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CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2016 Ford Focus & its "Powershift" transmission has a defect trend where the car shudders when accelerating, especially when starting uphill.

Most owners have reported their Ford Focus remains driveable while the vehicle is still at low mileage, but the shuddering is annoying & unpleasant & may reduce the resale value of the vehicle.

However, owners of higher-mileage vehicles from earlier 3rd generation Focus model years report transmission failure & a host of other major & expensive transmission-related problems. Potential buyers beware.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
43,947 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.

2016 Ford Focus drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2016 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 12 of 26)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #296

Dec 012021

Focus

  • miles

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

Wed. 12/1/2021. Driving about 45 MPH suddenly when pressing on the gas pedal to accelerate there was no response it would just rev like it was in neutral. Then a warning light came on stating that the transmission was overheated and to pull over as soon as possible. At this point I am stuck in the middle of traffic and the accelerator would not respond because the transmission seems to be stuck in neutral not in gear so I could not control the speed of the car. I was able to coast over to the side of the road. I had to wait for about 15 minutes for the transmission to cool down and tried again. The same thing occurred about 15 minutes later. I was able to get off the road to a mechanic. The mechanic stated that the transmission was bad and needed to be replaced. This transmission only has 22,150 miles on it, the car was not driven that much. There is no way a transmission should go bad with such low miles. This seems to be a widespread issue from what I see online several other people with the same issue. Ford does not want to admit they have faulty equipment but the transmission problem is a safety issue. I almost lost control of the car. Thanks.

- Elmwood Park, NJ, USA

problem #295

Nov 192021

Focus

  • miles
I have been having nothing but problems with my Ford Focus transmission. And it-??s 2016. I-??ve only had it for about 4 years and it-??s not working again. Ford said it was the clutch.

- Fostoria, OH, USA

problem #294

Aug 012019

Focus

  • 21,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered upon the depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact has had the dual-clutch transmission replaced five times under warranty; however, after each repair, the failure would return. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.

- Greenbush, ME, USA

problem #293

Jun 012018

Focus

  • 40,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle was shaking and shuddering without warning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission dual-clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired three times however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The contact stated that the failure mileage was related to NHTSA Campaign number 18V169000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

- Norwood, MA, USA

problem #292

Oct 042020

Focus

  • 85,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, diagnosed, and repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact was unsure of what part was replaced. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The vehicle was previously repaired under the recall however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

- Paw Paw, WV, USA

problem #291

Sep 012020

Focus

  • 25,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle would shake, vibrate, and shudder. Also, the vehicle would roll backward although the transmission was in the drive position. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 25,000.

- Mineral Ridge, OH, USA

problem #290

Jun 012017

Focus 4-cyl

  • 67,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light with the accelerator pedal being depressed the vehicle started to jerk. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact towed the vehicle to an unknown local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact was able to drive the vehicle back to his residence. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact then took the vehicle to DeLacy Ford (3061 Transit Rd, Elma, NY 14059, (716) 668-1200) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

- East Aurora, NY, USA

problem #289

Jul 012021

Focus 4-cyl

  • miles
While driving the transmission will start to jeck. When I start to go after being stop at stop sign, it will start to jeck BAD it will shake the whole car. Had it at the Ford dealer THEY said it didn't read high enough to be repaired, something about only 75 needs to be 200. Which to me is [XXX]! THE CAR NEEDS TO BE FIX. He said the only good thing I still have 40000 miles before my warranty runs out THAT'S NOT FUNNY. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- North Jackson, OH, USA

problem #288

Jun 192021

Focus

  • 64,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle hesitated and failed to shift gears properly. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the RPM revved up to approximately 2,000 to 3,000 RPM and then back down to 2,000 RPM. The contact spoke with the dealer and was informed that the failure might be caused by the clutch actuator motor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was made aware of a Customer Satisfaction program however, the vehicle was not included. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.

- Crest Hill, IL, USA

problem #287

Jun 162021

Focus

  • miles
The transmission slips and jerks at 4000 rpm's from acceleration and transmission does not go into reverse sometimes and over heats after 2 minutes of driving. It's available to be looked at. The car would not accelerate in the middle of driving on the highway. Just revs over 5000 rpm's. I took it to a transmission shop and they said it was the clutch which was going to be $3,000 to fix. My husband and my children have to experience the whiplash it gives you from the hard shifting. Also have to push it backward in neutral just to go anywhere because it has no reverse most of the time. There is a warning message on the dash that says transmission overheating wait 5 minutes and the check engine light is always on. They first appeared at 87,000 miles and it is horrible on gas I need to pay 20 dollars every 2 days just to go to work and back which I'm only work 15 minutes away. I have called my dealer no call back. I have called ford no call back. I even called the warranty place cause they sent me a notice and they said to call my dealer but they never called back

- Longmont, CO, USA

problem #286

Aug 072021

Focus

  • miles

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

This a update from my first complaint on 03/18/2021 with Tracking # 11403675.Since than the The shutter in the Transmission is still there and the rpm will hit at 4000 before it shift in first gear.so i bring to the dealer on 05/04/21 for this problem. they told me there was no problem with my car because they could duplicate the problem with the transmission. so i leave the dealer unhappy drive home stop at a red light it turns green I step on the gas and it stated to shutter again. PLEASE HELP. Thank you

- Rolesville, NC, USA

problem #285

Aug 052021

Focus

  • miles
I have never had a problem with this car. It was running fine and just shut off completely driving on the freeway. It was jump started to restart. No check engine lights and temperature was good. I had the battery and alternator tested and they were good. It happened several times trying to get home. It would start right up after sitting for about 10 min. The left hazards are the only ones that work when this happens, nothing on the right side.

