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: power train
677 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Sep 2, 2021
Driving down the road when the transmission clutch suddenly stopped shifting, and it felt like it slammed on the brakes, when it didn't shift. Took it to ford they said their is a recall on that part but not for my vehicle. I contacted ford.com and they said the same thing.
Power train, Sep 1, 2021
my car has 47,000 miles and the transmission went bad. the transmission does not shift to the first gear or 3 gear. according to local mechanic
Power train, Aug 30, 2021
The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic did not diagnose nor repair the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and diagnosed as transmission control module (TCM) failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer for 10 weeks, awaiting the transmission control module part. The contact stated that the manufacturer had mailed a notification for the extended warranty up to 150,000 miles for the transmission control module. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and had the vehicle towed to the dealer and informed the contact's son that they were working on getting the TCM part to the dealer. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Aug 27, 2021
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle made hard downshifts upon the depression of the brake pedal. As the failure worsened, the contact was notified by his daughter of the failure. Upon restart of the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated the instrument panel. The contact informed his daughter to take the vehicle to an independent mechanic for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The scanner retrieved a transmission failure. The following day, the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the double-clutch transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred him to NHTSA. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 29,146.
Power train, Aug 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle hesitated and failed to shift gears properly. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the RPM revved up to approximately 2,000 to 3,000 RPM and then back down to 2,000 RPM. The contact spoke with the dealer and was informed that the failure might be caused by the clutch actuator motor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was made aware of a Customer Satisfaction program however, the vehicle was not included. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 14, 2021
The transmission slips and jerks at 4000 rpm's from acceleration and transmission does not go into reverse sometimes and over heats after 2 minutes of driving. It's available to be looked at. The car would not accelerate in the middle of driving on the highway. Just revs over 5000 rpm's. I took it to a transmission shop and they said it was the clutch which was going to be $3,000 to fix. My husband and my children have to experience the whiplash it gives you from the hard shifting. Also have to push it backward in neutral just to go anywhere because it has no reverse most of the time. There is a warning message on the dash that says transmission overheating wait 5 minutes and the check engine light is always on. They first appeared at 87,000 miles and it is horrible on gas I need to pay 20 dollars every 2 days just to go to work and back which I'm only work 15 minutes away. I have called my dealer no call back. I have called ford no call back. I even called the warranty place cause they sent me a notice and they said to call my dealer but they never called back
Power train, Aug 10, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph, the contact noticed that the transmission was not operating smoothly causing the vehicle to lunge forward while shifting gears. The service transmission now warning light was illuminated. The clutch eventually failed. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed that the clutch and shift release forks needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Power train, Aug 10, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to reverse with the gear shifter placed in the reverse position. The contact also stated that the vehicle would jerk and stall upon acceleration with several warning lights and messages on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed her that transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure and informed her that the Vin was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 18V845000 (Power Train). Both the dealer and the manufacturer referred her to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Power train, Aug 7, 2021
This a update from my first complaint on 03/18/2021 with Tracking # 11403675.Since than the The shutter in the Transmission is still there and the rpm will hit at 4000 before it shift in first gear.so i bring to the dealer on 05/04/21 for this problem. they told me there was no problem with my car because they could duplicate the problem with the transmission. so i leave the dealer unhappy drive home stop at a red light it turns green I step on the gas and it stated to shutter again. PLEASE HELP. Thank you
Power train, Aug 6, 2021
I have never had a problem with this car. It was running fine and just shut off completely driving on the freeway. It was jump started to restart. No check engine lights and temperature was good. I had the battery and alternator tested and they were good. It happened several times trying to get home. It would start right up after sitting for about 10 min. The left hazards are the only ones that work when this happens, nothing on the right side.
Power train, Jul 30, 2021
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 10 mph, she heard an abnormal sound and the vehicle seemed as if it was not in gear. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission had failed, and the clutch actuator motor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the dealer informed the contact they could not diagnose the vehicle because the vehicle was not covered under the customer satisfaction program. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage 70,000.
Power train, Jul 27, 2021
The upper management of Ford at the time should be ashamed of themselves for seriously damaging the reliability reputation of the Ford Focus between the model years of particularly 2012 to 2016 by introducing into the setup a dry dual clutch transmission that they did not already have a quality backup plan to just in case the complaints started piling up about the supposed manual feel of the transmission. The drive-ability of the 2016 Ford Focus SE HB I make payments on is at best a D level experience. I, too, am plagued by the regular occurrence of the shuddering between the 1st and 2nd gear along with the spiking RPMs that follow immediately after when the shuddering transpires. It seems almost as if the 2nd gear is coming in on the 1st a little too soon, which would factor in an obvious failed effort on transmission calibration. In general, the shifting performance is unnerving and quite embarrassing when you have passengers. If you are like me and have one of these vehicles with this transmission type, good luck on getting a true fix in this Power-Shift setup. It is possible to improve the driving conditions with third party tuning if your strategy will pair with the tuning device (another issue of discussion for Ford); otherwise, one needs a complete, conventional transmission installed in hopes of getting rid of this issue in its entirety if an automatic transmission is your preferred preference. In summary, the Ford Focus SE I have is the 2.0. liter, and it appears that Ford has discreetly excluded this liter from the recall, warranty work in general. In other words, you will likely have an incredible hard time getting a Ford dealership to acknowledge the problem or replace your clutches unless you pay for it. To fully remedy this situation, Ford should be required to buyback all of these poorly calibrated transmission cars from current owners and those still for sale on the American market.
