Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Ford Focus - part 2

Ford refuses to respond to emails nor return calls. . . . . . Cracked cylinder head caused from a known issue Ford failed to recall. The 2. 0l ecoboost uses an aluminum cylinder head with relatively thin casting areas between the combustion chamber and coolant passages. Coolant passages run very close to the exhaust valve seats. The turbocharged exhaust temperatures are extremely high. Thin aluminum sections are repeatedly exposed to rapid heating and cooling cycles. Over time this creates micro-fractures int he heat casting, which eventually grow into a crack between the combustion chamber and coolant jacket. This defect tends to occur between 60k - 100k miles. Safety: car was smoking so bad that it could have caught fire. The car has been inspected by a Ford dealership and declared this to be the problem. The fix is a new engine that costs $12k. There were no warning lamps or symptoms prior to the failure. Car is still deemed inoperable as Ford refuses to help with the fix.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v905000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times and informed the contact that the recall repair part had been ordered. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Focus 🔎.

I was driving on a 40mph road, went to pass someone and touched the gas to do so and the car shuddered, lost power, and made a whining noise anytime the turbo would engage. The turbocharger had to be replaced. Luckily this occurred on a road that wasn't busy and was close to home. The car has 55,000mi on it and it meticulously maintained.

I am requesting an investigation into a vehicle I purchased on November 28, 2025, in a transaction conducted using the business name ridetime llc. After taking possession of the vehicle, I noticed inconsistencies related to the title and odometer reading. I titled the vehicle on December 1, 2025, prior to full confirmation of these discrepancies. Subsequent investigation through experian autocheck, consultation with the virginia dmv, and inspection by a licensed mechanic revealed evidence consistent with title jumping and possible odometer tampering. Additionally, a mechanic identified indicators consistent with prior flood damage that were not disclosed at the time of sale. I acted in good faith and relied on representations made during the sale, including the use of the business name ridetime llc. Once the discrepancies were confirmed, I immediately ceased any attempt to sell or transfer the vehicle and am reporting the matter for investigation and guidance on proper resolution.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Focus 🔎.

After recall campaign 23s64 and the engine being replaced with g1fg-6006-da and traceability code [xxx] . Incident description on Saturday [xxx], while driving on the freeway, my vehicle began sputtering and lost power. The rpms increased but the speed did not. The check engine light illuminated briefly and then went out. This created an immediate serious safety hazard to me my passenger and other drivers on the road as I was unable to maintain speed in traffic and had to leave the freeway immediately. Diagnostic findings •initial autozone obd-ii scan revealed p0302 (cylinder 2 misfire). •dealer’s own diagnostic later reported p0301 (cylinder 1 misfire), with carbon tracking on all spark plugs and ignition coil boots. •dealer noted the locking tab on cylinder 3 ignition coil connector was broken, requiring a new pigtail. •dealer also identified a broken front motor mount, but is attempting to charge me for replacement despite the fact that the mount must be removed and reinstalled during an engine swap. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vehicle began to experience issues where it was difficult to start and ran rough. Multiple times after turning off vehicle and attempting to restart later it would not restart. Had vehicle towed to dealership for repairs, they conducted a recall repair and test over multiple days. Picked up vehicle, drove approximately 7 miles. Went into store came back and vehicle would not start. Multiple other recalls are listed for this date range and motor that likely could be impacting my current vehicle. However, this VIN is not listed as a specific recall. Current situation places driver and passenger at risk as the vehicle does not run properly and does not restart.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Focus 🔎.

My 2014 Ford Focus experienced a sudden failure of the dps6 transmission. The vehicle shows trouble code p07a3 (clutch a stuck on). The car jerks violently when shifting, loses power, hesitates in traffic, and sometimes fails to engage gears properly. This creates a dangerous situation when merging, crossing intersections, or accelerating from a stop. Sport mode stopped working, and the transmission enters a failure state during driving. The problem puts my safety and the safety of others at risk because the vehicle does not respond consistently when accelerating. Multiple times the car lurched or delayed when I tried to pull into traffic. A dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed the transmission problem, but refused assistance because the tcm warranty was marked “expired,” even though this is a known dps6 defect that affects many 2012–2016 Focus vehicles. Ford customer service also refused escalation. A warning lamp (check engine) appeared, and the issue progressively got worse. The problem is reproducible at any time, and the vehicle is unsafe to drive.

