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.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 3, 2024
It was mainly the clutch, apparently, but the work order includes a lot more. Yes, it is available for inspection. The car was difficult to control. It was slipping and was having trouble getting into gear. I was driving on a winding mountainess road, parts of it are along a cliff with a reservoir/lake below. Just my usual drive to work here in the Sierras. It go's without saying that others were put at risk since the car was difficult to handle. Yes, the car needs a new clutch and other stuff to the tune of $5,000 up. The car has less than 80,000 miles on it and has had two transmission replacements and a prior clutch replaced a little over a year and a half ago. I was unaware of these prior problems as the car was purchased by me one year and a month ago. The Ford Corporation was part of a class action suit and it was settled a few years ago, unfortunately, I did not own this 2015 Ford Focus at the time. No, the car has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representative. But, yes, by a Ford Dealership mechanic here in Sonora, California. The extended warranty for the clutch has expired on this car not that long ago. The extended warranty for the transmission has not expired. I wonder if the problem is the transmission since the transmission light came on but then I would'nt have to pay them anything. The independant garages around here won't work on this car. The first time the car engine light came on the car died. I went to the nearest repair shop and they put in a new battery but that was not the problem. So, the next day I'm driving to work on the winding mountainous road and a light came on, it said transmission overheating.
Steering, Electrical system, Aug 3, 2024
UNKNOWN. Power steering assist fault message appeared. After driving the car on the road and stopping to fuel up and turning off the car the error message appeared. The power steering was not working making the steering wheel hard to turn. No warnings or errors prior and as well no error codes found via OBD reader. Safety was put at risk as I was not able to turn the wheel when trying to take off after stopping. Several people have complained online already about this same issue.
Power train, Aug 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch and transmission assembly. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was included but already repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 34,000.
Power train, Jul 30, 2024
Transmission jerks, jumps, skips, etc., I was scared when trying to accelerate while trying to pass other people, car felt like it was giving out on me, there where no warning lamps, until after the first encounter, and that's when it first appeared...
Power train, Jul 29, 2024
The transmission clutch failed. The parts were taken by CrossRoads Ford of Henderson, NC. I did not make a claim on my insurance, I was told initially that this was a recalled part. I did not make a police report and I don't know if the manufacturer was alerted to this problem from my car. After the repair was done, I had to pay for the repair since the person at the dealer said that the codes it was recording were not for the parts that were under warranty for the transmission. My safety and that of my children were at risk, as the transmission was not permitting the forward gears to engage out of low, and we were driving in city traffic. I was almost rear-ended several times and had to try to find places to pull off the street so that I didn't get hit by the car behind me. The reverse gear was also not working at all. I did not have any warning lights come on to warn me of this problem.
Power train, Jul 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered, hesitated to respond, and the transmission was slipping. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving, and the vehicle jolted while shifting to first and second gear. The contact stated that the failure recurred increasingly while driving 30-65 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle was significantly sluggish while depressing the accelerator pedal and decelerated unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission fluid was replaced. Additionally, the dealer recommended the transmission clutch replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond while shifting to drive(D) and to reverse(R). The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had become undrivable. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 19N08. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Power train, Jul 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the message "Transmission Overheating" was displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission clutch forks was stuck, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Power train, Jul 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after placing the vehicle in drive and beginning to slowly accelerate out of a parking space, the vehicle started going backwards. The contact immediately turned the vehicle off and coasted back into the parking space. An on looker had the contact restart the vehicle and drive to see if the vehicle functioned properly; however, the failure reoccurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the VIN was included in an unknown recall; however, the recall repair was already performed; however, approximately a year later the failure recurred. The contact stated that the check oil and another unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was shifted to park(P); after waiting for approximately one hour, the vehicle was restarted without an immediate failure. However, while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle started vibrating abnormally and unexpected went into reverse. The vehicle was turned off and the contact coasted into a nearby gas station where an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the oil was contaminated with water. The mechanic was unable to check the transmission. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The dealer sent a technician to inspect the vehicle and it was confirmed that the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The technician was unable to duplicate the transmission failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Engine, Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking abnormally. The contact stated that the engine power was reduced. Additionally, the contact stated that while making a turn, the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with clutch failure. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the clutch had previously been replaced twice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown,
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 15, 2024
Clutch was replaced already 1 time now it’s bad again also the tmi was replaced 2 times since I’ve had the car it has 126000 miles
Power train, Jul 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while accelerating at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated, shuddered, and jerked. The contact stated that the wheels locked up while accelerating. The vehicle failed to shift into gear. While driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shut off. There was an abnormal growling sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that an unknown sensor needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 74,239.
