2017 Ford Focus
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 903 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 10th highest complaint count among 19 Focus model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 18 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 16 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
Fuel system, gasoline, storageJul 5, 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 and 2017 Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0L GDI gasoline engines and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles equipped with 2.0L GTDI engines, previously recalled under 18V-735. The affected vehicles did not have the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) updated as intended. Therefore, the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system.
The excessive vacuum 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 July 29, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S22.
Campaign 19V515000 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
Seat belts, rear/otherAug 28, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Focus vehicles. The rear left side seat back frame may have an insufficient weld between the outboard pivot bracket and the pivot nut joint, resulting in the seat back having reduced strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
The reduced seat back strength may increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the rear second left side rear seat back as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C13.
Campaign 17V528000 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: engine
304 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 12, 2024
My 2017 ford focus engine has failed because of the oil system parts in the safety recall 23S64. While I was driving I got the hazard notification and a red oil notification shortly before the engine failed. No accident was caused but the car no longer runs. This happened back in February of this year and it has been 4 months since then. I have lost my job because of no longer being able to drive. I’m living below my means due to having no vehicle. When I have called them they refuse to give me a rental and only tell me that I need to wait. I need a car for work and they have offered no assistance.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to exceed 40 MPH while accelerating. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled and was towed to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Engine, May 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost motive power and significantly decelerated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the 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), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 58,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 17, 2024
The contact's mother owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at undisclosed speeds, the oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was towed to the mother's residence. The contact who is an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with low oil pressure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, May 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact’s granddaughter was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the serpentine belt. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The driver drove to an independent mechanic, where the failure persisted. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Engine, May 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with low compression from the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed as the same failure provided by the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. The VIN was not provided.
Engine and engine cooling, May 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was steered into a parking lot. The contact was not able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Apr 23, 2024
The car when hot after driving for a while shutters when taking off from a light or stop
Engine, Apr 19, 2024
whenever im at a stop light the car stalls and one time it completely stopped and I had to pull over and restart the car.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle idled roughly. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was hesitant, and the engine was skipping. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed engine oil pump and the engine oil pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Engine, Apr 15, 2024
My car was running fine up till last Wednesday when I got to work and I pulled in and put it in park shut the car off went into work I came out nothing the battery wouldn't crank over nothing I had a jump started once it jump started it wouldn't go in reverse and barely went forward now they're telling me I need a TCM and a clutch and they're quoting me 4,600 but I can't just replace the TCM because the transmission case is cracked and it won't relearn you know I don't know what's what to do anymore I mean this car I only put $44,000 miles on it I mean I bought it used but yeah I had no warning that the battery was bad and they're telling me that that's what caused all this and it caused the TCM to fail which cracked the transmission case you know and I can't drive it they're saying because it's dangerous to drive but I have no choice I don't have a car and I got to get to my job and of course my van isn't covered under this TCM replacement that they got going on with 150,000 miles or 10 years cuz my car only has 144,000 miles on it so now I'm I don't know what to do about thisall I know is that this car was running perfectly fine and shifting perfectly fine all day Wednesday until I got to work and turned it off and went into work and came out that's when I got nothing no battery nothing it just I don't know what happened but it was running perfectly fine before that and there were no indications to me that the battery was bad or anything else was wrong with this car before any of this happened none whatsoever I wouldn't even have known cuz I had no problem it went in reverse just fine went drive just fine cranked up every time there was nothing wrong with the battery that I know of all I know is when it died it's caused all these problems
Engine, Apr 13, 2024
Engine failed while being driven. Closely avoided a major accident.individual mechanic said 23s64 failure. Check oil light appeared almost immediately. Called closest. Dealership they said parts unavailable for another 2-3 months. This is not acceptable. Why was I never notified of this recall. Need transportation to medical appointments frequently.
Engine, Apr 12, 2024
The oil pump in the 1.0L Ecoboost motor failed, causing the engine to stop working properly. This is the same motor that is already subject to recall, but mine has a manual transmission, so Ford has not included it in the recel (23S64). It is the exact same motor with the exact same problem, but they are not considering it part of the recall because of the manual transmission. They wont' act without being forced to do so. I don;t understand why I have the exact motor with the exact issue, but am not subject to the recall.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 10, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Power train, Engine, Apr 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal squeaking sound and failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Transmission Overheating" was displayed. The contact stated that upon shifting into neutral, the vehicle started. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart when shifted into neutral(N). The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 164,727.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 10, 2024
The clutch on my 2017 Ford focus needs to be replaced due to it slipping/shuttering when I go to accelerate.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into an Advance Auto, where the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that she continued driving. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and decelerated to 30 MPH. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact continuously depressed the brake pedal until the vehicle responded. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine oil pump had failed. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which the mechanic related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and the vehicle was shuddering. The message Service Engine was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Apr 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a shredded timing belt, the screen on the oil pump was clogged, and no oil pressure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine, Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine and low oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle was still losing motive power. The contact pulled off the road and depressed the brake pedal to slow the vehicle however, the brake pedal was very stiff. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the oil pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was advised that the failure of the oil pump had also damaged the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was advised that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The parts to repair the vehicle were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the dealer would not release the vehicle back to her. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
Engine, Mar 28, 2024
I went out and started it to go to work in the morning back in January this year. It had trouble turning over and I thought it was just because it was really cold outside. I sat and waited for it to warm up before attempting to leave the parking lot. I backed out of my parking space and started out of the parking lot and it just had no power, sounded rough, then just died. I was able to start it one more time and got it back into my parking spot before it died again. It wouldn't start again after that. Nothing was wrong with it when I drove it home from work the night before that.
Engine, Fuel system, Gasoline, Mar 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after the vehicle was refueled at a local gas station, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle then restarted after several attempts. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred after refueling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed purge valve canister and that the purge valve canister needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the contact stated that only parts of the recall repairs were completed. The contact stated that the PCM was flashed; however, the purge valve canister was not replaced as per the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.