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
1,030 reports, newest first.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Sep 16, 2023
Car will go into reverse but won’t move. Car will not go over 2500 RPM and won’t go over 11 MPH
Electrical system, Sep 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact’s daughter was unable to restart the vehicle. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the body control module (BCM) software needed to be updated. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle intermittently decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact stated that upon research, the vehicle was included in the Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 for extended warranty coverage. The contact then referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V436000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure due to the number being unreachable. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Vehicle speed control, Sep 13, 2023
Regrettably, the 2015 Ford Focus hatchback I purchased has been plagued by a series of critical issues. These include recurring starting problems, erratic gear behavior, such as hesitating to move in Drive and unexpectedly moving forward in Reverse, sudden and dangerous deceleration while on highways, and an incessantly illuminated tire pressure warning light. These issues have left me profoundly concerned about the overall safety and reliability of this car. Over the past four months of ownership, the last two have been marred by stress and anxiety. A harrowing incident almost transpired when the car inexplicably slowed down to a mere 15 miles per hour on a highway, placing me at great risk, with a truck narrowly avoiding a collision. What's particularly distressing is that these problems aren't unique to my vehicle alone. Numerous other owners of 2013, 2014, and 2015 Ford Focus models are grappling with similar issues, suggesting the existence of potential systemic flaws within these vehicles.
Power train, Sep 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the service engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed clutch assembly. The contact was informed that the clutch assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,653.
Power train, Sep 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to shift the vehicle into reverse, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was able to shift into drive however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly. The contact then stated that while shifted into drive, the vehicle performed as if the transmission had shifted into neutral, making it difficult to make left and right turns. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM had failed, and the dealer needed to take the transmission apart to determine the exact cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the Extended Warranty had expired. There was no further assistance provided. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 5, 2023
Transmission had randomly started to jerk and then stopped accelerating. Left me stranded on the side of the road on a 5 hour trip and when I turned it off and back on it would move very little and I could hear grinding noise from the gears. I had to get a tow truck which cost me 1.5 k to tow back to my house
Other or unspecified, Sep 3, 2023
I bought my car off of a friend who bought it pre-owned certified from a local ford dealer. The car had 59,000 miles on it and had the transmission already replaced by ford (the second transmission on the vehicle under 60,000). After having the vehicle a year I was driving home and the clutch in the transmission got stuck and the car would jolt me forward and when I would come to a complete stop it would skip me forward and jolt me, I also experienced the car not being able to move uphill. My situation was very dangerous and happened all of a sudden with no warning signs of a check engine light or symptoms of the car before. If I didn’t stop so far away from the other vehicles at stop lights I could have been very easily pushed into another vehicle, as well as other vehicles possibly hitting me when my car could not shift into gear. I was extremely disappointed due to the fact my car was at 80,000 miles and the transmission in the vehicle had already been replaced once before, this is also not a cheap fix and costed me close to $2,800. The transmission shop that fixed my issue told me this is the most common issue with the 2015 Ford Focus and that he’s repaired multiple with the same issue at moderate/low mileage.
Power train, Aug 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be serviced prior to a road trip; however, upon picking up the vehicle from the dealer, she noticed that the vehicle was leaking an unknown fluid. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated days later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission clutch shudder, and the dealer determined that the failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 19N08; however, the campaign had expired. The dealer charged a repair fee. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 103,230.
Power train, Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while attempting to accelerate and then stalled and lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact replaced the battery and drove back to the residence; however, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic determined that the TCM needed to be replaced; however, the following day the contact was notified by the dealer that the clutch plate bearing and not the TCM that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 96,731.
Power train, Aug 29, 2023
The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact's daughter received notification of Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08 (Transmission Clutch Shudder/Transmission Clutch Warranty Extension); however, the dealer declined to perform the repair. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was vibrating and failed to accelerate as needed. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Other or unspecified, Aug 29, 2023
This car was previously recalled for issues with the clutch. After “repairing” the clutch the issue has returned. Dealer refuses to pay for repairs as the repair warranty has “expired”
Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 28, 2023
I’ve been having issues with my automatic clutch transmission since I’ve bought this vehicle. There has been numerous repairs done but the company tells me they aren’t responsive on covering another. It causes the car to jerk when accelerating aggressively and has almost caused a wreck. It has been confirmed by the dealership. No warning signs with this. First started to appear a few months after buying the vehicle and then upon repair the issue would return I few months after the fact and the dealership would not help.
Power train, Aug 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started jerking. The contact then stated that on several occasions the vehicle failed to shift into reverse(R). The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it remained and was diagnosed and determined that the clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall and informed the contact there would be a fee for the repair. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Power train, Aug 24, 2023
The transmission is known to be defective on this type of car, causing the clutch and TCM to need to be replaced every couple of years. Just this past week my clutch went out while I was merging onto a crazy highway, 485, in NC and I was unable to accelerate for a long time. I was able to get home but the clutch slipped another two times within a 10 minute period.
