NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Ford Focus. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Car stalling out while driving with gas tank under half full. Canister fuel pump bad again after 2 1/2 years of replacements
The vehicle has continuous issues with the TCM. Error lights were presented on the dash. Shortly after the error light presented - the reverse stopped. This is the 3rd time the TCM has been worked on in 2.5 years. Currently, the vehicle is at the dealership waiting on a national back ordered part.
Ford dealership allowed someone to trade-in their 2015 Ford Focus. I bought it, 7/2020. 10/2022 the transmission and reverse stopped working. After having the car towed to the dealer, the TCM was the issue and is on back order. No ETA and was notified (surprisingly) I had an extended warranty; 10yrs 150,000 miles - which covers a rental. I had to call the dealership owner with docs to request a loaner. I was notified I could trade it in - but why would I pass this issue onto someone else? Once I got through that I began arbitration. I was notified by Ford manufacturer they’d offer a $1500 cash and keep settlement! I still owe $4k on a while that has 3 yrs left on a transmission warranty that is known to reoccur! Ford is continuing a vicious cycle!
A warning saying steering assist failure appeared after which I couldn't turn the wheel more than 10 to 15 ° in either direction. I pulled over on the shoulder and 30 minutes later, the check message had disappeared the steering worked fine.
Vehicle will loose power and ac as if the gears are slipping causing a sudden reduced speed. The transmission warnings will also light up stating transmission overheating.
while driving the car stalls and sometimes will not switch gears. have taken it in twice and they do not repair the clutch on the transmission. they only reprogram the car. took it in a couple years ago and they did not replace it. took it in a couple weeks ago and they reprogrammed it again and charged me 170 dollars at d patrick ford in evansville. said it was past the mileage for warranty. niw i am going to have to take it in a third time when they should have fixed it the first time.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle failed to immediately start. The contact stated after several attempts the vehicle restarted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while her daughter was at a complete stop, the vehicle was making an abnormal pumping sound. Additionally, the vehicle would shudder and would hesitate to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the engine was making abnormal knocking sounds while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle then failed to start and was towed to her residence. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the transmission would not operate in reverse. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and the vehicle operated normal. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission clutch actuator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 98,000.
I was driving on my way home from work when the transmission failed. Car lost all ability to maneuver - no forward or reverse. I was in the middle of an incline when the car stalled, had to roll to the bottom of the hill and call a wrecker. If I had been in high volume traffic, this would have been a death sentence.
Start the vehicle, put it in reverse, stop and change gears to drive and the vehicle will not move forward the steering wheel jerks. I have to put the car in park turn off the engine and then power back on and try again.
The contact's mother owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shook and hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed with an automatic clutch failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
The front windshield wipers will slow after only a few minutes of use, in a heavy or light rain, and eventually come to a stop after about 30 more seconds. This happens every time I use the wipers in the rain. I have had it looked at by a Ford service tech at a dealership on at least 3 occasions, but they claim either that they cannot recreate the problem, or that they are designed to work that way to avoid burning out the wiper motors. Wipers should not be designed to stop working when it is raining, that is just ridiculous. Despite Ford's position that this is all new to them, or that it is how they are designed to work (depending on whom you talk to at Ford), the fact the wipers stop working during rain...heavy, moderate, or light rain...it is a well-known issue across the Ford Focus ST enthusiast community. A simply Google search will uncover many identical reports. When the wipers stop working during a rain, you obviously cannot see clearly ahead. You can turn the wipers off then back on to get them working again, but they stop all the same soon after.
The transmission has been repaired only to have worse problems surface. Overnight, I lost my Reverse and a week later the Drive function stopped working. It placed me in a dangerous situation. I was at a gas station, suddenly no Reverse. I was wedged between cars. I had to push it backwards to give room for the car in front. I took it to Ford and they wanted $3000 for a clutch, they made me pay $210 diagnosis fee at Gene Butman Ford. I was angry. I went to a part store, the part was $245!!! I told Ford this car has been in for recalls with transmission and evaporative system. This is at least the third time for the transmission. It's a 2015, only 115,000 miles on it and it already is a piece of junk. I'm never buying a Ford again. The dealership folk were rude and offered nothing even when I mentioned a recall on the transmission.
