Power Train Problems of Ford Focus - part 1

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v369000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact stated that it was difficult to start the vehicle, and while driving the vehicle failed to exceed 20 mph. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the message "transmission" was displayed. The contact's husband replaced the battery terminal, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that the transmission needed to diagnose to confirm if the failure was associated with the recall before proceeding with the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Focus 🔎.

The transmission is messing up real batteries like it's automatic. And when it goes into the next gear , it goes into gear and then goes all the gas falls down all the way 20 and the gas is gonna be about like you got a five speed it shifts up-and-down all the time up down up down, there was a\n problem with these transmissions that they went over to court for and had a lawsuit against them to fix these cars, I go to the place. And they tell me only in California though that time would fix it and I said , I can't not change my purge valve , because my light wasn't on , I just took it off myself , cleared the check engine light even though it was still stored in the computer , they wouldn't even check it.

The vehicle is subject to NHTSA safety recall campaign 18v-735 (Ford recall 18s32) regarding a defective canister purge valve (cpv) that causes fuel vapor saturation, excessive fuel tank vacuum, fuel tank deformation, and engine stalling. The vehicle presented with an active check engine light for diagnostic trouble code p0420 (catalyst system efficiency below threshold). Ford technical service instructions under recall 18s32 explicitly link code p0420 to a stuck-open cpv dumping unmetered fuel vapors into the exhaust stream. The franchised dealership initially performed only a software calibration without replacing the mechanical valve. Upon return, the dealership confirmed the defect and replaced the cpv under recall warranty at no charge on repair order # 872120. However, dealership service management refused to inspect the catalytic converter for secondary fuel-wash damage unless an unauthorized $220 customer diagnostic fee was paid. The technician cleared the diagnostic trouble codes in the stall without executing the required obd-ii drive cycle. Repair order # 872120, line c explicitly documents: "vehicle released following completion of recall 18s32 where cpv was replaced. P0420 status pending drive cycle completion". Following completion of the required drive cycles, code p0420 returned immediately. Secondary catalytic converter degradation is documented damage resulting directly from the recalled component. Dealership service management has refused to return calls, disconnected phone contact, and ignored written inquiries to avoid submitting the required manufacturer prior approval warranty claim for secondary recall remedy. The vehicle and service records are available for inspection upon request.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Focus 🔎.

Transmission overheating warning light transmission clutch stuck open recommended to change out “actuator a” but did not solve. Clutch fork needs replacement.

My car had been driving fine. Until one day I leave my house and crank my car up and it does not go into reverse. It loses engine power and stalled into traffic. This is an on going issue as you can see stories from other people with the same make and model as my car with the same issue. No warning signs, hasn’t been checked out but I have contacted Ford and they only cover models with this issue 2012-2016. I think it should cover 2018 as well.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the vehicle jerked unexpectedly. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly shifted into other gear and the vehicle failed to accelerate and almost caused the vehicle to be t-boned. The vehicle was taken to a service center where the transmission failure was confirmed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure via telephone. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that an abnormal, burnt rubber odor was emitted from the vehicle while driving at various speeds. Additionally, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal as the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while on the highway, nearly resulting in a collision. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer, where the contact was provided an estimate for diagnostic inspection. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 72,339.

Transmission error stating clutch a engaged. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk because the vehicle would not move after being stopped at the stop light or stop sign or stop during traffic.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the transmission failed, and the vehicle lost motive power, and the vehicle was stuck in the middle of traffic. The contact referenced several satisfaction programs for the issue; however, the VIN was not included in the repair. The vehicle was towed back to the residence due to it not being able to operate. The contact stated there was an unknown warning light on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the transmission had overheated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was confirmed with transmission failure.

Rowe Ford came stated he checked to see it the software was there also stated there were codes and said he was done. He never fixed the software cause I have u codes that state pcm and has locked my car into limp mode which means my car is immobilized due to the bad software. They closed out the recall on there end with out the proper fix. It was their mobile service. I know for a fact the pcm is causing this communication issue in my car. Inlost my job due to this very issue cause it left me with no transportation. My car is now a brick just sitting here cause of there negligence to do the job correctly and also the mobile technician was only here 10 minutes and that also told me he did not reflash my pcm software as the letter states for the remedy. They seemed to think I want a free transmission fix and my transmission is fine its the pcm software causing this lockout and a mechanic has stated it as the issue to my lockout issue. Also all I was getting was a run around to get this resolved. Don’t like being treated like an idiot. This is the original recall safety recall 26s40/ NHTSA 26v369. It was falsely complered.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated and stalled. The vehicle was able to restart but failed to move. The message "transmission failure" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the customer satisfaction program: 14m02 (transmission control module extended warranty coverage). The failure mileage was approximately 112,200.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated, with an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that an independent mechanic arrived on the scene to reset the clutches, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The contact used an obd scanner and retrieved information that the clutch position sensor a, clutch position sensor b, the actuator control circuit, the shift control circuit, and several other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown customer satisfaction program; however, the vehicle was not included. A dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Battery randomly died. When battery was replaced at the mechanic, it caused a glitch or broke something in or connected to the transmission. Car couldn’t reverse nor go faster than 1st gear. Had to drive 11 mph all the way to the Ford dealership. Both meineke and Ford service manager said this is a known problem with Ford Focus’ and confirmed it is a common problem. I am now being quoted $10,000 to replace the transmission.

