6,857 of the 29,786 complaints filed about the Ford Focus are about the transmission — 23% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2014.
6,857
Complaints
23%
Share of all complaints
130
Crashes
15
Fires
POWER TRAIN
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint #11758556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
My duel clutch transmission started acting up took it to a mechanic they said it needed the TCM and Actuators and possibly transmission replaced that they should be recalled tried taking it to Thirnhill Ford because I received a letter for this to be changed and they refused without me paying up front this has been going on with my car for over 2 years its setting in a driveway being paid on and cant even be drove
NHTSA complaint #11757255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
"I am reporting a dealer safety recall refusal under Campaign 26S40 / NHTSA 26V369. My 2012 Ford Focus is completely immobilized in my driveway in [XXX] with a total transmission software lockout and zero fuel. Yankee Ford in [XXX] operates an active Mobile Service van program but explicitly refused to dispatch a technician to flash my PCM. They falsely claimed local town ordinances prevent them from operating, completely ignoring that my vehicle is located outside their jurisdiction in [XXX]. They are using false administrative excuses to deny a free, federally mandated safety repair on a stranded vehicle." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11756962 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I am filing this complaint regarding a severe safety hazard and prolonged failure to resolve an official recall repair by the manufacturer and dealership. In April 2026, the vehicle was brought to the dealership for an official recall repair. The repair was delayed for 2 months. In June 2026, after the dealership confirmed completion, I retrieved the vehicle. While driving on the highway, the check engine light suddenly illuminated and the vehicle completely lost power. Pressing the accelerator pedal produced no response, leaving the car unable to accelerate in active high-speed traffic. This created an extreme safety risk that nearly caused a severe highway collision. The vehicle was towed back to the dealership. The dealership returned the vehicle a second time, claiming it was repaired, but the exact same check engine light illuminated immediately with the same loss of power, requiring another tow. As of August 2026, the dealership has retained the vehicle for over 4 months in total due to backordered parts, without providing a clear completion date or loaner/rental transportation support. The dealership and corporate customer care are currently ignoring attempts to communicate. The recurring loss of engine power on the highway and unresolved recall defect pose a direct and imminent risk to public road safety. The components involved are currently at the dealership for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11756823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The transmission was repaired at 48k and I am now at 76k having severe issues with jerking, shuddering, and so forth. The car has undergone excellent maintenance for the CARFAX proves this. I bought this car with the very last of my inheritance money thinking I was getting a reliable product and come to find out, I got screwed and am on the hook for EVERY foregoing transmission repair.
NHTSA complaint #11756062 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I own a 2014 Ford Focus Titanium with approximately 75,000 miles and the DPS6 automatic transmission. The transmission has developed a serious and recurring problem. The vehicle began violently jerking/shuddering while moving forward and suddenly would not go into reverse. A transmission warning light came on. After the battery was recharged, reverse temporarily returned, but the same transmission problems came back while driving. The vehicle was diagnosed with trouble code P090C:68, related to the clutch actuator system. Ford has known about recurring DPS6 transmission problems in these vehicles for years and has issued multiple technical service bulletins and customer programs addressing transmission clutch shudder, shifting problems, loss of engagement, and related failures. Ford’s own documentation has acknowledged conditions that can result in loss of transmission engagement, loss of power, and other driveability problems. My Ford dealer told me Ford has known about this problem for a long time but considers it not to be a safety issue and therefore will not pay for the repair. The dealer estimated the repair at $6,077.31, and I was charged $159 for the diagnosis. I believe this is a serious safety concern. Sudden jerking, unpredictable transmission engagement, inability to reverse, or unexpected loss of propulsion can create a dangerous situation when entering traffic, crossing an intersection, turning, accelerating from a stop, or attempting to move out of the path of another vehicle. I am concerned that Ford has known about these recurring transmission failures for years, yet affected vehicles can still experience potentially dangerous transmission failures without a permanent safety remedy. I request that NHTSA investigate the DPS6 transmission in 2014 Ford Focus vehicles and determine whether these known defects constitute a safety-related defect and whether a safety recall or other corrective action is warranted.
NHTSA complaint #11755617 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking erratically, and the vehicle stopped independently. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle restarted; however, the failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 174,400.
