general problems of the 2018 Ford Focus - part 1

Car stalled and I took it to three mechanics who all said transmission was shot. I replaced two oil pumps (low and high) in the last year or so also. Car is barely 8 yrs old with 101k miles on it. Online says this problem is widespread.

The dps6 clutch failed rapidly. It is available for inspection. The car will suddenly and aggressively speed up while trying to shift gears or will suddenly slow down when downshifting making a collision very likely. They problem has been confirmed by a dealer. It has been inspected by a Ford dealership and confirmed bad. There were no warning lamps or other symptoms prior to failure. It first started around 2/08/2026. This is a well known faulty clutch in the Ford Focus and Ford fiesta lines from 2012-2018. Several repair shops and dealerships in the area I spoke with all acknowledge the high rate of failures with this specific type of clutch.

Vehicle experienced a highway-speed overheat and automatic engine shutdown. Inspection revealed antifreeze intrusion into the under-hood engine fuse box, causing widespread fuse degradation and electrical failure. This occurred following recall-related service. Vehicle lost power and is unsafe to operate due to electrical contamination and fire risk. Manufacturer and dealer have been unresponsive.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift into gear properly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle shimmied while attempting to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was related to the transmission and the contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the independent mechanic. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.

I have had this car for 2 years, the transmission went on me in the middle of the night and I had to have it towed home and to a transmission specialist. I just got the car back 2 weeks ago after spending $2,000 to get it nh road legal. My transmission needs to be replaced. I’ve contacted Ford, my car should be on the recall list but it isn’t. I have the junk transmission that they never should have “engineered”. The car has done nothing but cost my money and I still owe on because the dealership ripped me off. The attached file is from recent work, I haven’t gotten the invoice from aamco of concord nh.

Transmission element b stuck on. Requiring replacement of clutch and actuator.

My vehicle is part of the 23s64/23v905 Ford recall. The car died in the middle of an intersection in 2024 and Ford finally agreed to replace the faulty parts with more faulty parts until there was a fix. Now there is a fix and Ford said they will not replace it because it's still running, but when/if the parts fail again, to bring it in and they'll fix it. So if the vehicle fails on the interstate or in the middle of an intersection again and I'm in a crash, then they'll fix it. But they will not fix it until they fail because "there are too many not running vehicles in front" of mine.

The recall has yet to be resolved for me and the nearest appointment is 2 months away, a new problem that has arisen is the transmission jerks, struggles with the car not having any warning indications.

Engine oil pump stuck canister purge valve clutch fracture my car has difficulty starting. I have had problems with my hill start assist and air bags. My car stalls when I press gas at a light. It makes a funny noise and jerks. My engine light will come on and stalls even more and then the transmission alert comes on my dash to tell me to pull over because it’s over heating. The takeoff is extra slow like a turtle and fluid leaking. I’ve had my car at the same dealership I purchased my car.

I have had problems with the clutch 3 times and had it repaired and it sounds like it is going again I have only 44,000 miles on my 2018 and this is ridiculous I love my Ford but something has to be done. My warranty is over 7/2026.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the fuel line was replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with clutch failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The message "transmission is overheating" was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to reverse as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure NHTSA campaign number: 18v845000(power train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the contact was informed through a voicemail message that no assistance would be provided. The failure mileage was 99,500.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle felt as if the transmission had slipped into neutral(n). The contact was not able to get the vehicle back into gear, and the vehicle lost forward momentum. The contact was in the parking lot of the residence and stopped and called a tow truck. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that it was the fifth time that the clutch had been replaced. The contact stated that the clutch was most recently replaced in may 2024. The contact called the manufacturer and was referred to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear and the vehicle jerked abnormally. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.

I have had the clutch replaced and after 5 months I'm having issues with it again. The Ford dealer that I purchased it from it saying that there is no issue and they cannot duplicate the problem that I am telling them is occurring.

Most recently, my transmission stopped working leaving my 12-year-old daughter and I stranded at an airport, in congested traffic, right around a bend where traffic was exiting in phoenix, arizona. It was 111 degrees outside and we had to be towed by the airport contracted tow company to a little area where we could only stay for 20 minutes. They were originally going to tow us to the top of the parking garage, where the sun blazes down, but decided since I had my daughter with me that they would take us to a shaded area. I’m a single mom, her father just got out of federal prison and hasn’t been any help her entire life. I don’t have any family besides my sister which lives in California. I couldn’t afford a tow truck back to kingman, az which is a which is a 3 1/2 hour drive. My car ended up starting and I was able to park in the parking garage so we got her flight moved back a couple of hours. Again, I was able to get the car started and it drove fine until it cut out about two hours from phoenix in wikieup arizona where I stayed for 12 hours in my vehicle waiting for somebody to come and pick me up with a tow dolly. Now it’s at anderson Ford in kingman with an $8000 bill for a new transmission. This transmission issue is a known issue with many of the Ford Focuses and I think that Ford needs to fix it and or give me a new vehicle because I’ve already had two new engines put in and I’m waiting on the third engine for the oil pump failure the first time the oil pump went out again. The first time the engine failed at 47,000 miles just outside of wikiup arizona, it was hot outside, I had two young girls with me and we we’re driving 65 mph up a hill in the car just lost power and we were stuck on the side of the road with no tow trucks even available for over 4 hours to come and help us. It was a mess. I included the repair invoices from both times the engine was replaced and then verbal communication between the dealership and I about the current transmission issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a defective transmission clutch. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

My vehicle was inspected in order to determine why my vehicle is stalling, jerking, not going into reverse and giving a warning message that the car is overheating. My spouse and I were told the transmission control module needs to be replaced. Upon reading about my car's maje and midel, I learned this is a problem with 2018 Ford cars. It stalls and almost cuts off in traffic which is very dangerous.

