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 2, 2022
Transmission slipping and shuttering pulling into traffic and car seems to lose power between shifts, problem is worse when the car warms up and really bad in stop and go traffic. Car only has 30k miles and dealer said out of warranty but not old enough for the extended warranty for this known problem
Power train, Oct 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to move off from a red light, the vehicle was shuddering. Additionally, while shifting from first or second gear the vehicle would shudder. Occasionally, while idling at a stop light the RPM fluctuated as if the vehicle would stall. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the clutch plates failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 18V169000 (Power Train) or 18V845000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 75,124.
Other or unspecified, Oct 22, 2022
When I start to go it lags, doesn't want to go like it gets stuck in gear. No it has not been seen by dealer but other cars the same as mine has had recalls due to the same issue. No warning lights or signal lights come on.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 20, 2022
I am getting a check engine light. P01450 which is the Stuck canister purge valve issue. NHTSA Campaign number 18V735000. 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. Dealer said my Ford was not part of recall. Ford Recall number is 18S32. Can you assist with this? It's my son's car and needs it for college. Want to make sure it is safe. Thank you.
Power train, Oct 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the dealer previously replaced the clutch twice; however, the failure recurred while driving at an undisclosed speed. The vehicle was shaking and hesitated to accelerate. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08 (Transmission Clutch Shudder/Transmission Clutch Warranty Extension) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 36,500.
Power train, Oct 18, 2022
I recently became the owner of this car as my dad had it for the past 5 years. My dad previously inquired about the car shuddering/vibrating when accelerating at times (in 2021) and the dealership was either unaware or dishonest in replying that it just had to do with way the plastic protecting the bottom of the car rattles. We did not know about the Ford nationwide settlement for 2012-2016 Ford Focuses at the time or that others were having similar preliminary issues with the transmission/clutch so we continued to use the car thinking it was just a normal issue with no safety problems. I went for my regularly scheduled oil & filter change at the Koons Silver Spring Ford dealership (Maryland) on Tuesday 10/11. They also completed a complimentary 27 point inspection and told me my car was fine except for a small coolant leak I should get fixed within the year. The next day, my car struggled to accelerate after stopping at a red light. This was an intersection where the speed limit was 35 mph and the most I could go was 15 mph with a lot of effort from my car. My rpm meter kept fluctuating from 1 to 4 even if I wasn't stepping on the accelerator. I turned on my safety blinkers to inform other cars that I was having issues and my car eventually came to a complete stop. I had to call for help and put the car in neutral in order to get it to my parking garage. This could have been a very dangerous situation if I was on the highway. The dealership is about 20 minutes from my place so the next morning I went to local mechanics that helped me to read the CEL codes. I have provided a picture of the codes. They are all TCM-clutch related errors. My car very unexpectedly stopped functioning and the dealership/corporate says I'm not covered by the Ford customer satisfaction action that was supposed to fix the TCM issues for free. Please help me as I cannot afford to fix my car at this time with such an unexpected issue at only 38,000 miles.
Power train, Oct 17, 2022
The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started jerking. The accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Transmission Fault. Stop. Pull Over" was displayed. The contact's son exited the freeway and veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that she met her son on the side of the road. An independent mechanic was contacted and advised the contact to restart and drive the vehicle to their location in the event the warning message was no longer displayed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the independent mechanic who then referred her to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as transmission friction element failure. The dealer diagnosed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
Other or unspecified, Oct 17, 2022
Shortly after fueling my car, it will start to act like it’s going to stall. Sometimes it stalls completely, other times I am able to accelerate the problem away. My car runs very loud, shaky, and rough. A few days ago, it stalled without any notice, and i wasn’t able to restart it. I had to have it towed to the mechanic. They are saying it could need a new fuel pump, but with the low mileage on my car no one can understand why that component of my car would be failing already.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 15, 2022
I was exiting Parking lot into busy intersection when vehicle suddenly hesitated and stalled completely. Was hard to restart and kept stalling after that. Very dangerous when traveling on busy streets when it stalls and steering wheel locks up. As I accelerate the car violently jerks and has hard time shifting and getting up to speed maybe a “slipping” feeling and engine is constantly misfiring and stalling. Idles very rough when stopped RPM jumps all over the place. No warning lights on dash whatsoever. Had this problem and took to ford about 2 years ago they said they fixed it but the problem still persists. I can see there are various recalls for this vehicle for the exact things that are happening to me. Huge safety concern. Seems to me it’s something to do with fuel tank and transmission.
