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.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 25, 2023
Have been dealing with error codes for cpv, something about fuel, and air intake. The vehicle continuously stalls. Difficult to get it to start after fueling up. Sputters at various different speeds from 5mph to about 50mph. The vehicle will totally shut down on me out of gas even at over a quarter tank to half tank full according to the gauge. I dont have dates for the incidents because they are consistent at this point.
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.
Engine, Oct 17, 2023
I was in the left lane of an interstate highway accelerating to pass, going about 75 mph. My car made a bang and all power was lost. I was able to coast to the right lane and fortunately was at an exit. Smoke was coming from under the hood. We pushed the car to a vacant parking lot. From there it was towed to our mechanic who identified a hole in the engine block caused by a piston rupturing through the block. The car had 69,000 miles on the engine and was well maintained.
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.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 14, 2023
the car shut off doing 60mph it was very scary took it to mechanic it had 2 codes the check engine light was on they cleaned the throttle body it ran but was struggling and rough idling drove to work and it wanted to stall multiple times put it in neutral to get idle up at a light then it stalled at a light drove home very afraid that it would shut off again took to the same mechanic to explain what happened have appt for estimate to fix . i need this car for work and am very scared to drive it as is never know when it will shut off called the dealer that sold me the car and all they said was theres no recalls and bring it in. i had an extended warranty but they said i was over by 1000 miles so no warranty i wont drive it there its a long drive. driving for many years i have never felt unsafe in a vehicle before this is very dangerous and needs to be resolved asap . also still have a loan for this car that i cant drive along with the repair costs my wife called ford directly and they said theres no recall and werent helpful at all
Steering, Oct 13, 2023
No issues with steering at all and then stopped for gas and when restarting the car got multiple messages regarding steering assist fault resulting in an inability to properly be able to control/steer the vehicle. Left stranded 5 hours away from home.
Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 13, 2023
I was driving about 45 mph when my car started 2 shack and buck like it was about 2 die. So I pulled over and then it died and took forever to start back. So I took it 1 Midas and they said it was something to do with the vacuum in my gas take. So they reset the computer and told me if I had anymore issues being it back. Well today I stopped at the gas station and filled my car up and it would not start back. So I had it towed back to the shop and they pushed my gas tank flapper open 2 relief the pressure.
Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 9, 2023
Issue with CPV. Car stalls when getting gas due to ventilation issue. Has manufacturer code P1450 which is recalled for similar cars
Engine, Oct 5, 2023
Vehicle suffered sudden loss of power. No warning lights initially but engine sounded odd at idle. Was able to return home with vehicle as happened nearby. Nothing obvious wrong upon visual inspection but vehicle was undrivable except at slow speed. Eventually check engine light came on while vehicle parked. Made appointment at local dealership. Check oil light also came on in route to dealership. If this had happened on highway would have put me in an unsafe situation. After some research turns out this is a known problem for the 1.0 Ecoboost engine. The oil pump belt fails and shreds clogging up the internals of the engine. In my conversations with Ford they admit it is a known problem but have not taken any steps to support vehicle owners as most failures have occurred outside the warranty. In my case at about 61,000 miles. Also learned direct from Ford that the engine replacement is currently on back order for over 500 customers. Obviously there is a problem as this number does not even include orders they have fulfilled. My car has been sitting at dealership now for 5 weeks waiting on an engine with no end in sight. This was not a spare vehicle so I had no choice but to purchase another used vehicle which has added significant cost to me for Ford's failure. Again, I was fortunate this did not happen on the highway but I bet others were not so fortunate.
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.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Sep 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start up after refueling. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle stalled without warning while driving at various speeds. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled to have the vehicle serviced. The contact was later informed by the dealer that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
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.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Sep 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was an excessive vacuum in the fuel system. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) 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 107,000.
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.
Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 8, 2023
Having issues with the purge valve canister causing the vehicle to stall while driving on a highway late at night. Knowing that this is an issue with other vehicle made in the same year and knowing there is a recall for those parts but not on my vehicle is confusing to me.
Engine, Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check oil warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the timing chain. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but was unable to assist. The failure mileage was 105,000.
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.