Equipment Problems of Ford Focus - part 2

Unknown.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Focus 🔎.

The vehicle's transmission control module is not working. The Ford Focus vehicle put my family and I at risk because we would be driving along in the Ford vehicle then all of a sudden it would slow down abruptly in traffic as it loses power. We've only had the vehicle 7 years and it is one of the most expensive problems to have with the car. Many reports online state that transmission control modules and transmissions in general are known complaints for 2018 Ford Focus cars. A diagnostic was performed by a Ford dealer's service center. It was determined the part needs to be replaced. This is very dangerous. I would like for this to be repaired without causing any additional expenses to my family as the Ford company is aware that more than few models have this problem before reaching 7 years or 100,000 miles.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Focus 🔎.

A major electrical issue has occurred in this car since June 1, 2025. The traction control system dashboard indicator (the skidding car) comes on even though I am not using the tcs. When this happens, I get a message saying "hill start assist not available," and am unable to manipulate my headlights, use turn signals, or lock/unlock my doors (I need to use the physical key to lock/unlock the driver's side door). If this "hill start assist" issue occurs and I turn off my car (or if it occurs when the car is off), then I am unable to start my car. I get a new message saying "no key detected," and the ignition does nothing. I have a physical key, and not a fob. If the tcs light goes away, then I am able to start up my car. However, this is unpredictable; there appears to be no way to force the tcs light to disappear, and sometimes it will stay on for over an hour with my key in the "on" position. As of late, it hasn't gone away at all, making the car unusable. This causes obvious safety issues when on the road, as I cannot use turn signals or change my lights as it gets darker or it begins to rain/snow. When not on the road, I cannot use my car at all. A dealer recently confirmed the problem with the body control module, but was unable to fix it. They managed to turn the car on, but the problems returned after 24 hours. As I was driving home on July 18, 2025, the tcs light came on and suddenly I could not use turn signals or change my lights. I still had over an hour to drive home. I did arrive home safely, but have not been able to use my car since.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Focus 🔎.

My car smells like it’s leaking gas and when I took a flash light n went under the car it shows the tank and the hose connected to the tank has signs of it being wet but when the car is running it smells a lot worse and constantly is shaking, shuddering and causing my transmission to malfunction and I’ve read online that there was a re call # 14s20 but I can’t find it on this website.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Focus 🔎.

For months in 2025 the car fan would continue to run for several minutes after the engine was turned off. I took the car in a two times to diagnose and couldn’t replicate . I sent video of the fan running even after short trips and in cold weather. Finally after catastrophic cooling system failure was the faulty fan module diagnosed. It was a safety issue because cooling failure causes car to stop operating properly. I was returning from the airport so the engine was cold. After a massive bill did the cooling fan module get diagnosed and replaced on may 16. There were not any safety recalls for faulty fan module. Hopefully this is reimbursable and others can have a safety recall.

I originally purchased this car in June of 2022. Less than a week after I purchased it, the issues started. My check engine light came on and my vehicle revved high, but did not accelerate. When it did this, it made a mechanical humming/grinding noise. It did this for a few short trips, then the issue seemingly resolved itself. . . The check engine light never turned off. I got the following codes from my reader: p0420, p2782, and p07a3. This vehicle had multiple recalls regarding the tcm malfunctioning. I tried multiple times to have Ford do the repairs as stated in the recalls. They have refused every single time. I was told that the warranty did not apply to my vehicle, then that the parts were on a major backorder, and that I should leave my car with them for an undisclosed period of time. This is not feasible, as I have 2 jobs and a child. Within the last few months, my transmission has started doing the same thing as well as overheating. I am going through coolant much faster than I should. As the issue gets worse, Ford has been of no assistance. Despite my efforts to have the recall work done as legally required, I have been turned away and am now past the 10 year/150k mile replacement warranty. I had brought it in before it ever reached that point. I am terrified to take my child to school or make it to work. My vehicle stalled on the interstate last night and I almost lost my life. There isn't really a trigger, as it acts up like this at random. Some days I drive it with no issues at all. Others, it takes me nearly an hour to get home on an otherwise 18 minute commute.

