3.7

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
33,649 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2018 Ford Focus:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

Get free help with your lemon!
close ad

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #175

Nov 222023

Focus

  • 76,890 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving from a complete top. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving uphill and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated to respond. There was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the powertrain system. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she would be charged a diagnostic fee. The contact declined to pay the diagnostic fee. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,890.

- Blythewood, SC, USA

problem #174

Jan 182024

Focus

  • 38,834 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that when her son started the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the RPM increased; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact's son immediately parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed tube assembly and a failed clutch assembly. The contact was informed that the clutch assembly and tube assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,834.

- Brook Park, OH, USA

problem #173

Jan 022024

Focus

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was stuck in first gear and the vehicle failed to shift gear as designed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the transmission control module was replaced; however, the failure recurred at the dealer. The dealer then diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there were metal shavings inside the transmission and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

- Savanna, IL, USA

problem #172

Sep 222023

Focus

  • miles
In September of 2023, I experienced an oil pressure light. It was expaliend that the oil pump drive belt failed and I needed my engine replaced. Since then, I have reached out mulitple times to Ford with little recourse as to help with my problem. Now, recall # 23S64 / 23V905 has been issued concerning my problem. In my chat with Ford, they indicated the problem is my responsibility and would not acknowledge the recall and any help.

- Streamwood, IL, USA

problem #171

Oct 312023

Focus

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal down to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact continued driving; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly, and the vehicle was towed to the residence on one occasion. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start while shifted into park(P), and only start while shifted into neutral(N). The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to respond while shifting into reverse(R). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

- Leesburg, FL, USA

problem #170

Nov 022023

Focus

  • 170,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before shifting to the next gear. The contact stated that the hard shifting occurred at various speeds. The failure also occurred while the vehicle was down shifting. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

- Cleveland, TX, USA

problem #169

Nov 222023

Focus

  • miles
Transmission control module went at 85,000 miles cost me 3500 in repair. Causing the clutch and clutch solenoids to go early.

- Port Crane , NY, USA

problem #168

Nov 172020

Focus

  • miles
Symptoms began 2020 with grinding and vibrating when automatic shift from A stop to first gear especially on inclines. Dealer inspected transmission and found excessive clutch residual, replaced the duel clutch, cleaned clutch housing, and reset the transmission 11-17-2020. Symptoms have re started 2023. Clutch and transmission issues can lead to leaks and fire risk.

- San Diego , CA, USA

problem #167

Dec 192023

Focus

  • 105,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle came to a complete stop, and the transmission inadvertently downshifted. The vehicle then jerked forward. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clutch forks, transmission, and activator were faulty, and determined that the clutch, clutch forks, and activator needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

- Glen Carbon, IL, USA

problem #166

Nov 272023

Focus

  • miles
Transmission has failed the clutch got stuck and transmission overheating.

- Seaside , CA, USA

problem #165

Dec 102023

Focus

  • miles
While backing out of a parking spot vehicile was in reverse and without notice the car slamed in drive. My daughter slammed on the brakes and tried agian the car got alomost out of the parking spot and it did it again shifting gears with no warning. This happened three times. She checked to make all the doors were closed. No others cars were anywhere near her. She finally got the car home and we took it to the local Ford dealer and they said they never heard of this problem. This seems to be documented with Ford Focus autos. The car has 38,000 miles and is out of warranty by 2 months. This seems to be a safety issue Ford should correct. The car is not safe for the road.

- Winter Haven, FL, USA

problem #164

Dec 012023

Focus

  • miles
Last week the service engine light appeared. I was due to get an oil change, so I had it done that day. The light remained on, so I took it to a local auto shop and they did a code reader. The code was P0783, drive train. I googled my car and the error code and a huge list on recalls appeared related to the same make and model of my car, but different vin number. If this is true, why isn't my car a part of this? I'm going to call the Ford company and see if they can help me. When I'm driving she chokes and chugs and lurches above 40mph and goes into a high rev then back down within seconds. She also stutters at a stop and just doesn't drive smooth like she used to.

- Suffolk, VA, USA

problem #163

Nov 032023

Focus

  • miles
Hi I have a 2018 Ford Focus SE with less that 64,000 miles that had the same Powershift Transmission problem as the older recalled ones. It is certainly a safety issue since it involves a loss of power and not switching gears correctly. I called the Ford Customer Service Center and they appeared to agree with me that this type of failure shouldn-??t happen so quickly but after a week of waiting for a response after a follow up call they told me via email that they would do nothing and there were no current programs to help out. I see that there is currently is a class action suit involving this very issue and many forums with complaints so there must be many more people out there with the same issue. The car has less than 64,000 miles and had a clutch failure with the Powershift Transmission, still an ongoing issue that it appears Ford doesn-??t care about. Our dealer is aware of issues involving these transmissions and they too were unable to get any help from Ford. It appears Ford would rather wait to there are more deaths, lawsuits and/or Government action before doing anything. We have had it repaired and it cost almost $2,000 even after the dealer helped a bit. I-??ve attached the bill.

- Bridgewater, CT, USA

problem #162

Nov 062023

Focus

  • miles
While driving vehicle two "Oil Lights" on dash came on and car instantly began making a noise. Pulled over and had it towed to a service shop, they are telling me the "Oil Pump Drive Belt" broke and now the entire engine needs replaced. Upon researching this issue I come to find that this is a VERY COMMON issue that Ford is aware of but refusing to fix. This needs addressed!

- Massillon, OH, USA

problem #161

Oct 192023

Focus

  • 61,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that he depressed the accelerator pedal and heard an abnormally loud bang and pulled over. The contact stated that the -??Engine Fault - Service Immediately" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer determined that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

- Jamestown, KY, USA

problem #160

Oct 162023

Focus

  • miles
Car failed to engage transmission at low to moderate speeds particularly when accelerating. RPMs revved with no acceleration and then engaged suddenly causing the car to lurch forward and jerked while accelerating. The check engine light appeared. The car was brought to an independent service station. Repairs were made to the computer system and motors but the problem is still not resolved. Mechanic recommends full transmission replacement at this point. Called Ford Dealer who said this is a known issue with dual transmission system. Called Ford Motor Co to make them aware of the issue and no assistance was provided (they stated that my consumer score did not qualify me for assistance but would not disclose what was impacting my score).

- Natick, MA, USA

problem #159

Oct 012023

Focus

  • 66,200 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was hesitant to accelerate which caused the vehicle to jerk. Power Train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty duel clutch transmission. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to reach out to NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 66,200.

- Pierceton, IN, USA

problem #158

Sep 022019

Focus

  • 19,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering, the clutch was slipping, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission clutch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transmission clutch was replaced but the failure recently reoccurred and the transmission clutch was replaced a second time. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 19,000.

- Colora, MD, USA

problem #157

Sep 282023

Focus

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine light had been illuminated. The vehicle would suddenly stall while idle causing the contact to have to restart the vehicle or continually reeving in order to prevent stalling. The vehicle would also display a sputtering when slowing down. The contact noticed that the mileage per gallon ratio had decreased significantly. The vehicle had been taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the purge valve had been stuck open causing multiple failures. The fuel tank had been warped a bit and may need to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact was informed that their vehicle's year/make/model was involved in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however their VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

- Merced, CA, USA

problem #156

Sep 242023

Focus

  • 134,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, moments later the vehicle was restarted, and the check engine warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle failed to respond when shifted into reverse(R). The contact stated that while driving the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH and failed to drive in the lower gears. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 134,000.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »