2012 Ford Focus Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and downshifted independently. The contact stated that the shift action warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park the vehicle safely and after 5 minutes the vehicle was restarted and driven to his destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,821.

Transmission over heating stop safely light comes on transmission hot stop wait 5 second I do the restart of the transmission and it keeps doing it

The car would not go out of first gear when driving it home and put my son in a dangerous position on the road. We had to have it towed to the dealership(Hiller Ford) from our house. It was determined that it was the TCM (transmission control module) needed replacing and the car thinks it is in gear so it would then not even start. It is undrivable. This is a known problem by Ford and they did a customer satisfaction 10 year extended coverage if something happened which expired on our car 7/2/2022. The TCM is on back order with some stating they have been waiting 6 months and still not arrived. We bought the car used from a Ford dealership with a certified pre-owned warranty. We never received anything from Ford regarding this issue and it was never recalled. There was a class action lawsuit but we did not receive any information from Ford on this. I talked to Ford and they opened a case, but said there was no recourse. The dealership also told me that they have had cars with the TCM replaced that failed again and required further transmission work. There were no warning messages or problems prior to the failure.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an unknown speed, the steering wheel started to vibrate increased while accelerating. The contact stated that steering wheel continued to vibrate abnormally while decelerating. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the failure was related to the transmission shudder. The independent mechanic informed the contact to take the vehicle to a local dealer for an accurate diagnostic test and to contact the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle would not accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the Service Transmission or Transmission Failure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking however, she was able to drive home safely. The vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact was informed that the vehicle warranty would not cover the repair. The failure mileage was 156,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions, when the vehicle was shifted into gear, the engine revved and the RPM increased rapidly without acceleration then shifted into a different gear. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the transmission overheated. The transmission temperature and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic that the TCM malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced rough driving with the Transmission Fault message displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it lost motive power and the mechanic jumpstarted the vehicle. The mechanic related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 14M02-S5 (Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage) however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The mechanic advised the daughter to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

Power steering stopped working while driving at 65 miles per hour and wheel locked almost causing an accident. Power steering malfunction

Failure of the TCM

My son was traveling on 3 lane highway in the far left passing lane when the vehicle acted like it went into neutral. He was able to coast through traffic on the busy highway to get pulled over onto the right hand side of the road. The motor was still running but the vehicle would not move. He could not put the vehicle into park so he shut off the vehicle and called a towing service. The towing service was also unable to get the vehicle into neutral. There were no initial warnings that anything was going wrong with the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to Nielsen Ford in Morristown, NJ where it was diagnosed as being a Transmission Control Module issue.

I bought the car in 2019. Up until recently I have had no problems with it. One day I went to leave home and noticed a studdar when I pressed on the gas. It only did it at take off from a stop. Then today I went to back out of the driveway and now the car won’t go in reveres. A red light popped up and told me the transmission is overheating turn off car and wait 5 minutes. I waited 15 minutes, started my car back up and it said transmission malfunction..

The contact's son owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the RPM revved up and the vehicle decelerated independently. Additionally, the vehicle started shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's son was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact continued driving at slower speeds. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred increasingly. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics where it was diagnosed that the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage Campaign Number: 14M02 because the campaign expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Purge Valve became stuck closed which caused fuel vapors to become trapped in the fuel tank. Fuel tank collapsed inward. This is a common occurrence with 2012-2018 Ford Focus models but my vehicle was not covered under a recall warranty.

The transmission is shuddering and making noise on 1st gear and changing to 2nd gear. The reverse gear is also making noise. There are class actions and recalls for this model but I didn’t see recalls on my car.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the transmission failed. The transmission overheating warning light was illuminated and indicated to wait 5 minutes before proceeding. The contact then waited approximately 10 minutes then continued driving to his destination with the transmission was slipping. The contact then experienced the same failure while leaving his destination, and the vehicle lost reverse(R) gear. The contact proceeded to drive 50 MPH and pulled over again safely before the low battery warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart. The contact then received assistance while attempting to jump start the vehicle. The vehicle finally restarted and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the contact related the failure to the transmission dual clutch failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 209,000.

My 18yr old daughter just purchased this car and drove it for 2 weeks when the transmission went out. IT STOPPED WORKING MID TURN!! LUCKY SHE DIDN'T GET HIT BY ANOTHER Vehicle. Now it has been towed to a Ford dealership that is stating the part is on "back order" so this car that she saved her own money to purchase is sitting, out of commission, for who knows how long!

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to pull over safely. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 75,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced and resealed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under warranty and the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 129,475.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while stopped in traffic, the vehicle lost motive and electrical power. The contact stated that the Transmission Failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission control module (TCM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and a case was filed. The failure mileage was not available.

