There are 15 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2018 Ford Focusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I was on my way to a 7-Eleven to get gas once I filled it up. Those engine started sputtering and it did that for a minute until it finally started. I got to my school and then once I needed to go to school to school, my car was not going above 11 mph and when I was trying to reverse, it would not accelerate while reversing.
My 2018 Ford Focus (DPS6 dual-clutch automatic transmission) suffers from severe hesitation and shuddering when accelerating from a stop, especially under 10 mph. More concerning, the car has stalled multiple times while merging into traffic and during right turns at intersections. We can no longer safely take free right turns due to the risk of the car dying mid-merge. This poses an immediate safety hazard and mirrors known failure patterns in earlier Focus and Fiesta models. Ford previously extended warranty coverage for the same TCM defect in 2011–2016 models, but my 2018 — which uses the same DPS6 system — has been excluded without explanation. The dealership acknowledged the TCM failure but refused to cover the repair. Instead, they charged me $300 to tell me they would not perform the service Ford originally recommended (a fuel injector purge) and that I now need to replace the TCM entirely. This is a known, documented issue that Ford has admitted to in other years. My car has lost power four times in the last three months, and all signs point to this being the early stages of the same defect. Allowing this failure to persist without coverage or recall is negligent and dangerous. Ford is knowingly placing families like mine at risk by refusing to act. I request an NHTSA investigation into the 2018 Ford Focus DPS6 models, which are experiencing the same failures that have already led to recalls, lawsuits, and warranty extensions in earlier years.
With out warning my car lost power and went from 65 mph to 40 in an instant, I was able to avoid hitting the side wall of the freeway and with Gods help avoided hitting any other vehicles. The oil light came on then the engine light soon after, I was able to take the first exit off the freeway and pulled over in a gas station parking lot. Tow truck took it to the dealership, this car has a recall and the recall description matches exactly what happed. The dealership told me it will take them 6-8 weeks before they can even diagnosis the car for that recall. I am stuck without a car, and I am lucky no one was injured. People with this type of Ford ecoboost need to be made aware they are driving a vehicle at any moment can have total engine failure putting lives in danger. When I received the original recall letter, I called Five Star Ford in April to set the appointment, and they told me they are not taking those recall repairs right now and to call back at another time. I called back in May and was told they are still not taking repairs for that recall, to call back 3rd quarter of 2024. You can see that Ford has put lives in danger if others who called for the repaired was turned away as well.
Since I have had this car the engine has been replaced 4 times and transmission once Engine has been replace 3 times under the same warranty due to recalled part I was not in an accident however car broke down while I was in traffic I am putting the latest date car broke down
The engine died while I was driving with my fiance, and the steering gave out. There was a loss of power to both the engine and brakes. The timing of shifting was inconsistent and I couldn't keep up with speed of traffic. Ford has confirmed that there is a problem with my vehicle and that the engine could explode. This is from their recall live on their site: "The engine oil pump drive belt tensioner arm to fracture, separate from the tensioner backing plate, and/or the oil pump drive belt material may degrade and lose teeth, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure. A loss of engine oil pressure can result in engine damage and/or seizure, which can result in a loss of motive power and a loss of the mechanical vacuum pump required to provide power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash." My car has been inspected by the local Ford dealership. There was a warning lamp that showed on the dashboard the day I had planned to get an oil change done by the Tuttle-Click Ford. They completed my oil change and did not acknowledge that I had an engine warning light. I had to call them back the same day to ask why the light was still on and if they fixed it, and they said to bring it back in. Once I did, they said they would have to take apart my engine. After bringing it to two other mechanics (the failure getting progressively worse), one of them was kind enough to let me know my car was recalled. Information that Ford never led out with once I brought my car in.
I was driving normal speed on a highway and all of a sudden my speed slowed to 0 and I had to hurry and pull over fast. I was so scared and it was so dangerous. I took it to a shop and they said I need a new transmission. The car never indicated there was an issue prior to this incident.
