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.
Power train, Feb 9, 2022
While returning from vacation, my transmission failed with only a displayed message that the transmission was hot and to stop for 5 minutes. I immediately pulled off the highway and parked the car for 15 minutes. The message cleared and I proceeded to drive about another 15 miles and the car lost power to the transmission while in traffic on the interstate. I had to make a lane change and pull off the road. Fortunately I was close to a vehicle repair facility so I drifted to the facility. They immediately evaluated the problem and I was told the transmission had completely failed, which apparently is an issue that Ford was aware of during manufacture. This failure could have caused a crash because I had to switch lanes with perfect timing to prevent an accident. The repair facility contacted a Ford Technician about a mile away who came and tested/evaluated the transmission and confirmed that it had a total failure. From the first warning message until the complete failure was within a ten minute period after allowing the first warning message to clear from the 15 minute cooling period. I am still waiting on parts and repair bills as of 02/09/2022. They will be forwarded as received. This will be the 3rd transmission installed on this vehicle.
Steering, Feb 1, 2022
I was driving home from work when I got a "steering fault" notification, followed by very limited control over my vehicle's steering system. I was going between 55-65 miles, as I was on an expressway, and came very close to colliding with other vehicles on multiple occasions. I was able to make it home and then when I went to drive it to the shop for repairs, I received the "steering loss" notification and I could no longer move my vehicle. There are quite a few noted complaints about Ford's power steering assist failing with the Focus and many other models.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 27, 2022
Vehicle looses all power while driving on freeway. Gas guage inaccurate, after filling gas and driving 150 miles it is out of gas without warning and will loose power under any operating condition. This has happened numerous times.
Steering, Jan 23, 2022
I started to notice a rubbing sound when I would turn the steering wheel. I also noticed when I turned the wheel to the right, there was a slight hesitating resistance. A week later, I was going down the highway about 70 mph, when a warning message popped up “power steering fault”. At that moment, the steering completely lost power and it was difficult to steer. Going at that speed on a busy highway was very dangerous. Without any power steering, in heavy traffic, I had to manually steer my way from the speed lane to the right outer lane to take the exit. I had to cancel mission, turn around and go back home, hoping to get back safely. I was put at risk and so were other folks on the road, that day. I haven't taken my car for repair yet.
Steering, Jan 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. Four years ago, the contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, excessive force was needed to steer his vehicle without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the rack and pinion were replaced. Recently, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal creaking noise would emit from the power steering without warning. The vehicle was towed to Woody Sander Ford (235 W Mitchell Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45232) and he was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle; the contact was then referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 4, 2022
Check engine light went on 2 minutes later a notification came on dash saying transmission hot safety pull over for 5 mins. Sat there for an hour scared to drive it cause I didn't want to make worse. When I went to drive home it struggles shifting into 1st and not even 3 mins after it shakes into 2nd gear it notifies me that transmission is hot to pull over. I will not drive it afraid it could catch fire and won't shift Car in a shopping plaza waiting to tow to house. Called 2 shops in Canton Ohio and they both said not a shop in town would touch the dual clutch transmission to take it to ford.
Steering, Dec 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the power steering assist failed, and the steering wheel locked up. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with electric power steering module failure. The electric power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 22, 2021
My 2015 ford focus has continually stopped in traffic causing a safety risk to other drivers and myself. I've taken it in for recalls and repairs but the problem still exists. The front rail hp switch was replaced and the hp fuel pump was replaced too. I'm afraid for people and my life. I have googled the problem and I see thousands of people have the same problem and can't get it fixed without dumping thousands of dollars into it. This has gone too far. I need help. Please. I'm old and not rich.