Power train, Jul 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle jerked and occasionally the vehicle could not be shifted out of park. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 131,205.
Power train, Engine, Jul 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. Additionally, while shifting the gear shifter, there was a delay before the shifter would move to the desired position. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch had failed. The clutch was replaced. After having the vehicle repaired, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the engine revved; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and failed to exceed 2 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the transmission failure was confirmed. The dealer had stated the transmission and the clutch might need to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.
Engine, Jul 9, 2024
Clutch issue. When the automatic transmission shifts between 1st and 2nd gear and then 3rd and 4th gear, the vehicle pauses and revs at very high rpm's. When placing the gear shifter into reverse gear the vehicle, at times, does not go into gear and stays still without reversing. After further research, I found documentation related to the Ford PowerShift Transmission Settlement which my 2015 Ford Focus is included in.
Power train, Jul 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the Transmission Control Module (TCM). The contact was informed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact's daughter stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence and diagnosed the vehicle as a failure with the clutch. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 79,502.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 8, 2024
This car has had repeated issues rough idle after fueling for years. Replacing the oxygen sensor did not resolve the problem. The dealer resetting the car's computer did not resolve the problem. I recently had to replace the canister purge valve (CPV) after the car began stalling after fueling. This resolved the idle issue. I noticed Ford recalled CPVs on Ford Focuses built in Michigan (as mine was) between 2012-2018 (GDI) and before 2017 (GTDI); however, my car was excluded from this recall. Can you please investigate to determine if there are additional vehicles which also received defective parts for which the cost to replace them should be covered? Thank you.
Power train, Jul 7, 2024
I was driving in the city and my car did the transmission clutch shudder so bad I almost got t boned I have 120k miles on it and I think ford should have to find a better replacement fix to fix it right I had it already in there for a year just waiting on a part for the transmission now this
Power train, Jul 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shifted erratically, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Jun 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the clutch assembly. The contact was informed that the clutch assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Jun 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started shuddering while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.
Engine, Jun 24, 2024
I recently took my car to the dealership for a recall or what they are calling an extended warranty (19N08 Transmission Clutch Shudder- Transmission Clutch Warranty Extension). Unfortunately, my car does have the recall/extended warranty issue. The issue is it is outside the 7 years of 100,000 miles warranty. I have called Ford and opened a case # with them. I am begging you guys to extend this warranty to 10 years or 150,000 miles. I am a single parent and this is my [XXX] son's car. We bought it at 103,000 miles. The older gentleman we bought it from told us about the shuttering, but he did not realize that the shuttering was due to a recall. Please extend this warranty/recall parameters as from my research others are having the same issue still. Thank you for your time!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Jun 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle had the message "Starting Fault System" displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the instrument panel had completely failed. The contact stated that while at a stop sign, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the intersection, and had to be manually pushed into a parking lot. After several attempts, the vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 156,970.
Power train, Jun 18, 2024
1.Clutch shudders and hesitates on acceleration 2. safe driving requires non hesitation when accelerating 3. yes the dealer confirmed 4. Dealership has inspected, recommends replacement of clutch on automatic transmission at 27,000 miles 5. no warnings indicated, car has been regularly serviced by the dealership From what I am reading, this is a common problem and a design flaw per the dealership
Steering, Jun 13, 2024
Now making a loud winding noise when I drive and turn.
Power train, Jun 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that there was hesitation or lagging while attempting to accelerate at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch had failed. The clutch was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 92,000.