2015 Ford Focus
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 1,030 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 19 Focus model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 32 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 29 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, manual transmissionJun 9, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18V169 and 18V845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect Focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S43. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.
Campaign 26V376000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, evaporative emissions, canisterJun 9, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Focus vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 18V735. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly while driving.
An engine that stalls while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S40. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.
Campaign 26V369000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterJan 15, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Campaign 26V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, doors, latchJun 8, 2020
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
Campaign 20V331000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storageOct 22, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles with a 2.0L GDI or 2.0L GTDI engine. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in fuel vapor management system.
The excessive vaccuum may result in an engine stall while driving, without warning and without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Ford Customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S32. Note: Until the vehicle is serviced for this concern, owners are advised to keep the fuel tank at least halfway full.
Campaign 18V735000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, manual transmissionMar 12, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Fusion vehicles equipped with a 1.6L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission and 2015-2016 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission. Also included are four 2017 Ford Focus vehicles that had clutch replacements with potentially affected parts. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Focus vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. Owners of Fusion vehicles will have their clutch assembly replaced free of charge. The recall began August 3, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07.
Campaign 18V169000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hatchback/liftgate, lockSep 28, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Ford Focus hatchback vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 26, 2016 and equipped with a manual transmission. The hatchback of the affected vehicles may be unlatched with a single press of the interior latch release button. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
With only a single press needed, the driver may accidently unlatch the hatchback, increasing the risk of injury to any unsecured passengers in the back.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began February 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C13.
Campaign 16V698000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, doors, latchSep 6, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
Campaign 16V643000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, ignitionJul 8, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the engine may continue to run after the key or the START/STOP engine button is turned to off. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
If the engine does not turn off as expected, someone could move the transmission shifter out of park and the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C06.
Campaign 15V436000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: power train
562 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Aug 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and received a second repair for the failure. The failure recurred after the repair. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was referred to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Power train, Jul 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test determined a fault within the transmission. The contact then called the dealer where he was informed that there would be a delay in service due to overwhelming service demand. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Jul 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk upon the depression of the accelerator pedal with the transmission fault and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a defective clutch. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that her vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 153,757.
Power train, Jul 9, 2022
I had my check engine light come on afterwards the car started to hesitate. My car is having issues with shifting through the gears and feels bogged down. I took it to a Ford dealership where they tried for 3 and a half hours to get the light to come on again with no luck. They told me to bring it back if the light comes on again.
Power train, Jun 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the vehicle was hesitating. The contact was able to continue driving and pulled into a gas station however, the vehicle hesitated and started sputtering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle. Upon attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The contact pushed the vehicle into a parking space with assistance. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact replaced the starter however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed and the failure was associated to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 14M02. The contact was informed that the parts to do the repair were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the parts would be available within 9-10 months. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
Power train, Jun 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving on a highway at a disclosed speed the vehicle started shuddering and shifting then starting hesitating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was diagnosed as the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. This happen on several occasions The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The mileage was approximately 60,000.
Power train, Jun 16, 2022
While driving the vehicle it begins shuddering and jerking, when parked and shifted into reverse the vehicle did not move, when brake was applied to shift to park, the vehicle lunged forward up and over the curb. This has been a continuous problem, when is the NHSTA going to do their job and make ford recall these vehicles.
Power train, Jun 15, 2022
The car intermittently doesn't shift into reverse and struggled to shift from first to second gear and sometimes loses some power when shifting into or while in higher gears. I had it looked into by an independent service center who recommended replacement of 2 clutch actuators which I had done at a cost of $853.17. I didn't drive it for a week after the repairs while on vacation. When I returned, the same issues exist and the engine light is on. I couldn't back out of my driveway and had to drive through my yard to go to work.
Power train, Jun 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift gear as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission clutch needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Power train, Jun 8, 2022
3rd time the clutch has started to shudder violently during acceleration. 1st clutch replacement was covered under a Ford safety recall in Nov 2019 (58,000 miles), 2nd clutch replacement was paid in cash in April 2021 (76,000 miles), and now I'm looking at paying cash for a 3rd clutch replacement in June 2022 (92,000 miles). Ford has only covered ONE clutch replacement despite the clutch issue happening every 14 months. This is just outside the 12-month "warranty" for the parts & labor, and I'm fed up with having to replace the clutch almost every year.
Power train, Jun 6, 2022
Transmission shudder when acceleration from a start. Sometimes it hesitates when starting out from a stop.
Other or unspecified, Power train, May 30, 2022
Esta es la segunda vez que se arruina la caja de la transmisión voy caminando y no agarra velocidad voy en el freeway y no avanza no hace los cambios al tratar de rebasar, aparece una luz roja y marca motor. Hoy apareció una advertencia en el tablero que dice transmisión caliente espere 5 minutos voy en freeway do de me parqueo??? Fui a la agencia y no me han ayudado dijeron que debo dejar el carro por 3 meses.ahi parado con ellos repito es la segunda vez en 2 años y medio que esto pasa
Power train, May 24, 2022
The transmission went out and will not go in reverse. Thank goodness my daughter made it her friends from where we had it towed to bulldog transmission. The car is not drivable. It has 116000 mileage. The car did have a louder engine noise that other cars I’ve driven. The car was fine for several weeks, we bought it used. The car had a hard time getting up the neighborhood hill then died in the friends driveway.
