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.
Connector for airbags keep coming undone. We took in after seeing notification on dash showing airbag issue. Paid 170 for them to put a new connector in. Less than a year later it is loose again. We cannot keep paying $170 for them to fix this. The switch just hangs under the driver's seat and we have made a point of not putting anything under there in case this was the problem. I have seen online where airbags are not deploying. Could be a faulty switch underneath causing this to happen.
On many different occasions my steering wheel will completely lock up. Today was not the first day - just now knowing I can report this. Happens frequently and randomly since getting the vehicle. This is dangerous when driving, and it seems to be a common issue on these Ford. When the wheel locks up - you have to stop the vehicle. If I turn the car off/back on 4 or 5 times it usually unlocks it. As far as the electrical goes - the car is possessed. If you turn the car off and remove the keys - the radio continues to play even after getting out of the car. The keyless entry will not lock the doors. Windshield wipers will go off randomly without keys in the ignition. Sometimes the radio will randomly turn itself all the way up and if you try to turn the whole thing off, it does not respond. Many issues with this car!
Driving on a city street when it just would not go after a red light. When I did get it to move off of the city street to a parking lot it was hard to steer. All the lights started flashing. I could not lock the doors with my remote, would not start. I had to have it towed to my house. The next morning I put my code reader on the vehicle and found about 13 fault codes which I reset since then I have had multiple instances of my vehicle shutting down, hard steering and transmission not shifting or going into gear. Displays transmission overheating, transmission malfunction service now. Wont, T go into gear. Horn stopped working and withut doing anything it suddenly started working.
Was driving car and randomly a warning came up ' power steering assist fault service required' then power steering turned off. Turn car off turn back on fix the problem. Then problem came back and has not gone away. I have no power steering. Radio has been acting strange since purchased car
- Savannah, GA, USA
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Twice in the last month this car has stopped running, all the dash lights come on and it will not accelerate. The most recent time, my daughter was driving back to school in lubbock, tx going 80 mph when it shutdown. She tried to pull over but almost wrecked due to the fact she had no power brakes. I have seen many reports on the internet and youtube videos documenting the same thing she had happen to her. When she took it into the Ford dealership they of course could not find an issue and they would not give her a loaner or rental car during the time it took them to look at it. This is obviously a safety issue with Ford not having a fix. At this point, if I wasn't upside down on the car, I would trade it in on something different and it wouldn't be a Ford. I digress.
Sync module failed. Costing $1000 to fix. A smog part failure resulted in Ford wanting 2000 to repair and replace the fuel tank. The clutch fails to engage on low speed turns creating a loss of control. Ford fixed with the recall. Steering fault detected making it near impossible to steer the car. Recall is available on other models but not Focus. Another 1000 to fix it. Ford is unsafe!
I have 2012 Ford Focus with about 85,000 miles. Since 2014, I've had my tcm reprogrammed several times and then replaced in Dec 2015 under the extended warranty after it completely stopped working. I brought my car to Ford again in July 2017 because my steering locked up while I was attempting to back up in a parking lot. I was told it was the epas system, and it would cost about $1,800 to replace since it's not covered under warranty. At their insistence, I paid for the replacement. I also made a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at that time. Since July, I've have been back to three Ford dealerships - first two times because of a grinding noise (they couldn't diagnose it then but have since said it is my clutch) and a second time this past Tuesday (9/12) after my car basically short circuited in a parking lot on Monday and it started lurching forward while trying to reverse...simultaneously my breaks locked up and my steering locked up again (my sound/radio display/front buttons were also intermittently not working). Jc Ford did some "reprogramming" but said they couldn't duplicate the issues and told me my clutch would need replaced eventually but Ford would not cover it until it got worse. They told me these problems were unrelated despite me insisting they all felt similar while driving the vehicle. Yesterday (weds, 9/13), while attempting to turn onto a highway, my car again "stalled"/short-circuited (not sure what exactly happened - but the same thing as the previous times) and my breaks locked up and I couldn't move the vehicle from the middle of the road. Fortunately, I was able to get it out of the road after turning it off and on several times. I immediately took it to a Ford nearby and am waiting to hear if they find anything else. I am now scared to drive my vehicle despite Ford looking at it and "fixing" it several times.
Shudder when taking off, seems to be from 1st to 2nd....or 2nd to third. I dont really know. Automatic gearbox. As well, my radio will crackle and pop then "freeze" no sound or control other than a very loud and distracting static and popping from the speakers. This has gotten much worse.
