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.
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.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While attempting to accelerate at a stop light, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was taken to summerville Ford (9700 dorchester rd, summerville, SC 29485, (877) 477-1434) where the contact was informed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000. The VIN was unknown.
While driving on a busy interstate the rpms on my vehicle revved to 5000, wouldn't accelerate, and quickly slowed down. I was in the fast lane while traffic around me was going 75+ and was forced to pull over on the left shoulder with my dog in the vehicle at 9:30pm on a Friday night. Once stopped, my vehicle wouldn't move as I tried to go into reverse and wouldn't go over 25 mph while trying to go forward. I was stranded on the interstate for 2 hours waiting for a tow truck paid for out of pocket because my 'warranty expired due to high mileage'. my boyfriend had to leave school to also pull over behind me on the interstate and take the dog from my car to his on the busiest interstate in the state we live in. Mine, my dog's my boyfriend's lives were all in extreme danger due to the failure of a part on my vehicle I have had replaced twice already and is a known problem with the make model and year of my vehicle.
I have a called the dealership I bought my car from. They are refusing to help me. My transmission is going out on my car. That I've had for 1 year. I've had my car looked at 4 times. But the issue wasn't fixed. This car isn't safe for me to drive. I want this fixed.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 13V523000 (power train), the vehicle stalled while driving various speeds. The failure occurred intermittently. The repair was performed by delehanty Ford (1510 E pierson rd, flushing, mi 48433, (810) 659-5687). The vehicle was not repaired again. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.
The clutch assembly has been repaired four times in the first 80000 miles, each time with the guarantee that Ford has fixed the problems associated with the car. The car now has 94000 miles on it. Last December, the car was taken to the dealership where we were told the clutch was once again close to whatever standard they used to replace them but wasn't there yet. They said to put 1000 miles on the car and then they could check to see if it meets the standard yet. Over the past couple of months it has got progressively worse to the point we have to be careful pulling out of our driveway which is on a hill. We have returned the car now to be told that the vehicle has now gone out of warranty on time, they are no longer responsible, and I owe a charge just for them having checked.
- Altoona, PA, USA
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The transmission is under class action lawsuit. Having trouble with since buying in 2012, still waiting on outcome of that. Today. March 27, 2019, "steering wheel assist- service needed". steering out wheel will not turn. I work I need a car. I will be calling Ford today. My Ford Focus SE is no longer under warranty, over 140,000 miles on it. I was not able to leave home for work today. Sometimes when I turn the car off the time changes I then turn it back on and it goes back to the correct time. Also in the past sometimes in would not start. I would wait a while and then it would start. It has not done that since I bought the car in 2012. This car has a lot of problems.
When my car starts driving, from 0 mpg to 25 mpg my car shakes. It feels like my car is slipping, and having a rough jerking motion. I also experienced my car roll backward when I was transitioning from a red light to a green light. I would have to just hope my car would accelerate in time or else it would roll and hit the car behind.
Over the last 4 months my Ford Focus has completely ran like [xxx] the car bogs out cuts off due to the fuel and cluster jam and it's caused my clutch or transmission to throw codes. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Bought 11/9/2012 six months later rec'd emission recall, 1yr later would not start, dead in grocery parking, dealer said emission again, 2nd yr radio went out, 3rd yr catalylict converter need to be changed, 5/16/2017 was charged $1805.72, said not emission but it was doing the same thing as before, dead had to be towed again to dealer, dealer said, "codes PO420, po7A3 tested, found converter stopped up, shift actuator faulty, removed transmission replaced clutch actuatorsand clutch, removed & replaced manifold/coverter assembly. Now twice so far engine malfunction light, no power, goes 5 miles....... when turned off in about 45-1 hr, starts.... all this while driving or parked in a parking lot.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a stop light and making a left turn, the gear shifter failed to shift gears and the vehicle stalled. The transmission warning light illuminated. The contact coasted to the side of the road and powered off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for a diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 18V735000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to have the vehicle seen by a dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 130,510.
