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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.

8.9

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,510
Average Mileage:
76,850 miles
Total Complaints:
18 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (7 reports)
  2. replace steering assist system (7 reports)
  3. replace the rack and pinion (4 reports)
2014 Ford Focus steering problems

steering problem

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2014 Ford Focus Owner Comments

problem #18

Aug 142019

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 64,000 miles

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

If you know there's a problem, you NEED to recall!!! Putting our lives at risk and collecting money on it!!!

- Cynthia R., Mohave Valley, US

problem #17

Jan 102020

Focus

  • Manual transmission
  • 75,000 miles

Power steering failed went Into power steering assist mode and luckily was able to make it home im really glade I live in the country on a backroad so I didn't have to worry about hitting another vehicle but after i shut the car off and went to start it again it failed to start so after having to have it towed to the dealership was informed the car needed a new battery and Pat's transeiver a new psm and a new steering rack and gearbox. Called ford motor company and was informed they wouldn't do anything about the car even though it clearly is a safety issue

- Chad G., Corydon, IN, US

problem #16

Feb 022021

Focus SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

I had left my house and was driving down the road when all of a sudden I lost complete control of the power steering. I was lucky we were on a two lane road with no other cars, I pulled over and got out and let my boyfriend drive. He barely managed to get the car turned around and drive it the short distance back to my driveway,

The car is a piece of junk, one problem after another ever since I bought it. I tried to get Ford to buy it back from me 2 years ago when I had problems with the power shift transmission. It took almost a year to get them to take responsibility for the transmission defect. I am now waiting for this defective electrical power steering to be addressed.

- Bobby L., Mansfield, US

problem #15

Aug 282020

Focus SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 81,000 miles

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

Purchased this car for my 16 year old daughter. If I would have known how dangerous this car was there is no way I would have purchased. The steering went completely out. Thank God that she was in a parking lot and not on the road running 60. After researching I have found out that Ford chooses to ignore this issue. There are multiple complaints and have been multiple crashes. I have been a loyal Ford owner for years. I have five in my driveway right now but they won't be there long. This has destroyed my faith in Ford.

They have recalled some of these but not all them. That is an issue how can they pick and choose whose lifes are at risk. Ford needs to fix them all.

- Kristi R., Greeneville, TN, US

problem #14

Sep 202019

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 131,000 miles

Went to leave for work this morning and as soon as I inserted the key into ignition, I knew something was wrong because the steering wheel was super stiff. And I noticed a warning light and a "steering assist failure" error on my dash. I attempted to back out of my driveway, but the steering wheel was almost locked, totally super hard to steer. I ended up leaving the car half way in my driveway. My car is out of the extended warranty, so I'll need to figure out how to get this fixed.

- Vangie M., Natalia, US

problem #13

Jul 172019

Focus SE 2.0L

  • CVT transmission
  • 80,000 miles

My daughter was driving when the power steering just failed. She said it was very lucky that she wasn't going fast as she struggled to move the steering wheel after the failure. After all I have read, I am disgusted that Ford knows about this issue but have done nothing to prevent it. Someone will die one day because of this.

- raithrovers1, League City, US

problem #12

May 032019

Focus SSE 2.3L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 174,000 miles

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

Power steering on the 2014 Focus SE is crap! Have have numerous issues in the winter of the steering system locking completely when very cold. Has intermittent pauses and stops and starts in the ability to steer. The system completely failed with a Power steering system failure warning light and complete loss of ability to turn the steering wheel with out snapping the whole wheel off trying to turn it. This model is complete junk... Where is the recall on this....Ford checked it twice and couldn't find the cause and suggested replacing the unit for $2,000.

My last Ford!!!

- Michael P., Wixom, US

problem #11

Jan 192019

Focus SE 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 78,000 miles

I got this car in July 2016 with 25,000 miles on it. It ran perfect! I’ve always loved Ford Focus. It’s super cheap on gas, drives and handles well. Almost a year ago my battery light comes on ? So I take it to the dealership it was bought from “Mitchell Nissan” they diagnose it and keep it to repair the problem. I believe they replaced my shutter valve, my alternator and a few other simple things.

I went & picked the car up. A few days later the battery light comes back on. So we take it back of course. Well they are a NISSAN dealership and they don’t have the proper equipment to diagnose my Ford so they send us across town to the Lincoln dealership to have diagnostics. The Lincoln dealership finds nothing related to the battery light and resets the warning. We come again. It comes back on a few days later, we call Mitchell Nissan again. They tell us to take it back to the Lincoln dealership. We take it back they find nothing once again and reset the light. The battery light has been coming on/off ever since with no mechanical issues. I even went so far as to get Oreilly’s to test my battery and alternator which were fine.

