3.8

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
33,217 miles

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problem #246

Mar 172025

Focus

  • 152,910 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 approximate failure mileage was 152,910.

- Fulton, MO, USA

problem #245

Feb 252025

Focus

  • 53,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission was blown due to the leaking of the transmission clutch fluid. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the clutch canister was previously replaced while the vehicle was owned by the previous owner. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

- Florham Park, NJ, USA

problem #244

Mar 102023

Focus

  • 62,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated and failed to shift into reverse(R). The vehicle failed to start intermittently and required several attempts before starting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed a failure with the fork actuator in clutch A, and the clutch master needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that approximately 2 years after the repair, the failure recurred. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who diagnosed a failure with clutch B. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact found information for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train); however, the dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in 18V845000 (Power Train). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

- Amelia, OH, USA

problem #243

Dec 102024

Focus

  • 131,731 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and waited for his girlfriend to pick him up. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch, the A and B lever, and the throw-out bearing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,731.

- Vernon, CT, USA

problem #242

Feb 062025

Focus

  • 111,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 14 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, and the transmission was slipping while shifting between first and second gear. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no cause of the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle jerked, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, with the power train and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the transmission failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

- Coushatta, LA, USA

problem #241

Feb 182025

Focus

  • miles
My 2018 Ford Focus started to buck, hesitate, and felt like it was going to stall. I pulled out of an intersection and my car just wouldn't go. I almost got hit. Then my engine light came on. Took it to my mechanic and he checked it with the coding machine which showed that it was in the transmission. I looked on the recall page and although my vehicle wasn't on it, they did recall other Ford Focus vehicles for the exact same problem. Ford knows there is a problem with this. It is very upsetting that my vehicle isn't part of the recall.

- Portage, PA, USA

problem #240

Jan 282024

Focus

  • miles
The Transmission is shuttering badly when taking off from stop. Like the transmission is slipping.

- Irving , TX, USA

problem #239

Oct 242024

Focus

  • miles
Whenever the car is just being driven normally it has begun having issues shifting gears esspecially in the lower gears. The check engine light has gone one in the vehicle several times all producing the same error code of P07A3 "Transmission friction element 'A' stuck on". All who have serviced the vehicle have expressed that this is a well known and common issue with the newer models of Focus with active recalls in the past for the years 2012-2016 due to the exact issue that my transmission is portraying now. The vehicle will stutter when it exceeds speeds between 7mph to 14mph. In extreme cases the vehicle will stall out with a set RPM of 1×1000. When a stall out occurs the vehicle becomes unwieldy as it'll start to shake violently prompting the immediate response of pulling off to the side of the road to prevent any potential damage to the vehicle itself as well as other vehicles on the road. From the countless mechanics I've consulted about this issue they have all brought forth the notion that this problem isn't fixable and the only solution is replacing the entire transmission unit as a whole as this is again an extremely common fault with the new Ford Focus models.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #238

Dec 132024

Focus

  • 143,365 miles
The contact owns a?2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse out of a parking spot while the transmission was shifted in reverse (R). The contact turned off the vehicle and the vehicle failed to restart. AAA arrived on the scene and jumpstarted the vehicle. The battery was replaced, but the failure persisted. Additionally, the vehicle failed to stop immediately while the brake pedal was depressed, and the transmission inadvertently shifted to second and third gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who performed a multi-point inspection and retrieved an error code for clutch B stuck engaged. The contact was informed that she needed to pay for further diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to the TCM. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 143,365.

- Woodland Park, NJ, USA

problem #237

Feb 042019

Focus

  • 500 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated, and an unknown warning light illuminated. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the failure. In addition, the manufacturer offered to help with the cost for the repair. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 500.

- Bushnell, FL, USA

problem #236

Jan 272025

Focus

  • 77,805 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate, and the transmission was slipping while shifting between first and second gear. Additionally, the engine overheated due to the coolant leak, and the message to "Pull Over" was displayed. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The contact stated that the transmission had been replaced on four previous occasions. The failure mileage was 77,805.

- Winston Salem, NC, USA

problem #235

Jan 292025

Focus

  • 103,449 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with the check engine and transmission temperature warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted, and the dealer informed the contact that a used transmission was installed into the vehicle by the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 103,449.