The axel on my passenger side of the vehicle has broken twice. While driving on the city street it just randomly broke without any warning. I was at a stop sign when I tried to take off to resume driving the car would not move.
Ford is stating that my car's issue is not covered under any warranty for the clutch issue. I have had the tcm changed three times with the same or worse outcome. My car now needs 3000 dollars worth of repairs and I cannot get them done because Ford is not standing behind their product. They bought my time and mileage by saying that it needed a tcm when it really needed a repair on the clutch portion of the transmission. Ford refuses to help me with their defective product. I have 144kmiles on my Ford with three tcm changes and now it won't drive correctly at all causing a safety hazard.
Car has 60000 miles and has exact same issues as everyone else is posting. Shuttering, slow starts, loss of power on highways! how is this not on a recall list by now or do we wait for fatalities? these cars are unsafe for the roads! I just had clutch replaced and I am even scared to get the dang car back and drive it. Ridiculous something isnt being done by Ford. Wont be buying them anymore unless we get some help.
The automatic transmition of my 2012 Ford Focus with 100K miles had hesitation and the engine suddenly shut off when driving due to the transmition fail (it happen too often drivind in the city), after I paid $ 2,200 to the dealership to get it fixed ( they changed clutchs and computer module). The steering wheels started to fail, it suddenly gets too hard to turn, then it gets normal and then fails again. Just when I was turning on a corner the steering wheel got hard to turn and the car was going out of the road (straight). Luckily I was able to hold the steering wheel too hard to control it. Ford want to charge $2,400 to fix the problem (rack and pinion replacement). I think there should be recalls for those dangerous issues. Thanks.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. As soon as the vehicle was started, the "transmission malfunction service immediately" message populated in the message center. The vehicle was taken to plaza Ford (1701 bel air road, bel air, md 21014) where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch had to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.
Started my car to leave parking lot. I was in forward motion and transmission light comes on with an exclamation mark. Car is running but won't reverse or drive forward. This could've happened to me on the freeway and I would've been in great danger. I just picked my car up from Ford dealership getting a recall ( 18S32/NHTSA recall 18V-735) completed.
While traveling at 65 mph on highway, vehicle suddenly lost all power transmission to the wheels with check engine light illuminating and service transmission warning appearing on console. Vehicle coasted to a stop, partially obscuring right lane of highway. Vehicle narrowly avoided life-threatening collisions with various passing vehicles until emergency personnel arrived in response to 911 call to block traffic and allow towing. Vehicle was towed from the scene. Upon restart of vehicle, power transmission to wheels was restored, though check engine light and service transmission warning remained illuminated. Ford service department diagnosed as faulty transmission control module (tcm) and replaced tcm under Ford field service action 14M02. Ford has known of faulty tcm electrical soldering design with possible consequence of intermittent loss of power transmission to the wheels since at least 2015 when 14M02 was issued, but inexplicably no tcm safety recall occurred at that time. As part of Ford "customer satisfaction program" 15B22 issued in 2015, vehicle received a tcm computer reprogram that was supposed to detect impending tcm failure so that tcm could provide warning about the need for tcm replacement, if need be, prior to hazardous events occurring. This software update proved to be ineffective, as vehicle's tcm failed without warning in highly dangerous scenario. A safety recall should be issued for all un-replaced tcms in all vehicles referenced in Ford field service action 14M02, as stop-gap software reprogram levied by Ford "customer satisfaction program" 15B22 has proven insufficient to detect impending tcm catastrophic failure. Waiting to replace the tcm until it shows signs of failure will (and perhaps already has) lead to fatalities.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle would not increase in speed. The contact also heard an abnormal popping noise coming from the fuel tank. The contact also mentioned that the gear shifter was stuck and would not shift into the correct gear. The vehicle was towed to capital Ford (3660 S carson St, carson city, nv 89701, (775) 882-5353) where it was diagnosed that the control module needed to be replaced. The dealer also stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 18V735000 (fuel system, gasoline), but the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they were not authorizing any rental vehicles. The failure mileage was 987,038.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- North Charleston, SC, USA