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 and engine cooling
81 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. After which, the vehicle lost significant motive power and was unable to accelerate above 30 MPH, prompting the contact to pull to the shoulder of the roadway to have the vehicle towed. The low-oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump resulting in damages to the engine, requiring the replacement of the engine long block. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and the VIN was included; however, parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was also informed that since the failure had already occurred, a partial financial assistance to cover the cost of the repair would be provided. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was later driven to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the failure was related to an emissions failure. No further information was provided. The contact stated that the vehicle had stalled on multiple occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Power train, Mar 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the RPM’s started fluctuating before lowering and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to regain motive power by excessively depressing the accelerator. The contact was able to drive approximately 5-10 minutes however, while coming to a stop light the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle drove normal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact, a certified mechanic, retrieved a diagnostic trouble code for a malfunctioning EVAP system and that the O2 sensor had malfunctioned. Additionally, the fuel level was elevated. The dealer was contacted and confirmed the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,500.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Dec 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated before the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine camshaft and timing chain had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,642.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not accelerate properly and a loud rattling sound was present coming from the engine. Upon inspection, it was determined that the antifreeze was very low but no leak was present. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was also notified but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the purge valve had failed. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, upon replacing the engine coolant, she noticed that the coolant was leaking from the coolant hose. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who replace the coolant hose. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle a few days later, the vehicle started with delay and the transmission was slipping while driving. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who diagnosed that the vehicle was overheating, and the thermostat was replaced. Additionally, the independent mechanic diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving and smelled very hot. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they had already covered the transmission repair in the past and could not assist as her VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.