The electrical power steering malfunction light will illuminate, when this happens this is a sudden complete loss of power steering making it impossible to steer vehicle. This occurred when the vehicle was in park stationary and also while in drive moving. It occasionally would happen. After the third or fourth time, the malfunction light remained illuminated and power steering loss remained despite try to restart car, this final time it did not shut off problem. Took vehicle into Ford where I had to pay for a complete new steering rack and cbm. Cost $2,000 at Ford dealership.
As I was driving approximately 60-65mph on the garden state parkway my windshield wipers came on without me telling them to. They cycled through fast, normal, intermittent, off for 60-90 seconds per cycle. After the second cycle I decided to exit the highway and find a place to park and shut the car off. I then hear a thud as I come to a light, 30 seconds later I see smoke. I pull into the parking lot and see lots of smoke and some flames coming from under my hood. I turn off the car and the wipers keep going. I get out and call 911 and within a few minutes my car is engulfed in flames.
Started with horn and tail light intermittently not working. Then intermittently as you are driving the car shuts off with no warning. This is a major safety issue! everything locks up and you attempt to make it safely to the side of the road. All dash lights work but car won't start. Found same complaints on internet and youtube but no recall. Took to local Ford dealer and they cannot find the issue. The diagnostic machine did not issue a code. I explained in detail the issue and asked for documentation of the issue. The paper they gave me said runs rough when ac is on. I said that is not the issue. They said don't worry the ticket is still open in the system. I asked if they could put a reader on the car while driven to catch the diagnostic code and they said no. So I am in same situation as other owners where my safety and others are at stake each time this car shuts off. Also dealer said they H horn with a screwdriver to make it work for now. So no horn, tail light and car shutting off intermittently are serious safety issues. Ford needs to recall this problem and fix it!
Driver window was slow to go up and down then finally quit working all together. Took it to dealership in tallassee Alabama. Ben atkinson Ford which is now tallassee auto. I was told it would cost me $275. To have it fixed.
I had my car towed to my mechanic because of it has been not starting/hesitating to start when in park. I also tried switching to neutral and attempted to start and got nothing. My mechanic ran a diagnostic test and its coming up with a security code issue stating my key does not read but will start several minutes after attempt. This has just randomly started happening and I have read multiple complaints in Ford forums stating the same situation. All lights on dash and radio come on but car has no noise and refuses to start. I thought it was my battery or starter and my mechanic has confirmed that it was neither. I tried contacting the Ford dealership where I bought this car and they refuse to fix it or even acknowledge the issue. This make has had more issues than I have ever had with any vehicle I have ever owned. Ford needs to step up because this is ridiculous. My husband has the same vehicle and his transmission is also on nationwide recall backorder for the same make and model. They should have had a warning for consumers that this was a terrible production year.
The steering wheel locks up and won't turn this has happened while driving and when I just start the car. I can put my key in the ignition and all the lights, radio, and chime works, but the car won't start. I had it checked when I got it started and the battery was fine and the altenator was fine and so was my starter. I have been having problems with my car for the past 4 years please help.
With less than 21K miles on the car and the alternator, it seized up, tore the pulley off, and shredded the belt and left my car dead. I was driving on the freeway and heard a metallic grinding and jingling sound. Had I not been able to exit when I did, I might not have been able to safely navigate my car to a stop. Ford is refusing to admit that it was their manufacturing that was responsible for this. They did not cover it under any of the remaining warranties on the car. My dad works in the auto industry and he was telling me that they test the alternators that his company makes to last 150K miles and that this should not have failed the way that it did.
Car was running fine then turned it off and 10 minutes later would not crank. Car will not start.you can jump start it and it starts. Now cut it off want crank
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. Within two weeks of purchasing the vehicle, it failed to start and the key was not recognized in the ignition. Also, the 6 speed automatic transmission failed to shift appropriately and the contact had to turn the vehicle off and back on due to the failure. There was also a sudden loss of eps and the steering assist fault warning indicator flashed. The vehicle became difficult to steer intermittently. The dealer (dave knapp Ford Lincoln, 500 wagner ave, greenville, oh 45331, (800) 717-3673) was unable to diagnose the cause of the failures. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V643000 (latches/locks/linkages) and two manufacturer service campaigns (transmission clutch shudder/transmission input shaft seal - 14M01, transmission control module extended coverage). The failure mileage was not available. Parts distribution disconnect. Updated 08/03/17
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Madison, AL, USA