The car shutters and vibrates so hard when starting at times. When driving in stop and go traffic, the car lurches forward because of the clutch and transmission. It struggles to get into the next gear because of Ford putting a manual transmission in an automatic car. The car needs a new clutch and seal/harware kit

Electric power steering assist failed. Vehicle currently has no power steering. Problem confirmed by dealer who says steering rack needs replacement. Fairly common issue per online complaints. Ford issued recall on other models but not the Focus.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the TCM was recently replaced; however, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to hesitate and then stall during acceleration while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was 132,155.

Was driving home came to 4 way stop when I tried to accelerate the car wouldn’t shift out 1 gear. Car was towed to Steve Rogers ford 8/5/22. Where their vehicle still sits waiting from a TCM ( transmission control module). No one will provide a loaner or rental which the part is on infamous backorder

There is a warning light showing a code 1450, unable to create fuel vacuum, that at first was thought to be an issue with a current recall for the car that was fixed. But after a routine oil change a fuel leak was found. I was told by the mechanic that it appears to be a fuel tank deformation similar to the 19S22 recall. My Ford focus was not apart of that recall and I was told by Ford to contact you to potentially have my car added. The leak is subnational enough that it could cause an engine fire.

-Loss of power from the pedal, not able to accelerate from a stop. RPM rides high until it shifts. "Transmission Malfunction. Service Now" notice. -Unaffected by other traffic but not able to properly maneuver traffic. -Problem has re-occurred but not taken to a service center. -No inspection conducted yet. - No warning lamps appeared until issue occurred a few times.

Purchased car, there was no known recalls on car, after driving for several miles. The clutch failed in the car. Looked up recalls of ford focuses within my cars year and found that the exact part that’s dialing on my car had a recall/ settlement but when I called ford about the car they said they can’t do anything for me because my vin number isn’t under the recall. But the exact party is failing and faulty in my car and I can no longer drive it.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while shifting to the intended gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission clutch plate needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

I bought this car in February of this year, and the problems were present at purchase, I have brought it in and had them looked at but unable to determine what was wrong. The car sometimes stalls out whenever parked, or idling. Every time i put gas in, then start it, the vehicle will start then immediately stall. I have to start it and push the gas to keep it from stalling and quickly put into drive and his the gas to get it from stalling when i try to drive away. While starting the car the RPMS go very high and reves as if someone was pushing the gas. The hood display on the dash always says the Hood is open. This has been present since start.

The power steering quits working and has no power assist when driving down the road. You are not able to turn the vehicle at all and even get it off the road to a safe spot on the side of the road. It goes out even when trying to turn a corner and it starts to go head on into traffic putting other drives at rick of being hit by a car I can’t control.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while stopped at an intersection, a message illuminated to “Stop Driving Immediately” was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the Transmission Control Module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact stated that it was difficult to shift into drive(D) or park(P). Additionally, the vehicle was hesitating while shifting into gear. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 Transmission Control Module (Power Train). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,400.

While driving at 35 - 45 mph the car just jumps out of gear and will not go back to drive. This has happened several time over the last months. If this were to happen on an interstate it could be life threatening causing wrecks due to being unable to accelerate. It give no warning at all before just stopping.

My dad n me bought a used 2012 ford focus titanium from a local ford dealer. Had some odd noises when we got it figured from sitting. Well it's been in the Dealership for the noise n other problems. The one service guy said they were going to replace the clutch due to throw out bearing and clutch n other things going bad with in 45 days. We brought it back 2 more times never could figure it out,then finally the 3rd time which we pay for an extended warranty from fords 3rd party company called GWC warranty company and said they would not replace anything with trans or clutch or assy due to it being external which they want $1700. But the guy who we spoke to (don't recall name) said they take care of it but now no one wants to fix it they already got money out of us for down time n rental and other fixes. It was a pre existing condition and we want someone to fix it and pay for it. They kept giving running around for a different car more money down and we are living day by day with money. Ford or this dealer doesn't seem to care about safety or people getting hurt if someone does or car breaks. So we're looking to see what can be done. Which it's been a big problem for years with these cars and the TCM has been flashed and replace two times the roof leaked, dash has mold.. etc, we needed a car we already put new tires, brakes, many other parts into it and the one thing they won't do is fix what they said. And the clutch connect on other side of transmission it's the power shift transmission

sudden loss of power. would not stay in gear. took it to the ford dealer and they had to replace the TCM.