I had the engine on 2018 (61000 mileage) Focus replaced 1 and 1/2 year ago because of the oil pan wet belt recall. Now my transmission locked up because of clutch failure. I was lucky that I was coming to a stop while parking in my driveway. Now im told by mechanic that I need a new transmission. Why was Ford allowed to continue selling cars with substandard engines.

I’ve had this car since 2021 and it’s been worked on 3 times for the same issues. My clutch and a couple other things for the transmission. I just recently had it worked on for transmission problems and paid $1100 for a belt replacement that didn’t even fix the issue. I told them it was clutch a like the code readers pulled (multiple times might I add) and they did a test and charged me for that test and said it was just the harness belt. Today my check engine light came on, and I had a code pulled and it was clutch a like I told them (p0902). I’ve had the actuator replaced at least twice and the power module has also been replaced. My cars engine light is on and it’s shifting hard and is taking a while to even shift. I have the invoices to show that each time it’s been worked on it’s been an issue with the transmission. My VIN number needs to be recalled before something worse happens. Each time it’s been worked on it costed me too much money especially to keep having the same problems. I’ve also done research that proves this particular issue is an issue with a lot of Ford Focus cars.

My transmission gave out for the 3rd time on 8-1-26 as I was driving it slow down while on the highway busy street and studder it only goes into 2nd and 3rd gear when slowing down I can hear things clicking I know its the duel clutch because this is the 3rd time it happen both times it was fixed by a Ford dealer. No message prior to problem but when it happen this message showed up " transmission fault service now".

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 15 mph and attempting to make a left turn, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The hazard lights were activated, and the vehicle was driven back to the residence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the powertrain control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 27,000.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking erratically, and the vehicle stopped independently. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle restarted; however, the failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to auto zone, 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 failure mileage was approximately 174,400.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the gear shifter was shifted from neutral(n), to park(p), and then to drive(d) for the vehicle to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the powertrain control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Multiple clutch's have had to be replaced in both of my 2017 Ford Focuses. Had to replace the transmission in my other one. Now this one is having transmission issues again. Dont know if I can handle another $4000 bill because Ford created and sold a defective product and depite several repairs never fixed it as they kept using the same faulty parts. Was told by dealership that they just replace the same parts over and over at Ford's direction until the warrenty expires as Ford was not going to come up with a permanent fix as they were converting to SUV and truck only. Maybe the NHTSA.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 18v735000 (fuel system, gasoline) in 2019. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed, but the manufacturer confirmed the dealer's information. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while leaving the parking lot and attempting to shift into reverse(r), the gear shifter failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment to diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,264.

See all problems of the 2010 Ford Focus 🔎.

Car wants to stall out when "shifting gears" like a loss of power.

Transmission overheated. Transmission fluid leaked but the computer in the car didn't let me know there was a leak. Couldn't move my car into reverse so I had to get a tow to Ford. They said it was a transmission leak which caused the overheating. But once the car received transmission fluid the car did not go into reverse. Clutch failed.

The car would not accelerate when pressing accelerator, they said the clutch assembly malfunctioned, confirmed by documentation. Myself and others had our safety at risk because the car could not be controlled properly while on the road. The car was taken to the dealer and they confirmed the problem. The dealer's service center gave inspection, and confirmed the problem. The warning message did not appear until after the problem put myself and others' safety at risk.

An authorized dealership performed a mandatory manufacturer safety recall repair on my vehicle for the engine oil pump belt and tensioner (Ford recall 23s64 / NHTSA campaign 23v-905). While performing this specific recall, the initial facility negligently compromised the cooling system and created a severe leak, directly causing complete and total engine destruction. A subsequent independent diagnostic inspection by a separate authorized dealership confirmed this negligence. The vehicle became instantly disabled while driving, creating a severe road hazard. Total documented property damages are $14,448. 31. Furthermore, the dealership and Ford corporate have explicitly refused to repair the vehicle, despite Ford's dealer bulletins authorizing long-block engine replacements for failures related to this recall. They have also refused to reimburse me for the totaled vehicle or the out-of-pocket expenses incurred. Ford customer service has employed shady tactics, denying liability and stonewalling my attempts to reach a resolution, completely failing to provide the remedy mandated by this safety recall. The vehicle and all documentation are available for inspection upon request.