NHTSA complaint #11755542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
My transmission gave out for the 3rd time on 8-1-26 as I was driving it slow down while on the highway busy street and studder it only goes into 2nd and 3rd gear when slowing down I can hear things clicking i know its the duel clutch because this is the 3rd time it happen both times it was fixed by a ford dealer. No message prior to problem but when it happen this message showed up " transmission fault service now"
NHTSA complaint #11754542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I’ve had this car since 2021 and it’s been worked on 3 times for the same issues. My clutch and a couple other things for the transmission. I just recently had it worked on for transmission problems and paid $1100 for a belt replacement that didn’t even fix the issue. I told them it was clutch A like the code readers pulled (multiple times might I add) and they did a test and charged me for that test and said it was just the harness belt. Today my check engine light came on, and I had a code pulled and it was clutch A like I told them (P0902). I’ve had the actuator replaced at least twice and the power module has also been replaced. My cars engine light is on and it’s shifting hard and is taking a while to even shift. I have the invoices to show that each time it’s been worked on it’s been an issue with the transmission. My VIN number needs to be recalled before something worse happens. Each time it’s been worked on it costed me too much money especially to keep having the same problems. I’ve also done research that proves this particular issue is an issue with a lot of ford focus cars.
NHTSA complaint #11754311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While the contact’s son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed from the scene of the failure. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with a transmission module failure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact associated the failure with an unknown recall associated with the powertrain; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance with repairing the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11753243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 15 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The hazard lights were activated, and the vehicle was driven back to the residence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the powertrain control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 27,000.
NHTSA complaint #11753298 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The car would not accelerate when pressing accelerator, they said the clutch assembly malfunctioned, confirmed by documentation. Myself and others had our safety at risk because the car could not be controlled properly while on the road. The car was taken to the dealer and they confirmed the problem. The dealer's service center gave inspection, and confirmed the problem. The warning message did not appear until after the problem put myself and others' safety at risk.
NHTSA complaint #11751981 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the gear shifter was shifted from neutral(N), to park(P), and then to drive(D) for the vehicle to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the powertrain control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
NHTSA complaint #11751912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
An authorized dealership performed a mandatory manufacturer safety recall repair on my vehicle for the Engine Oil Pump Belt and Tensioner (Ford Recall 23S64 / NHTSA Campaign 23V-905). While performing this specific recall, the initial facility negligently compromised the cooling system and created a severe leak, directly causing complete and total engine destruction. A subsequent independent diagnostic inspection by a separate authorized dealership confirmed this negligence. The vehicle became instantly disabled while driving, creating a severe road hazard. Total documented property damages are $14,448.31. Furthermore, the dealership and Ford Corporate have explicitly refused to repair the vehicle, despite Ford's dealer bulletins authorizing long-block engine replacements for failures related to this recall. They have also refused to reimburse me for the totaled vehicle or the out-of-pocket expenses incurred. Ford customer service has employed shady tactics, denying liability and stonewalling my attempts to reach a resolution, completely failing to provide the remedy mandated by this safety recall. The vehicle and all documentation are available for inspection upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11751369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse and failed to properly shift gears. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 9 MPH. The vehicle was shifted to neutral and coasted to the residence. The contact stated that there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was associated with Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02; extended warranty coverage for the Transmission Control Module. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer and was provided the cost of a diagnostic test, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there was no recall, warranty, or customer satisfaction program associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
NHTSA complaint #11751022 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering and sputtering while driving. While accelerating, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle failed to shift into gear properly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11751096 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
multiple clutch's have had to be replaced in BOTH of my 2017 Ford Focuses. Had to replace the transmission in my other one. Now this one is having transmission issues again. Dont know if I can handle another $4000 bill because Ford created and sold a defective product and depite several repairs never fixed it as they kept using the same faulty parts. Was told by dealership that they just replace the same parts over and over at Ford's direction until the warrenty expires as Ford was not going to come up with a permanent fix as they were converting to SUV and Truck only. Maybe the NHTSA
NHTSA complaint #11750753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
Purchased 2014 Ford Focus from a private dealer. The vehicle had 75k miles on it and needed a reliable vehicle for my daughter who is in college. The same day as the purchase, the engine light came up as well as the transmission light. Had to tow it to ford and was advised the TCM needed replacement. Apparently this is a well known issue but the vehicle wasn’t covered under a recall for the issue. Paid $1960 to get that repaired as well as $135 for a tow. Ridiculous and Ford will not do anything about it.
NHTSA complaint #11750441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as needed. The contact used an OBD scanner to retrieve DTC: P06B8. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, who determined that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
NHTSA complaint #11750043 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I made an initial post on 06/18/2026 so please reference that as well as this. I have not been able to drive the car since it died on me on the 18th of June. The car has been looked at a few times (actually stalling a third time while idling but was able to turn back on.) It has also displayed symptoms associated with the Ford Recall #26S40 / NHTSA recall #26V369 but it is listed at NOT included in the recall as of 07/06/2026. MIL is pulling Code P0420 (catalytic system efficiency below threshold) while only having 40k miles. It is also putting out an inaccurate fuel level for miles driven. The fuel tank itself is misshapen (concave bottom of the fuel tank). Again, reiterating here that it stopped twice while driving within 2 days on major PA highways/interstates and stalled for a third time while in idle mode as described earlier in this post. This has all happened within 28 miles of the TCM being replaced.
NHTSA complaint #11748702 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.