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.
Steering, Sep 29, 2022
A warning saying steering assist failure appeared after which I couldn't turn the wheel more than 10 to 15 ° in either direction. I pulled over on the shoulder and 30 minutes later, the check message had disappeared the steering worked fine.
Power train, Sep 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while parking in the driveway, she shifted to park(P) however, the vehicle rolled backward. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and then shifted the vehicle back into park(P). The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated and had remained illuminated for three months. The contact stated that recently while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Sep 23, 2022
Vehicle will loose power and ac as if the gears are slipping causing a sudden reduced speed. The transmission warnings will also light up stating transmission overheating.
Power train, Sep 23, 2022
while driving the car stalls and sometimes will not switch gears. have taken it in twice and they do not repair the clutch on the transmission. they only reprogram the car. took it in a couple years ago and they did not replace it. took it in a couple weeks ago and they reprogrammed it again and charged me 170 dollars at d patrick ford in evansville. said it was past the mileage for warranty. niw i am going to have to take it in a third time when they should have fixed it the first time.
Power train, Sep 16, 2022
I was driving on my way home from work when the transmission failed. Car lost all ability to maneuver - no forward or reverse. I was in the middle of an incline when the car stalled, had to roll to the bottom of the hill and call a wrecker. If I had been in high volume traffic, this would have been a death sentence.
Power train, Sep 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the transmission would not operate in reverse. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and the vehicle operated normal. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission clutch actuator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 98,000.
Other or unspecified, Sep 12, 2022
Ford Focus 2015 the does not shift to the next gear and I got stuck in the middle of traffic and had to push it to a safe spot in neutral. This car was Part of a Ford Recall buyback program. It has been at Car Max in Norwood Mass for months I was towed 4 times close calls with kids in the car. These cars are still being sold by CarMax mine can’t be fixed I am paying for a death trap
Other or unspecified, Sep 9, 2022
My 2015 Ford Focus power shift didn’t work correctly which caused the transmission to not work correctly and it stopped working and the fuel tank deform and the coolant reservoir doesn’t work good all the time and causes the car to over heat. Many times my safety was at risk with myself alone and with my children because the car would not go sometimes and could cause an accident. I was helped a few times my police officers when I was in the side of the road because the car kept having transmission problems. I took the car to the Ford dealership and they confirmed the problems and about the fuel tank deformation recall. Many time the check engine light would come up on the dash board. The dealership told me the car had to many problems and they could not do anything about it. Which are common problems on 2010-2016 focus models. My car has been at the ford shop for 4 months and they haven’t fixed it yet .
Power train, Sep 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunctioned and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. On several occasions, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved and the RPM’s increased; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,000.
Steering, Engine, Sep 6, 2022
Start the vehicle, put it in reverse, stop and change gears to drive and the vehicle will not move forward the steering wheel jerks. I have to put the car in park turn off the engine and then power back on and try again.
Power train, Aug 31, 2022
The transmission of my car has always been jerky and unreliable, sometimes causing the vehicle to shake when driving at high speeds. While driving through the mountains, the transmission continuously got worse, eventually causing me to be unable to put the car in reverse. The car also failed to switch gears adequately while driving on the highway, making it difficult to accelerate and increasing the likelihood of an accident. There were no warning symbols on my dashboard to alert me to what could be the issue. My vehicle has not yet been inspected by a dealership, manufacturer, or independent service center.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 31, 2022
The front windshield wipers will slow after only a few minutes of use, in a heavy or light rain, and eventually come to a stop after about 30 more seconds. This happens every time I use the wipers in the rain. I have had it looked at by a Ford service tech at a dealership on at least 3 occasions, but they claim either that they cannot recreate the problem, or that they are designed to work that way to avoid burning out the wiper motors. Wipers should not be designed to stop working when it is raining, that is just ridiculous. Despite Ford's position that this is all new to them, or that it is how they are designed to work (depending on whom you talk to at Ford), the fact the wipers stop working during rain...heavy, moderate, or light rain...it is a well-known issue across the Ford Focus ST enthusiast community. A simply Google search will uncover many identical reports. When the wipers stop working during a rain, you obviously cannot see clearly ahead. You can turn the wipers off then back on to get them working again, but they stop all the same soon after.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 30, 2022
The transmission has been repaired only to have worse problems surface. Overnight, I lost my Reverse and a week later the Drive function stopped working. It placed me in a dangerous situation. I was at a gas station, suddenly no Reverse. I was wedged between cars. I had to push it backwards to give room for the car in front. I took it to Ford and they wanted $3000 for a clutch, they made me pay $210 diagnosis fee at Gene Butman Ford. I was angry. I went to a part store, the part was $245!!! I told Ford this car has been in for recalls with transmission and evaporative system. This is at least the third time for the transmission. It's a 2015, only 115,000 miles on it and it already is a piece of junk. I'm never buying a Ford again. The dealership folk were rude and offered nothing even when I mentioned a recall on the transmission.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 30, 2022
