Ford · Focus · 2016
8
Recalls
1,176
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2016 Ford Focus has 8 recalls and 1,176 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: power train (504 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
11.6% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Fusion vehicles equipped with a 1.6L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission and 2015-2016 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission. Also included are four 2017 Ford Focus vehicles that had clutch replacements with potentially affected parts. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
Remedy Status
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Focus vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. Owners of Fusion vehicles will have their clutch assembly replaced free of charge. The recall began August 3, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
Remedy Status
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07. Note: This recall is an expansion of Recall 18V-169.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Focus and C-Max vehicles. The floor pan may have improperly welded left-hand apron joints.
Remedy Status
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the apron joints, repairing the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 8, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S03.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Ford Focus hatchback vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 26, 2016 and equipped with a manual transmission. The hatchback of the affected vehicles may be unlatched with a single press of the interior latch release button. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Remedy Status
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began February 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C13.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.
Remedy Status
Dealers will replace the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt, free of charge. If engine failure occurs due to a damaged oil pump belt and/or oil pump belt tensioner, Ford has authorized dealers to replace the engine assembly as an interim repair before the availability of remedy parts for the final repair. This repair will be free of charge (parts and labor). Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S64.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Remedy Status
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles with a 2.0L GDI or 2.0L GTDI engine. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in fuel vapor management system.
Remedy Status
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Ford Customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S32. Note: Until the vehicle is serviced for this concern, owners are advised to keep the fuel tank at least halfway full.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Remedy Status
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in April 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.
The transmission in this model is horrible they already have recall for the 1.0L mine of course is the 2.0L its 2016 Ford Focus it has last than 165,000 miles. I already replaced put new transmission in it last year and here I am again transmission is out. And of course no repair shops will touch my car deal this known issues
The vehicle experienced failure of the DPS6 dual-clutch automatic transmission. The transmission began slipping during acceleration, hesitating between gear engagement, and triggering a “Transmission Overheat” warning. Eventually, the vehicle lost the ability to reliably shift between Drive and Reverse and would not consistently engage gears. The vehicle can start and move forward but cannot reliably switch directions within the same ignition cycle. The vehicle is available for inspection. The transmission malfunction created safety concerns due to delayed or failed acceleration when entering traffic. The vehicle hesitated and slipped under throttle input, which could prevent timely acceleration when merging or crossing intersections. Additionally, the inability to reliably shift between Drive and Reverse could create hazardous situations in parking lots or emergency maneuvering scenarios. The sudden transmission overheat warning and gear disengagement could result in loss of power in traffic. The issue has been confirmed by an independent mechanic who diagnosed transmission failure. The vehicle has a known history of prior clutch replacement under similar symptoms. The transmission malfunction is consistent with documented DPS6 transmission failures in 2016 Ford Focus models. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent service center. The manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle. Prior to failure, the vehicle exhibited shuddering during acceleration from a stop, particularly at low speeds. This condition has been intermittently present for several years following a prior clutch replacement. In the days leading up to failure, the vehicle experienced difficulty accelerating and hesitation under throttle. A “Transmission Overheat” warning message appeared while driving. After cooling, the vehicle temporarily resumed operation but subsequently lost reliable gear engagement.
I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding an ongoing mechanical issue with my 2016 Ford Focus. Although my vehicle currently shows zero active recalls, I have experienced a recurring and concerning problem. Each time I turn on the air conditioning and the air begins to blow cold, my engine temperature rises significantly and causes the vehicle to overheat. This issue occurs consistently and makes it unsafe to operate the vehicle while using the air conditioning. Overheating poses a serious safety risk and may lead to engine damage or sudden breakdowns. Given that this problem appears to be directly connected to the operation of the air conditioning system, I am concerned that this may be a known defect or design issue that has not been addressed through a recall. I am requesting that this issue be formally documented, investigated, and addressed. I would appreciate guidance on next steps, including inspection, repair options, or whether this issue has been reported by other 2016 Ford Focus owners. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.
Transmission is slipping. Check engine light is on. Code P07A5 (3/3) Permanent Transmission Friction Element B Stuck on.
