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
1,192 reports, newest first.
Power train, Nov 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact while driving 20 MPH, the transmission was skipping gear. The contact stated that the transmission shifted from 1st gear to 3rd gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the TCM had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 25, 2023
Bought brand new off stevens creek ford frontier, after just 45,000 miles it showed serious transmission issues. At first it would stall and pop up a transmission overheat warning and it would jolt when just trying to step on gas lightly. I brought it in to the dealer service and they said it needed a new clutch and once I got it back it doesn’t start unless I have it in neutral and doesn’t backup. The car is extremely unsafe and stalls on the freeway in front of other cars
Power train, Nov 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while running errands, after returning to the parked vehicle, she was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact shifted the vehicle into neutral(N) and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking while shifting gear. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission clutches had frozen or engaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 TCM reprograming (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Nov 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, he observed that the vehicle was idling abnormally rough. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and seemed to hesitate while shifting between gears. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the canister purge valve was stuck in the open position. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Nov 21, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission suddenly stopped shifting correctly resulting in a sudden loss of power, a lugging of the engine, and almost cause of an accident. Specific components have been diagnosed by Crest ford in centerline. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Without proper shifting the car would often sit in idle while deciding on a gear, leading to dangerous turns and acceleration from stop lights Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Crest Ford of centerline Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Dealership Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, started out of the blue
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Nov 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the passenger’ side rear wheel bearing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Power train, Nov 17, 2023
Over the course of less than 5 years that I’ve owned this car it has needed the clutch repaired 3 times. First time was at approximately 25,000 miles, second time at 47,000, and third at 71,000. There is an extremely noticeable shudder, loud noise, and vibration throughout front end of car when accelerating. Additionally, the car has erratic transmission shifting and does not properly shift into gear causing it to lose motive power and not immediately accelerate when pressing the gas. I have attached the most recent invoice I received from the dealer diagnosing the problem.
Power train, Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the transmission experienced shuddering and slipping after heating up. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the transmission 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 was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 75,000.
Power train, Nov 16, 2023
No warning messages or lights Transmission rattling like the motor mounts are having issues and wearing out quickly. Problems shifting and going up hills. My automatic car has rolled back and struggled to shit on inclines
Power train, Nov 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced erratic transmission shifting and would not properly shift into gear causing the vehicle to lose motive power and not immediately accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. Later, the message "Service Transmission" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed and determined that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) 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 failure mileage was 80,000.
Steering, Suspension, Service brakes, Nov 15, 2023
The car is not running right I can feel shaking, but no one else can
Engine, Nov 13, 2023
Clutch and actuator a&b
Engine, Nov 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
Power train, Nov 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shaking. The contact stated that when she depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle did not accelerate. The vehicle lost motive power and would not restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with a failed transmission clutch and transmission control module. The contact was informed that the transmission clutch and transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
Power train, Nov 8, 2023
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered after coming from a complete stop. Additionally, the vehicle jerked while accelerating. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the clutch assembly had previously been replaced five times; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clutch assembly needed to be replaced for the sixth time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that a half of the cost of the repair would be covered. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 7, 2023
2016 Ford Focus with 53,000 miles, driven less than 150 miles per week on average just getting back and forth to work and running errands. Check engine light came on on November 2, 2023. I got a P0344 code from my mechanic who is 5 minutes away from when the check engine light came on. He advised me not to drive the vehicle until he could get my car in on November 7. When I started the car to take it to the mechanic on the evening of November 6 for him to look at the next day, the oil light came on. It was a 5 minute drive from my home to the auto shop. He immediately said Oh, Oh, that's the bad oil light not the low oil light. I have routinely kept up with the recommended maintenance schedule and the car was last serviced on June 7, 2023 with no problems. I was told on the morning of November 7 after he had looked at the car that the engine was shot and the car would need a brand new engine. One of the employees at the shop is a former employee of a Ford dealership and was not at all surprised as he began running down a list of all the times that he had seen this problem. "It always happens right after the warranty expires' were his exact words. I now have to wait for a new engine, which is on back order for up to 2-3 months, which is an indication of how rampant this problem is with this Ford engine, and I will have to figure out how I'm going to get to work as we head into the winter months. One of the last things that the mechanic said to me before I signed the $5400 work order, was how lucky I was that the car didn't die on the road leaving me stranded. I can only attribute that to the short distances that I drive. Please do something for those of us that purchased this vehicle in good faith and are now being told that there is nothing that Ford can do for us because the warranty is expired.
Power train, Nov 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to complete a turn, the vehicle briefly shuddered before returning to normal functionality; however, the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch assembly. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who again diagnosed a failure with the clutch assembly. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 56,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the fuel tank was deformed due to a stuck canister purge valve. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); the VIN was included, and the repair was already completed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 113,000.
Other or unspecified, Nov 3, 2023
I was driving from Roseburg, OR to Sacramento, CA and about 40 minutes prior to arriving in Sacramento, my sunroof exploded. It even sounded like an explosion. The glass appeared to bow upwards and out with a large hole before ng in the middle, and judging by the small amount of glass being held up by the lower part of the sunroof internal cover thingy, it blew outwards. I can only assume it was associated with an elevation change, but I open my windows for short bursts regularly to cycle in fresh air so I don't think that's it. Differential heating between the glass and the solid object holding it perhaps? If the internal glass holding component is being cooled by the AC and the external glass is being heated by the sun/ambient air - I assume it can cause a compression force on the glass. It was a hot day in SAC, but not over 100 degrees. Perhaps a defect in the glass? Either way, major safety concern. If glass had fallen in eyes or the boom occured in traffic I could easily see a crash happening so someone.
Electrical system, Equipment, Nov 3, 2023
Radio will randomly cause a loud popping or screeching sound from the speaker while driving this is a common issue know by ford dealers that requires replacing the ACM witch is $800 for just the part.
Engine, Oct 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that an unknown software needed to be updated. The software was updated but the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
Air bags, Oct 30, 2023
The contact’s son owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side door that pushed the vehicle's driver’s side into a fence. The driver's side air bag was deployed however, the passenger side air bag failed to deploy. The contact son sustained scrapes and bruise injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
Electrical system, Wheels, Oct 29, 2023
The lug nuts are swollen and cannot be unscrewed. Also my electrical system inside my car goes off sometimes for unknown reasons. I'm talking about my stereo.
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.