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.
Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 14, 2024
After filling up gas tank, car continues to sputter and tries to stall. This only happens after filling tank.
Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 12, 2024
My car stalls when I get gas. If I get gas, I have to try multiple times to start my car and once it starts, I can’t stop. If I stop, my car will turn off and I have to start it again. My car has died in intersections and on streets many times. I called ford and they told me that I am basically out of luck and will have to have it repaired on my own dime even though I am having the same symptoms of a current recall.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light and the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the timing belt needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the thermostat had recently been replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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; however, the manufacturer was unable to confirm when parts would be available. The failure mileage was 63,895. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Other or unspecified, Nov 2, 2024
I was driving to church on I-95 north bound when my sunroof exploded and shattered on me and inside my car
Engine, Oct 31, 2024
This complaint is related to an existing recall for the 1.0L Ecoboost engine in 2016-2018 Ford Focus models. As stated in Recall 23V-905 , "The engine oil pump drive belt tensioner arm may fracture, separate from the tensioner backing plate, and/or the oil pump drive belt material may degrade and lose teeth, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure. A loss of engine oil pressure can result in engine damage or seizure, which can result in a loss of motive power and a loss of the mechanical vacuum pump required to provide power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash. The oil pump drive belt tensioner arm retention caulking joint is not robust to the vibration experienced by the component over time, which can cause arm separation. The tensioner arm can contact the engine balancer shaft, which can cause the tensioner arm to fracture. A greater than expected load on the oil pump drive belt may result in belt degradation. Ford’s engine design verification testing did not adequately represent the load on the oil pump tensioner system experienced in the vehicle." This recall is written to apply only to 2016-2018 Ford Focus with the 1.0L Ecoboost paired to the automatic transmission - exempting the same car equipped with the manual transmission, even though it has the same faulty engine with faulty oil pump drive belt tensioner. It seems like a miss to not include the manual transmission variant of the same vehicle & engine combination, as the same safety hazards resulting from an oil pump tensioner failure exist! This cause of catastrophic engine failure should be corrected for both the manual and automatic transmission variants of the 2016-2018 Ford Focus 1.0L Ecoboost.
Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 31, 2024
On several occasions over the last several thousand miles, several issues have developed (all without warning at the time of first occurrence). At random times the engine will shut off when lifting out of the throttle. The car will run out of fuel before the fuel gauge is on empty or the "Miles to Empty" indicator state there are more miles to empty. Additionally, when shutting off the car to fuel at a gas station, the car takes up to a minute of cranking to re-start. When it starts, it will randomly shut off for the first several minutes unless throttle is applied before it shuts off. On 10/30/24 when driving with the gas gauge and range to empty indicators not on empty, the car stalled when beginning a slight climb, leaving the car stranded at night in the left most lane of traffic. This suggests fuel tank deformation. When issues started, the Canister Purge Valve was tested and found to be working correctly. It appears Recall 18V-735 is the issue here. Every symptom related to Recall 18V-735 is being experienced ("malfunctioning Canister Purge Valve (CPV) that can stick open and a Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software that does not adequately detect a stuck-open CPV. A CPV that is stuck open in these vehicles can cause excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system, potentially deforming the fuel tank. If this occurs, the customer may observe a Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL), inaccurate or erratic fuel gauge indication, drivability concerns or loss of motive power."). Expanding this recall to cover 2018 Ford Focus with the 1.0L Ecoboost seems prudent as Ford should update the PCM to avoid drivers of this vehicle being stranded in unsafe situations.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 31, 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 unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 29, 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 unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, where the vehicle failed to respond while in reverse(R). The contact drove to the residence at 5 MPH. The contact scanned the vehicle with a vehicle scanner and retrieved a DTC code related to the B-fork. The contact contacted an independent mechanic and was informed that the torque converter might have failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 24, 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 unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 24, 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 unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Engine, Oct 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked violently. The transmission and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the clutch actuator; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after the vehicle was refueled, the vehicle failed to start. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had started a year ago; however, the failure had since become persistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with canister purge valve failure. The contact was informed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle failed to start-up immediately. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local Auto Zone and diagnosed with a faulty purge valve. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Power train, Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle failed to start immediately. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally while shifting gear. 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 68,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 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 repair was not yet available. No further information was provided. The contact stated that the manufacturer 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, Oct 13, 2024
My son car broke down Towed to Ford Waiting on a back order part since July 1st. No rental available. No loaner and no buyback . 23s66l4 recall#. Number23V905
Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 7, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 35-40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked and hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Randy Redinger and Sons Auto Service, where it was diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved DTC codes: P0456 and P144A and determined that the canister purge valve was stuck open, which caused excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system and caused the fuel tank to become deformed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 5, 2024
In March 2024, I was driving my Ford Focus when the engine suddenly shut off at a stop light and never restarted. There were no warning lights or indications that anything was wrong with the car prior to it shutting off. The car was towed to a Ford dealership where it was determined that the reason the car broke was due to the oil belt breaking which is an active recall. The manufacturer recall number is 23S64. The NHTSA recall number is 23V905. This oil belt failure, led to both the turbocharger and engine seizing up and breaking due to a lack of oil being delivered to the system. This problem poses a safety risk as a loss of engine oil pressure can result in engine damage and/or seizure, which can result in a loss of motive power and a loss of the mechanical vacuum pump required to provide power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash. In March 2024, the recall only covered replacing the oil system - not the engine or turbo charger. In mid-June 2024, the recall was updated to include replacing the oil system as well as the engine and turbocharger that was affected in the cascading effects of the lack of oil delivery. We were told by the Ford dealership that a new engine and turbocharger had been ordered and would be delivered and installed in my car at the beginning of July 2024. Since early July 2024, I have called several times for an update of the status of my car. Each time, I have been told they are waiting on parts. Most recently, I was told that the one part they are waiting on is the high pressure pump. The service advisor at the local dealership said he has ordered it twice and emergency ordered it one other time. However, corporate Ford is not getting this order taken care of in a timely manner. It is now October 2024 and I have been waiting 7 months to get my car fixed. Per the NHTSA, car companies are expected to fix the recalled issue in a timely manner and Ford has failed to do this. They have also refused to buy my car back.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to restart, with an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 but was unable to confirm when parts would be available. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle stalled and failed to immediately restart. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the canister purge valve had failed causing the fuel tank to collapse. The contact was informed that the purge valve, fuel tank, and fuel tank module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 78,283.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 27, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 27, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Steering, Sep 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering assist warning light illuminated, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with electronic power steering assist module failure. The contact was informed that the electronic power steering assist module needed to be reset. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to start as intended. The check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil pump had malfunctioned and caused oil to not be pumped into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred approximately a year later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.