On August 14th at approximately 2 pm my Ford Focus came to a complete stall at the intersection of Seymour Hwy and Brookes Ave in Wichita Falls, Texas. After several failed attempts to restart the vehicle it was pushed into a saver location and towed by Mike's Towing in WF to Quality Lube on Pearlie Drive also in WF. Fuel gauge was sitting at a little over 1/4 tank and panel was reading 78 miles to empty. I ran the VIN and pulled up a recall from 10/22/2018 that Ford neglected to contact me the owner of. The mechanic at Quality Lube would not touch it because of the recall. On August 15th I put gas in and the vehicle started right up, I drove the vehicle from Quality Lube straight to Pruitt Ford (location of purchase) located in Burkburnett, Texas. Left the vehicle and my mother called the next day and explained the problem and dangers improper vacuum through the fuel tank could cause and recall was pulled up. Pruitt Ford failed to run diagnostic to insure their fix actually fixed the issues, stating that they performed the recall and the check engine light was no longer on so they were done on their end. Picked up the vehicle from Pruitt Ford midafternoon on August 18th. August 24th the Check Engine Light came back on, Pruitt Ford was called and stated I would be responsible for $135 to run a diagnostic. I had the code pulled up and it stated P1450 Unable to Bleed Up Fuel Tank Vacuum. Pruitt Ford failed to repair the vehicle to a safe condition. On the 25th the vehicle was taken back to them after being supplied a case number to get the vehicle properly repaired through Ford Motor. CAS-38298302-J2R8C6 This morning I get a call from Pruitt Ford stating that Ford Motor will not honor the recall due to the mileages on the vehicle. This is a 2015 with 65,844 miles on it, there is no mileage limit on a recall and recalls have no expiration date. Ford Motor states it is not a warranty problem therefore the dealership is responsible recall repairs.
Power train, Aug 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH from the driveway, the transmission failed to operate as designed. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
Power train, Aug 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate the vehicle shuddered before operating normally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer for a power train recall on the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired under the recall however, the failure persisted. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty coverage. The approximate failure mileage was 87,415.
Power train, Aug 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was in the driveway, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact related the failure to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 19N08. The vehicle was diagnosed with a transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 11, 2022
Car will not go in reverse and shakes vigorously when shifting gears. We think it is an issue with the transmission. I called multiple ford dealerships as focuses have known transmission issues with these exact symptoms, but they said they cannot take a look for weeks. They have a policy where they will give rental cars for these transmission issues, but they are pretending they are not sure what the issue is and will not take a look for weeks, leaving me without a car for weeks because ford sold me a defective car.
Power train, Engine, Aug 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact towed the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 90,000.
Other or unspecified, Aug 8, 2022
Body control module is bad. Car stalls in the middle of driving and doesn’t start back up for days
Power train, Aug 3, 2022
Transmission occasionally fails to shift into reverse and has issues properly shifting gears automatically. Gear shifting has been a very minor issue for at least 5 years, only happened once. In the past week, the issues mentioned in first sentence has grown progressively worse starting with minor juttering when gears are shifted higher. Reverse issue has started at the start of this week, and the juttering has gotten worse. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request at this time. Vehicle fails to speed up when acceleration is applied for a good while, engine reving into 4000-5000 rpm range before it corrects itself after 5-10 seconds. Acceleration issues may cause collision issues with drivers following. Lack of reverse leaves vehicle requiring to park in ways it can drive forward or roll back out of the parking spot, making parking more dangerous. This system has been a part of a prior recall. Since the recall was supposedly fixed, the system has not been inspected since. The check engine light illuminates from time to time, mainly when the vehicle can't reverse.
Wheels, Aug 3, 2022
When a transmission recall was corrected I was advised that the lug nuts were warping and needed to be replaced. Substandard lug nuts should be covered by the manufacturer
Power train, Aug 2, 2022
The contact's son owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her son was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH independently. The contact did not know whether there was a warning light illuminated. The contact's son drove to the dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the gearbox and the transmission clutch were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering and jerking significantly while driving. The contact stated that while her son was attempting to reverse, he moved the gear shifter into reverse but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
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.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 30, 2022
Car turns off after filling with gas. Does not start properly after refilling tank. If I stop sometimes even in traffic it’ll automatically turn off.