Power Train Problems of Ford Focus - part 1

I purchased this car as a certified pre owned car from the Mazda dealership in mechanicsburg PA about two and a half years ago. The transmission failed and the car was unsafe to drive after 3 months from the purchase date. The Mazda dealership didn’t know how to fix the transmission as it’s a complicated process. They tried to send it to a Ford dealership but they would not work on it. It took Mazda awhile to finish my transmission because they didn’t know how to fix it. Now the same exact problem is occurring two years later. I haven’t even put 40,000 miles on my car after the replacement of the new transmission. As I stated before the car is unsafe to drive and I need it for work. This brand new transmission should not be failing after only 2 years and 35,000 miles. Included files are from November 2022 when I purchased the car and from February and March 2023 when the transmission was fixed.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Focus 🔎.

The vehicle started two jerk while driving and dropped in speed. My dashboard displayed a “transmission fault” message. After stopping the vehicle would have trouble getting back up to speed.

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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).

Subject: urgent safety concern – transmission failure on 2014 Ford Focus (VIN: [xxx] ) to whom it may concern, I am writing to report a critical and ongoing safety issue with my 2014 Ford Focus. The vehicle stalls without warning, pops out of gear, and frequently overheats regardless of outside temperature. These failures occur while idling at traffic lights, merging into traffic, and during regular driving conditions. This issue has placed me in dangerous situations daily—I've narrowly avoided collisions and have been forced to block traffic because the car will not engage gear for 5 to 20 minutes at a time. It is not safe for me to exit the vehicle during these episodes, and I am deeply concerned for my safety and the safety of others. I understand there may not be an active recall for this VIN, but the symptoms align with known issues related to the powershift transmission. I am requesting an immediate diagnostic review and assistance under any applicable warranty, customer satisfaction program, or technical service bulletin. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact heard an abnormal grinding sound coming from under the floorboard. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and was jerking and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that the failure was more pronounced after the initial failure. The contact stated that later, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was difficult to start. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was orange. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the clutch actuators needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to a problem with the dual clutch transmission installed in the vehicle. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

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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.

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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 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the check engine warning light illuminated, and the transmission failed to shift to second gear. The vehicle was also unable to shift into reverse(r). The vehicle was taken to an auto parts store, where a handheld scanner retrieved a code indicating that “ clutch b-fork stuck”. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

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Additional information related to a case I opened earlier today vehicle: 2016 Ford Focus se component: powertrain – transmission my 2016 Ford Focus has experienced three failed clutch packs with the Ford dps6 powershift transmission. The first clutch was replaced at ~22,000 miles, the second at ~27,500 miles, and it now requires a third replacement at 80,000 miles. This is a known and dangerous defect that was part of a class-action lawsuit. Despite multiple replacements and low mileage, Ford is requiring me to pay over $4,000 for a third repair. This transmission causes slipping, hesitation, and safety issues when pulling into traffic or hills. I am requesting that NHTSA re-investigate or expand the scope of past complaints on this vehicle to include continued post-settlement failures.

The transmission is slipping. Research shows it's a known issue. Ford has acknowledged the issue and extended support. My local Ford dealership is refusing to fix the issue even though I fall within the extended service mileage. I called 2 transmission shops who refused to work on this specific model due to the dual clutch design and known problems. Attached is a letter I am disseminating requesting proper assistance with this issue.

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.

1) power train system- p090c and p090c-00 clutch b actuator circuit low causing transmission to slip. Dangerous when driving 2) anti-lock brake system code u0401-00 and u3003-16.

While driving my car on July 25, it started jerking then it stopped reversing. My lcd dashboard stopped displaying several years ago. This affects my ability to see warning lights and my mileage.

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted. 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 failure mileage was approximately 73,001.

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 a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while making a turn from a complete stop at an intersection, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road; however, the vehicle failed to restart and remained on the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 13v523000 (power train); which the contact related to the failure. The dealer was not 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 100,800.

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.

I am writing you today because my Ford Focus with transmission dps6,7spdct has all the same problems the older models have. Ford has stopped there 10 year 150000 mile warranty on there transmission on all models built after November 5 2015. Mine is January 1 2016 with all same transmission components. And all my warranty is ran out and still having transmission problems.

Driving and all of a sudden the engine light comes on while sitting at the light. Went to accelerate and it was like I was driving a stick shift and then it was a big jerk. The car has never done this. Pulled over in a parking lot and then was not able to reverse my car.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "transmission malfunction" message was displayed, and the contact continued driving to the destination. Additionally, the message "transmission overheating – pull over now", displayed and the contact stopped driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission control module. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to customer satisfaction program: 14m02. 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 103,000.

