229 of the 1,568 complaints about the 2016 Ford Focus are about the fuel system — 15% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 65,000 miles.
229
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Transmission overheated. Transmission fluid leaked but the computer in the car didn't let me know there was a leak. Couldn't move my car into reverse so I had to get a tow to Ford. They said it was a Transmission leak which caused the overheating. But once the car received Transmission fluid the car did not go into reverse. Clutch failed.
NHTSA complaint #11748862 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
So I had check engine light I took it to the mechanic the code was p1450 the mechanic told me it’s the purge valve and it’s recall with ford book and appointment from the website witch is I did after I checked my vin I found out that’s this purge valve has recall and it’s free of charge I went to dealer they denied and said they have to do their diagnostic that will cost 190$ and they did not accept the car
NHTSA complaint #11741600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Ford Motor issued two safety recalls regarding this, but has since closed them without providing a safe resolution for consumers. July 8 2019 Ford issued Ford Safety Recall program 19S22 (following 18S32) for stuck open canister purge valve (CPV). This can result in a failure to bleed the vacuum from the gas tank, and deforms the gas tank upon failure. This has been confirmed, reproduced, and recalled by Ford before, but continues to happen nationwide to Ford Focus ST owners as a small subset of their vehicles. A stuck open CPV can result in a number of codes. In my case, I got a P1450, Ford-Specific check engine light on the MIL. This can cause inability to start, along with rough idle and stalling while driving. Ford reports closing these safety recalls and provides no further support for the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11735835 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My car is showing signs of recalls but it’s stating that it doesn’t have any recalls. There is a recall of the transmission failing because of the clutch and causing the car to just randomly cut off while driving putting risk of a crash to me and my kids There is a recall on the fuel pump being messed up causing the car to cut off randomly while driving because of the vapors and that’s what my car has been doing also putting danger to me and my kids while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11719785 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. While operating the vehicle, the vehicle was shaking abnormally while idling, while low on fuel, while driving long distances, or while driving uphill. The vehicle shut off unexpectedly intermittently. On several occasions, the RPM increased; however, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle eventually stalled. The accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to respond. The brake pedal became firm. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped and restarted several times or shut down unintendedly. After refueling, the contact had to wait for approximately 2 to 10 minutes before the vehicle responded as needed. Occasionally, the contact had to wait for over an hour before the vehicle was restarted. The check engine warning light illuminated intermittently and later turned off. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved excessively without the vehicle responding as needed. An abnormal sound was coming from the vehicle. The Oxygen sensor error code was displayed. The failure persisted over time. The vehicle was previously repaired at an unknown dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). Additionally, the high-pressure fuel pump was replaced. The local dealer was not contacted regarding the current failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
NHTSA complaint #11717299 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Fuel purge valve is malfunctioning. Vehicle loses power and is sluggish. Idles very rough and sometimes has a loss of power. My car has been at Ford twice in the last six months and problem still isn't fixed. Complete engine was replaced about a year and a half ago due to recall issue which I don't want happening again. I do not feel safe driving this car. I made an appointment with Ford a month ago for tomorrow for same stalling issue. I went to drop off and explain I wanted the repairs done for the recall to see if that fixed the problem. I filled up my gas tank on Sunday. The car wouldn't start and engine light came on saying engine failure service now. I let it sit for about ten minutes and it hesitantly cranked and engine light went off but accelerates slower with loss of power. It keeps doing this intermittently and sometimes loses power, and struggles when idling. I cut off let sit and then is okay until I pump gas again. I told the service repair person what happened and handed him the key to drop off the vehicle. He said if the light was not on at the time he would not be able to fix it and they couldn't schedule my vehicle for any additional recalls that are greatly needed for the car. It is running terrible. It idles and intermittently loses power while driving. Evan at Ford (Greer) response was to wait until it got bad enough that the engine light came on and stayed on. This was at D&D Ford in Greer, SC. He said it was Ford's policy the light had to be on to replace under recall with no charge. I told him it is unsafe to drive if it gets any worse it could cause an accident. I have two children and his recommendation to wait until it gets worse was appalling. He kept backlashing Ford and stated he doesn't work for Ford he works for D&D and only represents Ford. I said to him he was not representing Ford very well and that it was highly unlikely they would agree with his statements. I asked for documation of this policy--it contradicts what he says.
