2014 Ford Focus Engine Problems

My car was experiencing: Shuddering or jerking during acceleration from a stop, most noticeable in traffic; Rough or delayed gear shifting, especially between first and second gear; Sudden loss of drive or delays before the car engages in drive or reverse, et cetera. It was in essence having every symptom that your agency has required ford to fix in their 2014 Focus,a car that I have as well; however, not sure why my car wasn't listed in recall because it has identical issues. For cost saving purposes, I replaced the actuators myself, and asked Ford if they could do the reprogramming for me, which is required after replacement, and they will not do so without an exorbitant costs.

Actuator motor went out. Transmission was eligible to be replaced in 2020 however due to Covid they “could not get the parts” and the vehicle became too old for replacement. The transmissions and gear boxes on this module has been plagued with failures, and Ford needs to remove the mileage and year limitations to fix them. I ended up paying over $900 and then traded the vehicle in so that I wouldn’t have to spend more on a faulty transmission.

I just bought my focus from CarMax and it shudders when I pull out. It makes me feel like the car will stall.

Order of Events · [XXX]: Vehicle shut down mid-drive, displaying “Parking Brake Fault Service Required.” Required tow ($100). · September 27, 2025: Firestone Complete Auto Care diagnosed the issue as transmission-related. Paid $48.13 for diagnostic (receipt attached). · September 27, 2025: Contacted Green Ford in Greensboro, NC (Service Advisor Josh Oldham). VIN was entered in Ford’s database, which showed no outstanding field service actions. I showed them a recall letter for the exact issue at hand (replacement of Transmission Control Module). My recall letter was dismissed as invalid despite being in hand. Vehicle towed to dealer ($120). · September 29, 2025: Spent over 1 hour 19 minutes with Ford Customer Relationship Center, providing the recall number (14M02). Ford agent ultimately stated the recall could not be honored. · September 30 – October 1, 2025: Dealer confirmed by text and phone that their management refused to apply the recall or cover repairs. VIN Discrepancy The core of this dispute is a direct contradiction between Ford’s official communications and Ford’s internal VIN database. Customer Satisfaction Program Letter (14M02): - VIN listed as covered under recall/extended warranty. - Coverage extended through June 2025. - Sent directly by Ford in August 2023. Ford Vehicle Information / Warranty Report (via Green Ford, 9/27/2025): - Same VIN entered into Ford’s system. - Shows 'No Outstanding Field Service Actions.' - Dealer therefore refused to honor recall despite letter. Before all of this happened I had no issues with the vehicle since purchase, and so when I received the letter I kept it but did not need to utilize it. Now Ford has stated I am "outside" the warranty of what Ford is willing to cover for repairs, however their own system does not even list that I have a recall for this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Was driving the car and it just stalled in the middle of the road and wouldn't start

The check engine light comes on; check and advise. The Ford dealer performed an EEC test, retrieved codes P1674 and P0122, tested the system, and found the wiring harness rubbing at the intake manifold. They disassembled to gain access, repaired the wiring harness at the engine, wrapped and re-routed the harness, cleaned all codes, and retested. It passed the road test and was OK, but the dealer charged me for this harness repair, and I found that this exact issue was subject to a Ford Motor Company safety recall (Recall 14S17 / NHTSA Recall 14V-495) concerning the engine wiring harness.

The warranty was extended on the transmission control module (TCM) instead of a recall. Symptoms of the TCM include “intermittent loss of transmission engagement while driving, no start, or lack of power”. All potentially very dangerous in my opinion. It is also my opinion (and others) that a failing TCM can harm the clutch. My TCM was reprogrammed in 2019 and the clutch (under warranty at the time) was replaced. Last week the TCM was replaced at no charge and the clutch was replaced again but at a cost of $3,571.77 this time. I was driving on an interstate highway when a warning light came on and minutes later the car went into neutral. Fortunately for me I was able to get off an exit and pull over on the exit ramp shoulder. I see online that many others are having similar problems. Some might not be as lucky as I was.