Power train, Aug 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly shifted from 1st gear to neutral(N) and stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the message "Transmission Service Required" was displayed. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that she shifted into park(P), and then shifted into drive (D), and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact was able to continue driving. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission friction clutch pack and module had failed, and that the failure was related to an unknown Customer Satisfaction Program that had expired. 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 78,000.
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 15, 2023
ALL OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH Campaign/NHTSA#18S32/18V735 (Issue Date 2018-10-22) OCCURRED AGAIN WITH 5 TEENAGERS IN THE CAR, SOUTHBOUND ON I-65 BETWEEN OHIO AND FLORIDA, CAUSING THE CAR TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP! THIS KNOWN PROBLEM/FORD RECALL SYSTEMS FAILURE REPEATED JUST 3 YEARS AFTER REMEDIATION/RECALL, STRANDING 5 TEENAGERS ON THE TENNESSEE-ALABAMA LINE FOR 2 DAYS AND THEN REQUIRING AN EXPENSIVE TOW TO FLORIDA (FOR VACATION) AND THEN AGAIN HOME (BECAUSE IT WAS NOT CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED AT THE FORD SERVICE CENTER IN FLORIDA)! THE FORD DEALERSHIPS/SERVICE CENTERS IN Panama City, FL STATED THERE WAS A COMPUTER PROBLEM WHICH COULDN'T BE FIXED THERE FOR OVER TWO WEEKS, SO THE CAR WAS TOWED TO OHIO. HERE, THE FORD SERVICE CENTER IN WCH, OHIO ([XXX}) DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT PARTS AND LABOR FOR: " FUEL PUMP, O-RING, NEW FUEL TANK AND VAPOR TUBE/PURGE VALVE ON ENGINE FOR 'STUCK OPEN VALVES' 'NOT PULLING FUEL' AND COLLAPSE OF THE FUEL TANK ITSELF.' $1248.47 P/L + TAXES + TOWING X2 + $150 DIAGNOSTIC EVAL. THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME SCENARIO AS THE OCTOBER 2018 FUEL TANK DEFORMATION RECALL Campaign/NHTSA#18S32/18V735. THIS CAR HAD THE REQUIRED RECALL PERFORMED IN MARCH 2020 AT LEBANON FORD ([XXX]) IN LEBANON, OHIO, BUT JUST 3 YEARS LATER, THE ENTIRE SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN, PUTTING 5 TEENAGERS AT GRAVE RISK (WHILE TRAVELING AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS OF 65-70MPH)--TWO OF WHOM WERE MY DAUGHTERS! I WOULD LIKE THIS SYSTEM RE-EVALUATED AND A NEW RECALL/REMEDIATION ISSUED IMMEDIATELY TO PROTECT PASSENGERS/FORD DRIVERS/OTHERS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS PROBLEMATIC CAR MODEL/YEAR! “INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).”
Power train, Aug 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a red traffic light and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle inadvertently rolled backwards. The contact stated that she was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop by releasing and depressing the brake pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 86,000.
Power train, Engine, Aug 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH on the highway, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with clutch failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the transmission and clutch had previously been replaced twice by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
Power train, Aug 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was stopped, the contact attempted to accelerate, and the vehicle jerked before lunging forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission needed the be replaced. The contact notified that the Extended Warranty related to the failure had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 37,050.
Power train, Aug 10, 2023
The transmission bucks, jerks, jumps forward when breaking, and stalls out. The car stalled out and left my 16yr old with no way to steer or brake which could have been extremely dangerous in certain situations. It has not been inspected but I have done extensive research on this auto and it seems like this type of issue comes pretty standard on the 2015 Ford Focus. When the auto stalled out all the dash lights were lit up. My child had just left the driveway when the car stalled and had no use of the steering or brakes. This poses a huge risk.
Power train, Aug 10, 2023
Vehicle hesitates and jerks a lot during stop & go. Feels very unsafe when yielding to incoming traffic to make left turn and vehicle hesitates and jerks as I’m beginning to accelerate during turn. Transmission dash light recently appeared stating “Transmissions Hot.”
Power train, Aug 6, 2023
Check engine light came on & my car just stopped , I couldn’t proceed to drive while gear was in drive and I couldn’t reverse when gear put in reverse , when I was driving the gears wasn’t changing correctly it was as if I was pressing on the gas pedal and the hand would max to 5 . I went to auto zone it was said it was the power train code had came up. There is a recall on my car and it’s not listed . Ford needs to fix this I havnt had my car for two weeks.
Power train, Aug 5, 2023
My 2015 Ford focus is dangerous to drive the transmission slips badly and looses power while in traffic most times it won't go into 2nd gear it has almost caused 3 accidents already I'm scared something bad will happen it's my only transportation to work
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and the RPM fluctuated. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the purge valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 31, 2023
Service engine soon light came on, repair shop said I needed a tune up and could still drive ok. Broke down. Got that done and still engine light on so transmission fluid changed too. Now repair shop says it’s the transmission and clutch assembly that the dealer recalled and fixed a few years ago. I’m stuck with payments still and no way to get the $5000 the dealer days it will cost to fix this. Car value is the same. Everyone I’ve talked to has said this is a bad year’s model and will continue to break down even after fixing. Can you offer any advice? Thank you!