Ford Focus 2015 w Select Shift. The warranty is in effect for 10 yr 100,000 drivetrain. TCM - AE8Z7Z369F The car began sputtering in the middle of August when pressing on the gas. The car would jump when hitting about 12-15 mph and again at 28-35 mph. At this point the engine light was on I took the car to a local certified auto shop where it was diagnosed that the TCM module was having problems and I would need to take it to a dealership. Late august I took it to the Beacon Healey Ford Dealership to get it fixed and they confirmed it was the TCM and that it could be a few weeks because the part was on backorder. I called every few weeks and it has been the same status since then. Luckily this part and the labor will be covered under warranty but this has left me in a very difficult situation that the dealership or ford are not doing much to help with. I was not offered a loaner/rental car and have been using a relative's car which they will be needing back soon. It has been 3 months and they still do not have a loaner for me or any updates at all on an estimated time for resolution or when the part will at least become available.
On August 14th at approximately 2 pm my Ford Focus came to a complete stall at the intersection of Seymour Hwy and Brookes Ave in Wichita Falls, Texas. After several failed attempts to restart the vehicle it was pushed into a saver location and towed by Mike's Towing in WF to Quality Lube on Pearlie Drive also in WF. Fuel gauge was sitting at a little over 1/4 tank and panel was reading 78 miles to empty. I ran the VIN and pulled up a recall from 10/22/2018 that Ford neglected to contact me the owner of. The mechanic at Quality Lube would not touch it because of the recall. On August 15th I put gas in and the vehicle started right up, I drove the vehicle from Quality Lube straight to Pruitt Ford (location of purchase) located in Burkburnett, Texas. Left the vehicle and my mother called the next day and explained the problem and dangers improper vacuum through the fuel tank could cause and recall was pulled up. Pruitt Ford failed to run diagnostic to insure their fix actually fixed the issues, stating that they performed the recall and the check engine light was no longer on so they were done on their end. Picked up the vehicle from Pruitt Ford midafternoon on August 18th. August 24th the Check Engine Light came back on, Pruitt Ford was called and stated I would be responsible for $135 to run a diagnostic. I had the code pulled up and it stated P1450 Unable to Bleed Up Fuel Tank Vacuum. Pruitt Ford failed to repair the vehicle to a safe condition. On the 25th the vehicle was taken back to them after being supplied a case number to get the vehicle properly repaired through Ford Motor. CAS-38298302-J2R8C6 This morning I get a call from Pruitt Ford stating that Ford Motor will not honor the recall due to the mileages on the vehicle. This is a 2015 with 65,844 miles on it, there is no mileage limit on a recall and recalls have no expiration date. Ford Motor states it is not a warranty problem therefore the dealership is responsible recall repairs.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while parking the vehicle in a parking lot, the contact was unable to shift the vehicle into reverse(R). The contact stated that she then shifted the vehicle to drive(D) and was able to front-end park the vehicle and then shift to park(P). When the contact returned and started the vehicle, she could not shift the gear shifter into reverse(R). The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that once she left the parking lot, the vehicle engine would rev as she depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to properly respond. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) needed to be replaced. The TCM was replaced; however, the contact was told by the dealer that the transmission needed additional work. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Car will not go in reverse and shakes vigorously when shifting gears. We think it is an issue with the transmission. I called multiple ford dealerships as focuses have known transmission issues with these exact symptoms, but they said they cannot take a look for weeks. They have a policy where they will give rental cars for these transmission issues, but they are pretending they are not sure what the issue is and will not take a look for weeks, leaving me without a car for weeks because ford sold me a defective car.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunctioned and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. On several occasions, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved and the RPM’s increased; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond when shifted to reverse(R). The contact also stated that the transmission was slipping while driving and the vehicle failed to accelerate properly while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the transmission control module (TCM), but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the clutch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the clutch had previously been replaced; however, the failure occurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH in traffic, the air condition vents started to blow hot air inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine overheated, and the “Pull Over Safely” message was displayed. The contact stated that the temperature gauge rose to the HOT level. The contact was able to park the vehicle safely and waited approximately 15 minutes before being able to drive to her destination. A dealer was not contacted. The contact stated on June 26, 2023, she became aware that the vents were not blowing any air when the vehicle was started. The contact stated that within 30 minutes the failure recurred. The contact had experienced the failure four times. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the cooling fan was not functioning properly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with Manufacturer Recall Number: 21N01; however, the VIN nor the year, make, or model was included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
