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CarComplaints.com Notes: For the third year in a row, the 3rd generation Focus is experiencing massive transmission problems.

Most notably owners keep complaining about how there's bad hesitation and jerking when starting from a stop. This isn't the result of an old, worn out part. In fact, the average mileage it's reported to us is just over 15k miles.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
9 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
9 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,950 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.

2014 Ford Focus electrical problems

electrical problem

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2014 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 1 of 11)

problem #217

Mar 012024

Focus

  • miles

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

The general information I have is my transmission is not working, and it causes the car to stall and jerk unexpectedly, it will be driving fine then aggressively slow down almost to a stop, then launch forward, which could cause an accident to the person in front of me or behind. When these events happen it-??s on and off, and the stalling will follow multiple times during a driving period. The engine light will come on, and many mechanics we have talked to have said to either replace the transition or sell the car, and the transmission is the same price I paid for the car. It-??s ultimately unfortunate because it is a great car, low miles, in great condition, and I am young into college with big loans and can-??t afford to fix this car.

- York, ME, USA

problem #216

Jun 172024

Focus

  • miles
I have been trying to get my car fixed but they will not honor the recalled part. I took it to another garage bc Ford is saying it's my clutch but I seem for my own eyes the only code was for the tcm. And then Ford told me they do not honor another mechanics diagnostics.

- Hurricane, WV, USA

problem #215

May 172024

Focus

  • miles
It did the exact same thing it did in April! Driving in traffic this time. The jerking, and not wanting to excelerate... then jumps from drive to neutral doing 70 mph! On hwy 59! THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AT THIS POINT! MAKE FORD FIX THIS

- Hattiesburg, MS, USA

problem #214

Sep 252023

Focus

  • miles

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

I was driving my 2014 Ford Focus electric car sometime in 2023 and the system told me to immediately pull over for no reason. I was able to pull it over but it would not start again after turning it off. I let it sit and came back the next day since I needed to go somewhere and it started. The car then had issues starting and I tried to diagnose with the dealership and we ended up recharging the battery because it was low. It was a little more consistent but it died again but this time it would not turn over. I finally got the car to the dealership to diagnose and it took them over a month to do so. It seems the High voltage wire harness was bad and needed to be replaced. It seems that this should be a recall because it is a major component and even a safety issue since the car died while driving.

- Bellevue, WA, USA

problem #213

Oct 012023

Focus

  • miles
My 2014 Ford focus SE hatchback is having bad transmission codes throwing at me. Automatic transmission electrical system codes and transmission stuck in clutch A. I have 123,000 miles on it. I'm afraid to drive it as it being a electrical problem and I have my teenage son in the car with me. I'm afraid of a fire. Ford wants hundreds of dollars just to diagnose what 3 other mechanics have already diagnosed it. I have a picture of the codes. Ford knows about this problem but wants hundreds of dollars to tell me what I already know and then thousands of dollars to fix it.

- St Paul , MN, USA

problem #212

Nov 112023

Focus

  • 133,318 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and jerked before losing motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle stalled and failed to immediately restart. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle briefly failed to indicate that the power was available to the vehicle before finally displaying electronic information. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch assembly. 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 133,318.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #211

Dec 152015

Focus

  • 15,661 miles

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

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shuddered. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving and shifting between gears. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle taken to the dealer on two occasions, and the transmission clutch was replaced and the PCM was reprogrammed twice; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond upon shifting into reverse (R) and the engine revved. The contact stated that the vehicle operated as if the transmission was in neutral(N). The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Lynch Ford of Mukwonago (1015 Main St, Mukwonago, WI 53149) where it was diagnosed that the TCM had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was not shifting as intended and the vehicle was shuddering while shifting between gears. The message "Transmission Overheated" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a third dealer, Griffin Ford (1940 E Main St, Waukesha, WI 53186), where it was diagnosed and the transmission actuator was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle with the ignition key, the vehicle failed to start at first attempt, and there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,661.

- East Troy, WI, USA

problem #210

Sep 042023

Focus

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radio was making an abnormally loud cracking noise whether the vehicle was started or turned off. The contact stated that radio fuse was hot to the touch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

- West Middlesex, PA, USA

problem #209

May 242023

Focus

  • miles
The Steering Assist went out while driving 65 mph on the 15 south freeway.

- Las Vegas , NV, USA

problem #208

Jun 222023

Focus

  • miles
mY TRANSMISSION SHUTTERS IN TRAFFIC AND FORD DEALERSHIP SAID THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE.WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK IT WAS DOING THE SAME THING. NOW THEY SAY IT IS UNDSER RECALL. THAT IT HAS BEEN FIXED.