Power train, Jul 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 mph, the accelerator pedal was difficult to depress. In addition, the contact noticed that there was an error message warning stating that the transmission was hot. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was pushed to be moved however, the steering wheel and brake pedal had ceased operating. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Power train, Jul 21, 2021
I'm the very last owner of this car/vin. It is black ford focus 2016 SE. I had purchased this vehicle on November 23rd, 2020. I didn't have the car for a whole year. just recently the car(SAT July 3rd,2021)transmission light came on after I got an oil change. next day the car started to jerk as you accelerate, That same day the transmission started to over heat. Now mind you the dashboard informed me about it, but also says to pull over for exactly 5 mins for to cool down. I had to travel across town to get home, mind you it takes 15 to 20 mins, it literally took me 45 to get home. Since Day one I've kept up with my car. Even my mechanic (who also work at Koons Ford) told me this would be on going problem and get rid of it. I tried to search for other options as well. I only work from this car and go home.
Power train, Jul 18, 2021
Defective transmission
Power train, Jul 14, 2021
a dealer repaired my transmission under warranty. several months ago, first was slipping again. i called to schedule an appointment in March of 2021. Due to COVID, they stated and shows clearly on their website to date, they could not get my vehicle in until July. At the July appintment, the Clutch assembly needs to be replaced. the warranty expired one month previous, and it is now 1,500 miles over warranty. i believe they should repair the vehicle. it is not the first time for this issue on these vehicles
Power train, Jul 10, 2021
On at least 5 previous instances (3 instances in which the vehicle was taken to and checked by my local Ford Dealership), the vehicles automatic transmission would cease to shift into or out of a gear(s) suddenly during normal driving operations. This would lead to rapid declaration, often times in moderate or greater traffic causing hazardous conditions to both myself and passengers and/or other vehicles and their passengers. The hazard was of possible collision as the vehicle did not perform at the speed of traffic. Additional hazard and safety issue, was during these events, the vehicle would enter a "neutral" gear position and although the accelerator was depressed, their was NO torque to the drive train, this would also either decelerate the vehicle rapidly or in the event of cornering, increase the speed instantly during the cornering turn (because of the lack of downshift torque to the drive train)...on one instance I was unable to control the turn speed quickly enough and the vehicle entered the shoulder of the turn before I was able to regain positive control of the vehicle. Although Ford has a Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) extending the warranties for the transmission clutch and TCM, it appears that Ford Service Dealers are extremely hesitant to perform the warranty service. To that end, I have taken my vehicle to local Ford dealer with the transmission shudder conditions complaint, and each time they claim their diagnostics were not able to replicate my issue. All these service appts were while vehicle was under the warranty in miles and months. Then, this last week the vehicle had the same instances happen while on the freeway (all previous episodes had been on surface city streets), and it was a very dangerous situation with at least 2 vehicles taking evasive action to avoid rear-ending my vehicle as it decelerated rapidly. I pulled over and vehicle was towed to Ford service, where they say the clutch is worn, as is the TCM.
Power train, Jun 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the clutch assembly had malfunctioned while driving in first and 2nd gear causing a grinding noise to be present and the vehicle would not properly accelerate from a standing start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the clutch assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,000.
Power train, Jun 13, 2021
This car is on it 3rd set of clutches and a Tcm reflash .we have not even had this car for a year yet and now it’s going into the dealer ship again for the same clutch problem. This Thursday. This car is not safe to drive and the dealer ship will not by car back I’m hoping someone can help me with this complaint thanks for your time
Power train, Jun 3, 2021
There is two recalls on my ford focus. The clutch and the transmission. Town and country ford have fixed the clutch 4 times and it stills continues to break. The transmission recall they told me they cannot fix but it is affecting my driving as my car stalls and shudders and cannot drive past 45 mph. They refuse to put me into a rental and they tell me there is nothing they can do to fix it. If this problem does not get fixed it will continue to get worse and eventually cause other problems.
Power train, May 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped with the gear shifter in drive and brake pedal depressed, the vehicle reversed inadvertently. The vehicle also jerked while driving at various speeds, and stalled. The vehicle failed to start intermittently. The transmission overheat warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was over the warranty coverage period. The dealer stated that all vehicles jerked like that after a while. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,747.
Power train, May 26, 2021
The clutches in the transmission are shot and nearly fused and the car will need a new transmission as there are no other solutions to remedy the problem after 2 days of diagnostics. I purchased this vehicle from a major dealership used and assured it was mechanically cleared by Service department. According to code reader at transmission shop, it has been throwing codes for a while and was cleared by dealership. I have owned this vehicle for 60 days and paid cash for it. transmission mechanic says this problem has been going on for a while. I am currently starting litigation proceedings with the dealership but upon more investigating, this issue is a KNOWN issue with the 2016 Ford Focus so I am not sure WHY the VIN is saying no recalls.
Power train, May 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 15 mph, the gear shifter would not shift into second gear from first gear. The engine revved however, the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the clutch actuator and the clutch were replaced however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall and referred the contact to NHTSA to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 71,000.
Power train, May 3, 2021
THE CAR IS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET AND A HIGHWAY AND YOU CAN HEAR A SLIGHT GRINDING SOUND WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED AND THE CAR IS COASTING. THE MECHANIC SAYS THAT IT'S THE CLUTCH BEARING THAT IS FAILING AND THAT IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH FORD FOCUS'S HOWEVER THE CAR'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.
Power train, Apr 30, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE (ON TAKING OFF) DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 10 MPH OR LESS, THE VEHICLE JERKED LIKE A VEHICLE DOWN SHIFTING INTO 1ST GEAR. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SARCHIONE FORD LINCOLN OF ALLIANCE (2480 W STATE ST, ALLIANCE, OH 44601) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING CLUTCH AND BEARINGS TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V845000 (POWER TRAIN) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE BUT OFFERED NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 67,000. CONSUMER STATED WHILE TEST DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH TRANSMISSION BECAUSE VEHICLE STARTED JUMPING.*JB