Power train, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, May 16, 2022
I had a ford certified tech work on my Ford Focus and after my recalls were supposedly repaired my car is doing worse than ever, if I stop on a hill I will sometimes roll backwards due to apparent engagement issue, and after a new tcm to fix that my car now displays “transmission overheating stop safely” after a few miles on the highway. it shifts really rough and I haven’t ran the risk of stopping on a hill. Not what I would expect coming from a family who has over 100 years put into working at ford motor company.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, May 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle started to decelerate without warning. After stopping and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle regained normal functionality. The contact stated that the failure recurred while attempting to accelerate from a stop light. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission shift lever failed causing the clutch to fail. The contact was informed that the shift lever and clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Power train, May 11, 2022
My car is not currently drivable. It has stalled on the freeway which is unsafe. I had to drive it to a dealership with my car stoppable multiple times. I’ve had it at a Ford dealership and they are unwilling to pay for the clutch. The clutch had an extended warranty through Ford and I ran out of the extended warranty by 20K due to being able to take it in sooner due to it being my only car and the pandemic. I feel that this is on Ford due to it being a safety concern and not being drivable. They had an extended warranty because the clutch on these specific models has been faulty and I already had it replaced 5 years ago. I feel I should be compensated at least for the clutch and they are refusing.
Power train, May 10, 2022
When taking off from a stopped position, such as stop sign or light, car stutters/stalled like jumping. It only does this in first gear, once it has shifted into second it continues to shift fine. However, once back in first gear it does it again. I fear that it will stall completely in first or power way down as I’m pulling into traffic, very likely causing a collision. This is a continual/daily occurrence. The date I specified for date of incident is just a general idea of when this started.
Power train, May 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shift into gear as needed. The vehicle then stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure by several independent mechanics. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90, 000.
Power train, Apr 29, 2022
Transmission slips jerks shakes when trying to take off. It will not pick up speed until it's in third gear,. This car is not a manual it's an automatic transmission. It was taken to a Ford dealer and we were charged money and told that it was fixed. This Is a 78-year-old womans car. She was unaware that the vehicle had an issue. The car only has 62,000 miles on it and is a 2015. And it also has a warning light that comes on when you drive with the AC on or on hot days or if you drive longer than a few miles a warning light comes on and tells you to pull over and that the car is overheating. Both of these items I'm listing are very dangerous especially when getting on an interstate or pulling out in traffic. I don't know if it's an electrical issue with the overheating light coming on but the radio has also stopped working. The transmission definitely has a safety issue. I'm afraid of driving very far because of these two issues.
Power train, Mar 30, 2022
Car studdering and shuts off. Transmission seems to get hot and causes car to shut down. After a few minutes can restart car and go again. This seems to happen more if the car stops and goes alot.
Power train, Mar 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 19N08 (Transmission Clutch Warranty Extension). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the vehicle was not able to reverse. The check engine warning light and transmission failure warning message were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN and she had to pay out-of-pocket for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Mar 7, 2022
When moving forward from a stopped position, the front tires shake/stutter which requires you to let up on the accelerator and move forward at a lesser speed to stop the shaking/stuttering. Also while the engine is warming up, the transmission is slow in changing gears, and in some cases it doesn't feel as if they change at all.
Power train, Mar 1, 2022
The transmission control module was the first to be replaced when the car began to shudder upon acceleration from a complete stop. Took to Ford Dealership where it was replaced under recall warranty. In 2020, was driving on highway and merged to an exit when at a red light then green car would not move forward. Car was turned off and on and nothing. Was stuck in the middle of an exit ramp for about an hour until I messed with the clutch and made a popping noise and began to move. Took to Ford dealership and the power train clutch was also replaced. Notified that there was a recall on that part again. Thought problem was fixed, car began to shudder again. It is 2022, the shuddering is really bad again. Took to ford dealership once again, car no longer falls under warranty because of mileage (I am just over 100,000 miles) and it is the dual powershift clutch again (the same one on recall) just almost two years later and they want almost $3000 to replace.
Power train, Feb 23, 2022
My vehicle is having issues regarding the clutch and transmission module. This issue has been going on every since I bought my vehicle new in 2015. The last time they fixed the issue (free) was in May of 2020. When I went to the dealership where I bought my car and where they have replaced this issue, I was told that they will have to charge me to diagnose the problem. I told them that they never charged me before and the issue it’s having is the same so why today are you charging me? They said that it’s because it could be the clutch issue that’s not covered. However they have fixed the clutch issue before in which that time was May 2029. The for recall for my vehicle is 18V169000 to be fixed up to 150,000 miles my vehicle has 102,000 miles. Another recall that I looked up is 18S07 which is regarding the clutch. Website https://www.cars.com/research/ford-focus-2015/recalls/ So why will they not fix my car when both recall # say they will be fixed at no charge to me.
Power train, Feb 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 20 MPH and depressing on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started to shudder. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission clutch assembly to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact became aware that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train) in 2019 under the previous owner. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.