My 2018 Ford Focus (dps6 dual-clutch automatic transmission) suffers from severe hesitation and shuddering when accelerating from a stop, especially under 10 mph. More concerning, the car has stalled multiple times while merging into traffic and during right turns at intersections. We can no longer safely take free right turns due to the risk of the car dying mid-merge. This poses an immediate safety hazard and mirrors known failure patterns in earlier Focus and fiesta models. Ford previously extended warranty coverage for the same tcm defect in 2011–2016 models, but my 2018 — which uses the same dps6 system — has been excluded without explanation. The dealership acknowledged the tcm failure but refused to cover the repair. Instead, they charged me $300 to tell me they would not perform the service Ford originally recommended (a fuel injector purge) and that I now need to replace the tcm entirely. This is a known, documented issue that Ford has admitted to in other years. My car has lost power four times in the last three months, and all signs point to this being the early stages of the same defect. Allowing this failure to persist without coverage or recall is negligent and dangerous. Ford is knowingly placing families like mine at risk by refusing to act. I request an NHTSA investigation into the 2018 Ford Focus dps6 models, which are experiencing the same failures that have already led to recalls, lawsuits, and warranty extensions in earlier years.

Transmission problem.

Was at a red light and the clutch wouldn’t work. I had to pull the clutch up with my foot. I was so afraid someone was going to hit me. Then when you drive the car sometimes the clutch sticks and you can’t put into gear. I looked on the internet to see if other people were having the same problem. There were so many people who had the problem. I called Ford dealer up to see if a recall . The mechanic said no they haven’t had the problem. I told him to look it up cause there was all kinds of people with the problem. I called Ford up to do a complaint. At that time was told no recalls to have anything fixed on the car. I took it to my mechanic and it was what the internet people had said the problem is. Plastic actuator arm to the back of the pedal is made of plastic and is breaking clean off!! my car is in the shop getting fixed. I can send the bill when I pick my vehicle up. Was told anywhere from 850 to 1000.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Focus 🔎.

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 primary issue is a shuddering or jerking sensation when accelerating from a stop or during low-speed maneuvers, especially during the 1st to 2nd gear shift. Delayed shifting, slipping gears, and even the vehicle shifting into neutral at inappropriate times.

I wish to file a complaint regarding my 2014 Ford Focus, which is experiencing transmission failures related to the known defective transmission system. Ford acknowledged widespread issues with this transmission in customer satisfaction program 14m02, which extended coverage for the transmission control module (tcm). The tcm module was replaced, under recall, in April 2025 and during that same visit at b & b Ford, barnwell SC I was told that I needed to replace the acutators and this would stop the car from shuddering during acceleration. This cost me $658. 00 out of pocket. I noticed almost immediately that the car was still shuddering during acceleration and called b & b Ford back and I was told to drive it for 500 miles and then let them know if it continued. Due to an illness I did not drive the car that much but then in October 2025 I started noticing the shuttering again. I contacted b & b Ford again and they agreed to look at the car. Now they are telling me I need to replace the clutch/fork system at a price of $3300. 00 that I will have to pay for. I have filed a complaint, a lot of good that will do me, with Ford. They are fully aware of systemic failures in the transmission. Safety hazard: transmission hesitation, shuddering, and sudden loss of power create dangerous driving conditions, especially when merging or crossing intersections. Unfair limitation of remedy: the expiration of 14m02 leaves owners like me with out of pocket expenses that are outrageous. And again I will say - Ford knows about these issues and will not do anything about them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is a manufacturers defect. I am requesting that an inquiry be made into this matter immediately and that Ford make a recall that covers the issues that I am having along with many other Ford Focus owners. Take responsibility for the defect in this car.

The tcm on the transmission needs fixed they said I could get a rental car.

Vehicle stopped in the middle of the road while driving and would not restart. My safety was put at risk. No warning.

I have had problems with the tcm when I first got the car and now after having to deal with fixing the coolant reservoir my car is shuddering trying to go over 2 rpm. This makes me never want to have a Ford again. This car almost got me killed when the tcm failed and now I feel unsafe driving with the shuddering going on.