I purchased a 2018 Ford Focus in sept of 2023 with 30k+ miles. Financed. In April of 2025 the car started making strange noises when starting and then would not go into reverse. The car pushed in neutral and drove about 2 miles. Stopped for gas and then the car would not start. The car was towed to a mechanic. He had the vehicle for 2 wks trying to purchase a part called an actuator. I reside on st. Croix usvi and purchased this vehicle from a fleet sale from centerline rental cars. After the actuators were placed, I drove the car and within a day had a screeching sound upon starting car. Drove it back to mechanic and we did a test drive. 21 the car would slow down and speed up on it's own. The vehicle this time died and had to be pushed onto the lot. Was worked on again and still did not work properly. Car was towed to Ford metro for analysis. The car now has 40k+ miles in 18 mos of use. They quoted me $4,213. 00 for parts and labor. I am still paying $359. 00 a month since April 2025. The car was towed back to my residence where it sits dead. Please advise.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that over time, the transmission was difficult to shift into gear. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic was diagnosed and determined that the powertrain control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 38,500.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the transmission and clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic provided the contact with dtc: p07a3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 102,250.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds in a parking area, the rpm increased quickly but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch. The contact stated that the clutch had been replaced in may 2022 after a similar failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 55,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the rpm fluctuated while shifting gears, and the transmission shifted erratically. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechani,c where a handheld diagnostic tool retrieved dtc: p07a3. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

I am experiencing symptoms of safety recall 23s64 on my 2018 Ford Focus — specifically, intermittent oil pressure warning lights. I took my car to a Ford dealer who initially stated the issue may be recall-related, but later refused to inspect the oil pump belt and tensioner unless I paid out of pocket, despite the recall bulletin (mt23s64a) stating Ford will reimburse 2. 8 hours of labor for the inspection even if no failure is found. I contacted Ford customer relationship center and they were unable to locate the labor code or confirm the policy, and gave me the same incorrect info. This appears to be a violation of federal recall policy, where the dealership and manufacturer are both refusing to honor a safety recall without charging me for the diagnosis.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the dual clutch in the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the same diagnostic information was provided. The contact was informed that the dual clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 152,910.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear, the engine revved up, and the vehicle jerked and lost motive power. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle responded. The contact stated that several weeks later, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact’s neighbor used a handheld diagnostic machine to retrieve a code related to transmission failure. The neighbor performed unstated repairs to the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred days later. The contact stated on the last occasion, while driving at an undisclosed slight incline, between 1st and 2nd gears, the vehicle started jerking and failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light illuminated with a message to "transmission safety - stop for 5 minutes" displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that unknown parts needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission was blown due to the leaking of the transmission clutch fluid. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the clutch canister was previously replaced while the vehicle was owned by the previous owner. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

My 2018 Ford Focus started to buck, hesitate, and felt like it was going to stall. I pulled out of an intersection and my car just wouldn't go. I almost got hit. Then my engine light came on. Took it to my mechanic and he checked it with the coding machine which showed that it was in the transmission. I looked on the recall page and although my vehicle wasn't on it, they did recall other Ford Focus vehicles for the exact same problem. Ford knows there is a problem with this. It is very upsetting that my vehicle isn't part of the recall.

Bought a used 2018 Ford Focus from a dealer in October 2024. In February 2025 the car started shuttering when put inn reverse when I left work. I drove ten miles to home and didn't drive the car util the next day. The next morning when I went to work the car would not do more than 25 miles per hour. I pulled over and called someone to come tow the car. The car would not go in reverse. Car was taken to dealership which told me I needed some kind of part for the transmission. The part was replaced but then the dealership could not get the car to go forward or in reversed. The car kept throwing codes for the mechanic. I had the car towed back home. The transmission light is on and cannot drive the car. The car has not been driven since the end of February due to unable to pay for more repairs.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that over time the transmission was difficult to shift into gear. The transmission warning light was illuminated, and the message "internal transmission failure" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 14 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, and the transmission was slipping while shifting between first and second gear. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no cause of the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving 10 mph, the vehicle jerked, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, with the power train and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the transmission failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with the check engine and transmission temperature warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted, and the dealer informed the contact that a used transmission was installed into the vehicle by the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 103,449.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate, and the transmission was slipping while shifting between first and second gear. Additionally, the engine overheated due to the coolant leak and the message to "pull over" was displayed. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The contact stated that the transmission had been replaced on four previous occasions. The failure mileage was 77,805.