Power train, Dec 14, 2021
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY part of Ford recall. This vehicle had CLUTCH ASSEMBLY recall repair in 2017, 2018, 2019. I purchhased in Jan 2019 & NO info regarding ongoing SAFETY issue of this CLUTH ASSEMBLY failure was ever disclosed to me by dealership, King's Ford Cincinnati, Ohio! I now am told it needs the 4TH repacement of CLUTCH ASSEMBLY @ the cost to me of over $1800.00!. This is a total failure on Ford Company & the dealership that sold me this car without disclosure! I am on a fixed income, senior citizen with an active life to live and should not have to endure the cost or more importantly the SAFETY ISSUE on this vehicle.
Power train, Dec 12, 2021
We have brought the vehicle in twice to the dealership, once at 30k miles and another at 64k miles for a clutch replacement in the automatic transmission due to shuddering. It is now at 88k miles and the clutch is shuddering again. Ford reuses to fix the problem even though this is the third instance of this issue occuring. This shuddering makes merging unsafe as the vehicle hesitates and the car jerks back and forth. It extreme cases, it causes motion sickness to the passengers. Shuddering takes place up to third gear which does not help the driver concentrate and negotiate traffic if the car is shaking or jerking back and forth. There is a constant fear that the vehicle will just fail in the middle of traffic and we will be stranded. No illuminated lamps on the dash board to indicate a potential code. As stated before this vehicle has been brought to Ford twice already and the part they replaced keeps failing at roughly every 30k miles. We have tried to work with Ford to have them fix the problem but instead of replacing the faulty part they now want to charge us $2500 dollars. Why does the transmission seem to fail at every 30k miles? The dealership does not return our calls: we have called roughly 10 times and left messages. When calling Ford directly they state we have to bring it to the dealership, the same dealership which does not return our calls. Having a component in the transmission that makes it unsafe to drive is unacceptable. What makes it even more unacceptable is the fact that Ford has replaced this part 2 times already and it is failing again just 30k miles later, but now it somehow is not covered under the part warranty.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Dec 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the engine would stall while idling causing the driver to restart the engine while in traffic. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer who performed a reprogramming of the powertrain control module under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). Approximately one week later the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer who diagnosed that the canister purge valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact was told that the repair cost was not covered under the recall although the failure and the failure part was listed in the recall that was previously serviced the week before. The manufacturer was then contacted regarding the failure but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 92,800.
Other or unspecified, Nov 29, 2021
I financed this car with Wii Auto in Arizona , I have had work done multiple times trying to fix the problem and nothing Wii auto mechanic or Ford dealership can figure out the problem. Every time I get my car out the shop and spending all this money “to fix the problem” my car does the same thing. My car will shut off while I’m driving because it thinks it’s over heating. I’ve had my battery replaced, fuel pumps/modules replaced, coolant tank replaced, everything they can thing of. I haven’t drove my car in months and I’m still making payments because when I try and talk to the dealership they basically say oh well, the car in my eyes was sold to me as a lemon my car has been in the shop more times than I can think. I have all the paperwork and I feel so helpless because every time I try and talk to Wii Auto they just brush me off like it’s not a major problem. I almost lost my life in this car because it shut off while I was driving in the freeway. I’ve even gotten loaner cars from this dealership when they were “working on my car” and they’ve done the same things like shut off on me or even almost cost me my life because the back tires were literally coming off the car. I’m in need of help. I’m tired of making payments on a car I haven’t even got to drive. I had to literally go and financed a whole Different car from a different dealership because Wii Auto won’t help.
Power train, Nov 21, 2021
I have read multiple reports on ford focus from 2012 and newer having the same issue as me. I was driving one day and the car started to rev, shake and drastically slowed down then the check engine light came on as I was almost rear ended. I took an obd reader and got code P07A5 came back to transmission friction element B stuck on. I Have found I’m not the only one with this issue I feel ford should be responsible to fix this problem before someone gets hurt or killed from the car just at random not wanting to go and shake violently. My car only has 89,000 miles for a 2015 it shouldn’t be having this kind of problem already.
