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, Jun 5, 2023
The contact's son owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle began decelerating independently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact parked in a parking lot and called her husband. The contact's husband drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the clutch and the transmission control module (TCM) to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact towed the vehicle to her residence and then to the local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed with needing the clutch and the transmission control module (TCM) to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Power train, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 3, 2023
Transmisión slip when taking off. Dealer replaced clutch and replaced / repaired components. After 7,000 mile, problem occurs again. This time, taking 2 weeks to get an appointment.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 31, 2023
Car began losing power particularly at low speeds. AAA inspected vehicle and determined that clutch and transmission would need to be replaced (~$10K repair). This is the second time the transmission and clutch have been replaced. The car has a total of 50,000 miles on it (ie, it is still, mechanically, very, very young ) Manufacturer seems to have known about the issue.
Power train, May 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle felt like the transmission was slipping before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed of a power train recall and was advised to take the vehicle to a Ford dealer. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 58,828
Power train, May 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be determined. The contact stated that on a separate occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch assembly failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08, and advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Power train, Apr 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shuddered significantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the TCM and the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the TCM would be replaced under Ford Campaign Number:14M02, however, he would be charged a repair fee for the transmission clutch replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not cover the transmission clutch replacement as the warranty for the transmission clutch had expired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Power train, Apr 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and shaking and the contact felt that there was delay on the transmission shifting gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the clutch was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the clutch needed to be replaced and the TCM module needed to be updated. The dealer also stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 95,000.
Power train, Apr 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle hesitated and shuddered before responding as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure and happened at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission clutches needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08 Transmission Clutch Shudder (Power Train); however, the vehicle was no longer covered under the Warranty Extension. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,551.
Power train, Mar 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle a clicking noise was present inside the gear box and the vehicle would not properly shift into reverse. Also, while operating the vehicle, the check engine and transmission warning lights remained illuminated, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate above 40 MPH. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 83,000.
Power train, Mar 17, 2023
We purchased this 2015 Ford Focus SE in July 2020 and took it to Pocaro Ford in Racine, WI to have the transmission checked out and flushed. The car had 70K on it and the transmission was jerking and laggy. They said it was fine and did not need to be fixed. Fast forward two and half years and 20K more and now the transmission clutches need to be replaced with 90K on the transmission. The extended warranty because of the class action suit went for 100K or 7 years. The cars warranty ran out in August 2022 even though we asked to have it repaired in 2020 and were told that it was not an issue and was normal. When we were in parameters for the warranty service, they told us it did not need it even though the transmission jerked and lagged causing issues. Now that we have to pay for it, they say it is a problem. I called FORD customers service and they say there is nothing they can do. FORD is ripping people off and creating a dangerous situation. The car belongs to my 21 year old daughter and I had no idea it was as bad as it was until I moved it a few weeks ago and told her that she should have told me it was that bad. She just thought it was how the car was supposed to drive. FORD won't help with the issue and just states we now have to pay between $2500 and $3000 to get it fixed. The car is available upon inspection and we have the paperwork showing we had the transmission serviced in 2020 becuase we thought it was jerky and a problem.
Power train, Mar 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Power train, Feb 15, 2023
My issue is part of the Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 19N08. The Transmission Control Module is defective and I have been waiting for over a year for a replacement part. The part has been on backorder for several years. I have been warned not to drive more than an hour away from my home. Daily, when I or my handicapped wife start driving from a standing stop the transmission judders and shakes the car when going from 10 to 20 MPH. No one can tell me when the part will be available. I am worried about getting into a serious accident if the part suffers further deterioration. I want to take a road trip to visit our grandchildren who live several to many hours away and am prevented from doing so because of the transmission issue.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 30, 2023
I found the ac compressor clutch hub plate in my driveway detached from my vehicle somehow...
Power train, Jan 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the gear shift actuators needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure had reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module and transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to have the repairs completed with a local dealer and that there were two customer satisfaction programs that the vehicle was subjected to. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer, where the contact was made aware that the Ford Campaign Number: 19N08 (Transmission Clutch) had expired. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was 84,373.
Power train, Jan 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated to respond. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure occurred while accelerating from low speed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch had failed. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 19N08 because the campaign had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 47,700.
Power train, Engine, Jan 11, 2023
I literally had this car for about a week heard a puppy sound on the left side now my rpm's rev up car seems to be running extremely rough it shakes and jerks sometimes. I know there are a lot of recalls on the 2015 for transmission power train/engine Just wondering why my car is not one of them
Power train, Jan 6, 2023
Help! Previous recall on my 2015 ford focus transmission. Repaired in 2019. The car is having the same problems again with: not shifting, it wont accelerate, car is shuddering when trying to shift. Faulty transmission is alerted on car info system.
Power train, Dec 21, 2022
The contact's mother owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shook and hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed with an automatic clutch failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
Power train, Dec 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond when shifted to reverse(R). The contact also stated that the transmission was slipping while driving and the vehicle failed to accelerate properly while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the transmission control module (TCM), but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the clutch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the clutch had previously been replaced; however, the failure occurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Power train, Dec 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while parking the vehicle in a parking lot, the contact was unable to shift the vehicle into reverse(R). The contact stated that she then shifted the vehicle to drive(D) and was able to front-end park the vehicle and then shift to park(P). When the contact returned and started the vehicle, she could not shift the gear shifter into reverse(R). The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that once she left the parking lot, the vehicle engine would rev as she depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to properly respond. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) needed to be replaced. The TCM was replaced; however, the contact was told by the dealer that the transmission needed additional work. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Power train, Dec 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that when she started the vehicle, the clutch intermittently started to shake. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that clutch and the seal failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired and there was no warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
Power train, Nov 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the "Transmission Not in Park" message was displayed, and the vehicle started to stall. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart, and the "System Fault" message was displayed. The contact stated that after waiting an hour, she was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle would only restart after waiting for several hours. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Power train, Nov 21, 2022
This is a automatic transmission car. Accelerating from a stop, the car shakes/shudders when the transmission is going through first gear and again in second gear. The shaking/shuddering stops when the car reaches third gear and beyond.
Power train, Nov 15, 2022
When I was driving on the highway I received a notification that my transmission was overheating. The car dropped to 40 mph and I had to put on my 4-ways. I managed to get off the next exit where the transmission died.
Power train, Nov 15, 2022
The vehicle has continuous issues with the TCM. Error lights were presented on the dash. Shortly after the error light presented - the reverse stopped. This is the 3rd time the TCM has been worked on in 2.5 years. Currently, the vehicle is at the dealership waiting on a national back ordered part.