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:
18 / 8
Injuries / Deaths:
11 / 1
Average Mileage:
42,241 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.
The warranty was extended on the transmission control module (TCM) instead of a recall. Symptoms of the TCM include -??intermittent loss of transmission engagement while driving, no start, or lack of power-??. All potentially very dangerous in my opinion. It is also my opinion (and others) that a failing TCM can harm the clutch. My TCM was reprogrammed in 2019 and the clutch (under warranty at the time) was replaced. Last week the TCM was replaced at no charge and the clutch was replaced again but at a cost of $3,571.77 this time. I was driving on an interstate highway when a warning light came on and minutes later the car went into neutral. Fortunately for me I was able to get off an exit and pull over on the exit ramp shoulder. I see online that many others are having similar problems. Some might not be as lucky as I was.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle sputtered and stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was running roughly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number:?19V515000(Fuel System, Gasoline), and the contact replaced the purge valve; however the failure recurred. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer and to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 to 40 MPH, the vehicle started jerking abnormally. The contact stated that while at a traffic light, the vehicle revved up abnormally. The vehicle failed to go into gear. The check engine and another unknown warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the vehicle had experienced transmission failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power, after which the contact became aware that the transmission had shifted into neutral, and then shifted back into drive independently. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the shift forks and dual-clutch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 109,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and shuddered while accelerating and shifting gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission clutch had previously been replaced but had failed again. The transmission clutch was replaced. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a transmission shop where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch and actuators had failed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact learned of a Customer Satisfaction Program, NHTSA ID Number: 10072057 (Power Train). The contact called the dealer and was informed that the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included and that the clutch was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.
- Dewey, AZ, USA
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Engine service now popped up on my dashboard and the car did not want to drive it wanted to stall out and die, car is not driveable. Have not had the car long only 8 months I-??ve had this car, this car has been having transmission issues since we bought it and we also were sold this car with a known recall. Dealership will not do anything to fix these issues and I am going to be without a car and way to work.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was driven to a local independent mechanic where it was advised to have the vehicle diagnosed by the dealer. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the RPM clutch shudder was at 349 when the normal RPM was 250 and that disks 1 to 3 were burned due to overuse. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the vehicle remained in the dealer possession pending repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The service engine soon warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the TCM needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02, and Technical Service Bulletin: 16-0129 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
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.
As I have stated before, this seems to be an issue with all cars like this and the year! I am very disappointed that I heard NOTHING back from the first time I sent this. Spending over $4000 on a $4000 car is ridiculous
When the transmission went out, it shuddered so hard it broke the motor mounts. This is a serious problem and needs to be one recall list! I just had to pay $4000 to have the clutch, nigh shift levers engagement bearing and bearing support tube replaced. The dealership can almost do this car with his eyes closed because he has done so many! This should not be the case!!!
The vehicle is a 2014 Ford Focus equipped with a PowerShift dual-clutch transmission-named DSP6. The vehicle exhibits a Faulty automatic transmission/shift malfunction and is unable to shift properly; causing intermittent engine deceleration coming to a stop; this indicates there is a shift malfunction and a faulty transmission. This problem has been confirmed by the dealer.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly shifted into neutral. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing, and the vehicle stalled and was undriveable. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V523000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the gear had to be shifted from park to neutral and back to park to start the vehicle. The vehicle started and the contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond but the engine revved up. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and the transmission slipped and delayed while downshifting. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly without warning. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the -??Transmission Hot - Pull Over Safely - Wait 5 Minutes" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The dealer stated that the actuator had seized and burned the clutch. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
There was a Purge Valve Replacement and a Valve cover replacement recall on other Ford Focus Models. Ford Customer Service personnel and website stated not on my model.
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.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact received a call from a family member who was driving by the contact's residence. The family member informed the contact that the vehicle was on fire. The local fire department was contacted and arrived and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 201,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated to 15-20 MPH. The contact merged to the right lane and continued driving at a slow speed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start while in a parking lot. The contact waited 30 minutes and was able to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact then shifted into reverse(R), but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact received notification of Ford Service Campaign Number: 14M02, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with transmission clutch shudder. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000. The contact stated that the transmission got worse over time with no assistance from the manufacturer for repairs.
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.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Annapolis, MD, USA