Print this page

CarComplaints.com Notes: You should probably steer clear of the 2012 Focus. Otherwise, you might not be able to steer at all.

The 2012 is the first Focus to offer Electronic Power Assist Steering (EPAS). It's also the first year with massive power steering failure. These things are not mutually exclusive.

And while you wait for your steering to disappear, you'll be greeted with a transmission that shudders, vibrates or won't shift at all.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
30 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
15 / 2
Average Mileage:
59,417 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Ford Focus drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Ford Focus:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2012 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 12 of 68)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #1128

Jun 012020

Focus 4-cyl

  • 99,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The transmission shutters and shakes very frequently. Vehicle also periodically will almost stall while driving. Overall the vehicle just feels incredibly unsafe and unreliable while operating.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #1127

Jun 142020

Focus 4-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
My transmission has been acting weird since getting the car. But around 60,000 mile mark, the transmission has completely failed. I almost got into a car accident because the transmission stopped while driving.

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #1126

Jun 042020

Focus 4-cyl

  • 5 miles
Had replaced part of the transmission the module. But now my car has transmission issues again.

- Millington, MD, USA

problem #1125

May 292020

Focus 4-cyl

  • 163,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Current recall for 14M01 and 14M02 by the Ford Motor Company states that the factory mileage limitations for the program is 10yr 150,000 miles. My vehicle is a 2012 Ford Focus. It has been the diagnosed with the same clutch assembly malfunctions, this will be the 4th time that this vehicle has had the clutch assembly replaced, recalibrated and reprogrammed. It has been fixed twice under this recall once since I have financed the vehicle. Now the same manufacturer issue has arisen and has been diagnosed by the dealership service dept, but I do not qualify anymore due to mileage of 163,000 plus mileage. I cannot see how a factory defect is not covered or vehicle bought back by the manufacturer for recurrent issues that the manufacturer has failed to deal with. People who use these vehicles every day will put miles upon the vehicle, but with the mileage limitations of the recall. What happens to the owners who exceed the mileage limitations and who are still in need of a vehicle. With the vehicle as is, trade in value is out right is closer to $0. what is the fix? I cannot keep paying for a vehicle that will eventually breakdown.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #1124

Aug 022019

Focus 4-cyl

  • 64,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated with the accelerator pedal depressed. The vehicle was taken to currie Ford located at 2052 w morthland dr, valparaiso, in 46385 to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission was defective and needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,000.

- Gary, IN, USA

problem #1123

May 102020

Focus

  • 157,550 miles
I bought it off the previous owner that told me when I took it for a test ride the car sputtered on take off the previous owner said she had put it in the shop a few times for the same problem and she got the same response every time which was they did it know what the problem was or the cause I bought the car and looked up any recalls and I called a Ford dealership the employee I spoke to told me.yes there was a recall on my car and yes it was covered and for me to take it in the following Monday I take inas said to and was told I missed the recall time frame and and I'd have to pay $2500 to replace the clutch the car was always over heating and I replaced the water pump thermostat pulley & belt tune up and still kept marking hot one day I get to a stop sign and the car stalls and never started again I was on the highway going out of town when the car temp over heated pulled over waited 45 min to cool I turned around took the back roads home so I could drive slow it was night by this time came 2 a 4 way stop and that is when my car turned off and never started

- Porterville, CA, USA

problem #1122

May 052020

Focus 4-cyl

  • 170,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

There was a recall on the dps6 I tried to get it repaired twice in Sept 2019 when I received the letter that they had to reimburse me me for the tcm they make me pay for even though Ford was at fault and knew it. Of course the two times I took it they said nothing was wrong with the transmission clutch/shutter it was to be fixed no charge until Feb 29 2020 but now of course the car is stalling out going down the road. When you take off from a stop it acts like its in neutral and the car will not go instead rolls back. Then it will decide to go that's very dangerous the a car is my teenage daughters. Ford expects to me pay 2600 to fix it even though they know the transmission clutch are broken.

- Kannapolis, NC, USA

problem #1121

Jun 182019

Focus

  • 92,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle hesitated to respond without warning. The vehicle was taken to an unknown Ford dealer, located in winston-salem, nc, where the technician repaired the vehicle under NHTSA campaign number: 16V643000 (latches/locks/linkages) however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be repaired or replaced. The contact called the same unknown dealer and was informed that the vehicle was over the mileage and therefore would not be covered under warranty or NHTSA campaign number: 13V523000 (power train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

- Winston-Salem, NC, USA

problem #1120

Oct 012019

Focus

  • 83,500 miles
Extreme transmission shudder to the point of tires losing traction while trying to take off from a standstill. Included shuddering at random from standstill and when shifting. Lack of any consistency in acceleration during some shifts. It continues to do this as we've owned the car approximately 2 years. Has already had the module reflashed.