While has had the transmission recall work done x 2 and was told by the mechanics that to recync “drive it like you stole it” when you can prior to the last recall fix in Feb and just had the cpv recall replacement done in February it was not driven a lot and I am in my late 60’s so I do not drive it like a teenager. During that recall repair they said I needed to replace the engine bolts ( I would think would be related due to the “drive it like you stole it” to resync the transmission but had to pay for out of pocket and found a transmission bolts also needed replaced that I wasn’t told by the Ford service guy. Recently in driving it would thunk when stopping and pinched forward and had major excelleration delay when trying to turn in traffic causing safety issues. Shifting was erratic and would stay in like 1st or 2nd when should have been going to 3/4th gear. Took in to service at Ford again as the wrench showed up on dash finally thinking it was the auto shift transmission to be told I had a complete computer failure to replace at my cost of approx $2400. Isn’t this part of what controls the sync in the transmission in the first place? isn’t this part of what they should have done on the other recalls like the 18v-735 or should it not be covered as the reprogramming apparently failed and at some point destroyed the computer module system?.

In the Ford 3 cylinder 1. 0l ecoboost engines there is a terrible wet belt system, there is a recall on the automatic models but nothing for the manual models, regardless of the fact that the manual models are designed far more poorly than the automatic models in the sense that the manual models have no tensioners and rely solely on the factory tension of the screws, keeping in mind that the belt is both rubber and sitting in hot oil when in use, if not a money grab, my best guess is that they hoped the wet rubber belt would simply not not stretch in good faith. 4 days after getting basic maintenance, the wet belt failed, clogging the oil pickup causing engine failure, and temporary loss of power steering, after the engine was given time to warm up, luckily the road was nearly empty, and I was driving at a slower pace. However the fact that Ford motor company has gone nearly a decade without dealing with the issue, and then denies having knowledge of this design flaw, is absolutely and abundantly absurd. I have all vehicle maintenance records, as well as mechanic testimony, all of which point to this incident being caused by poor engine design. In addition to the estimated cost to replace the engine is 8,500$, or about 140% the cars total value prior to the engine failure. This a not a minor issue, this is not even a uncommon fail point on many other manual models, this is a major safety concern, that god forbit it, could lead to a major accident. I simply think that the Ford motor company should be made accountable for cheaping out for profit, at the cost of customer’s safety.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Focus 🔎.

The transistor arm or tensioning arm for the wet belt, which drives the oil pump in the oil pan failed, leading to oil starvation to the engine, causing total catastrophic engine failure, and temporary loss of power steering, while driving, fortunately, I was moving at a slow pace in minimal traffic, however, this is a known fail point in Ford 1. 0 l ecoboost 3 cyl engines, that Ford claims my vehicle does not have, and refuses to cover, regardless of the fact that it did happen, and I have pictures in mechanic testimony to prove this to be true, had I’ve been on a different road, or had more traffic, this could have to a fatality. The engine replacement would cost a estimated 4500-7500$.

My car was experiencing: shuddering or jerking during acceleration from a stop, most noticeable in traffic; rough or delayed gear shifting, especially between first and second gear; sudden loss of drive or delays before the car engages in drive or reverse, et cetera. It was in essence having every symptom that your agency has required Ford to fix in their 2014 Focus,a car that I have as well; however, not sure why my car wasn't listed in recall because it has identical issues. For cost saving purposes, I replaced the actuators myself, and asked Ford if they could do the reprogramming for me, which is required after replacement, and they will not do so without an exorbitant costs.

Recall maintenance with regard to NHTSA id number: 19v515000 for a purge valve was completed 1/9/2025. Starting in October 12, 2025, driving on the freeway, a large "bang" was felt/heard. I pulled over, the dust cover under the car had ripped partially off and took a portion of my grill trim with it. The car still ran perfectly fine, so I continued the mile and a half to my house. I did not see anything that I may have hit on the highway and did not see anything eject behind my car when this incident happened. I noticed the oil light begin to flicker as I was ½ mile from home for maybe a second, then it was off and then flickered again, it did not stay lit. I filed a claim with my insurance-progressive-they wanted to total my car without inspecting it. I negotiated and they had me take it to the Ford dealer who inspected it visually to see if the cause was internal combustion as my insurance claimed, or external damage. See photos. They recommended a full engine replacement after only a visual inspection and charged me $276. 70. I had the oil-pan replaced as shown on my bank statement $1053. 77, with interstate automotive who verified no engine damage was found. Next the lcd instrument panel showed distorted, or not at all, or perfectly fine at times, which made it hard to read, and no instrument warnings are given for any issue, just the check engine light. As of today, 3/10/26, car will no longer reverse or progress into 2nd gear, is sluggish and feels as though it has no power at all. This happened randomly on 3/9/26 after the car would not start and it was believed to be a battery issue. The battery was replaced 3/9/26 $148. 08. When the diagnostic codes for the check engine light were tested, they showed a faulty co2 module issue. New parts will be installed on 3/11/26. All of the above described issues seem as though they could be related to a major safety issue with this vehicle, but Ford insists any courtesy fixes are not available to my VIN.