Transmission ?as not shifter right since I purchased the vehicle. Perking and high rpm not shifting. Tool to Ford they replaced clutches and it continued. Took it back 13 months later they claimed clutches needed replaced, issue has continued. Now the tcm is bad and jerking so severe it almost caused me to wreck. Despite them extending warranty on tcm until June 2025 they are refusing to fix it.

Vehicle stalls while driving at low speeds and during acceleration. The engine loses power unexpectedly in traffic and may shut off completely while in motion. Rpms increase without corresponding acceleration and the vehicle fails to shift or respond normally. Check engine light is on with fuel/emissions-related codes. Fuel gauge is inaccurate and vehicle has unexpectedly run out of fuel even when gauge showed remaining fuel. The vehicle also hesitates, jerks, and feels unstable when stopping or turning. These issues have been present since shortly after purchase and have continued for approximately one year. Vehicle is unsafe to operate due to risk of stalling in traffic.

Transmission. It is available for inspection. It is not safe as the car can just stop anywhere. I got a diagnostics test and it’s the transmission. It has been inspected . The warning light popped on and said transmission fault.

I just bought a 2014 Ford Focus and after getting it a transmission fault warning came on and there was a time I was on my lunch break and the car stalled out and would only let me drive in reverse. Luckily I was able to pull in to a parking lot at a gas station without causing an accident. I put transmission fluid in but the light stayed on. It noticed that there was a leak and my check engine light has also been on the entire time. I've tried having the place I bought it from fix it but they haven't been able to get to it.

Unknown, the car refused to turn on one day and then started up again once I popped the hood. The car refused to go into reverse, I tried some reboot steps and the car started driving like normal, drove the car all the way from nv to nv, husbands new military station, took the car to the Ford dealership and they assessed it was the tcm and that the car would be fine to drive again but they recommend another part for up keep, as soon as they replaced the clutch aculators the car started to have more issues than before letting me know it's worse than they thought something about the engine going out and they mentioned its why Ford discontinued the dual clutch engine bc it was failing.

Power train or speed control. The transmission acts up and it’s a common problem in this model and it’s almost caused an accident and I haven’t had a reliable source of transportation since this issue arose.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Focus 🔎.

4 issues: 1. The car pulls back under acceleration. 2. The seat moves back suddenly (seat belt issue). 3. When starting the car, the car drives instead of reversing. 4. There is a squeaky noise.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Focus 🔎.

I’m having a very difficult time with Ford dealership there is a lot of information about this 2016 Ford Focus automatic transmission that has problems with either its dry clutch or the tcm transmission control module. It is revving high when you stop it doesn’t shift gears properly it jerks hard it won’t go into higher gears it will start reversing out of no were that’s a very very terrifying situation especially that me and my fiancé have a little boy in this vehicle. We were so happy to buy this vehicle and ended up having huge problems for only having 100k miles on the odometer. This is are only vehicle spent are taxes on this vehicle to get us around for a few years go on vacations all that. To call Ford and be told basically if this vehicle wasn’t involved in the lawsuit against Ford about this certain situation then it wouldn’t be included in the recall. I think I should file a lawsuit against Ford for this why would they have on the web that every 2016 Ford Focus has a recall for the tcm transmission control module one time free replacement until June 2025 it says. I want something done this is not right and illegal. Organization at its finest.

I started driving and the car seemed to act rough. I went up a small hill and I had almost no power halfway up. The car showed the symbol of the little car that looks like it is sliding. I had to chug up the rest of the hill fighting the car itself because there was no where else to go. It kept revving but went no more than about ten mph. Once I got over the top I pulled into someone's driveway so I could get back home. I was unable to reverse. The car just revved. I had to turn off the car, put it in neutral, and push the car backwards out of the driveway. I was able to start the car and nurse it home, but it jumped and revved the entire time. I tried to use down hills to my advantage and barely paused at stop signs for fear of getting stuck on the road. I got to my house and parked. Now the car only starts when it wants to. I checked codes and got p287a for the clutch. I haven't called Ford for service options yet because I really don't know what to do and have no idea how I'd get there. I think this car should have been included in the powertrain recall because this came out of nowhere.