- Basehor, KS, USA

problem #1119

Mar 132020

Focus

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact's daughter took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective transmission. The contact's daughter then took the vehicle to jannell motors Inc located at (2000 Washington St, hanover, MA 02339) where the contact was provided an estimate to have a diagnostic test performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Boston, MA, USA

problem #1118

Jul 142015

Focus

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle hesitated without warning. The vehicle was taken to capitol Ford located at (919 capitol expressway auto mall, san jose, ca 95136) where the contact was informed that the powertrain control module was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that if the powertrain control module was replaced, there was no guarantees that the failure would be resolved. The vehicle was then taken to the Ford store morgan hill located at (17045 condit rd, morgan hill, ca 95037) and repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 19V515000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was repaired however, the check engine warning light illuminated while driving slow speeds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed with a defective transmission control module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #1117

Jan 032019

Focus

  • 72,625 miles
2102 Ford Focus - have transmission skipping and also could not get the gear shift to go from park to drive. Was stick for 2 hours in the winter months until tow arrived.

- Lawrence, MA, USA

problem #1116

Sep 102019

Focus 4-cyl

  • 58,335 miles
When you depress the accelerator peddle the rpms max out.it will studder for a few second then the rpms will plummet to zero or one.the engine stalls while in motion.while operating the vehicle on a straight flat road.the rpms are all over the engine looses power surges and cuts out.when driving up hill or an incline the engine will loose up to half its power and the car will derastically loose accelerator power.the steering is irratic.it shakes and causes the vehicle to lurch.it is unsafe to operate on public roadways.since recall service I've had to return the car to the recall service provider.the car now has so many problems it sits in my driveway.since October I've paid full coverage insurance for a car the Ford Motor Company and sub sitiary companies of that company refuse to honor their re-calls and services stemming from those recalls.

- Spirit Lake, ID, USA

problem #1115

Mar 092020

Focus 4-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, a message displayed stating; transmission hot, wait 5 minutes. The vehicle loss motive power. The contact followed the warning light directions; however, the failure recurred. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 13V523000(power train) as a possible cause of the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

- Lithonia, GA, USA

problem #1114

Mar 102020

Focus

  • 200,000 miles
I was leaving work when I got on the freeway when I step on the gas pedal the center of the car mainly the transmission start to shake and the car would stop move, the more I press on the pedal the louder the shaking get and the car would not accelerate I had to pull over to the side of the road shut the car off and wait for 15 minutes then start it again try to move it but it was moving slowly I eventually reach home.

- Homewood, AL, USA

problem #1113

Jun 012019

Focus

  • 135,000 miles
My transmission is slow on take off slips in cornering has a vibration while running. It hesitates and lunges. In town and on highway running.this is the 2nd transmission.

- Oshkosh, WI, USA

problem #1112

Mar 102020

Focus

  • 78,000 miles
I went to a Ford dealership for a possible transmission issue, uncomfortable gear shifts and acceleration lag, that I have with my 2012 Ford Focus in 9/13/2019. They told me that my car had a field service action (technically is not a recall) that had expired couple months ago, and they could not do anything. They provided me some papers that explains operation characteristics of their faulty transmission. In six months to this date, my issue with the transmission got worse. After 30 minutes of driving, my entire car starts shaking in first and second gears, and becomes unsafe to drive because it sometimes takes dangerously long time to speed up. Today I went to a local mechanic shop and contacted Ford customer service. My mechanic estimates the costs of repair to be $1500, and Ford customer service only tells me that their field service action (14M01) has expired and would not take the responsibility for their faulty transmission anymore.

- Edwardsville, IL, USA

problem #1111

Jan 012015

Focus

  • 20,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle would shuddered and hesitated. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer was not notified of the failure. No further information was available. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 20,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #1110

Feb 262020

Focus

  • 112,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while coming to a complete stop the vehicle shuddered without warning. The vehicle was taken to marshal mize Ford located at (5348 tn-153, hixson, tn 37343) to be diagnosed. The diagnosis was a plate cylinder failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 13V523000 (power train) however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

- Soddy-Daisy, TN, USA

problem #1109

Feb 172020

Focus

  • 86,000 miles
While the vehicle was parked, I used the shift lever to place the vehicle on reverse. However, each time the shift lever was placed on reverse it would slip into neutral. Additionally, while the vehicle was on drive it would shift to the next gear in a rough manner, causing the vehicle to jerk before engaging the next gear.

- Orlando, FL, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?