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.
Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 16, 2022
So I have this Ford Focus that my son drives. Check engine light came on with the code of P1450. It is part of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000. Took it to the dealer and they told me that my vin # [XXX] is not part of the campaign/recall and will have to pay to have it fixed. Don't know why the dealer could get this resolved. Ford's recall number is:18S32. Car has all the symptoms of the recall/campaign. Don't know why Ford will not fix it for me? I would like my car to be added to this campaign/recall. The Transmission was another big issue, but I am thinking it is fixed after 5 tries. Thank you for you help. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 16, 2022
I believe the power train and some component with the fuel system. Yes it is available for inspection. The car shut off in the middle of traffic. This has happened multiple times. It has not been confirmed by a dealership or service center. The vehicle has been inspected. No warning lamps or messages.
Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 15, 2022
My Ford focus will stall, there is fuel in the tank and the rpms drop and the vehicle starts to shake.
Power train, Dec 14, 2022
The vehicle began to slip gears after only accruing a little more than 70,000 miles. I will slightly accelerate using the foot pedal, and the gear will jump from 1 to 4/5 quickly, causing a severe jerking motion in the vehicle. The vehicle also jerks when decelerating. This has put me in several dangerous situations, such as when I enter a new roadway and need to accelerate to meet the rate of oncoming traffic. This is also an issue when slowing to stops, as sometimes the gear will jump to a HIGHER number as i take my foot off the pedal. I have an automatic transmission I am using. The check engine light has come on, but only after the issue began. I have been told by an auto service center that this is a transmission-related issue.
Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 14, 2022
Engine light came on I scanned my car code p1450 unable to bleed up fuel tank vacuume. Same issue I had with another vehicle of this type
Power train, Dec 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while making a right turn, the vehicle started vibrating and shaking. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the clutch assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 43,000.
Power train, Dec 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that upon turning the key in the ignition switch, she then needed to hold the key into position for a longer period in order to start the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that upon attempting to reverse, the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Transmission Overheating" was displayed. The contact then parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the failure was associated with Ford Technical Service Bulletin Number: 20B23 (Replacement of Clutch Actuator Motors). The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Engine, Dec 13, 2022
Driving on the highway the engine stopped with no indications of an issue from the control panel warnings. The car would not restart, even after cooling down. The car was looked at by multiple mechanics before towing to a Ford dealership. Their diagnostics indicated that the cylinder block assembly and the starter motor would need to be replaced. There was no mention of what the cause was. The oil had been replaced a month prior.
Power train, Dec 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the clutch shuddered. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the clutch and transmission seals needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000. The contact stated that the transmission is known to be faulty and Ford has extended warranties on them but for other model years of the same model. The shuddering problem happens in first gear and is particularly dangerous when trying to operate the vehicle among traffic. The TCM module was replaced to try to remedy to the issue but it has not worked.
Power train, Dec 8, 2022
Vehicle shudders and shakes due to transmission slipping at many speeds. Slow is the worst and even at a speed of 70 MPH the vehicle will shake and shudder from transmission.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 8, 2022
I got my 2016 Ford Focus in the summer of 2019 and from the start i had issues. The first issue was my car overheating the coolant tank kept getting a hole burned in it and the coolant would leak leaving my car to overheat I've had the tank replaced twice. The second issue was my car just kept turning off still don't know what that was about. Third issue was the vehicle not telling me the correct amount of gas i had it would say i would have a good amount of gas, but it really had little to no gas. The last issue was the Transmisson the car was stalling and gave me kick back that's the only way i can describe it I took it to my mechanic because there was no recall when i looked up my VIN, I paid almost $4000 for the transmission to be fixed to just bring it back to the mechanic because the transmission started giving me problems again. My mechanic told me that Hes having problems figuring out the programming. Today 12/08/2022 I read an article talking about how thousands of Ford Focus owners are having the same issue. I was never contacted by Ford. I called my local ford dealership, and they told me the part that my vehicle needs are on back order and they can't even look at my car until February.