NHTSA complaint #11710571 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Having fuel problems with this ford se. Adding gas after starting the car it doesn't run right. It misses n doesn't have power. Plus Transmission went out two times again. First time it went out. It was about a year ago. Now the second time [XXX]. First time was about a year ago. It was repaired. Because I had a car warranty from the car dealer ship. Now they won't repair it again. This ford focus Se had the double clutch in it Plus the notorious speed shifter known to go out. These transmissions are known to have problems. But the car place never told me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11707438 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The car is stalling randomly with no engine lights coming on
NHTSA complaint #11705951 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Fuel pump went out and caused car to stall and leave me stranded on the side of the road when dash indicator showed 23 miles left to travel. I had this fixed through the dealership Drive Time sent me to mechanic shop as was still under dealership warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11692457 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Went to refuel my car with gas. Got into my car and it didn’t start right away. When it finally did the check engine light came on. I took to go check it out and was told the fuel tank/canister purge valve was faulty. I tried contacting ford to see if under warranty and or recalled. But nothing has come out of it. My 2016 Ford Focus only has 67k miles on it
NHTSA complaint #11677113 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Check engine light illuminated followed by unresponsive throttle. Pulled over and the car immediately stalled. Would not restart. Came back with code P1450. There's an open recall for that exact code for 2015-2018 focus, however the 1.0L supposedly "not affected" so my vehicle is not eligible.
NHTSA complaint #11656791 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I am dealing with a dual clutch going bad the car is stalling hesitating and loosing power very dangerous to drive. Also i just replaced transmission without finding any help from ford even there was a recall now my dual clutch is going on and there was a recall i never got to be apart of when i first got the car in 2015. I need help please point in the direction i feel like ford should fixed this buy the car back
NHTSA complaint #11649437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My clutch and or transmission is malfunctioning. When I drive up hill the car shudders and I lose power, it's a risk when another vehicle or pedestrian is behind me. When I accelerate from a full stop, same symptoms. If in an emergency I have to move I would be at risk because then the vehicle would hesitate. The issue was confirmed with the manufacturer's dealership service center. No warning lamps, no messages just a sudden appearance of the symptoms that were progressively getting worse. I looked up two separate customer satisfaction programs which I believe I should be eligible but bought the vehicle after their expiration and even though I think the vehicle satisfies the programs' terms, the manufacturer did not include my vehicle's vin.
NHTSA complaint #11649129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I was driving the speed limit at 65 MPH down a steep hill, I felt something "drop" and then the oil lamp and "Engine Fault Error" displayed. I was unable to drive faster than 30 mph. I was fortunate that no one was following close behind. I had to put on my hazards and drive half a mile more to find a safe place to pull off the road. I had to have my vehicle towed 60 miles to the nearest mechanic. I was informed that the problem was related to a known recall, but there are no parts to fix the problem and it will be months until they do. My vehicle cannot be driven and is sitting at the dealership until it can be repaired and they cannot tell me when that will be.
NHTSA complaint #11643277 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Stearing went out and car would not start after filling tank with gas
NHTSA complaint #11632511 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Kept getting my check engine light is says something about bleed up pressure in the fuel tank which when driving my throttle is not as responsive and when I fill up from Empty I have to give it some gas in. Order to start and would sit at the red light or a stop sign with the clutch pressed in and it would sputter and stall which I would have to give it gas to restart the car
NHTSA complaint #11632292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The evap purge valve assembly failed. An engine warning lamp did appear. While driving down the interstate the incorrect fuel mixture caused the vehicle to stall while in motion with my wife, and at the time, [XXX] son were in vehicle. Although there was no accident, all power was lost and the vehicle had to maneuvered into the shoulder to prevent rear ending other vehicles. This was the 2nd time in 2 weeks. The vehicle was called into the Ford recall line, as there has been an open recall on the vehicle model and year. The ford recall line said the vehicle was not affected by the recall, and no recall repairs had been made the vehicle. The ford recall rep recommended to take the vehicle to a ford dealership. The vehicle has been inspected by a Ford dealership. The dealership confirmed the issue was the issue seen in previous recalls, but the dealership stated they could see a previous dealership had made the recall repaired (in contrast to the ford recall representative’s statement). So, the vehicle was either not repaired under either of the (2) active recalls (as stated by the ford dealership), or the recall fix to update the software and replace the evap purge valve is not effective, leaving the vehicle in an unsafe condition to operate. The rich mix of fuel caused by the failure has led to a clogged catalytic converter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11631908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and then towed to a certified mechanic. The contact believed that the mechanic had diagnosed a failure within the transmission and had completed a repair to the transmission; however, the contact was unaware of what parts were replaced. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired, the vehicle started hesitating and there was an abnormal revving noise coming from the engine compartment while accelerating. The contact would depress the accelerator a second time to accelerate as intended. The failure was intermittent. The message that the engine was overheating was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the fuel pump had failed. The contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The recall repair was completed, and the fuel pump was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed a failure with the water pump and the water pump was replaced. The mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the transmission failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer had referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 47,000.