I have taken my car into to Carson City, NV Ford dealer many times. They say they fixed something else and do not have the time to fix the door latches that I made the appointment for . The only one that needs to be done is the back door on the driver's side. The rest were done the first time I took it in. I'm on a six plus month waiting list again to have the latch replaced with the right one! This has gone on way to many years. What happens if the door open and then closes on a kid/person in the back seat? Safety recall notice 20S30 / NHTSA 20V-331

The vehicle needs PCM and TCM replacement. Stalls while braking or apply pressure to gas peddle while driving, faulty gear changing mechanism has issues switching to proper gear due to the underlying problems above. It has turned off while driving on the interstate without warning. May instantly stop while applying minor pressure to brakes. Has been inspected by mechanic and AutoZone employees confirming the issues. It is unsafe due to the instant stopping or applying to breaks behind another driver almost hitting them or causing someone to hit from behind. Furthermore, inaccurate gear changing causes an increase rapidly in speed or very slow in speed which could lead to accidents.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was not responding. The contact stated that occasionally while in the drive(D) or reverse(R), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact and employee pushed the vehicle to the local mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed a failure with the transmission and clutch actuator circuit. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with the clutch actuator circuit and transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and approaching a stop light, the vehicle would not accelerate as needed, with the checking engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The vehicle was taken to an impendent mechanic, and the mechanic stated that the powertrain control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the warranty on the vehicle was expired. The failure mileage was 79,498.

TCM went out in the car the part is on back order

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to lock the door, the driver's side door latch was unable to lock securely. The door ajar message was displayed. The contact also stated that due to the latch failure and the door not closing securely, the battery became drained. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed a failure with the door latch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V643000 (Latches/Locks/Linkage). The approximate failure mileage was 152,528

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering and jerking. The transmission was shifting in and out of neutral(N). The transmission malfunction service now and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 165,618.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the transmission was clicking. There was a parking aid malfunction warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken the next day to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed with a failure. The contact continued to drive the vehicle and the failure recurred. The contact stated that while exiting the highway at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was safely pushed to a local mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to several independent mechanics and each diagnosed the vehicle with a defective canister purge valve due to a faulty fuel tank sensor. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact called Hoffman Ford Lincoln (600 Connecticut Blvd, East Hartford, CT 06108) and Tasca Ford Berlin (250 Webster Square Rd, Berlin, CT 06037) and both informed him that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while shifting gear. While driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a clinking sound detected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle overheated while driving approximately 30-35 MPH and stalled in the middle of the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle only restarted after cooling down for 15-30 minutes. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact continued driving; however, the vehicle would not exceed 35 MPH. The contact stated that the failure occurred several times, and on some occasions, the vehicle was pushed to the side of the road with the assistance a Police Officer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the dual clutch, slave cylinder, motor mount, purge valve and other unknown parts had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

My daughter was leaving work at the DSM hospital and heading back to college/campus at ISU and her check engine light came on and the vehicle RPMs would increase but wouldn't go. She was able to get pulled off on the side of the road and called for help. She was stranded and had to get a tow back to the nearest shop near Johnston. I live 2 hours away and she was unable to get back to college/work. We had her vehicle towed to the nearest repair shop(All Pro Service-515-278-2059) and was diagnosed to be the transmission control. The shop stated there was a recall on the Focus for this and advised us to contact Ford. I have had her vehicle at the shop now since being towed there on 6/29/22 and the shop is still waiting on the part to come in. She is without a vehicle and as I mentioned I live 2 hours away and commute to work daily and can't be without my vehicle either. I rented a car and let her use my vehicle for 2 weeks as Ford told the shop the part was to be in July 8th. I returned the rental on 7/13 and was told Ford said the part was on back order and unsure of ship but that would be covered by recall since her vehicle is under 150k. It has now been 7 weeks and still no part and having to rent a vehicle at $300/week or arrange rides for my college/night shift working student from 2 hours away! I am asking for the Ford Focus transmission control recall to this vehicle to cover the part and make this horrible situation right with us!! She has had this car for 2 years and it has 145kI have been trying to get ahold of Ford Motor Company/dealership to speak with someone regarding my complaint/recall and for 7 weeks now I get "lines are busy due to high call volume, please try again later". My daughter is now back in school and works nights and is in need of her vehicle. To say I am frustrated/upset with Ford is an understatement. I am looking to trade off our truck and another car and will not use Ford after this!

The contact called on behalf of the son who owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the driver was driving approximately 55 MPH the vehicle began to downshift and the reverse gear was inoperable. There was a check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over safely and then drove the vehicle to AutoZone. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission module failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 155, 547.

Transmission module fails causing the transmission to disconnect from the drive wheels. (Transmission comes out of gear). Driver has no control of the vehicle speed or engine speed and this forces the driver to attempt to stop the car. The engine will continue to rev until the gas petal is released.

Major transmission problems , shutters, want go in gear , no power , stalls when you gain speed , have done major repairs to the transmission and the problems are temporarily fixed

The fuel valve inside the car is stuck open causing the car to stall I saw recalls for other Ford Focus around the same time as my car with same year and same problem 19s22/18s32 I just don’t get how my car didt make recall list but the ones before and after from the same plant did and I’m still having that problem.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where she was informed that the TCM (Transmission Control Module) was defective; the TCM was repaired under warranty. A week after the repair, the vehicle had failed to accelerate above 30 MPH while hesitating with the accelerator pedal depressed. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed back to the dealer where the contact was informed that the TCM had failed again. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that the parts for the repair were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,200.