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
835 reports, newest first.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 22, 2024, crash
My car keeps stuttering and stalling. I've been trying to get it fixed at specialists but they say nothing is wrong with the car, even though I've been stuck on the side of the road multiple times. Not to mention the intense jerking the car does when I try and speed up .
Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 20, 2024
previous recall 18V735000 that covered the fuel system was inadequate. my 2018 se is constantly displaying incorrect fuel levels, and it has multiple warnings regarding the fuel system.
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.
Power train, Mar 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the vehicle accelerated abruptly and jerked forward. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed with a Transmission Control Module(TCM) failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer covered under an unknown customer satisfaction program associated with the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000
Power train, Mar 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while shifting in reverse(R), the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The contact stated that her son jiggled the clutch but the vehicle failed to move as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clutch assembly, the cylinder assembly, the gasket retainer nut, the retainer bearing, the circlip-inner seal, the actuator clutch and bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,566. The contact is requesting a refund of the $4,535.37 that she paid to have her son’s vehicle repaired.
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.
Power train, Mar 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The Transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission control module(TCM) was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Engine, Mar 16, 2024
The reverse transmission went out while driving, and the car has had routine maintenance. There were no warning lights or indicators and I am not able to drive my vehicle at this time.
Engine, Mar 14, 2024
Problem is with the engine. Three days it didn't start, then the fourth day start again. Few times it happened. Yesterday, during drive, while stopping on the signal, I felt two times that like engine is about to shutdown.
Power train, Mar 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jolted forward before returning to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred after 12,000 miles. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who again diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred two additional times, and the same diagnostic report was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 15,000.
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.
Power train, Mar 11, 2024
Have owned the car for a little over a year has 150,000 miles on it stopped at a red light and went to take off no power what so ever.Finally went into drive and got it to the garbage transmission is going out. My friction sensor is bad can’t buy the part so need a new transmission.
Other or unspecified, Mar 9, 2024
When I filled my gas tank up recently my car wouldn’t immediately start up, it started but then stalled, I repeated that a couple times before revving the engine a bit before trying to put it in drive, that got it going but now I’m worried there’s something really wrong.
Engine, Mar 8, 2024
While driving the oil pressure light came on. Within seconds the check engine light came on. The car was being backed out of my driveway at the time. It was pulled back in & parked at the end of my driveway. The oil was checked and was not low. I had it towed to a dealership. After a few days, the dealership called & told me I needed a new engine and turbo. I inquired about whether it was related to the current recall & was told “your oil pump isn’t working because of your motor”. How can they tell me it’s not because of the belt breaking down (which falls under the recall) without going into the motor to inspect the belt. I asked to speak with someone who actually worked on my car. The tech told me that the car lost oil pressure which meant the oil wasn’t moving and my engine burned up. I reached out to Ford & was simply given a case number & told that I would receive a letter when the parts are available for repair. I am beyond that point as my engine is already shot and it’s $6-7k to replace. But why replace the engine with the same engine that has the same belt that’s causing these issues??? The car belongs to my son who is a full time nursing student & REALLY needs his car. I can’t get a loaner and can’t afford to rent a vehicle for no telling how long. We are still having to make car & insurance payments on a car that we can’t drive. It is currently still sitting at the dealership. It’s $155 per hour to have the dealership go into the engine & inspect the belt to see if it in fact is at fault for my engine failure. That’s on top of the $100 I paid for towing and the $188 I paid for the diagnosis. Not to mention having to help my son pay for rides to school and work every single day. Ford needs to come up with a solution ASAP! The car was fine until this sudden loss of oil pressure.
Power train, Mar 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 25-30 MPH, a message indicating that the transmission was overheating and needed to rest for 5 minutes was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Power train, Mar 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message indicating that the transmission was overheating and needed to rest for 5 minutes was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Engine, Mar 6, 2024
Timing broke with 71k on engine. Cut off and will not start back
Power train, Mar 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was operating as if the vehicle was in LIMP Mode. The contact stated that when the gear shifter was in reverse, the vehicle did not function as needed. The contact parked the vehicle and turned off the vehicle, however the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic with failed transmission clutch packets and that the transmission clutch packets needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 97,500.
Engine, Mar 5, 2024
Engine seized
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.
Power train, Engine, Mar 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the fuel injectors were replaced. The failure recurred three additional times. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a stuck clutch and stated that the clutch assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000.
Power train, Mar 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly shuddered and hesitated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. 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 referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 20,000.
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.
Power train, Feb 28, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, the vehicle began to hesitate with the "Temperature Hot, wait 5 Minutes" and check engine warning lights illuminated. On both occasions, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective transmission module and actuator assembly. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 100,908.