NHTSA complaint #11623946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Check engine light P1450 fuel system vacuum. So many complaints of the same issue of the vehicle stalling and shuddering. The dealership refuses to even look at my vehicle. This is a serious safety concern. Someone needs to intervene because there are too many of us now driving dangerous vehicles because their parts don’t work properly and the dealerships are telling us there’s nothing they can do. UNACCEPTABLE Additionally, my clutch assembly WAS recalled but the dealership must have reported my vehicle fixed because the recall is no longer showing up. THIS IS FALSE! They NEVER FIXED IT! It has never actually been fixed even though I have taken it in easily 10 times.
NHTSA complaint #11623679 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I am experiencing two significant issues with my 2016 Ford Focus, both of which closely match known recall problems documented for this model and year. However, my vehicle’s VIN does not currently show an active recall, and Ford has not covered the repairs. Canister Purge Valve (Error Code P1450): The canister purge valve in my vehicle is malfunctioning, leading to rough idling, poor fuel economy, and difficulties starting the engine. This issue also triggered the check engine light. My research shows that similar problems were included in a Ford recall for the 2016 Ford Focus, where a defective purge valve could cause stalling and inaccurate fuel readings. Despite these similarities, my VIN is not covered under this recall. Transmission Control Module (TCM) Issues: My vehicle also has transmission performance problems linked to the Transmission Control Module (TCM), causing hard shifting, irregular transmission behavior, and occasional failure to engage properly. The TCM issues are well-documented among 2016 Ford Focus vehicles, some of which were included in recalls and extended warranty programs, but my vehicle is excluded from this coverage. Given that these issues directly impact the vehicle's drivability and safety, I am requesting an investigation into why vehicles with similar symptoms are not covered by these recalls. These issues pose potential safety risks, including sudden stalling and compromised transmission performance. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
NHTSA complaint #11623448 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The malfunction light came on in my car I had a mechanic check the code that came up and he said it was the canister purge valve! Then I noticed whenever I put fuel in my car it was hard to start it would sputter and almost die !
NHTSA complaint #11623094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
i know there is already a recall for other ford focuses with this same issue. my cpv is not working. the car breaks down every time i fuel and its a huge safety hazard as this happens far from my home usually and its very scary for me. i heard it can ruin my engine.
NHTSA complaint #11620536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the canister purge valve, resulting in fuel tank deformation. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. 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 approximately 81,000.
NHTSA complaint #11614432 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle experienced a loss of motive power and stalling. Additionally, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the purge valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 77,974.
NHTSA complaint #11613728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel system purge valve 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 made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
NHTSA complaint #11609417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My 2016 Ford Focus SE is stalling at higher temperatures while driving at high speeds, which is very dangerous. This issue occurs primarily during hotter daily temperatures. I have previously taken the vehicle in for the recall (NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000) related to the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) malfunction, which was supposed to address excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system. However, this did not resolve the stalling issue. This has stalled my car out at interstate highway speeds (75 MPH) which makes me lose power steering and acceleration and has nearly ended in accidents numerous of times due to this.
NHTSA complaint #11606887 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My car stalled several times and then one day it stalled on a busy street near my school and would not start. I had to pay to have it towed to a mechanic. He replaced the CPV and told me that my gas tank was now dented and needed to be replaced. My fuel gauge does not correctly gauge fuel because of the dented tank. My VIN is not included in the recall for this problem, but it is clearly affected by the same issue. I cannot trust how far I can drive as a result. I am constantly worried that my car will just run out of gas even though I put gas in it every day.
NHTSA complaint #11603136 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. On several occasions, the failure occurred, and the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the purge valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The purge valve was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11595768 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and then shut off. The vehicle was able to be restarted after several attempts. The contact stated once the vehicle was restarted the message "Unable to lead up fuel pump vacuum" was displayed and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed and determined that the clutch and levers and catalytic convertor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated soon after the check engine warning light illuminated again. The contact called an independent mechanic to diagnose the vehicle. The contact stated that the message "Unable to read fuel pump vacuum" recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
NHTSA complaint #11592732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the body shop where it was diagnosed with canister purge valve failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be repaired. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who confirmed the diagnosis. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
NHTSA complaint #11589685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.