Ford Focus Complaints (2018)

837 consumer complaints on file.

#11663974May 30, 2025
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally while attempting to shift gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664031May 30, 2025
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and an abnormal sound was coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and the RPM fluctuate. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was driving very slowly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission and intermittent clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired for the most recent failure. The contact stated that months before the failure, the vehicle experienced transmission failure and the transmission was replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663419May 28, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The rear view camera went out on our 2018 Ford Focus some time ago. I read recently there is a recall for the camera issue with Ford trucks. I am wondering if other consumers have complained of issues regarding the camera going out on Ford Focus 2018 cars
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663139May 27, 2025
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, STEERING
My vehicle was inspected in order to determine why my vehicle is stalling, jerking, not going into reverse and giving a warning message that the car is overheating. My spouse and I were told the transmission control module needs to be replaced. Upon reading about my car's maje and midel, I learned this is a problem with 2018 Ford cars. It stalls and almost cuts off in traffic which is very dangerous
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11662416May 21, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11662044May 20, 2025
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping and failed to properly shift into the intended gear. The contact stated that the engine was overheating, causing the vehicle to become inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the dual clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 66,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11662196May 20, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661459May 16, 2025
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and then attempting to park the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and DTC: P087B and P287A were retrieved, indicating a failure with the transmission clutch, and specifically the B-clutch and indicating a failure with the transmission control module (TCM) communication bus. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 47,892.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658960May 5, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders, causing damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 141,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658974May 5, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and oil warning lights were displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the following day, the contact's wife drove the vehicle to the dealer, and there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. A diagnostic test was performed,d which determined that the oil pump drive belt had failed, resulting in engine failure. The contact was later notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the contact's vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure, but was given the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658379May 2, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658591May 2, 2025
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2018 Ford Focus (DPS6 dual-clutch automatic transmission) suffers from severe hesitation and shuddering when accelerating from a stop, especially under 10 mph. More concerning, the car has stalled multiple times while merging into traffic and during right turns at intersections. We can no longer safely take free right turns due to the risk of the car dying mid-merge. This poses an immediate safety hazard and mirrors known failure patterns in earlier Focus and Fiesta models. Ford previously extended warranty coverage for the same TCM defect in 2011–2016 models, but my 2018 — which uses the same DPS6 system — has been excluded without explanation. The dealership acknowledged the TCM failure but refused to cover the repair. Instead, they charged me $300 to tell me they would not perform the service Ford originally recommended (a fuel injector purge) and that I now need to replace the TCM entirely. This is a known, documented issue that Ford has admitted to in other years. My car has lost power four times in the last three months, and all signs point to this being the early stages of the same defect. Allowing this failure to persist without coverage or recall is negligent and dangerous. Ford is knowingly placing families like mine at risk by refusing to act. I request an NHTSA investigation into the 2018 Ford Focus DPS6 models, which are experiencing the same failures that have already led to recalls, lawsuits, and warranty extensions in earlier years.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658157May 1, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the RPM fluctuated while shifting gears, and the transmission shifted erratically. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechani,c where a handheld diagnostic tool retrieved DTC: P07A3. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656740April 25, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the transmission and clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic provided the contact with DTC: P07A3. 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 approximately 102,250.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655204April 17, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact's niece owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact's niece received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that after his niece started the vehicle, the engine was misfiring significantly. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was related to the recall. The dealer had not provided any diagnostic information and informed the contact that the part had been ordered for the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655251April 17, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that over time, the transmission was difficult to shift into gear. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic was diagnosed and determined that the powertrain control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 38,500.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655092April 16, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds in a parking area, the RPM increased quickly, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch. The contact stated that the clutch had been replaced in May 2022 after a similar failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654809April 15, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Since I have had this car the engine has been replaced 4 times and transmission once Engine has been replace 3 times under the same warranty due to recalled part I was not in an accident however car broke down while I was in traffic I am putting the latest date car broke down
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654597April 14, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, POWER TRAIN
I am experiencing symptoms of Safety Recall 23S64 on my 2018 Ford Focus — specifically, intermittent oil pressure warning lights. I took my car to a Ford dealer who initially stated the issue may be recall-related, but later refused to inspect the oil pump belt and tensioner unless I paid out of pocket, despite the recall bulletin (MT23S64A) stating Ford will reimburse 2.8 hours of labor for the inspection even if no failure is found. I contacted Ford Customer Relationship Center and they were unable to locate the labor code or confirm the policy, and gave me the same incorrect info. This appears to be a violation of federal recall policy, where the dealership and manufacturer are both refusing to honor a safety recall without charging me for the diagnosis.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654083April 11, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V905000(Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. No further information was available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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