Recall reference number: 23s64 my vehicle experienced oil pressure & power loss, when taken in to be investigated the mechanic found that the oil pump belt that is in the oil pan made of rubber has detreated and there was rubber and metal in the oil. The exact issue described in recall referenced above. When checking to see if my VIN was covered I spoke with Ford and while they verified that my car was made in the correct plant and time frame as vins that are affected by the recall, but as mine is a manual transmission vs. Automatic they say its not covered. Why does that matter when the issue is with a belt in the oil pan, and nothing to do with the transmission.

Tcm transmission control module failed and im being told that my year isn't covered under a recall when other models are it left my family stranded untill I could limp my car home.

Vehicle engine hesitates, runs rough and stalls at low speeds between 1st and 2nd gear. The passenger door latch isn't working properly and the door sticks and is unable to be properly opened from the inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected (diagnosed) by virginia tire and auto who found no codes and that the transmission is not the issue and advised during the call that there was an "open recalls" on the vehicle for these issues and to take it to Ford. I received a letter in the mail from Ford for this exact issue prior to me even setting up an appointment since I am the vehicles new owner. The vehicle is now with Ford and once driven (I was told that they did test drive the vehicle although its not stated on the receipt) are able to replicate the issue since you only need to push the gas pedal (every time you press the gas) to discover these issues but have refused to fix the issue because there are no codes/indicator lights on the dashboard even though the issue is easily replicated and is the exact recall issue. I was told that the door latch was working (its not) despite the open recall on NHTSA for the latch and I was told that their sssc (special service support center) was called for approval however my understanding from Ford customer support is that when you call the sssc its a simple yes or no question. If the issue is able to be replicated when driven the answer should be yes there is a problem, so that they can get approval to proceed. However my ticket/receipt from Ford does not state any of the above. They want me to pay for another diagnosis, $200 because there is no code/indicator light. If the issues are able to be replicated and are on Fords customer satisfaction program 24n07 they should be fixing the issue. This is a major safety issue and the vehicle should not be driven in this condition as well as I should not have to pay Ford to fix a recall (multiple recalls) which they have refused to fix, stating no repair per recall.

My clutch (dual clutch automatic trans) has been replaced 4+ times in less than 5 years. It will be ok for a few months and act up again. My trans shutters and shakes bad usually in 1st gear when I'm moving from a stop. Its now affecting 2nd gear. This started happening a few months after buying the car which only had 41,000 miles. I am now out of manufacture warranty. The problem consist.

The vehicle jerks from gear to gear when getting the car to move, hesitates and feels like it's skips.

Transmission control module, transmission clutch.

Brought into Ford dealership for recalls to be done and when I picked my car up, no recalls were performed.

I was driving to church on I-95 north bound when my sunroof exploded and shattered on me and inside my car.

I am experiencing two significant issues with my 2016 Ford Focus, both of which closely match known recall problems documented for this model and year. However, my vehicle’s VIN does not currently show an active recall, and Ford has not covered the repairs. Canister purge valve (error code p1450): the canister purge valve in my vehicle is malfunctioning, leading to rough idling, poor fuel economy, and difficulties starting the engine. This issue also triggered the check engine light. My research shows that similar problems were included in a Ford recall for the 2016 Ford Focus, where a defective purge valve could cause stalling and inaccurate fuel readings. Despite these similarities, my VIN is not covered under this recall. Transmission control module (tcm) issues: my vehicle also has transmission performance problems linked to the transmission control module (tcm), causing hard shifting, irregular transmission behavior, and occasional failure to engage properly. The tcm issues are well-documented among 2016 Ford Focus vehicles, some of which were included in recalls and extended warranty programs, but my vehicle is excluded from this coverage. Given that these issues directly impact the vehicle's drivability and safety, I am requesting an investigation into why vehicles with similar symptoms are not covered by these recalls. These issues pose potential safety risks, including sudden stalling and compromised transmission performance. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

I bought this car it was used by two other owners. I bought a new battery for this car but there is some kind of electrical problem with smell coming from vents and the radio system keeps shutting off. . Keeps giving me a message on the screen that says shit off admission or restart engine to save battery then my whole radio system turns off till I turn off my car. . . Also now it time 4 tries to start my engine. Dash board will turn on but not engine. .

Tcm needs replaced. Car does not have reverse, stalls and overheating.