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.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Loss of power to transmission, extended warranty not honored on repair
A message keeps coming up on my car saying that the Transmission is over heating and my car is will stall out and stop driving
Transmission stopped working after overheating of engine. Clutch stopped working as well.
The door latch on my driver side rear door just stopped working and it won’t shut at all.
While driving to work, my transmission started to slip. On the freeway, if I pressed the gas pedal, my car would NOT go faster. Instead, my engine would rev to almost redline and my car would continue to coast, but loose momentum. Once the transmission downshifted to a lower gear, then the transmission would begin to work. Once I got into the City, I almost rear ended someone when the transmission surged. I was pushing the gas through an intersection, and suddenly my car lurched forward, the tires squealed, etc. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid slamming into the car in front of me.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that she had discovered that her vehicle had been placed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact took the vehicle to a dealer; however, upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving home at 35 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had illuminated the instrument panel and that the vehicle eventually restarted after multiple attempts. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was made to have the vehicle serviced. The failure persisted and the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer. Once the vehicle was back in the possession of the dealer, they informed her that due to the size of the fuel tank, they could not repair the vehicle. The contact was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 66,844.
My vehicle began making loud rubbing noises when turning and then in addition, progressed to having trouble steering. I took it to a shop that advised me that I needed a new rack and pinion steering system. I took the vehicle home and when I went to get return to the garage to have it replaced, the car would not turn at all except with extreme force; I had to have it towed. I had to pay for an entire new rack and pinion steering (and labor) and for the front end to be aligned after. I checked and even though there are numerous complaints, there is no recall.
The steering assist on on our 2015 Ford Focus failed at 35,000 miles as I was backing out of the driveway. The steering fault was indicated on the dashboard and the car became very difficult to steer. Had I been driving on the street or expressway this very well could have resulted in a serious or even fatal accident. I checked with the dealer to see if a Ford safety recall had been issued. There was no safety recall on this year Focus. Sure seems like Ford should issue a safety recall regarding this issue since there is one for the 2014 Ford Focus and other Ford cars. It is the same steering assist unit. The car was undrivable, of course, and the local authorized Ford dealer charged me $2,470 to replace the steering gear. It was in the shop for more than a week. My wife and I are retired on a fixed income and an unexpected $2,470 expense is devastating to us. We bought this car hoping to keep it forever and save money along the way. After dealing with the defective transmission, sync that doesn't, radio and brake repairs we see now this was a big mistake. My grandfather built Model Ts in Detroit and both of my parents were Ford employees in Dearborn their entire adult life. We have always been a Ford family. I will never buy another Ford.
The engine on the car stalled shortly after the vehicle purchase from a local dealer (within less than two weeks), The dealer claimed that he never had a such issue, I had to get the car towed to a local Ford dealership then they found out the issue was the purge valve sticking causing negative pressure in the gas tank, so they ended up replacing the purge valve and updated the PCM which should have been addressed by the Safety Recall 18S32 & Safety Recall 19S22. What makes me confused is that when I did VIN lookup , my car was not affected, however the issue I had seems to be the exact match of those two recalls I mentioned. I nearly paid $800 after tax and this seems quite upsetting after I found out Ford had to recall nearly 1.5M cars for the same issues which excluded my vehicle. Is there anyway appeal this issue? I highly believe that Ford is responsible for those two issues I had to pay for. I attached the dealer invoice that explained what they did to fix the car.
My car shut off randomly in the middle of lane and on the highway too. My car show "system fault". Didn't start until I put a new battery. The next day it happened again it show again "system fault". So I change a wire sensor that connects to the battery. It work then while you are driving it stop or when you are parked too. I really don't want to drive I'm afraid I get into a accident while on the road.