I am reporting a serious safety issue involving a 2015 Ford Focus equipped with the PowerShift transmission. The vehicle has experienced repeated failures of the transmission control module (TCM) and clutch system despite multiple repair attempts. The vehicle has been repaired at least three times for the same issue, yet the failure continues. While driving at highway speeds (approximately 65–70 mph), the transmission failed without warning. The vehicle lost power and was unable to properly shift gears, creating an immediate safety hazard. I was forced to navigate traffic with limited acceleration and was left stranded. This condition significantly increases the risk of a crash, especially when merging, accelerating, or maintaining speed in traffic. The failure occurs unpredictably and without sufficient warning. This issue is not isolated. The 2012–2016 Ford Focus models equipped with the PowerShift transmission have a well-documented history of similar failures, including prior complaints and manufacturer acknowledgment of defects. Despite multiple repair attempts, the defect has not been resolved, and the vehicle remains unsafe to operate. I am requesting that this issue be investigated as a safety defect, as it poses a serious risk to drivers and others on the road. I have found that many of the vehicles that recieved a replacement TCM, reported the problem came back, worsened, or the car had to be totalled all together. Even worse, took a huge hit.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 67 MPH, the vehicle would no longer accelerate and instead decelerated to 30 MPH. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift as designed. The check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle was overheating. The contact stated she was almost struck by an oncoming truck but was able to pull over safely and waited until the vehicle cooled down. The vehicle was then driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dual clutch was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the mechanic stated that the actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 31,000.
Transmission occasionally fails to shift into reverse and has issues properly shifting gears automatically. Gear shifting has been a very minor issue for at least 5 years, only happened once. In the past week, the issues mentioned in first sentence has grown progressively worse starting with minor juttering when gears are shifted higher. Reverse issue has started at the start of this week, and the juttering has gotten worse. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request at this time. Vehicle fails to speed up when acceleration is applied for a good while, engine reving into 4000-5000 rpm range before it corrects itself after 5-10 seconds. Acceleration issues may cause collision issues with drivers following. Lack of reverse leaves vehicle requiring to park in ways it can drive forward or roll back out of the parking spot, making parking more dangerous. This system has been a part of a prior recall. Since the recall was supposedly fixed, the system has not been inspected since. The check engine light illuminates from time to time, mainly when the vehicle can't reverse.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and received a second repair for the failure. The failure recurred after the repair. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was referred to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was 103,000.
The transmission of my car has always been jerky and unreliable, sometimes causing the vehicle to shake when driving at high speeds. While driving through the mountains, the transmission continuously got worse, eventually causing me to be unable to put the car in reverse. The car also failed to switch gears adequately while driving on the highway, making it difficult to accelerate and increasing the likelihood of an accident. There were no warning symbols on my dashboard to alert me to what could be the issue. My vehicle has not yet been inspected by a dealership, manufacturer, or independent service center.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration with the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,778.
The transmission clutch failed. The parts were taken by CrossRoads Ford of Henderson, NC. I did not make a claim on my insurance, I was told initially that this was a recalled part. I did not make a police report and I don't know if the manufacturer was alerted to this problem from my car. After the repair was done, I had to pay for the repair since the person at the dealer said that the codes it was recording were not for the parts that were under warranty for the transmission. My safety and that of my children were at risk, as the transmission was not permitting the forward gears to engage out of low, and we were driving in city traffic. I was almost rear-ended several times and had to try to find places to pull off the street so that I didn't get hit by the car behind me. The reverse gear was also not working at all. I did not have any warning lights come on to warn me of this problem.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk upon the depression of the accelerator pedal with the transmission fault and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a defective clutch. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that her vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 153,757.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking abnormally. The contact stated that the engine power was reduced. Additionally, the contact stated that while making a turn, the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with clutch failure. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the clutch had previously been replaced twice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown,
Car stalling while driving, cutting in and out, completely unable to drive with the risk of it randomly dying
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test determined a fault within the transmission. The contact then called the dealer where he was informed that there would be a delay in service due to overwhelming service demand. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH from the driveway, the transmission failed to operate as designed. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact towed the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 90,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was in the driveway, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact related the failure to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 19N08. The vehicle was diagnosed with a transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the dealer previously replaced the TCM; however, the failure recurred while driving at an undisclosed speed, and the transmission failed to shift into the intended gear. Additionally, the vehicle would not accelerate above 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over safely and activated the hazard lights. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel pump was defective. The contact stated that an unknown sensor was reprogrammed. The contact indicated there was more damage to the vehicle from the sensor; however, the dealer was unable to repair the additional damage. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate the vehicle shuddered before operating normally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer for a power train recall on the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired under the recall however, the failure persisted. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty coverage. The approximate failure mileage was 87,415.
