2018 Ford Focus
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 835 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 11th highest complaint count among 19 Focus model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 15 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 11 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, manual transmissionJun 9, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18V169 and 18V845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect Focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S43. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.
Campaign 26V376000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, evaporative emissions, canisterJun 9, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Focus vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 18V735. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly while driving.
An engine that stalls while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S40. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.
Campaign 26V369000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterJan 15, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in October 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.
Campaign 26V012000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterJan 15, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Campaign 26V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, oil/lubrication, pumpDec 22, 2023
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.
A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt, free of charge. If engine failure occurs due to a damaged oil pump belt and/or oil pump belt tensioner, Ford has authorized dealers to replace the engine assembly as an interim repair before the availability of remedy parts for the final repair. This repair will be free of charge (parts and labor). Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S64.
Campaign 23V905000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, manual transmissionNov 28, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07. Note: This recall is an expansion of Recall 18V-169.
Campaign 18V845000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storageOct 22, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles with a 2.0L GDI or 2.0L GTDI engine. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in fuel vapor management system.
The excessive vaccuum may result in an engine stall while driving, without warning and without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Ford Customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S32. Note: Until the vehicle is serviced for this concern, owners are advised to keep the fuel tank at least halfway full.
Campaign 18V735000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine and engine cooling
124 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the "Low Oil Pressure" warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, and it was determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to another dealer who determined that the oil pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, May 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond immediately and stalled shortly afterward. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). 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 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, May 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop sign, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power and the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of fuel. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to perform the repair were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the local dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power with the check oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed as a failure with the fuel pump. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 not 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, May 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle decelerated, with the oil pressure and battery warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over off the highway and stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,643. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, May 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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. 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 and engine cooling, May 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence and then had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the oil pump had failed. The dealer informed the contact that the parts were not available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, May 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 made an abnormal sound. The oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 26, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 24, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 5 MPH in the driveway, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, stalled, and shut off independently. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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's son attempted to start the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. On the second attempt, the vehicle started; however, the oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with belt corrosion that affected the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the hood. The check engine and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle turned off and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer but was not diagnosed due to the warranty being expired. 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 51,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the "Low Oil Pressure" warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and related the failure to the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. A warning light was illuminated which displayed that the vehicle was overheating. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a repair code given as p2872 and it was unknown what parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, he heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost all motive power. The contact 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 the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump belt, resulting in damage to the engine and requiring a replacement engine. 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, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while her daughter was driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that her daughter stated that the check engine warning light and the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her daughter was able to coast to the side of the road however, the vehicle was not accelerating while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the oil pump had failed and caused damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal knocking sound emanating from the engine compartment. The check warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the turbo booster. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who did not provide a diagnosis. 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, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 while his daughter was pulling out of the parking lot at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light and the low oil pressure warning light were illuminated. The contact's daughter pulled back into the parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump drive belt tensioner arm failure had caused the engine to fail. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced and charged a repair fee. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened; however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Mar 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a red light, the vehicle shut off. The contact shifted the vehicle into neutral. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that a diagnostic test needed to be performed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 43,529.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH and slowing for a traffic signal, the check engine and low oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact called an independent mechanic who drove to the residence and diagnosed the vehicle. The independent mechanic determined that the oil pump had failed but was unable to further diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,428. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 check engine warning light and the low oil warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the brakes were inoperable and the contact had to utilize the hand brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, however the dealer was unable to service the vehicle due to being over-booked. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed oil pump tensioner. The contact stated the timing belt, the oil pump, water pump, oil pump belt and the tensioners, brake booster vacuum, and thermostat were all replaced. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or 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. The failure mileage was approximately 70,300.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the engine failure was due to the oil pump tensioner arm failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown due to the oil pump failure. The vehicle was repaired under warranty; however, the contact was charged a deductible fee. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which the contact related to the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted for reimbursement of the deductible fee, but the manufacturer denied reimbursement. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.