- North Ogden, UT, USA

problem #284

Jul 272021

Focus

  • 70,000 miles
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 10 mph, she heard an abnormal sound and the vehicle seemed as if it was not in gear. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission had failed, and the clutch actuator motor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the dealer informed the contact they could not diagnose the vehicle because the vehicle was not covered under the customer satisfaction program. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage 70,000.

- Lewisville, TX, USA

problem #283

Apr 092020

Focus

  • miles
The upper management of Ford at the time should be ashamed of themselves for seriously damaging the reliability reputation of the Ford Focus between the model years of particularly 2012 to 2016 by introducing into the setup a dry dual clutch transmission that they did not already have a quality backup plan to just in case the complaints started piling up about the supposed manual feel of the transmission. The drive-ability of the 2016 Ford Focus SE HB I make payments on is at best a D level experience. I, too, am plagued by the regular occurrence of the shuddering between the 1st and 2nd gear along with the spiking RPMs that follow immediately after when the shuddering transpires. It seems almost as if the 2nd gear is coming in on the 1st a little too soon, which would factor in an obvious failed effort on transmission calibration. In general, the shifting performance is unnerving and quite embarrassing when you have passengers. If you are like me and have one of these vehicles with this transmission type, good luck on getting a true fix in this Power-Shift setup. It is possible to improve the driving conditions with third party tuning if your strategy will pair with the tuning device (another issue of discussion for Ford); otherwise, one needs a complete, conventional transmission installed in hopes of getting rid of this issue in its entirety if an automatic transmission is your preferred preference. In summary, the Ford Focus SE I have is the 2.0. liter, and it appears that Ford has discreetly excluded this liter from the recall, warranty work in general. In other words, you will likely have an incredible hard time getting a Ford dealership to acknowledge the problem or replace your clutches unless you pay for it. To fully remedy this situation, Ford should be required to buyback all of these poorly calibrated transmission cars from current owners and those still for sale on the American market.

- Dothan, AL, USA

problem #282

Jul 132021

Focus

  • miles
Defective transmission

- Westhills, CA, USA

problem #281

Jul 062021

Focus

  • miles
a dealer repaired my transmission under warranty. several months ago, first was slipping again. i called to schedule an appointment in March of 2021. Due to COVID, they stated and shows clearly on their website to date, they could not get my vehicle in until July. At the July appintment, the Clutch assembly needs to be replaced. the warranty expired one month previous, and it is now 1,500 miles over warranty. i believe they should repair the vehicle. it is not the first time for this issue on these vehicles

- Friendswood, TX, USA

problem #280

Jul 062021

Focus

  • miles
On at least 5 previous instances (3 instances in which the vehicle was taken to and checked by my local Ford Dealership), the vehicles automatic transmission would cease to shift into or out of a gear(s) suddenly during normal driving operations. This would lead to rapid declaration, often times in moderate or greater traffic causing hazardous conditions to both myself and passengers and/or other vehicles and their passengers. The hazard was of possible collision as the vehicle did not perform at the speed of traffic. Additional hazard and safety issue, was during these events, the vehicle would enter a "neutral" gear position and although the accelerator was depressed, their was NO torque to the drive train, this would also either decelerate the vehicle rapidly or in the event of cornering, increase the speed instantly during the cornering turn (because of the lack of downshift torque to the drive train)...on one instance I was unable to control the turn speed quickly enough and the vehicle entered the shoulder of the turn before I was able to regain positive control of the vehicle. Although Ford has a Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) extending the warranties for the transmission clutch and TCM, it appears that Ford Service Dealers are extremely hesitant to perform the warranty service. To that end, I have taken my vehicle to local Ford dealer with the transmission shudder conditions complaint, and each time they claim their diagnostics were not able to replicate my issue. All these service appts were while vehicle was under the warranty in miles and months. Then, this last week the vehicle had the same instances happen while on the freeway (all previous episodes had been on surface city streets), and it was a very dangerous situation with at least 2 vehicles taking evasive action to avoid rear-ending my vehicle as it decelerated rapidly. I pulled over and vehicle was towed to Ford service, where they say the clutch is worn, as is the TCM.

- Lancaster, CA, USA

problem #279

Sep 042020

Focus

  • miles
This car is on it 3rd set of clutches and a Tcm reflash.we have not even had this car for a year yet and now it-??s going into the dealer ship again for the same clutch problem. This Thursday. This car is not safe to drive and the dealer ship will not by car back I-??m hoping someone can help me with this complaint thanks for your time

- Topton , PA, USA

problem #278

Jun 032021

Focus

  • miles
There is two recalls on my ford focus. The clutch and the transmission. Town and country ford have fixed the clutch 4 times and it stills continues to break. The transmission recall they told me they cannot fix but it is affecting my driving as my car stalls and shudders and cannot drive past 45 mph. They refuse to put me into a rental and they tell me there is nothing they can do to fix it. If this problem does not get fixed it will continue to get worse and eventually cause other problems.

- Louisville , KY, USA

problem #277

May 012021

Focus

  • 102,747 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped with the gear shifter in drive and brake pedal depressed, the vehicle reversed inadvertently. The vehicle also jerked while driving at various speeds, and stalled. The vehicle failed to start intermittently. The transmission overheat warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was over the warranty coverage period. The dealer stated that all vehicles jerked like that after a while. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,747.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

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