- Salisbury, MD, USA

problem #234

Jan 152025

Focus

  • miles
Additional information to existing case # 11636712. The 3rd Evap canister valve repair on 1/15/2025 from Cook Ford Case# from Ford Michigan regarding Evap Canister Valve Recall Also, a 3rd pending code on the Transmission Control Module on my 2018 Ford Focus listed on the Cook Ford repair invoice

- Galveston, TX, USA

problem #233

Jan 222025

Focus

  • miles
My car is having a hard time shifting in lower gears, RPM's race, but car does not move forward. This is the 2nd time in 6 months we've had this issue. We've already had both clutches replaced the last time this issue happened. Car is at approximately 67,000 miles.

- Batavia, NY, USA

problem #232

Jan 182025

Focus

  • 160,905 miles
My vehicle has had 3 Evap Canister Valve Recall repairs since 2021, I purchased my 2018 Ford Focus Titanium brand new in January 2019. I have all receipts. I recently had the 3rd Evap canister valve repair January 15,2025. My vehicle had pending codes P144A and P1450 which would have prevented it from passing Texas Emmissions. My Vehicle has also had a Transmission Control Module Recall repair -TCM twice, once in 2022 and 2023. My car has had intermitten stalling in the middle of a intersection due to this recall putting me at risk for an accident. My vehicle currently has a pending code P2867 which is the TCM code. I have AAA tow truck history of my vehicle being towed to Classic Ford for these repeat repairs. I have taken my car to Classic Ford several times in Galveston, TX in which they have not successfully repaired these recalls. Which has turned into repeat repairs. Invoices to prove it. Cook Ford in Texas City recently repaired the 3rd Evap Canister Valve on January 15, 2025 in which they also found the faulty code for the Transmission Control Module. This is a serious concern.

- Galveston, TX, USA

problem #231

Nov 252024

Focus

  • miles
Slowed down to enter roundabout, when acceleration out of roundabout transmission shuddered, check engine light illuminated and failed to accelerate greater then 35 mph. When stopped transmission continued to shudder, and shifted awkwardly.

- Liberty Township , OH, USA

problem #230

Dec 162024

Focus

  • miles
My 2018 Ford focus started having transmission issues over 2 years ago. I took my car into a Ford dealership who reassured me that my car was fine and that my transmission was in fact not slipping. I continued to drive my vehicle while feeling the transmission slipping telling myself Ford told me this is normal it's fine. Cut to 2 years later. It is not fine. My entire transmission needs replaced. My TCM was not working properly which in turn ruined my reverse gear and caused internal damage to the transmission, resulting in a recommended replacement of the transmission. My car is only 5 years old with about 45,000 mi on it. I drive about half as much as the average American driver per year. My car had a hard acceleration so it was hard to enter traffic from a stop. Many times I was making a turn into traffic and felt like I might get hit by another car because I couldn't get into traffic fast enough. The jerking and slipping of the transmission caused constant fear of the car not performing as it should so to ensure everyone's safety, I would only make turns or go when there was absolutely no traffic. It also caused fear when my car wouldn't accelerate so I use more pressure on the gas pedal and then suddenly my car would lurch forward faster than expected. My check engine light did light up a few weeks prior to my transmission going out but the code was for the fuel pump purge valve. Again, the issue started in April of 2022 and the Ford dealership told me there was nothing wrong with the transmission even though there was. My transmission is experiencing many of the same things others experienced which is why this transmission was recalled. Unfortunately my particular VIN number was not.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #229

Dec 172024

Focus

  • 93,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate and had experienced hard shifting from first to second gear. The check engine warning light illuminated and the warning message "transmission Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who replaced that clutch actuator but the failure was not remedied. The contact was advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered.

- Argyle, NY, USA

problem #228

Nov 262024

Focus

  • 65,607 miles
The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start and failed to accelerate above 15 MPH while driving. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact's son pulled over and restarted the vehicle and an abnormal burning odor was coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the clutch and actuator motor were 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 65,607.

- Golden, CO, USA

problem #227

Dec 092019

Focus

  • 20,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch assembly needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

- Bolingbrook, IL, USA

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