The vehicle is slow to move when put into gear, (or from a stopped position on the road), and then suddenly lurches forward. This has been reported to several FORD car care centers but they do nothing about it and expect the driver to "adapt" to the way the car handles. This can cause an accident when making a turn from a stop because there is no acceptable predictability of it happening.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while reversing out of her driveway, the “Contact Dealership” appeared on the rearview camera of the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist as the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rearview camera module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.
We have brought the vehicle in twice to the dealership, once at 30k miles and another at 64k miles for a clutch replacement in the automatic transmission due to shuddering. It is now at 88k miles and the clutch is shuddering again. Ford reuses to fix the problem even though this is the third instance of this issue occuring. This shuddering makes merging unsafe as the vehicle hesitates and the car jerks back and forth. It extreme cases, it causes motion sickness to the passengers. Shuddering takes place up to third gear which does not help the driver concentrate and negotiate traffic if the car is shaking or jerking back and forth. There is a constant fear that the vehicle will just fail in the middle of traffic and we will be stranded. No illuminated lamps on the dash board to indicate a potential code. As stated before this vehicle has been brought to Ford twice already and the part they replaced keeps failing at roughly every 30k miles. We have tried to work with Ford to have them fix the problem but instead of replacing the faulty part they now want to charge us $2500 dollars. Why does the transmission seem to fail at every 30k miles? The dealership does not return our calls: we have called roughly 10 times and left messages. When calling Ford directly they state we have to bring it to the dealership, the same dealership which does not return our calls. Having a component in the transmission that makes it unsafe to drive is unacceptable. What makes it even more unacceptable is the fact that Ford has replaced this part 2 times already and it is failing again just 30k miles later, but now it somehow is not covered under the part warranty.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated the vehicle failed to accelerate over 25 MPH. The vehicle was jerking while shifting gears. The vehicle overheated and shut down however, the vehicle was restarted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The transmission warning message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions and diagnosed that the transmission module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 72,664.
RPM jumps when pedal is not pushed. Car has issues going into reverse. TCM issues.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while parking in the driveway, she shifted to park(P) however, the vehicle rolled backward. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and then shifted the vehicle back into park(P). The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated and had remained illuminated for three months. The contact stated that recently while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Faulty cannister purge valve causing rough idle, stalling. Code P1450. Dealership has "fulfilled" recall requirement by re-flashing the ECU, without our knowledge or permission. Now that part is actually failing, they will not fix under the recall. This is a KNOWN problem and they try to "fix" is for free while its still working so they can make money off it later.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering box started making a grinding sound. The vehicle became difficult to steer. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated he was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer and it was diagnosed with the steering box needing to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was 72,254.
I hit a deer, lost control of my vehicle and rolled it twice. None of my air bags deployed and my 911 assist never dialed 911.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the check engine warning light was illuminated and the RPM started to rise. The contact also stated it the vehicle was rough when shifting gears. The contact was able to drive to his residence. The contact called a local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
Car shifts bad then makes noise and light comes on for engine so park car shut it off wait a few mins and crank again but it won't go still
on multiple occasions, the transmission will shudder. this shudder occurs between 1st and 2nd and/or 2nd and 3rd gears. a few times, while driving in the snow, after some tire spinning or sliding, the transmission either slipped from a high gear or froze while driving on the highway at highway speeds. i have been told by Ford and the dealer that the clutch system has already been replaced under the recall and i would now need to pay for repair. along with the clutch recall, there was also a recall on the software component, and i don't believe that has been replaced. there are no warning lamps or messages with this malfunction
Code error P07A3 Transmission FORK A, car is jerking and gears 3 and 4 are getting stuck!