Cannot change my tires due to swollen lug nuts. Because of this my tires have not been able to be rotated and will need to be replaced because of too much wear. Several mechanics have had difficulty getting them off and on and have said that I need to purchase replacements because Ford lug nuts are notoriously bad. If I were to get a flat tire, I would be stranded.
The car intermittently doesn't shift into reverse and struggled to shift from first to second gear and sometimes loses some power when shifting into or while in higher gears. I had it looked into by an independent service center who recommended replacement of 2 clutch actuators which I had done at a cost of $853.17. I didn't drive it for a week after the repairs while on vacation. When I returned, the same issues exist and the engine light is on. I couldn't back out of my driveway and had to drive through my yard to go to work.
While driving the vehicle it begins shuddering and jerking, when parked and shifted into reverse the vehicle did not move, when brake was applied to shift to park, the vehicle lunged forward up and over the curb. This has been a continuous problem, when is the NHSTA going to do their job and make ford recall these vehicles.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the RPM’s fell to zero, causing the vehicle to stall. The check engine, ABS, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel tank was deformed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was then towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was 108,102.
3rd time the clutch has started to shudder violently during acceleration. 1st clutch replacement was covered under a Ford safety recall in Nov 2019 (58,000 miles), 2nd clutch replacement was paid in cash in April 2021 (76,000 miles), and now I'm looking at paying cash for a 3rd clutch replacement in June 2022 (92,000 miles). Ford has only covered ONE clutch replacement despite the clutch issue happening every 14 months. This is just outside the 12-month "warranty" for the parts & labor, and I'm fed up with having to replace the clutch almost every year.
Car turns off after filling with gas. Does not start properly after refilling tank. If I stop sometimes even in traffic it’ll automatically turn off.
I had my check engine light come on afterwards the car started to hesitate. My car is having issues with shifting through the gears and feels bogged down. I took it to a Ford dealership where they tried for 3 and a half hours to get the light to come on again with no luck. They told me to bring it back if the light comes on again.
Was driving the vehicle and saw that the vehicle was losing coolant change the coolant reservoir and the replaced both of the heater hose, all of a sudden it was still losing coolant but I was always topping it out with coolant. Until the day that it gave out
Radio is making a loud popping noise at random times. It’s easily distracting and could very possibly cause an accident due to the random loudness of the popping.
Esta es la segunda vez que se arruina la caja de la transmisión voy caminando y no agarra velocidad voy en el freeway y no avanza no hace los cambios al tratar de rebasar, aparece una luz roja y marca motor. Hoy apareció una advertencia en el tablero que dice transmisión caliente espere 5 minutos voy en freeway do de me parqueo??? Fui a la agencia y no me han ayudado dijeron que debo dejar el carro por 3 meses.ahi parado con ellos repito es la segunda vez en 2 años y medio que esto pasa
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission malfunctioned causing the vehicle to erroneously downshift and lose motive power. Additionally, the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission clutch disk and transmission actuators were faulty and 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 72,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the vehicle was hesitating. The contact was able to continue driving and pulled into a gas station however, the vehicle hesitated and started sputtering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle. Upon attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The contact pushed the vehicle into a parking space with assistance. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact replaced the starter however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed and the failure was associated to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 14M02. The contact was informed that the parts to do the repair were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the parts would be available within 9-10 months. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
The transmission went out and will not go in reverse. Thank goodness my daughter made it her friends from where we had it towed to bulldog transmission. The car is not drivable. It has 116000 mileage. The car did have a louder engine noise that other cars I’ve driven. The car was fine for several weeks, we bought it used. The car had a hard time getting up the neighborhood hill then died in the friends driveway.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026