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.
Power train, Jul 30, 2022
On Friday July 15th around 7PM, my wife and I were driving out of town to visit family. We stopped at a gas station along the highway to make sure we had gas an everything before getting too far out of town. We had no issues when we stopped but after leaving we tried getting on the highway and after merging the car reved up very high and seemed to have dropped into a low heat like 1st or 2nd. We attempted to get off the highway but with this low gear the car could not do more than about 20Mph. We finally made it off the highway and checked everything we could think of that could cause this issue but found nothing. We had to get the car towed home because besides being stuck in a very low forward gear when shifting to drive, we also lost reverse. After being towed home we parked the car to see if this just needed to cool off and come back to it later. We let it sit for a few days and now the car is disabled. It turns on and runs smooth but the transmission is non-operational. We no longer have any gear control and can only turn the engine on. I called Ford about this issue but was not helped in any way. Just asked to pay for a diagnostic.I don’t think I will be buying any more Ford vehicles since they could not fix this issue after so many years.
Power train, Jul 29, 2022
Failure of the encase power train transmission. Delay is shifting & transmission to shift gears gets stuck. COMPLETELY unsafe when pulling out into traffic. Driver is unsure if the transmission will engage or not. Unable to accelerate at times until transmission engages. Sounds like gears are being stripped on the automatic Transmission. Started in May 2021 & continues to happen daily.
Power train, Jul 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering while shifting gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was previously diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was repaired with a new clutch and linkage; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000.
Power train, Engine, Jul 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local Pep Boys where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the fuel system and fuel tank. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an unknown repair and an unknown software update were completed; however, the vehicle failed to start a month later. The contact later drove the vehicle but the vehicle would not exceed 10 MPH. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed; however, the parts were on national back order. 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 a recall associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 25, 2022
The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that soon after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle shut off without warning. The contact stated that his wife would depress the accelerator pedal to prevent the vehicle from inadvertently stalling. The contact stated that initially, no warning lights had appeared on the instrument panel; however, recently the check engine warning light had illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer however, the mechanic found no failure with the vehicle. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test showed that the vehicle had a defective PCV valve. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the mechanic informed him that he was familiar with the failure; however, he was provided an estimate for a diagnostic fee. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Steering, Jul 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while parked or while driving approximately 5 MPH, the power steering malfunction warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with power steering rack failure. The vehicle was then taken to a local independent mechanic and the failure was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.
Power train, Jul 19, 2022
In June of 2021 my car started shuddering when shifting into 1st and 2nd gears. I am a very cautious, defensive driver but had to really baby the car to try to avoid the shuddering and learned to shift around 9 mph for 1st gear and 19 mph for 2nd gear. However as the year progressed, the issue became worse and had to schedule a diagnostic test at Roush Ford in Hilliard Ohio in December which cost me $150, and place not only a financial burden upon me but also those who had to help me get to and from the dealership and appointments and church. Then in January 2022, my car was in the shop for 8 days while Roush Ford repaired the transmission by replacing the clutch that Ford continues to use in the vehicles even knowing it is a problem, which cost me $778.51. This has been going on since 2013 when there was a class action lawsuit for the Ford Focus between 2013 and 2016. Now there is another one for the same Ford Focus from 2017 to 2019. My car wasn't even 4 years old when the problem originated and had less than 59,000 miles on it. I only made last year $1,032 per month so this was a huge burden as well as a huge inconvenience for mevand my friends. Its amazing this problem did not cause any accident as I expected to be rearended every time I had to drive it. People were very annoyed with me and showed it with gesturing, honking, and zooming around me. When picking up the car after the repairs, the service coordinator informed me that they have a the clutches for this transmission in stock. That tells you something!!!!
Power train, Jul 15, 2022
Vehicle shudders in lower gears typically starting from a stop as it shifts up in gears. I consider this a safety issue considering it impacts the driveability of the vehicle and limits the ability to get out of the way of traffic if needed. The symptoms are exactly as described in earlier 2011-2016 Focus model power transmission recall.
Electrical system, Jul 11, 2022
Gas indicator numbers went wrong. So could not identify how much gas is left in my car
Seats, Jun 30, 2022
1) A bracket that connects the seat to the rails that are attached to the floor had a weld break. Photos provided below. 2) The seat is no longer attached to the car in this particular part 3) No 4) I took the car to my dealer who did not physically look at it but refused to do anything to help me because the car was no longer within warranty period. They could provide me a quote only after I paid a $220 diagnosis fee. The part to repair is $1,020 before diagnosis charge, labor, and tax. 5) There were no warning or symptoms prior to the failure.
Seat belts, Seats, Jun 25, 2022
Back latch that makes the seat fold down won’t snap back into place.