- power steering system, steering assembly - the power steering stopped working suddenly - yes, both a Ford dealer and an independent mechanic saw the failure code on the computer - steering fault light flashes on the dashboard at the same time as the issue happens
Upon entering Interstate highway 66, my car started jerking and the RPM gage was fluctuating and loosing power. A tractor trailer swerved and blew the horn. My car shut off on me in the right lane. I was able to restart and drive toward the shoulder and a warning light states “Transmission Overheating Stop Safely”. I took it to my certified mechanic and it read code P0460. When he lift the car, the gas tank is sunk in. Back in summer 2019 there was a recall on the “purge valve” and we notified them in 2020 that the car stared jerking and acting like it wanted to shut off. Again the code #P0460 same part and they said the warranty on the valve expired they can not reopen the recall. Now my gas tank is caved in and the car is stalling out on the highway getting worse. Ford Motor company keeps brushing us off and not concerned about the safety of their vehicle.
While driving in traffic, car started lurching, speed slowing down check engine light came on doing about 20 miles, barely made it to my home. Went from about 30 miles speed to barely 20. No warning, just started lurching and shuddering. Was on recall for clutch work was done on Sept 19, 2020.
weld came loose from frame.
There have been several instances, while driving highway speed limits and when braking, the car accelerates for a few seconds before the vehicle brakes and slows down. This can be very dangerous especially if traffic stops unexpectedly. I have a couple close calls. There weren't any warning lamps given and I have not taken it in to dealership to examine. I have not inquired with dealership mechanic if this was an occurrence they have encountered.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING FORWARD FROM BEING STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND THEN ACCELERATED INADVERTENTLY. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CANISTER PURGE VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V735000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65,000.
MY CAR HAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WITH CODE P1450. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED IN 2019 AND WAS ADDRESSED BY REPROGRAMMING THE PCM. IN 2021 I GOT THE SAME CODE AND NOW THE PURGE VALVE IS STUCK OPEN. I NOTICED THAT AFTER ADDING FUEL THE CAR HAD TROUBLE STARTING UP UNTIL I GAVE IT A LITTLE EXTRA GAS. I WAS ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS IT MAY STALL, SUDDENLY GO INTO LIMP MODE, OR THE FUEL TANK MAY COLLAPSE. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT ALL OTHER FOCUSES OF THIS GENERATION HAVE RECEIVED A RECALL ON THE PURGE VALVE, BUT EXCLUDING MY ENGINE THE 1.0. A LOT OF DIGGING INTO FORUMS HAS SHOWN ME THAT MANY 1.0 OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR FOCUS. QUITE SHADY TO RECALL ONLY SOME OF THE FOCUSES WHEN IT SEEMS THAT IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL ENGINE VARIATIONS.
THE CAR WAS PARKED AND IT REFUSED TO GO IN REVERSE OR IN DRIVE.
The car feels like it's skipping when I try to pull out at stop signs and lights. Also does it when I'm driving. Feels like a gear slips or something
ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING IT AND WON'T START BACK WITHOUT WARNING IT USE AFTER PUTTING GAS IN IT I SEEN WHERE THEY ARE RECALL 2012-2018 FORD FOCUS CPV BUT WHEN I PUT THE VIN IN IT DOESN'T SHOW UP BUT MY IS DOIN THE SAME THING
MY CAR IS STALLING WHILE IN MOTION AND AT A IDLE. IT WILL STALL AFTER SITTING IDLE FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO A FORD SERVICE CENTER AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX THE RECALL BECAUSE THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE DID NOT SHOW A CODE WHEN THE CAR WAS HOOKED UP TO THE MACHINE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT'S SON WAS DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND DIAGNOSED AS FUEL TANK FAILURE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V735000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. AN UNKNOWN DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,969.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO UPSHIFT AS NEEDED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MIKE CASTRUCCI FORD (1020 OH-28, MILFORD, OH 45150, (513)275-1048) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE BUT OFFERED NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 129,000.