Power train, Dec 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle would not properly accelerate, with the check engine warning light illuminated. After several attempts to restart the vehicle, the contact was able to start the vehicle and drove home. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the contact was informed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 143,245.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Dec 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon refueling the vehicle, the vehicle intermittently failed to start. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and driving, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective purge valve. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Power train, Dec 5, 2022
I purchased a 2016 Ford Focus in September of this year from a used car dealer. I drove the car back and forth to work approximately 10 miles each way, per day. I took a day off before Thanksgiving and drove my vehicle longer than usual. Holiday traffic was bad and there was a lot of stop and go traffic, my car sputtered and shook and stalled on a busy street. Luckily, I was close to my house and was able to pull over. Again, a few days ago I drove for about an hour and the car again sputtered when moving from a complete stop. I went online and googled "Ford Focus transmission issues" and saw that there has been a lawsuit and settlement. I called Ford and was told that it was not under recall and that I would have to take the car I just purchased, to be fixed and I would have to pay for it. Please recall these transmissions before someone gets killed.
Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 27, 2022
car keeps stalling plus having fuel pump problems. Car shuts off and has trouble starting.
Power train, Nov 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle was shuddering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that a clutch replacement was needed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer who replaced the clutch but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed her a clutch replacement was needed and the repairs were not covered. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed her that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic who informed her that the failure was due to the clutch. The contact called the manufacturer who informed her that the repairs were not covered and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.
Power train, Nov 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle made chugging sounds and was jerking. Additionally, while accelerating, the vehicle took an excessive amount of time before reaching the desired speed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure had increased in frequency. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the clutch pad needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 18V845000 (Power Train) nor 18V169000 (Power Train). The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 18,600.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Nov 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the fuel gauge failed to indicate the correct amount of fuel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000. The contact stated that the canister purge valve was replaced. Doing so caused the engine light to finally turn off and the fuel gauge to work correctly.
Power train, Nov 12, 2022
Driving up a hill car started rolling backwards. Warning light came on saying transmission fault service now. Still sitting in my driveway because I can not find a transmission to replace it.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Nov 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle experienced occasional hesitation while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel tank was deformed causing a failure in the fuel delivery pressure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 76,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Power train, Nov 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle began to shake. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving to her place of employment. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the clutch to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 18V845000 (Power Train) and 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000
Power train, Nov 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle independently shifted to another gear or would go into neutral. The vehicle also revved abnormally without the vehicle responded or accelerating as intended. The contact stated that the check engine and a transmission overheating warnings were illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clutches needed to be replaced and that the failure was caused by wear and tear. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Power train, Nov 7, 2022
Reverse gear doesn’t engage sometimes and drive gears sometimes goes out while at traffic lights and causes the car to go at low speeds only. It feels like I’m unable to accelerate sometimes. I don’t recall when exactly but the check engine warning sign appears and disappears on my car
Power train, Nov 3, 2022
Out of no where my car has a transmission issue. I got my car last year and there were no problems. I’ve been told my car doesn’t go into the recall because it was 2 months made after the recall date was made which is not fair. Several people have told me these type of cars are known to have horrible transmissions. I can’t afford a $3,000 + repair on this when the mileage isn’t even bad enough to have a transmission issue. This is my significant others only way to make income. It is not safe to drive the car in this condition.
Power train, Nov 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle would shake without warning. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where the seal and clutch assembly were replaced as well as the TCM (Transmission Control Module). Recently, the same failure recurred, and the contact was given the same diagnosis from the dealer. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls or warranty on the vehicle. The manufacturer agreed to cover half the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 24,991. The contact stated that from a complete stop and upon acceleration, the vehicle would begin to shake. The force of the shaking varied but would increase over time. The shaking negatively affected the drivability of the vehicle. The contact was informed by the dealer that the issue would only get worse if no repairs were made. Half of the costs of repair was covered by the manufacturer due to the exact same problem happening within a year.