Actuator motor went out. Transmission was eligible to be replaced in 2020 however due to covid they “could not get the parts” and the vehicle became too old for replacement. The transmissions and gear boxes on this module has been plagued with failures, and Ford needs to remove the mileage and year limitations to fix them. I ended up paying over $900 and then traded the vehicle in so that I wouldn’t have to spend more on a faulty transmission.

I just bought my Focus from carmax and it shudders when I pull out. It makes me feel like the car will stall.

I purchased this vehicle 4 days ago. On the second day I noticed a shutter when accelerating, going uphill and often continuous. I have been told that it is the clutch. I am aware that the same issue on the 2017 Focus has been recalled. I do not understand why it is just certain vehicles. Especially, since it is the same year and issue as the recalled ones. I am a police officer that has had some health issues with my heart. My parents gave me the money to buy this car. They do not have the money to repair it and neither do I. I called two Ford dealerships as well as the Ford manufacturer. Nobody was willing to help. I discovered that this is the place to file a complaint all on my own. Please try and help me.

Order of events · [xxx]: vehicle shut down mid-drive, displaying “parking brake fault service required. ” required tow ($100). · September 27, 2025: firestone complete auto care diagnosed the issue as transmission-related. Paid $48. 13 for diagnostic (receipt attached). · September 27, 2025: contacted green Ford in greensboro, nc (service advisor josh oldham). VIN was entered in Ford’s database, which showed no outstanding field service actions. I showed them a recall letter for the exact issue at hand (replacement of transmission control module). My recall letter was dismissed as invalid despite being in hand. Vehicle towed to dealer ($120). · September 29, 2025: spent over 1 hour 19 minutes with Ford customer relationship center, providing the recall number (14m02). Ford agent ultimately stated the recall could not be honored. · September 30 – October 1, 2025: dealer confirmed by text and phone that their management refused to apply the recall or cover repairs. VIN discrepancy the core of this dispute is a direct contradiction between Ford’s official communications and Ford’s internal VIN database. Customer satisfaction program letter (14m02): - VIN listed as covered under recall/extended warranty. - coverage extended through June 2025. - sent directly by Ford in August 2023. Ford vehicle information / warranty report (via green Ford, 9/27/2025): - same VIN entered into Ford’s system. - shows 'no outstanding field service actions. ' - dealer therefore refused to honor recall despite letter. Before all of this happened I had no issues with the vehicle since purchase, and so when I received the letter I kept it but did not need to utilize it. Now Ford has stated I am "outside" the warranty of what Ford is willing to cover for repairs, however their own system does not even list that I have a recall for this. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The car would not shift into a gear, would not shift gear to propel itself in traffic causing a safety issue. A warning light would come on saying the transmission was getting overheated. Ford of glenwood springs colorado refused to look at the car because of its age despite the recall on the clutch for the year, make and model of the car. A napa shop determined the clutches were out. Napa quoted $4,253 to fix the problem. I called ken garff Ford in fort collins colorado at 4809 s. College avenue to get this fixed under the recall. They said my VIN number wasn't covered, and the cost would be $6,000. I called Ford 1-866-436-7332 spoke to ron employee #2192738 and was told he would document the call but could not do anything. Ford is aware of the safety issue we simply want them to standby their product and fix the problem or reimbursing us for the repairs to avoid a further hardship to get to work.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Focus 🔎.

I was driving the car other all of a sudden died on me and told me to put it in park I put it in park and then turned the key off and tried to restart it. It did not restart and would not turn of kept popping up a warning saying starter system failure. Could not turn my wheel or pit it in neutral to get it out of te middle of the road.

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.

My wife was driving her car home from work when her car suddenly overheated in light traffic. She pulled over and called me. I came by and we saw that the coolant level was low, so we filled it up to the normal level and she drove it another 20 minutes back to our home. She said it was shuddering the whole way back. I started it in the driveway later that evening and a large amount of white smoke came out of the exhaust pipe and the engine still seemed to be misfiring. I tried starting it again the next day and it would crank but not start. It seems to be an issue with the engine, my guess is a ruptured head gasket. The shuddering caused by the misfires made the car unstable to drive especially if it died while she was at speed with other cars around. The car was towed to a dealer over 30 days ago and they said that it may be related to the open recall, but they won't know until they tear it down. Which they still haven't done. There were no engine codes or prior lamp indications until the overheating event.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle briefly vibrated violently before returning to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the engine was idling abnormally but was unable provide a diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v905000 (engine and engine cooling). The VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. 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 88,000.