Power train, Nov 9, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the "Brake fluid level low" warning message was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with transmission control module failure. The mechanic informed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for repair. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the dealer informed the contact that it would be 2–3 days before the vehicle could be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired and was towed to the contact's residence. The contact also contacted another dealer, Dick Smith Ford (9505 E State Route 350, Raytown, MO 64133). The dealer informed the contact that the transmission control module was on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,900.
Power train, Nov 4, 2021
Loss of power to transmission, extended warranty not honored on repair
Power train, Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-45 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled temporarily. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving uphill and while driving at slower speeds. The contact stated that the vehicle would also hesitate to respond when accelerating from a complete stop. The contact stated he received an unknown recall notification from the manufacturer for transmission control module failure however, the dealer informed the contact that the parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000. Parts distribution disconnect
Power train, Nov 1, 2021
A message keeps coming up on my car saying that the Transmission is over heating and my car is will stall out and stop driving
Power train, Oct 12, 2021
Transmission stopped working after overheating of engine. Clutch stopped working as well.
Other or unspecified, Oct 5, 2021
The door latch on my driver side rear door just stopped working and it won’t shut at all.
Other or unspecified, Sep 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that she had discovered that her vehicle had been placed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact took the vehicle to a dealer; however, upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving home at 35 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had illuminated the instrument panel and that the vehicle eventually restarted after multiple attempts. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was made to have the vehicle serviced. The failure persisted and the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer. Once the vehicle was back in the possession of the dealer, they informed her that due to the size of the fuel tank, they could not repair the vehicle. The contact was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 66,844.
Back over prevention, Sep 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while reversing out of her driveway, the “Contact Dealership” appeared on the rearview camera of the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist as the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rearview camera module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.
Steering, Sep 16, 2021
The steering assist on on our 2015 Ford Focus failed at 35,000 miles as I was backing out of the driveway. The steering fault was indicated on the dashboard and the car became very difficult to steer. Had I been driving on the street or expressway this very well could have resulted in a serious or even fatal accident. I checked with the dealer to see if a Ford safety recall had been issued. There was no safety recall on this year Focus. Sure seems like Ford should issue a safety recall regarding this issue since there is one for the 2014 Ford Focus and other Ford cars. It is the same steering assist unit. The car was undrivable, of course, and the local authorized Ford dealer charged me $2,470 to replace the steering gear. It was in the shop for more than a week. My wife and I are retired on a fixed income and an unexpected $2,470 expense is devastating to us. We bought this car hoping to keep it forever and save money along the way. After dealing with the defective transmission, sync that doesn't, radio and brake repairs we see now this was a big mistake. My grandfather built Model Ts in Detroit and both of my parents were Ford employees in Dearborn their entire adult life. We have always been a Ford family. I will never buy another Ford.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Sep 14, 2021
While driving to work, my transmission started to slip. On the freeway, if I pressed the gas pedal, my car would NOT go faster. Instead, my engine would rev to almost redline and my car would continue to coast, but loose momentum. Once the transmission downshifted to a lower gear, then the transmission would begin to work. Once I got into the City, I almost rear ended someone when the transmission surged. I was pushing the gas through an intersection, and suddenly my car lurched forward, the tires squealed, etc. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid slamming into the car in front of me.
Electrical system, Sep 9, 2021
My car shut off randomly in the middle of lane and on the highway too. My car show "system fault". Didn't start until I put a new battery. The next day it happened again it show again "system fault". So I change a wire sensor that connects to the battery. It work then while you are driving it stop or when you are parked too. I really don't want to drive I'm afraid I get into a accident while on the road.
Other or unspecified, Sep 4, 2021
The vehicle is slow to move when put into gear, (or from a stopped position on the road), and then suddenly lurches forward. This has been reported to several FORD car care centers but they do nothing about it and expect the driver to "adapt" to the way the car handles. This can cause an accident when making a turn from a stop because there is no acceptable predictability of it happening.