About a month ago I went to Dothan to pick up a few things, I park at the Winn Dixie plaza near south side Dothan. I get out go in the store buy my items come back to the car and crank it up. Every warning light on the dash comes on and the car is making a ton of weird noises & it’s jerking the entire car. I shut the car off and wait a few minutes. I try to crank the car up again and it won’t turn over like the battery is dead. My brother came and jumped the car off, I drove home. The car was fine. We drove it almost every day and nothing else came of it. A week ago I went to Ollie’s in Dothan. When I came out of the store to leave, I crank the car and put it in reverse. I could not move the steering wheel at all & once again all the lights on the dash are illuminated. I put it back into park shut it off for a few minutes and tried to crank it again. It hesitated to crank (as if it had a dead battery) but it fired up and we went on about our day with multiple other stops. No more problems.

Yesterday I go to Chipley Walmart for groceries. I come out with my food load it into the car and crank the car up put it in reverse. No power steering again. I turn it off, wait, crank it again, put it in reverse.. no power steering. I repeat the steps again but wait a few more minutes in between cranking it. Same result. I contact Geico for it to be towed because at this point even if it starts working I feel unsafe to drive it home. Luckily I did not have my 3 year old child with me, I would have been furious even more so. The tow truck comes and I tell him the issue. He has to move the car to hook it up to the tow truck. He tries to crank it and the car will not start. He then hooks it up to booster box and jumps it off. It crank right up immediately. He proceeds to move the car so he could hook it up to the tow truck. He parks it shuts it off. He tells me still no power steering. I get a ride home from my mom. The tow truck pulls the car home to where it is sitting now.

My husband gets a wild hair to check the power steering fluid only to come to terms with the fact that it does not have a power steering fluid reservoir. My car has a electric power steering system. No fluid what so ever no pump. The battery is “dead” again. The car will not crank. I called the company that handles my extended warranty. My warranty that covers the power steering ran out at 75,000 miles I’m sitting at 78,000 and some odd miles. Go figure.

I call Mitchell Nissan and am told it has nothing to do with the battery light. Sure that’s why it keeps dying every time my power steering goes out, no coincidence what so ever! They want me to either A. Drive it to them as it is and have it diagnosed for $45 even though my warranty is out “they will see what they can do” “diagnosing it is the first step” or B. Have it towed to them at my expense for them to diagnose it for $45. I have done my research online. The electronic power steering issue is common in all newer Ford Focus vehicles from 2012 and up. Ford does not have a recall for it and the class action lawsuit was dismissed.

- Brittany S., Bonifay, US

problem #10

Jun 252018

Focus Auda

  • Automatic transmission
  • 32,900 miles

Car has now been in body shop for a month. Continue to find new problems which they feel caused the car to veer left onto a median and take down a sign. Had three kids in the car.

- Aggie C., Pewaukee, WI, US

problem #9

Sep 212018

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,000 miles

I was driving out to my mom's in Milton FL 9/21/2018 when all of a sudden I could not steer the car. The power assist steering failure light came on and the car could not be steered except by manhandling the wheel. I left it sit in Mom's yard Sat. and drove it home Sun. to Jacksonville FL because there was not a place to get it fixed until Tues. in Pensacola and I needed to be back to work on Mon.

The power steering came and went most of my trip home (mostly went!) but I managed to make it back despite my nerves being totally shot, My husband was able to get an appointment at the Ford dealer where we bought it (brand new) for Mon. Car has made it back home today, Tuesday, after we had to spend $3004.96 to get it fixed...it does come with a 2 year warranty...big whoop.

I have gone online and seen that a lot , A LOT! of others have had this same issue with this same year car. Why was this not recalled?! We had to dig into our savings to pay for this repair and while I am glad we actually had the money to get it fixed I hate that this was something that could have and should have been covered under some sort of recall!

- Teresa I., Jacksonville, FL, US

problem #8

Apr 172018

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 58,693 miles

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

Two days ago my daughter Rebecca was driving her 2014 Ford Focus From Riverside to Los Angeles when suddenly her power steering light went on and she lost the power steering. Luckily, she was able to get herself off the freeway and on to a side road where AAA came to her aide. They towed her car to the nearest Ford dealership where she was told the whole steering column needs to be replace to the tune of $2,100! Keep in mind, numerous Ford models have been recalled for this very reason (not the Ford Focus though). I thank God she was able to avoid a tragic outcome but am dismayed that Ford is still allowing these vehicles to be on the road.

