them you are NOT paying for a check on what the problem might be. Ask them if they will check it for free. Most Ford Dealerships and other places do quick/initial diagnosis for no money as they plan to make money for the repair of your car.

Check for recalls or TSBs: By entering your car’s VIN number on Ford’s recall page you can determine whether or not there is a recall for your vehicle and if there is you’ll want to get it fixed. Similarly, a quick google search will help you determine whether there is a Technical Service Bulletin for your car, these are less serious but may give a reason why your car is beeping.

Sound symposer: If you own a Focus ST, if the sound symposer is broken it will beep, this noise will be coming from under the hood.

Diagnosing Beeps With a Scanner

Another possible option if you’re hearing a beeping sound is to use an OBD2 diagnostic scanner tool.

These are fairly easy to use, you simply plug them into your car – there’s usually an OBD2 port under the steering wheel.

Once you have the scan codes you can research these online specifically for the Focus.

There are also OBD apps available so you can connect your car straight to your smartphone (either with a cable or Bluetooth) without even needing a scanner.

You may also be interested in our article: Ford Focus Tune-Up & Maintenance Costs (Complete Guide)

Resources

https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/Catalog/owner_information/2018-Ford-Focus-Owner-Manual-version-2_om_EN-US_12_2017.pdf

Author:

  • Ian Sawyer

    Growing up with a father who was a mechanic I had an appreciation for cars and motorcycles from an early age. I shared my first bike with my brother that had little more than a 40cc engine but it opened up a world of excitement for me, I was hooked. As I grew older I progressed onto bigger bikes and...