Fuel purge valve is malfunctioning. Vehicle loses power and is sluggish. Idles very rough and sometimes has a loss of power. My car has been at Ford twice in the last six months and problem still isn't fixed. Complete engine was replaced about a year and a half ago due to recall issue which I don't want happening again. I do not feel safe driving this car. I made an appointment with Ford a month ago for tomorrow for same stalling issue. I went to drop off and explain I wanted the repairs done for the recall to see if that fixed the problem. I filled up my gas tank on Sunday. The car wouldn't start and engine light came on saying engine failure service now. I let it sit for about ten minutes and it hesitantly cranked and engine light went off but accelerates slower with loss of power. It keeps doing this intermittently and sometimes loses power, and struggles when idling. I cut off let sit and then is okay until I pump gas again. I told the service repair person what happened and handed him the key to drop off the vehicle. He said if the light was not on at the time he would not be able to fix it and they couldn't schedule my vehicle for any additional recalls that are greatly needed for the car. It is running terrible. It idles and intermittently loses power while driving. Evan at Ford (Greer) response was to wait until it got bad enough that the engine light came on and stayed on. This was at D&D Ford in Greer, SC. He said it was Ford's policy the light had to be on to replace under recall with no charge. I told him it is unsafe to drive if it gets any worse it could cause an accident. I have two children and his recommendation to wait until it gets worse was appalling. He kept backlashing Ford and stated he doesn't work for Ford he works for D&D and only represents Ford. I said to him he was not representing Ford very well and that it was highly unlikely they would agree with his statements. I asked for documation of this policy--it contradicts what he says.
When driving my car all of a sudden it loses power almost like it’s struggling to go but the RPM revs up and makes a loud noise and my car kind of got stuck for a minute and there were cars behind me then it started going but every couple minutes it would do that again rev up really loud even when I barely push the gas and lose power and then go I have no idea why it was doing that I took it to get it looked at, but there was no light on then a light finally came on and it came up with P07A3. Transmission friction element A stuck on. It starts end doing that with no notice. Light came on later after I tried to get it scanned. There seems to be extended warranty satisfaction things offered on vehicles at the same time mine was made. Same vehicle. But my number is not on the vin recall. But it exhibits same symptoms. The ford customer satisfaction program 14m02 covers same issues but my vin is not listed. This is a driving hazard unsafe that I feel is issues from their manufacturing.
The car shakes when I turn the car on. I always thought it was normal until they told me it wasn't. Also ive smelled like a burn oil smell... Ive gotten stuck on intersection, guessing its the transmission.. i had to put the car it park and put it drive to see if it moved. When it did moved the whole front car shook while doing the turn. That happened like 2x. Both times I've parked afterwards and I tried to put it in reverse and nothing. It did not reverse. And that was the last of it moving.
NHTSA Recall Number23V905 Recall Status recall Incomplete Ford performed an interim engine repair in 2024. Due to the unavailability of parts when the recall was initiated, it took approximately 8 months for the interim engine and repair to be completed. I received my car back in August 2024 and then a supplement to the recall was placed. After getting the car back, my check engine light came on but Ford advised that it didn't have anything to do with the engine replacement and associated parts. Then I began experiencing symptoms of a valve purge issue and received an EVAP code. I attempted to address this at the dealership during routine maintenance but it was not checked or repaired. In January 2026, my engine failed again with similar symptoms. It was towed to the same dealership where they informed me that I was out of warranty on the engine and my new issue had to do with coolant intrusion. When I checked my service records, they had noted that a coolant hose was broken and replaced during recall repairs. Additionally there is a recall for other 2016 Ford Focus coolant intrusions caused by a heater block. This leads me to believe that the repair may have been faulty. Additionally, the 23V905 recall is still open with a supplement to the original.
This vehicle been having problems with heater
The car is stalling randomly with no engine lights coming on
Something wrong with the transmission the one that Ford extended warranty on and my car is a 2016 and Ford extended it 10 years and they said it ended a few months ago as well as the TCM replacement I didn't know about because I just purchased the vehicle a little over a year ago.