- Elizabeth M., Mesa, US

problem #7

Jun 012018

Focus SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 66,837 miles

There are countless issues with this same Ford electronic steering assist system failure. It has been recalled on several vehicles with the same system, but not on the Focus. This is telling me, and many other people one thing for certain ... DO NOT BUY A FORD !!!

- Jesse G., Utica, MI, US

problem #6

Jun 182018

Focus Titanium 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 46,057 miles

The power steering is the second serious failure and I now hear it happens quite often and ford does not pay for the repairs. Paying for a pretty new car and now have to pay for a very expensive repair that costs me $2,100.00.

- Eric L., Aurora, US

problem #5

Dec 042017

Focus SSE 2.3L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 145,000 miles

WHEN THE CAR IS VERY COLD, UNDER 20 DEGREES ,THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT TURN. THE CAR HAS TO WARM UP FOR ANYWHERE FROM 20 MINUTES TO 1 HR AND 10 MINUTES IN SUBZERO TEMPS TO GET THE STEERING WHEEL TO FUNCTION.

- Michael P., Wixom, US

problem #4

Aug 192017

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 31,000 miles

My daughter on the highway going 70mph and suddenly she has no steering. She barely was able to vear to the left of the two lane highway and skidded to a stop. The tow truck employee could hardly get the Ford Focus loaded because the steering wheel was stuck, slightly tilted to the left and would not budge. Horrible to think that my Daughter could have died IN A BRAND NEW CAR FROM FORD!!!! I am sickened that I have been told "well at least she didn't crash, and the car did not suffer any damage." Are you kidding me? she is deathly afraid to drive this hunk of junk. AND on top of all this, I find that there is a recall on a door latch and the transmission.

We purchased this car September 2015 and this car has had major recalls and an attempted CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. Unbelievable. The car was towed to the nearest Ford Dealership in Bentonville Ark. and we live in Missouri. The Ford Dealership never offered a rental car so we are without a vehicle. How do you keep a vehicle for your Daughter, knowing that at anytime, even after they look at it, the steering will again stop working when you are driving. The information screen behind the steering wheel showed a warning signal and this is what it said,"STEERING LOSS STOP SAFELY. OMG, really??? this is a "pre-programmed" message in the vehicle to tell you to pull over safely because of steering loss? How can you...WHEN YOU HAVE NO STEERING CAPABILITIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH!!!! DO NOT BUY THIS CAR.

- Jennefer B., Joplin, US

problem #3

Aug 012017

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • 30,000 miles

I would have never purchased this car (2014 Ford Focus) for my daughter if I had known about the electrical issues Ford is knowingly producing. I have been a Ford owner all my life but now with the new news that these are in some pickups as well I wont be buying those either--the old fluid and pumps were tried and true--why change--so you can burn some more $$$$$ our of my pocket?!! I have to replace the entire steering column because of a sensor??? What idiot designed that? Ford---you lost my future business, and you're losing big time in general with design like that!

- Adam S., Valdez, AK, US

problem #2

Jul 012017

Focus LS 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 92,000 miles

When you start the vehicle the power steering does not work. It is unsafe to drive. Est cost to repair I was told from Lamarque Ford in Kenner, La was around $2,000.00. This should be paid for by Ford. I have seen online that their are a lot of vehicles with the same problem. The car is practically brand new, 90k miles and a 2014 year model. In my opinion Ford is using this for a profit motive. Recall is what should be the outcome of this repair. Thank you and keep me informed of a possible recall.

- Brett R., Metairie, US

problem #1

Dec 162016

Focus SE 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 14,108 miles

Driving to work my power steering failed, leaving the vehicle very difficult to steer. Light on the dash came up saying "Steering Assist Malfunction - Service Required". Have an appointment booked with my service department and will update the issue.

This car has less than 23,000 KM, or 14,000 miles and I have had transmission issues, TCM recall, power steering issues, door lock recalls, block heater failure, vehicle shuddering, automatic clutch problems, etc. My car is not a lemon, these cars are all having these issues. Stay away from purchasing a newer model Focus, 2012+.

- David C., Quesnel, BC, Canada

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