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 am reporting a recurring safety issue with the dps6 dual-clutch automatic transmission in my 2012 Ford Focus (VIN: 1fahp3k28cl261030). The vehicle intermittently fails to shift beyond 3rd gear while in motion, resulting in loss of acceleration and inability to maintain safe highway speeds. The most recent incident occurred in July 2025 while my son was driving. The car would not upshift past 3rd gear, forcing him to pull off the road. We took the vehicle to a Ford dealership, which ran diagnostics and ultimately identified diagnostic trouble code p2832: “shift fork b position sensor circuit low. ” this error points to failure of the clutch actuator assembly, a key component of the dps6 system. The dealership linked the issue to internal transmission component failure but stated the original warranty repair had already been used and no coverage was currently open. Ford customer relationship center advised us to have the dealer submit through the specialty recall program and to file a safety complaint with NHTSA. This failure is consistent with the issues outlined in technical service bulletin (TSB) 16-0109, which addresses shuddering, hesitation, and shifting failure in Ford’s dps6 transmission due to actuator and clutch contamination. The vehicle previously underwent warranty repair for transmission issues, and this is a repeat failure tied to the same known defect. This defect affects drivability and safety, especially for younger or less experienced drivers. Ford has acknowledged the defect in class action settlements and internal bulletins, but is denying coverage in this case. I am requesting NHTSA investigate this ongoing pattern of failure and pressure Ford to address these safety risks before they result in serious injury.

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.

We have a 2017 Ford Focus hatchback with a 2. 0l engine and a powershift transmission. We are the original owners and the vehicle only has 56,000 miles. The vehicle, when accelerating and shifting from 1st gear to second gear, is slipping, yielding a loss of torque in an unpredicted fashion. My daughter has nearly been rearended several times. The slip and reengagement is only in this shifting pattern (I. E. Not evident in higher gears nor at higher speeds). Ford service acknowledges that there is a problem but is not warrantying the service do to the age of the vehicle. My contention that unintended acceleration is a safety issue and I would like NHTSA to investigate this very serious issue, on such a low mileage vehicle. I worry about the safety of my daughter and other vehicles.

On July 2nd my daughter was driving her car and the engine slowed and turned off. She tried to out it in reverse and it would not function. We took it to our mechanics and he got a p287a - code - I then spoke with Ford customer service and they stated the extended warranty on that same issue expired June 30th and advised me to reach out to you as the extended warranty was not listed for our vehicle I am hoping someone can help us since we are under the mileage and it was only a few days past the time frame. Thank you.

Bought this car from dean arbour Ford in Feb 2024. Seven months later it had issues shifting and would sputter. Took it back to dealership, they replaced a transmission clutch. Now here it is 1. 5 years after purchase. Check engine light came on no issues causing alram, had the code reader put on it said it was the transmission actuator, later that night it no longer wanted to shift. But after a couple restarts it was back to normal. Husband found out that the same code had been cleared prior to us purchasing the car.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle started shuddering and vibrating and decelerated unintendedly. The contact stated that the transmission failed to properly shift and failed to reverse. During the failure, the messages "transmission overheating" and "transmission fault" were displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA campaign number: 18v169000 (power train). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 143,000.

The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and unexpectedly downshifted. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The owner of the vehicle pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. 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 not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000.

Catastrophic engine failure, engine died and was unable to shift into gear my 16 year old daughter was driving on a busy highway when the engine died, causing her to stop completely on a 55 mph road. She was unable to get the car into a gear to have it pushed to the side of the road and had to sit in the car with traffic flying by her until we could get a tow truck (approximately 30 minutes). She was unable to get out due to the traffic being so heavy. The vehicle had a limited warranty left on it, and it was towed to a facility where they diagnosed with blown head gasket and/or cracked cylinder head. It was towed to a dealership where it was discovered the car had an active recall that caused the engine failure. There was no warning signs previously.

Transmission slipping. I was waiting to turn into my apartment and as I went to turn, my gear slipped where I was stuck in on coming traffic. Found out that there is a lot of Ford Focus having the same issue with transmission.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear and the transmission was slipping. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Transmission control module failed and I had that replaced. Now the clutch pack failed and had that replaced. Now it says transmission hot and to pull over. All of this has been recalled on 2012 to 2016 but for some reason my car is not and its the same powershift transmission. Im over 4000 dollars into these repairs and still having problems.

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 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. 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 103,000.

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The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 30 mph, the lost motive power and started to decelerate unintendedly. The driver coasted to the side of the road; however, while attempting to turn around to return home, the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The driver drove the longer route back to the residence because the vehicle failed to shift into reverse. The check engine warning light was illuminated but was off the following morning. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.