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
903 reports, newest first.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jun 21, 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 local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. 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 issue. The contact stated that the check engine warning was light illuminated. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 20, 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Jun 13, 2024
The engine light came on and the car became hard to drive and steer. This was dangerous on the freeway; slowing and not operating properly in traffic. The car was then repaired and able to be driven for about 5 months and then it repeated with the oil pump belt shredded. The repair was done at a cost of approximately $2000. This didn’t fix the actual problem. The whole episode was repeated and the car became inoperable again. The car was towed to the Ford dealership and they are waiting for the parts from the Ford company to repair it. It has been sitting for almost three months inoperable. The recall came out in early January and it seems there should be parts to fix it by now. It is a huge financial burden.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Engine, Jun 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the purge valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The purge valve was replaced but the failure persisted. The EVAP message and the check engine warning light were displayed, and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 50,000.
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.
Power train, Jun 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly shuddered and hesitated, before returning to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.
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.
Power train, Jun 10, 2024
I was recently driving on the highway in a 70 speed limit zone when the transmission suddenly failed. One minute I was going 70mph with normal feeling and then suddenly the gas/acceleration stopped working and the car went down to around 20 mph within a second, suddenly it felt like being in neutral and I had no control. It would not respond to pressing the gas pedal. It started to buck and shake. Braking felt really erratic and strange and it lunged as I tried to get off the highway. Red transmission failure light came on with red blinking message to stop car immediately. It was terrifying and I could have been killed. I was thankfully able to get to the shoulder to let it stop. We let it sit for about 15 minutes and turned it on again but it was the same. Gas did not respond normally. It was unable to go over 8mph and Reverse no longer worked. It was towed home. It is dead now, nothing improved after sitting. Not worth the repair. Ford claimed this issue was fixed on the 2017 but clearly not, and some are a ticking time bomb like mine was. There was no prior indication of any problem- no strange feeling, no noises, no warning lights, no acceleration problems, etc. It was obvious that it was the transmission that completely failed. A family member who is a mechanic confirmed it. I had been planning to drive this for several more years. Now I need to suddenly get a new car without getting the benefit of having this as a trade in. But at least I am alive! Never getting a Ford again!!
Tires, Jun 8, 2024, crash
225/50/17 have had one tire completely tear at the rim& cause chaos on the road. And another that that I have to put air in twice a day.
Steering, Jun 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The contact also stated the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed, and the front driver’s side tire experienced a blowout. The high engine temperature and the TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
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.
Power train, May 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle drove rough, and the transmission failed to shift as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where and was diagnosed and determined that the dual-clutch had caused the clutch to slip, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
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.
Power train, May 13, 2024
8/10/17: Purchased car brand new. 8 miles on car at time of purchase 8/21/17: 11 days after purchase. 405 miles. Rattling/Shuttering, bucking before catching. TCM Failure 5/18/21: 31,985 Miles. Hesitation/shuttering. Faulty Clutch. Clutch assembly replaced. 3/4/22: 36,598 miles: Similiar symptoms to 5/18/21. Sluggish. Revving when not needed. No service. 3/24/24: 47,847 miles: . The car started but vibrated violently as soon as I tried to move forward. It then started bucking & I could not continue forward movement. I had to have the car towed. 3/29/24: Replaced Clutch assembly, actuator motors & related hardware. Assembly parts the same as what was replaced in 2021. There was an active Ford TSB 20B23/NHTSA ID 10178055 valid through 7/2021 to replace both actuator motors on all affected vehicles. This service was not performed at the time the clutch assembly was replaced at the May 2021 service appointment. At no time have I received recall notices for any transmission components for my car. Also, during none of the incidents prior to my car needing transmission service did the car illuminate any warning lights.
Exterior lighting, May 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, he became aware that the headlamp was not illuminating properly. The contact stated that the bulbs inside headlamp housings were overheating, causing the headlamps to become burned. The headlights and bulbs were replaced by the contact however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure with headlamps were very concerning while driving the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Power train, May 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his son was driving at approximately 40 MPH, he observed an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that when his son put the vehicle in reverse, the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
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.
Power train, May 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning as the steering wheel would shake before the vehicle would resume normal driving operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000(Power Train); however, the contact's vehicle was not included in the recall. Two dealers ( Rowe Ford Sales and Ira Ford Saco) were notified of the failure and both informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 115,100. The contact did not attempt to file a complaint online.
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.
Power train, Apr 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, he observed a humming sound coming from under the front of the vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.
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