- Carrollton, MO, USA

problem #207

Jun 282023

Focus

  • miles

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

This car has had the clutch fork, clutch and tcm replaced since ive owned it and continues to still produce the same scary issue erratically. When it's not throwing codes it's sticking in gears, shifting hard, accelerating on its own (( almost went through a drive through window when it did this last)) this car is going to cause an issue/wreck. I Will be driving yhis car and the focus looses power, no steering, no acceleration available during the main issue im addressing today. It will flash the engine light and the cluster will continue to flash for about 30 seconds and you have no choice but to stop or pull over. What's fascinating and scary each time, it throws different codes. Anywhere from one code to up to 13 codes. I now carry a code reader in my glove box. Took me one hour and 17 minutes to get 8 blocks home in a very small, non traffic, town four or five days ago. Sometimes you can clear the code(s) and be on your way right away until the next dreaded failure. Or sometimes as soon as you turn the car back on it goes right back into loss of power and throwing codes. Nothing particular sets this off, not heat or cold temperatures. Not running the heater or A/C. Not driving fast, slow or in-between. Not turning or driving straight. Not driving short distances or long distances. Nothing is the same to produce this issue. This was tested by not only myself, husband and two mechanics. Ofcouse each time the codes say something different, TCM, clutch, clutch forks, gas, you name it the code was thrown, ect. Even after the money pit of fixing the supposed issue(s) we still continue to have the EXACT SAME VERY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. Ford should eliminate these cars, crush them so nobody else falls victim to these failing known issues they've produced.

- Laurel, MT, USA

problem #206

Jun 012022

Focus

  • miles
The part that failed was the dual clutch. I was in traffic and my car did not want to accelerate after the stop it began to sputter then went to accelerate this happened more then once. It has been inspected and diagnosed for a worn clutch but I bought the car like that. No check engine light or anything has came on. I am financing this car and it sucks that I am not able to drive it if it was an emergency then I risk it and drive the car but the whole time I am scared because of the way it is struggles on the freeway and streets

- Banning, CA, USA

problem #205

Mar 252023

Focus

  • 100,421 miles
My car if jerk when taking off. Horn stopped working and will not sound when you lock it with the key fob.

- North Vernon, IN, USA

problem #204

Mar 202023

Focus

  • miles
When car is wet, windshield wipers turn on an go crazy an will not stop. Even when car is off they continue to wipe at crazy speeds. Car stay parked in wet weather. Fuse had to be pulled to shut off

- Ogden, UT, USA

problem #203

Apr 132023

Focus

  • 120,711 miles
Car stalls, shakes, won-??t accelerate properly, won-??t go passed 35mph, engine fault light comes on, and car goes into limp home mode.

- Hastings, MN, USA

problem #202

Jul 152020

Focus

  • 169,097 miles
POWER STEERING ASSIST, FAILURE: ENGINE FAILURE TO START: POWER BRAKE ASSIST, FAILURE: TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, FAILURE: CLUTCH FAILURE AND SHIFT ROUGHNESS:. CAR UNUSEABLE FOR THREE YEARS WITHOUT BECAUSE OF PARTS INAVAILABILITY: This type even happened mutiple times because of the transmission control module failure. The first sign of problems was shuddring and rough shifting beginning with about 30,000 miles on the vehicle Multiple trips to the Ford Dealerships resulted in Unsatisfactory action by Ford Motor company to repair the problem The result was safety problems like stalling and losing power steering and brake assist in traffic. It displayed multiple system failure warnings when it failed, Steering asist, Brake assist, ABS, transmission position light was in park while driving. We tried to get repairs done but they just kicked it down the road till we fought with the car to get 160,000 miles out of it because there was no other choice and they denied there was a problem. It was completely unserviceable beginning on the shown date because the clutch control and transmission control module have been faulty, It has started a few times but will not shift properly and the clutch is faulty because of the control module being bad. We paid to have the control module replaced when it became available, but the vehicle is not servicable because the clutch and flywheel are damaged from the module being faulty. This should have been a safety recall as soon as the problem was discovered, but it was hidden and the owners of these vehicles have had to deal with it over the last 10 years. Any of these cars on the road are just as dangerous as this one It.is still at the shop 4 months after they tried to patch it awaiting the determination of whether a clutch recall will fix it or not. These owners of these cars are driving time bombs if they are not able to react to the problems listed in traffic.

- Iuka, MS, USA

problem #201

Mar 292023

Focus

  • miles
BCM failed the mechanic states that it is corroded moisture in the dashboard causing the brand new battery to die and car not function

- Pittsburgh , PA, USA

problem #200

Feb 152023

Focus

  • miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the engine remained running. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been draining the battery. The contact-??s husband had to disconnect the battery after turning off the vehicle in order to prevent the battery from being drained. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 15C06. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Hamilton, IA, USA

problem #199

Feb 062023

Focus

  • miles
- Faulty windshield washer pump pushing liquid into the Body Control Module and harness - Damaged electrical communications communications controlled by the Body Control Module including: 1) functionality of the wipers resulting in obscuring the windshield from clear visibility of the road 2) vehicle will not reliably shut off after removing the key. It continues to run. 3) vehicle will not reliably shift into different gears due to the disruption of the electronic transmission signaling. 4) electrical system drains the battery after a few hours of sitting idle. - The problem has been identified by a dealership - A dealer has inspected the problem. - Washer pumps would intermittently function and then randomly would not.

- New Berlin, WI, USA

problem #198

Jun 162022

Focus

  • miles
I was parked and it was the first hot day and my car turned off then cut back on after an hour, it did that for the next two days which lead me to tow I.T back home. An auto shop said that my car needed a new pcm. When the car is about to stop it says transmission not in park n no light are

- Detroit , MI, USA

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