Power train, Oct 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on multiple occasions after moving off from a stop signal, there was hesitancy and jerking when the gear shifter was shifted from 1st to 2nd gear, and from 2nd to 3rd gear. The failure persisted; however, no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission was faulty. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and was advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
Power train, Oct 13, 2022
Driving vehicle and it felt like transmission was slipping. Brought to dealer and they told me the transmission needed to be replaced.
Power train, Oct 7, 2022
The contact owns 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle started shuddering and hesitated to respond for approximately 4-5 seconds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving from a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. 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 14,200.
Power train, Oct 7, 2022
The contact's granddaughter owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the transmission started slipping and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact veered to the side of the road for a moment and then resumed driving however, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in an unknown extended warranty program for the transmission. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 38,464.
Power train, Oct 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking, hesitating, and the transmission failed to shift properly. Additionally, the vehicle occasionally stalled and could not immediately be shifted to park(P) or drive(D). The contact stated that occasionally after refueling, the vehicle would not immediately restart. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was 99,000.
Engine, Oct 6, 2022
The contact leased a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while driving, the vehicle intermittently lunged forward and hesitated. The contact then stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the engine revved, the RPM’s increased and the wheels started to spin without the accelerator pedal being depressed. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that prior to the failure, a software update was performed on the vehicle. The contact inquired from the dealer if there were any recalls on the vehicle and was informed that they would be in contact. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made a loud squealing sound. Additionally, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. 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 informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Power train, Sep 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the TCM and clutch assembly; however, the failure recurred while driving at an undisclosed speed, and the gear shifter was unable to shift to the intended gear with the transmission message displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM and the clutch assembly needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was 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 74,700.
Power train, Sep 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while shifting into gear, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact also stated that the engine failed to start occasionally. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Power train, Sep 27, 2022
There was not an accident, but I don't know where else to type my comments. The car won't shift properly and tends to stall at times. This is not only dangerous as cars behind can't always know why I am driving so slow, but obviously, poses a problem if car can't shift at all and I (or my wife or daughter) is left stranded somewhere. Took car to dealer last week and they replaced clutch assembly for $2925. This is extremely frustrating since the clutch was repaired at 26,100 miles. That didn't work, so now we have to pay that amount. Let's be honest, these cars are known for clutch/transmission issues, so replacing this again at 45,000 is not fair at all. Why isn't Ford doing the right thing and offering to replace this at their own cost? I don't have current receipt for $2900 as I haven't picked up car yet, but work costs can be confirmed at Manning Ford in DeKalb, Illinois. I will upload original receipt when my dad took car in the first time for this issue. That was covered by warranty, and since this happened again, I believe the fair things to do would be for Ford to replace at no cost to us.
Power train, Fuel system, Gasoline, Sep 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact then stated when he refueled the vehicle, the vehicle failed to operate as needed. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved an unknown code. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number and advised to contact the dealer. The dealer was notified, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and the power control module was reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Other or unspecified, Sep 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was hesitating, vibrating, and driving rough. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on multiple occasions however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that no repairs were performed. The contact stated that the failure became more frequent and included improper acceleration. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 18, 2022
Fuel pump system is causing the car to intermittently stall out in any gear (manual transmission). This symptom has caused my car to stall while driving in traffic leading to loss of acceleration control and total engine stall. I live in constant fear that i will be in another accident due to completely random engine stall. I feel my safety is at risk while continuing to drive this vehicle, and will continue to look for a different safer vehicle. All other ford engines put in this year and model have this recall already in place.
Power train, Sep 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact stated that the dealer declined to repair the vehicle because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Sep 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speed, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. However, the failure reoccurred on three other occasions. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair. However, the dealer informed the contact that they could not complete the recall repair unless she paid a repair fee for unrelated repairs. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Power train, Sep 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was a crunching sound coming from vehicle. The contact felt the gear jumping as she shifted gear and felt like the transmission was failing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing and the mechanic stated that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the TCM needed to be replaced; however, the parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the parts were not available. The failure mileage was 62,000.