2016 Ford Focus
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 1,192 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 19 Focus model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 27 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 24 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 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. 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 blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in October 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.
Campaign 26V012000 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
Engine and engine cooling, engine, oil/lubrication, pumpDec 22, 2023
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.
A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt, free of charge. If engine failure occurs due to a damaged oil pump belt and/or oil pump belt tensioner, Ford has authorized dealers to replace the engine assembly as an interim repair before the availability of remedy parts for the final repair. This repair will be free of charge (parts and labor). Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S64.
Campaign 23V905000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, manual transmissionNov 28, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. 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 vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07. Note: This recall is an expansion of Recall 18V-169.
Campaign 18V845000 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
Structure, bodyJan 24, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Focus and C-Max vehicles. The floor pan may have improperly welded left-hand apron joints.
Improperly welded apron joints may reduce the front-end structural integrity of the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the apron joints, repairing the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 8, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S03.
Campaign 17V052000 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
Representative owner complaints: engine
284 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 109,420.
Power train, Engine, May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle jerked until shifting into gear. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was advised that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 25, 2025
Check engine light illuminated followed by unresponsive throttle. Pulled over and the car immediately stalled. Would not restart. Came back with code P1450. There's an open recall for that exact code for 2015-2018 focus, however the 1.0L supposedly "not affected" so my vehicle is not eligible.
Power train, Engine, Apr 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into second gear while driving. The contact stated there was an abnormal grinding sound while turning the steering wheel. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10-50 MPH, the vehicle began to slow down and kick back. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission control module, purge valve, and power control module failure, and a software reprogramming was needed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who replaced the transmission. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 15,060.
Engine, Apr 24, 2025
Notes from the Ford dealer: Oil pump belt tensioner failed causing oil pump belt to slip and starve engine for oil. Turbo was also starved of oil. Long block and turbo were replaced. This seems to be the same issue that is included in a current recall but it does not extend to all affected vehicles. Reference NHTSA# 23V905. Ford recall 23S64.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the engine and heard metal parts from the engine detach from the vehicle and fall onto the road. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and the vehicle lost braking power and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact exited the vehicle to inspect the vehicle and saw oil on the ground coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to call NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 20, 2025
I am dealing with a dual clutch going bad the car is stalling hesitating and loosing power very dangerous to drive. Also i just replaced transmission without finding any help from ford even there was a recall now my dual clutch is going on and there was a recall i never got to be apart of when i first got the car in 2015. I need help please point in the direction i feel like ford should fixed this buy the car back
Engine, Mar 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer had made the contact aware of an undisclosed recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 17, 2025
I was driving the speed limit at 65 MPH down a steep hill, I felt something "drop" and then the oil lamp and "Engine Fault Error" displayed. I was unable to drive faster than 30 mph. I was fortunate that no one was following close behind. I had to put on my hazards and drive half a mile more to find a safe place to pull off the road. I had to have my vehicle towed 60 miles to the nearest mechanic. I was informed that the problem was related to a known recall, but there are no parts to fix the problem and it will be months until they do. My vehicle cannot be driven and is sitting at the dealership until it can be repaired and they cannot tell me when that will be.
Power train, Engine, Feb 16, 2025
2016—2022 Ford EcoSport and Focus 1.0L Engine--- My car is experiencing the same issue as the Automatic transmission. The car is not listed on the Oil Pump Failure Recall on the Ford Website as it shows that it applies to automatic transmission, and doesn't mentioned manual transmission. Both transmission carry the same issue as it's an engine design flaw and not a transmission related issue. The car experienced a bad idle that results to lost of power and Oil light went on as I drove it to the Mechanic shop. Currently there's no parts available and ford website the part is back ordered. The reference number is 23S64 for the current recall of the 1.0L engines. Please see reference below. I've contacted Ford support about the issue and was informed to report the issue here. Website for reference: [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 75 MPH, the vehicle stalled, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact proceeded to stop the vehicle and park on the side of the highway to turn off and restart the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was probably linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact was informed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
Power train, Engine, Feb 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to continue to drive. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 11 MPH. The vehicle failed to move. The contact turned off the vehicle and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact's neighbor pushed the vehicle into a parking spot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V523000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The mechanic used a scanner and retrieved DTC: P2837 and P287B. The vehicle failed to reverse. The mechanic informed the contact that the transmission control module had failed. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed there was no recall coverage on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 57,255.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 3, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Engine, Jan 25, 2025
My car is has engine hesitation and runs rough. I have a recall call letter and the Ford dealership Ken Grody Carlsbad, Ca refused to fix the recall because it is not giving the code but I’m having issues with it.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test showed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 96,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at 30-50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, and the engine seized. The contact stated that the engine fault message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the contact then decided to tow the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with turbo module failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred twice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his wife was driving on the expressway at approximately 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The driver turned on the hazard lights. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump belt had failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 102,987.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); but the VIN was not included. 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 150,000.
Steering, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 26, 2024
Stearing went out and car would not start after filling tank with gas
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available
Engine, Dec 4, 2024
Engine is misfiring, lack of power, stallign out, barely made it home could of been a really bad accident.now engine is still running terrible, throwing multiple codes and blowing white smoke which we all know is a head gasket issue.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud bagging sound that became worse while the brake pedal was depressed. In addition, the contact stated that white smoke was coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with water pump and serpentine belt failure. The contact was informed that the serpentine belt and the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Power train, Engine, Nov 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shifting rough. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. While restarting the vehicle, the check engine and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The "Transmission Overheating, Stop Safely" message was displayed while driving. The contact pulled over again and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart immediately and was started on the third attempt. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Power train, Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and then towed to a certified mechanic. The contact believed that the mechanic had diagnosed a failure within the transmission and had completed a repair to the transmission; however, the contact was unaware of what parts were replaced. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired, the vehicle started hesitating and there was an abnormal revving noise coming from the engine compartment while accelerating. The contact would depress the accelerator a second time to accelerate as intended. The failure was intermittent. The message that the engine was overheating was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the fuel pump had failed. The contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The recall repair was completed, and the fuel pump was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed a failure with the water pump and the water pump was replaced. The mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the transmission failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer had referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 47,000.