Engine, Jun 25, 2022
Have taken in my car 2 times for a clutch repair and it’s still not fixed. It shudders when taking off from a stop. I bought this car in June of 2020. One year later in June of 2021 it needed a new clutch. Then in June of 2022 it went in again for a new clutch. I drove it off the service lot and it was worse then when I dropped it off. I will be returning to ford service center on Monday June 27 2022 to tell them it’s still not fixed. I will be going I. With info that I found on the internet regarding problems with the transmission on the make and model of cars. Thank you Carol Brunson.
Power train, Jun 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was associated with an unknown recall; however, the year, make, and model of the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Power train, Jun 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to reverse and would not accelerate above 15 MPH. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the clutch fork; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic and diagnosed with TCM failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Power train, Jun 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle started shuddering. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving and accelerating between 30-70 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving and had worsened. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle and attempting to drive, the gear shifter remained seized in park(P). The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she needed to pay a fee for diagnostic test. 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 NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) and that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Engine, Jun 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high engine temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who advised the contact to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a head gasket and engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that there was no warranty and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
Power train, Jun 16, 2022
I am pretty sure that this is not the battery. I had my vehicle towed to the mechanic and the code that he’s getting from the computer is the transmission. The clutch seems to be stuck somehow and will not engage into gears. I can get it started, but it won’t go anywhere. It will start and the lights come on. The check engine light is on, and it is something regarding the transmission. Changing the battery would make know difference. The car has always stuttered when taking off from a parked position.And makes noises when there’s a change in the “gears “
Engine, Jun 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her husband was driving 60 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The driver parked at a nearby gas station; after restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was also illuminated. The contact parked at a nearby parking lot and a bystander who was an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle. The contact was informed that the oil pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to the local dealer the following day. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine, oil pump, and turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Power train, Jun 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The vehicle had previously been serviced at the dealer for clutch assembly replacement on two separate occasions; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated during acceleration and experienced rough driving. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 13, 2022
What caused me to realize my car had safety issues was roughly 6 months ago when my car died at the pump after turning on. It chugged for a good 3 seconds as the dash lights flickered and it stalled. I was able to just turn it off and restart it after 2+ tries, and I wondered if It was too hot or if I put premium in, just playing it off. I thought I let the car get too low on E too, so I didn't think too much about it at the time as it didn't seem to happen for quite some time again. I filled my car all the way full at the first occurrence and mcurrently gets 29.8mpg. It started being consistently a problem when I started to refill on half a tank of gas or lower. The car starts to work harder and you can feel it wanting to die while I'm driving. The battery light does not stay on or come on the dash after the car starts so I know it wasn't the alternator at the time either. I was parked on a slight incline at under a quarter tank and I had to put my car in neutral and roll start it. It wasn't drastic or anything but the car was being weird and idling hard, but my RPMs stayed at normal levels. It just was shaking after starting. That's when I realized that the gasoline tank was not only having issues after I pumped gas. My check engine finally came on and a valve sensor for the gas tank was signaled. The car seems to run harder after starting up and it finally died on me while I was parked and idling. The battery was replaced at 55,643, mi.; Check engine light signaled at 53,000 roughly. - The car is available upon request. - I currently own a 2017 Ford focus & I bought it certified used from a Dodge dealership in Northern Kentucky. - It didn't signal any warning lamps or other signs of failure until it hit 5 y.o. and after I refueled my tank. I started to panic because I was going to be late for work and I had no time for this. -My car has been serviced twice to confirm diagnosis; Once for a simple oil change & code reader, and then at a certified local repair.
Wheels, Jun 8, 2022
Lug nuts are expanding and the two different metals are seperating. This is a saftey issue. It was brought to my attention by Discount Tire when I was having my tires rotated.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 7, 2022
The transmission on this vehicle has failed, due to the computer system, or a small chip part (so I have been told.) I have been told by MUTIPLE mechanics that it is the same Transmission issue that the 2011-2016 Models experienced. I was driving the vehicle when the transmission failed, almost causing me to wreck the vehicle on the interstate.
Power train, Jun 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, and the RPM’s decreased. The service transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact was able to drive home. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced; additionally, there was an issue with the fuel tank. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
Power train, Jun 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine revved while the vehicle hesitated during acceleration, causing the vehicle to overheat. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited until the engine cooled down and then restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the clutch arm was stuck. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Power train, Jun 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate without warning while driving at various speeds. The contact also stated that unknown warning lights would intermittently flash on the instrument panel while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and no defects were found. One day while driving in reverse, the gear shifter failed to move from the reverse(R) position after multiple attempts. Once the contact was able to shift the vehicle into drive(D), the vehicle would not accelerate above 10 MPH with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.