On August 26, 2025, my 2018 Ford Focus suffered an engine failure and had to be towed by aaa to [xxx] of saugus. Prior to the tow, service advisor [xxx] confirmed the vehicle could be inspected for secondary engine damage connected to Ford recall 23s64 (oil pump drive belt). On August 29, [xxx] texted me that the engine required replacement due to engine failure but that Ford would not cover it since the oil pump belt itself had “not failed. ” he claimed Ford only covers engine replacement if the belt breaks outright. This is inaccurate: recall obligations extend to secondary damage caused by the defect, which in my case left the car inoperable. When I requested inspection documentation, technician notes, and photos, service director [xxx] and [xxx] told me “there is no checklist” and insisted the car was “drivable,” which was false—I have the aaa tow receipt. Internal correspondence shows [xxx] asking if photos “must have been taken for sssc contact,” yet the case was never escalated to Ford’s special service support center as required. On sept. 30, [xxx] emailed me that he would no longer respond, accused me of manipulating details, threatened storage fees, and refused to perform recall repairs. On oct. 1, in person, he told me [xxx] “does not need to follow Ford recall protocol” because it is a private dealer and that he blocked my vehicle in Ford’s system to prevent any [xxx] location from performing recall work. I believe [xxx] of saugus and Ford motor company have failed to comply with federal recall obligations, misrepresented the condition of my vehicle, refused escalation, and retaliated against me. I respectfully request NHTSA investigate Ford and enforce compliance with recall 23s64 so my vehicle has both the recall and the secondary engine damage repaired, ensuring that my car is safe to drive information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The car started shutting down while I am driving and also hard to start after.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Focus 🔎.

I was on my way to a 7-eleven to get gas once I filled it up. Those engine started sputtering and it did that for a minute until it finally started. I got to my school and then once I needed to go to school to school, my car was not going above 11 mph and when I was trying to reverse, it would not accelerate while reversing.

My car has been to the shop twice for the tcm issues, and both times, in 2016 and 2021, the shop performed adaptive learning and cleared the codes, instead of replacing the faulty part. Now, the tcm has completely broken and needs to be replaced. The car wouldn't start at the gas station suddenly. After rocking the car back and forth it did start, but wouldn't go when shifted into drive. It is apparently 2 months out of the extended warranty coverage and now, I have to pay $1,300+ for a repair?! this seems unfair. They knew they had a faulty part, they performed band-aid fixes, and now I am holding the bag.

Car running rough/jerky. Trouble accelerating, especially up hills, and following stops. On [xxx], car stalled on [xxx]. Dash light came on saying "transmission overheating pull over immediately". This happened multiple times on the same day. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

It is my transmission problem, there is an engine light on and the shifting is very rough and it also jumps gears, I know Ford had a recall for this problem I believe it should be under warranty it is the tcm.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the light changed, and the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated and then jolted into gear. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact stated that the engine symbol was displayed, and the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the rpm gauge was red-lined. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 10 mph. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that at first, he was stopping the vehicle and turning off and restarting the vehicle to reset the transmission. The contact stated that turning off and restarting the vehicle no longer resets the transmission. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was 92,619.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to crank as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the headgasket, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.

My 2014 Ford Focus is having problems with the engine. For starters is several occasions the car will start and not turn off when turning the key to the off position, the car will still stay on. I took it to the automotive parts store and the guy there had me turn the key off and disconnect the battery and that seem to turn off the car. After they had my car scanned with a computer and found lots of issues with. Car stalls and had check engine lights and also a transmission warning light on making it difficult for the car to drive. Recently water dripping inside the vehicle passenger side when the ac is turned on. The car also doesn’t unlock the doors from the inside have to open it for the passenger side.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving approximately 30 mph, the low oil pressure and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that her granddaughter heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to a dealer who was unable to diagnose the vehicle immediately. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the oil pump had failed and stopped pumping oil to the engine, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was advised that the engine and the oil pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v905000 (engine and engine cooling); however, parts for the recall repair were not yet available to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact mailed a letter to the manufacturer about the failure, but had not yet received a response. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

Vehicles canister purge valve was replaced and acting up again.

The engine oil light came on during late September or early October of 2024 while on the highway. There was a severe loss of power. I was able to get the car back to my residence and changed the oil filter and oil. The error persisted, I then changed the oil pressure switch to see if that was the issue, but it did not resolve. In approximately December of 2024, a friend who is a mechanic and has thousands of hours of experience offered to look at the issue. He pulled the engine and found that the oil pump belt and timing belt were severely degraded and had clogged the oil screen. He replaced the two belts and cleaned the screen hoping it would resolve the issue. In approximately late may or early June 2025 I got the car back and by the beginning of August the engine had seized due to damage received when the oil pressure had failed due to a clogged screen back in 2024. Thankfully I was not on the highway when the engine seized.