The transmission was repaired at 48k and I am now at 76k having severe issues with jerking, shuddering, and so forth. The car has undergone excellent maintenance for the carfax proves this. I bought this car with the very last of my inheritance money thinking I was getting a reliable product and come to find out, I got screwed and am on the hook for every foregoing transmission repair.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse and failed to properly shift gears. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 9 mph. The vehicle was shifted to neutral and coasted to the residence. The contact stated that there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was associated with customer satisfaction program: 14m02; extended warranty coverage for the transmission control module. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer and was provided the cost of a diagnostic test, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there was no recall, warranty, or customer satisfaction program associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Power clutch failure resulting in $6500 repair for a known issue by Ford. Ford refused to cover the repair or any part of the repair.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph and coming to a stop, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled, and the transmission was slipping with the message “transmission overheated - stop vehicle” displayed. There was an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle while stopped. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted, shifted to neutral, and remained stopped for 10 minutes before the vehicle returned to normal operation. The failure had occurred several times. Eventually, the vehicle was unable to be started. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch actuator and throw-out bearing had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,283.

While driving approximately 53 mph on a main road, my 2017 Ford Focus suddenly displayed the message “engine fault service now. ” the vehicle immediately entered limp mode, downshifted into 2nd gear, and would not accelerate above approximately 31 mph. During the event, the engine shook noticeably and made abnormal noises. No check engine light appeared during this initial incident. This problem occurred multiple times over several days, most often when the fuel tank was below approximately half full. Each time, I was able to temporarily restore normal operation by shutting the vehicle off, waiting about one minute, and restarting it. After restarting, the vehicle would drive completely normally until the problem occurred again. A few days later, while sitting in my vehicle during a work break, I started the engine and it immediately entered limp mode without being driven. A check engine light then illuminated, and the engine stalled shortly afterward. The diagnostic trouble codes retrieved were: * p1674 (stored, pending, permanent, and enhanced) * u0100 (enhanced abs code) a mechanic familiar with Ford vehicles suggested the symptoms could be related to the evap canister purge valve issue that has been investigated on similar Ford Focus models. He recommended keeping the fuel tank above half full as a test. Since keeping the fuel tank full, the limp mode condition has not reoccurred. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership to have the purge valve issue evaluated. The dealership declined to perform any purge valve-related repairs because they believed the problem was transmission-related and stated the engine issue would need to be repaired first. I am submitting this report because the vehicle unexpectedly loses power while driving, creating a significant safety hazard when traveling at normal traffic speeds.

See attached document for complaint.

While driving at highway speed, the transmission slipped, skipping gears. Very difficult to drive care safely. Could not accelerate vehicle safely. Had to stay in right lane with hazard lights on. Basically, using only gears 1, 3 & 5. Later discovered intermittently no reverse. Dtc p090c clutch actuator b - circuit low.

I own a 2014 Ford Focus titanium with approximately 75,000 miles and the dps6 automatic transmission. The transmission has developed a serious and recurring problem. The vehicle began violently jerking/shuddering while moving forward and suddenly would not go into reverse. A transmission warning light came on. After the battery was recharged, reverse temporarily returned, but the same transmission problems came back while driving. The vehicle was diagnosed with trouble code p090c:68, related to the clutch actuator system. Ford has known about recurring dps6 transmission problems in these vehicles for years and has issued multiple technical service bulletins and customer programs addressing transmission clutch shudder, shifting problems, loss of engagement, and related failures. Ford’s own documentation has acknowledged conditions that can result in loss of transmission engagement, loss of power, and other driveability problems. My Ford dealer told me Ford has known about this problem for a long time but considers it not to be a safety issue and therefore will not pay for the repair. The dealer estimated the repair at $6,077. 31, and I was charged $159 for the diagnosis. I believe this is a serious safety concern. Sudden jerking, unpredictable transmission engagement, inability to reverse, or unexpected loss of propulsion can create a dangerous situation when entering traffic, crossing an intersection, turning, accelerating from a stop, or attempting to move out of the path of another vehicle. I am concerned that Ford has known about these recurring transmission failures for years, yet affected vehicles can still experience potentially dangerous transmission failures without a permanent safety remedy. I request that NHTSA investigate the dps6 transmission in 2014 Ford Focus vehicles and determine whether these known defects constitute a safety-related defect and whether a safety recall or other corrective action is warranted.

I started smelling gasoline coming from the rear outside part of the car. I took the car to the local Ford dealership and they found a canister purge valve stuck open. They fixed it and I paid $414. A few days later and still smelling gasoline, I took it to tire place so they can lift it up to check the bottom where the fuel tank is located and the immediately saw fuel/gasoline leaking from the tank. I took it back to the Ford dealership and complained how they missed it the first time. They checked it and told me the fuel tank was completely ruined from excessive vacuum effect of the previous canister purge valve issue and that I needed a new fuel tank. They put in a new fuel tank and I told them this issue had a recall on the same make and model of car in 2018 and from that recall, this issue had been fixed then but it just happened again. I paid $2,088 for the new fuel tank and power train control module reset. So the total I have paid to fix this issue over $2,500 and about two days later, Ford motor company issued a new recall 26s40 for this specific issue on this specific 2012-2018 make and model car. So I hope my car will be added and searchable for the recall on both Ford’s and government’s websites when they initiate it on July 6, 2026. I have all the repair receipts and will file for a refund as soon as I receive the recall letter. Thank you.