Having fuel problems with this ford se. Adding gas after starting the car it doesn't run right. It misses n doesn't have power. Plus Transmission went out two times again. First time it went out. It was about a year ago. Now the second time [XXX]. First time was about a year ago. It was repaired. Because I had a car warranty from the car dealer ship. Now they won't repair it again. This ford focus Se had the double clutch in it Plus the notorious speed shifter known to go out. These transmissions are known to have problems. But the car place never told me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The powertrain/transmission in my 2016 Ford Focus is malfunctioning. Specifically, the vehicle shudders and hesitates when accelerating in low gears, causing delayed engagement and unpredictable power delivery. This issue occurs at low speeds, such as when entering traffic or moving through intersections, creating a potential safety risk for myself and other drivers. The problem has been officially diagnosed by a Ford dealership as a transmission/clutch issue, with a repair estimate of approximately $3,700. The issue has been reproduced consistently and confirmed by the dealer. No warning lights appeared prior to the malfunction, but the shuddering and hesitation are noticeable during normal driving. The vehicle currently has approximately 26,000 miles, which is very low for transmission failure, and the manufacturer has denied goodwill assistance despite the early and confirmed failure.
The transistor arm or tensioning arm for the wet belt, which drives the oil pump in the oil pan failed, leading to oil starvation to the engine, causing total catastrophic engine failure, and temporary loss of power steering, while driving, fortunately, I was moving at a slow pace in minimal traffic, however, this is a known fail point in Ford 1.0 L ecoboost 3 cyl engines, that Ford claims my vehicle does not have, and refuses to cover, regardless of the fact that it did happen, and I have pictures in mechanic testimony to prove this to be true, had I’ve been on a different road, or had more traffic, this could have to a fatality. The engine replacement would cost a estimated 4500-7500$
In the Ford 3 cylinder 1.0L Ecoboost engines there is a terrible wet belt system, there is a recall on the automatic models but nothing for the manual models, regardless of the fact that the manual models are designed far more poorly than the automatic models in the sense that the manual models have no tensioners and rely solely on the factory tension of the screws, keeping in mind that the belt is both rubber and sitting in hot oil when in use, if not a money grab, my best guess is that they hoped the wet rubber belt would simply not not stretch in good faith. 4 days after getting basic maintenance, the wet belt failed, clogging the oil pickup causing engine failure, and temporary loss of power steering, after the engine was given time to warm up, luckily the road was nearly empty, and i was driving at a slower pace. However the fact that Ford Motor Company has gone nearly a decade without dealing with the issue, and then denies having knowledge of this design flaw, is absolutely and abundantly absurd. I have all vehicle maintenance records, as well as mechanic testimony, all of which point to this incident being caused by poor engine design. In addition to the estimated cost to replace the engine is 8,500$, or about 140% the cars total value prior to the engine failure. This a NOT a minor issue, this is not even a uncommon fail point on many other manual models, this IS a major safety concern, that god forbit it, could lead to a major accident. I simply think that the Ford Motor Company should be made accountable for cheaping out for profit, at the cost of customer’s safety.
Lee County was working on the road and were replacing a section of Lazy D Farm Road and there was a section cut out and try to get across the section the transmission over heating light came on
Fuel pump went out and caused car to stall and leave me stranded on the side of the road when dash indicator showed 23 miles left to travel. I had this fixed through the dealership Drive Time sent me to mechanic shop as was still under dealership warranty.
I was driving the car other all of a sudden died on me and told me to put it in park I put it in park and then turned the key off and tried to restart it. It did not restart and would not turn of kept popping up a warning saying starter system failure. Could not turn my wheel or pit it in neutral to get it out of te middle of the road.
The rear view camera does not work most of the time. Hasn't for years. Seems Ford can't make a rear view camera that works, since I see Ford recalling all manner of other vehicles for their rear view camera. They need to do it for the Focus as well.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact heard an abnormal grinding sound coming from under the floorboard. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and was jerking and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that the failure was more pronounced after the initial failure. The contact stated that later, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was difficult to start. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was orange. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the clutch actuators needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to a problem with the dual clutch transmission installed in the vehicle. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2016 Ford Focus has 8 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 1,176 owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Ford Focus.
The 2016 Ford Focus received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2016 Ford Focus are power train (504 reports), engine (81 reports), fuel/propulsion system (81 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 8 recalls on record for the 2016 Ford Focus. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.