TRANSMISSION HE RUNS WELL IN FIRST AND SECOND PERFECTLY AND IN THIRD SKATES
When taking off from a stopped position, such as stop sign or light, car stutters/stalled like jumping. It only does this in first gear, once it has shifted into second it continues to shift fine. However, once back in first gear it does it again. I fear that it will stall completely in first or power way down as I’m pulling into traffic, very likely causing a collision. This is a continual/daily occurrence. The date I specified for date of incident is just a general idea of when this started.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while accelerating from a traffic light, the clutch failed to operate as designed. The contact was unaware if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated she heard an abnormal noise. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the clutch to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience failure. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact shifted into neutral and restarted the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the evaporator system had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact's daughter received notification of Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08 (Transmission Clutch Shudder/Transmission Clutch Warranty Extension); however, the dealer declined to perform the repair. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was vibrating and failed to accelerate as needed. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
THE PUSH OPEN GAS COVER WON'T OPEN LEAVING ME STRANDED AT GAS STATION.
Car will start surging and then will stall out. First noticed when car was purchased, but was told it was normal for the car to do. I will start the car and it'll run for a few seconds then die. Sometimes for only a couple times and then the car will run okay. There are times it'll surge then die up to 7 times in a row. Only a couple times it has surged and died while out driving. The car would die in the middle of the road. Car started up with issues almost 3 weeks ago and is progressively getting worse. Sometimes the engine light comes on then it will turn off. 2 different dealerships, Jess Ford, in Pullman Washington and Joe Hall Ford in Lewiston Idaho, both have done inspections and claimed to have fixed the transmission, but the issue has continued to be an issue. It has happened over 15 plus times of stalling and surging in the last week. TCM replaced, clutch replaced, fuel purge valve has been replaced. We were told it was a one-time fix, but it has been a nonstop issue since. The technicians informed us that it would fail again, and it did. Car is a 2015 Ford Focus, under 94k miles.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE SCARF SHE WAS WEARING BECAME CAUGHT IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE CONTACT EXITED THROUGH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR. THE FLASHERS WERE ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL CLICKING NOISE DETECTED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED OR INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.
CAR WILL NOT START AFTER GAS IS PUT INTO THE CAR. TAKES A FEW TIMES TO START IT BACK UP AND WILL STALL IF NOT THROWN INTO DRIVE REAL QUICK AND SPEED OFF. RPM'S WILL CONSTANTLY RUN UP. TAKES A LOT OF POWER TO PICK UP SPEED OR GO UP A HILL.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 20 MPH and depressing on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started to shudder. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission clutch assembly to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact became aware that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train) in 2019 under the previous owner. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
I STARTED THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION ON A GREEN LIGHT. THE CAR LOST POWER STEALING IN THE INTERSECTION. I BLOCKED TRAFFIC FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE I COULD GET ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE WAY. NO ONE HIT MY CAR BUT IT WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
THIS CAR CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING IT HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE FORD PLACE IN COVINGTON GEORGIA THE PROBLEM IS STILL HERE ALMOST COST ME MY LIFE CUT WHILE ENTERING INTO TRAFFIC IT HAPPEN OFTEN I AM PAYING ON THIS CAR MY JOB CLOSE DO TO COVID I NEED THIS CAR TO RUN BETTER SO I CAN WORK
ON 2/15/2021 WHILE IN MOTION AND UNDER ACCELERATION EVENTS ON THE HIGHWAY OR THE CITY STREETS, THE THROTTLE WILL BECOME COMPLETE UNRESPONSIVE AND ENGINE WILL HAVE COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. DEALER CONFIRMED CONCERN AND STATED THAT THE MECHANICAL ACTUATORS IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH CONTROL THE CLUTCH AND CLUTCH NEED TO BE REPLACED. FORD ALREADY HAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THE TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER THE CLUTCH ACTUATORS IS NOT PART OF THE EXTENDED COVERED THAT FORD OFFERED.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to shift the vehicle into reverse, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was able to shift into drive however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly. The contact then stated that while shifted into drive, the vehicle performed as if the transmission had shifted into neutral, making it difficult to make left and right turns. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM had failed, and the dealer needed to take the transmission apart to determine the exact cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the Extended Warranty had expired. There was no further assistance provided. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.