Engine service now popped up on my dashboard and the car did not want to drive it wanted to stall out and die, car is not driveable. Have not had the car long only 8 months I’ve had this car, this car has been having transmission issues since we bought it and we also were sold this car with a known recall. Dealership will not do anything to fix these issues and I am going to be without a car and way to work.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was driven to a local independent mechanic where it was advised to have the vehicle diagnosed by the dealer. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the RPM clutch shudder was at 349 when the normal RPM was 250 and that disks 1 to 3 were burned due to overuse. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the vehicle remained in the dealer possession pending repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

Transmission went out

There was a Purge Valve Replacement and a Valve cover replacement recall on other Ford Focus Models. Ford Customer Service personnel and website stated not on my model.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact received a call from a family member who was driving by the contact's residence. The family member informed the contact that the vehicle was on fire. The local fire department was contacted and arrived and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 201,000.

My clutch which we paid out of pocket for the first time we need to get it fixed and I only had the car for 6 months when the clutch went out the first time then only a year later I had to get it fixed again and got it under warranty and then the following year I had to get it fixed and it was covered again under warranty and now 2023 again a year later my clutch went out and even tho my clutch was covered under a two year warranty they are refusing to fix my clutch because it is a "transmission issue" even after running my diagnostic it clearly states it is a CLUTCH issue and since they are calling it a "transmission issue" my car can no longer be fixed and covered under warranty because it is not a "transmission issue" it is a CLUTCH issue. I have only ever gotten my car fixed from Ford and we cant understand why this is a recurring issue and there for WHY FORD CANNOT FIX THIS ISSUE.

The engine control module failure. I was on a busy two lane highway and my car stalled out almost causing me to get hit from the back. I had to be pushed off the busy road from a police officer so I wouldn’t get hit by the heavy trucks. This is a dangerous for anyone whom experienced this. An investigation need to or process

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 65–70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the message "Extreme Heat, Park Vehicle" was displayed. The vehicle was parked and after lifting the hood, the contact noticed extreme heat coming from the engine compartment. The following day after driving and parking the vehicle anti-freeze was leaking from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who determined that the anti-freeze was leaking from a hole in the radiator. The contact was informed that the radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 81,409.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 1 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after an hour. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000.

Oil cooler failed forcing engine oil in cooling system. ECU did not indicate any overheat, low oil pressure or check engine light. By the time the vehicle was parked and shut off no oil was left in the oil pan. Oil/coolant covered the passenger wheel well and tire/rim. Probably a good idea to have a bigger OEM oil cooler rather than using coolant to cool the engine oil. Oil cooler failure was confirmed by ASE certified mechanics. Oil/coolant could possibly cause loss of traction, overheat condition and total engine failure with no oil providing lubricant to internal components and the turbo. Total repair costs are $1200 for a part that is $100 or $250 in the aftermarket world. Repair cost could have been much higher if vehicle would have been running any longer.

Error p2196 and p1450 issue with PCM, EVAP and bank 1 sensor know issues and recalls on same year make and model st I have an se having same problem

There are 2 recalls listed for my vehicle, 1) the Transmission Control Module, and 2) the Transmission Clutch Shudder. I had brought my car in to the dealership a couple of years ago to ask about the two issues/recalls listed, as my transmission was overheating and I was unable to accelerate, and the engine shuttered when shifting between 1st and 3rd gear, and was told that the Transmission Clutch Shudder recall had expired and the active recall, the Transmission Control Module, could not be repaired due to parts being on backorder, and I was told that the parts for that specific recall were not longer being made. The clutch recall lasted for 7 years and/or to 100k miles, whichever came first. My car is under 100k, and I had gotten the car in 2017, but it is a 2014 model so that recall cannot be covered by the dealership. I have been informed, though, that the Clutch issue directly correlates to the function of the TCM (transmission), so without that issue being resolved, the TCM will continue to have issues. I understand that the warranty has expired for one recall, but since it directly correlates to the function of the other recall, it doesn't make sense to have one expire before the other. Without it resolved, my transmission runs the risk of overheating again, and in previous instances I have had to pull over on highways, on roads where there were no safe places to pull off, and delayed other drivers due to the cars inability to accelerate properly, which has occurred at stop signs and at traffic lights which poses a risk to my safety and others. The dealership has informed me that the issue is in relation to the two recalls, but again with one expired I am expected to cover it even though the issue lies with Ford.