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, Oct 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate from a stationary position, the vehicle experience severe shuddering. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission clutch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the vehicle had been previously serviced under an unknown Extended Service Campaign however, the failure persisted. The failure mileage was 23,000.
Power train, Oct 26, 2023, crash
The car shifted out gear and lunged forward causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle was damaged.
Power train, Oct 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed the vehicle hesitated. The contact stated that the engine revved however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle gradually started to respond and moved forward. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but gradually became more frequent. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Power train, Oct 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, she returned to the vehicle and restarted the vehicle however, after shifting into reverse the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that she shifted into drive and depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The contact researched online and became aware of NHTSA Action Number: RQ23006 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed of an undisclosed recall and advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
Power train, Oct 16, 2023
Transmission/ clutch shifts gears rough. Jerks and rpm all over the place. Clutch slippage.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Oct 16, 2023
So ive bee battling the same tcm issues out of my 2016 ford focus. I have othing now. My car will no longer go into gear at all. So i have spent upwards of 8 to 9 grand over last two years trying tomfix this. This vehicle per customee satifaction progrm in the parameters of 2011 to 2017 ford Focus/Fiesta w/dps6 transmission having tcm issues. To my understsndig this should be replced and reprogrammed one time regardless of the milage. But my VIN doesnt register that my vehiicle is elegible for this recall or program. Please i need help. I am out of options. No vehicle, lost my job bedcause of this and my apartment.
Power train, Oct 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the RPM’s increased at rapid pace however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the TCM had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was then informed by the mechanic that the vehicle was included in Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02. The vehicle was not repaired. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure however, an appointment was unavailable until 2024. The manufacture was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall nor the Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 then advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 104,500.
Power train, Sep 28, 2023
At sixty four thousand miles the clutch began to slip, eventually started smelling and smoking. The clutch pedal gave out and there was no power, which led to pulling over on the highway to get a tow.
Steering, Power train, Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the message "Steering Assist Fault. Service Required" was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would be charged a repair fee. The contact also stated that the hatchback had opened independently while driving and while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that the failure occurred on several occasions. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V698000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Structure). Additionally, the contact stated while driving 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved to 4,000 but the vehicle failed to accelerate. Additionally, the transmission was slipping. The contact stated that the failure recurred increasingly, and the vehicle was downshifting unexpectedly while driving, nearly causing a crash. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to respond while shifting into reverse (R), and while shifting into drive (D). There was no warming light illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Power train, Sep 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 20 MPH and depressing accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle jerked upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond when shifting into reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure could be related to the TCM. The dealer informed the contact that if the failure persisted after replacing the TCM, the transmission would need to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.
Power train, Sep 18, 2023
The automatic transmission/TCM in my vehicle failed and the vehicle experiences clutch shudder It is available for inspection upon request. When I was trying to accelerate the car it began to jerk and was struggling to move while on the road putting me and others in danger until I was able to pull over. The problem with the TCM has been confirmed by a Ford dealer and although there has been a customer satisfaction program that was issued by Ford Motor Company they have yet to properly address the issue only providing a warranty extension on both the TCM and clutch shudder issues. The issues I had prior to failure were slow acceleration but high rpm as I pressed on gas.
Power train, Sep 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speed, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the vehicle was jerking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a code reader determined that the transmission shift solenoid was stuck and needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact linked an unknown recall to failure; however, the local dealer and the manufacturer informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 88,410.
Power train, Sep 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle jerked with the "Transmission Fault" message displayed. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the diagnosis was that the transmission had malfunctioned, and the transmission sensor was reprogrammed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but no failure was found. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the transmission had failed. The transmission module was reprogrammed but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall and advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Power train, Sep 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while pulling out a parking space, there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the clutch and the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the transmission control module was covered; however, the clutch was not covered. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 135,000.
Power train, Sep 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to shift was needed. The contact stated that the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission control module (TCM) and clutch failure. The contact was informed that the TCM and clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the TCM was under recall however, the clutch was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
Power train, Engine, Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. There was an abnormal rumbling noise detected while the vehicle was in first gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the clutch and transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the repair was not covered under warranty. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Power train, Aug 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 10 MPH, the vehicle started to hesitate. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to her destination. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the dual clutch to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the dual clutch to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact towed the vehicle back to the local dealer, and the dual clutch was replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Power train, Aug 17, 2023
While driving at various speeds vehicle would shudder and hesitate to shift. Last vehicle operation while slowing from 50 mph vehicle started jerking and shuddering that followed with a transmission fault code being displayed. Vehicle no longer had reverse or can go past 1 gear. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000 miles, vehcile was towed to dealership and diagnosed with a bad clutch and needed to be replaced. Contacted manufacturer of the issue and was directed to the NHTSA.
Power train, Aug 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, she heard an abnormal sound. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving to her residence. After parking the vehicle, the contact did not notice an issue with the vehicle. The contact stated two days later the vehicle failed to reverse out of the parking spot. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission control module (TCM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Power train, Engine, Aug 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the transmission was shifting gear there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle shook abnormally. The vehicle became unable to shift out of park and felt as though the vehicle was in neutral. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the transmission control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer stated that the failure was related to TSB Number: 14M02 (Power Train) however, the vehicle was out of warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
Power train, Aug 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before shifting to the next gear. The contact stated that the hesitation occurred after stopping and then depressing the accelerator pedal to drive. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact had spoken to an independent mechanic and was provided information on how to reset the transmission control module (TCM). The contact stated that resetting the TCM failed to fix the vehicle. The failure recurred with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact used a handheld code scanner and retrieved DTC code: P2872 (Clutch Stuck in Engaged Position). The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 14M02 TCM - Loss of Transmission Engagement (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Power train, Aug 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the RPM increased dramatically, and the transmission hesitated while the vehicle lost motive power. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined there was a failure with the automatic clutch in the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Power train, Aug 2, 2023
My car has hesitation, and stalling or inability to accelerate, this isn't safe!!! and I cant sink money into something that is a manufacturer issue and i know that they deny that there was a manufacturer issue in the focus hatchbacks for the longest time...
Power train, Jul 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle hesitated and shuddered abnormally. Additionally, on several occasions the vehicle would not immediately start. The vehicle also failed to reverse as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission clutch assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Power train, Engine, Jul 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a whining sound coming from the transmission with the "Transmission Fault" message displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. Additionally, the vehicle had experienced an oil leak and was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the chain gasket was faulty and needed to be replaced. The chain gasket was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 159,000.