Yes, both the safety of myself as well as others is at risk. The engine shuts off while driving, which is extremely dangerous in many scenarios: on a highway - the risk of rear-ending at high speed, hazardous when passing another car on a two-way street, inability to leave the intersection safely etc. During regular operation, the vehicle loses power and enters "idle mode"; the car shakes a bit like choking, the engine shuts down, and no acceleration is possible. An error message " engine fault service now" appears. You are losing control over a car and cannot safely leave a line or an intersection. Turning the engine off and back on clears the message, and the vehicle typically runs back and runs without problems. The incidents happen entirely at random without any warning. There is no pattern, fast or slow drive, length or dynamic of the drive, the weather, etc. Happened to me multiple times. Around August 8th - the first observance, on an interstate highway, the car entered idle mode and died numerous times when slowing down. The car was dropped off at the authorized FORD dealer. The dealer cannot replicate the issue. Car picked up from the dealer around August 30th - throttle body replaced as per dealer recommendation. September 15th - same problem. The car shuts off during driving. No acceleration, same message. Fulls speed, city driving, lost acceleration mid-intersection. Car towed to an authorized dealer. The dealer cannot identify the issue, cannot replicate the problem and says everything is ok. On September 23rd, the car was picked up from the dealer, stating that they replaced the harness and resolved the issue. September 24th card enters "middle mode" while on the highway off-ramp. Unable to accelerate same error message. Miraculously avoids being rear-ended by the driver behind. The message clears off after tuning the car off and on. The vehicle operates normally after. Dropped the car off at the authorized dealer.
CAR KEEPS IDLING UP AT A STOP OR WHEN I SLOW DOWN SKIPS AND ACTS LIKE ITS GONE CUT OFF WHEN IT DOES IDLE DOWN
SOMETIMES WHEN I RUN THE CAR EARLY OFF IN THE MORNING I USUALLY LET IT WARM UP. BUT EVEN THOUGH I DO THAT IT SEEMS LIKE IT KIND OF LIKE STRUGGLES IF I ACCELERATE SLOWLY, AND I'M DOING SO IT KIND OF LIKE JERKS THE VEHICLE FORWARD A COUPLE TIMES UNTIL IT JUST CLICKS. THAT'S FOR THE,FOR THE SPEED CONTROL I THINK I PUT IT UNDER. AS FOR THE OTHER ISSUE I WILL TAKE IT TO AUTOZONE AND I NEEDED TO GET CODES BECAUSE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. AND NOW I'M WONDERING IF IT'S UNDER RECALL, BECAUSE THE CODE P0456, EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS SYSTEM AND IT SAYS THERE'S SMALL LEAK OR IT'S CONSIDERED A SMALL LEAK SO I'M JUST WONDERING BUT IF YOU GUYS CAN PLEASE TELL WHAT IT COULD BE THAT WOULD BE AWESOME
MY CAR HAS BEEN HAVING A ISSUE STAYING ON, IT CONSTANTLY HAS TO GET JUMPED AFTER I PUMPED GAS, WHILE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING THE CAR CUT COMPLETELY OFF. I'M HAVING A PROBLEM ALSO REVERSING AND ACCELERATION, MY CAR IS NOT GOING PAST 10 MILES. I ONLY HAVE 85000 MILES
WHEN DRIVING MY CAR THE ENGINE STALLS TRYING TO GET IT UP TO SPEED AND WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO STEP INTO IT MY CAR STALLS TO WHERE IT FEELS LIKE YOUR FOOT IS AT THE FLOOR MY DEALERSHIP CLAIMS IT'S JUST THE STYLE OF THE CAR IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO THAT
MANUAL TRANSMISSION- WHEN I PUSH CLUTCH IN ENGINE RPMS INCREASE BY 3000. WHEN LETTING OFF CLUTCH ENGINE STAY INCREASED AND CAR JUMPS THIS HAPPENS GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND PARKED UNKNOWN CAUSE
THE ISSUE HAPPENS OFF AND ON WHEN YOU USE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE THROTTLE KEEPS ACCELERATING UP TO SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER YOU COMPLETELY TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF IT. I FIRST NOTICED THE ISSUE A MONTH AFT BUYING THE CAR BRAND NEW AND IT'S BEEN CONSISTENTLY HAPPENING FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO FORD TWICE ALREADY AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I NOTICED THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME ON A HIGHWAY OFF RAMP WHEN THE BREAKS SEEMED TO NOT BE HARDLY WORKING. WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL THE BREAKS STARTED WORKING JUST FINE AND THE CAR INSTANTLY STARTED RED LINING. THE ISSUE SINCE THEN HAS HAPPENED IN TOWN ON THE HIGHWAY EVEN WHEN PARKED. SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WHEN ITS COLDER OUT BUT STILL HAPPENS WHEN 90 OUT. I HAVE TAKEN TWO VIDEOS OF IT SO FAR.
WHEN TAKING YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS AND DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH TO SHIFT THE ENGINE RPMS WILL REMAIN FOR 7 TO 10 SECONDS BEFORE FALLING AND ALLOWING YOU TO ENGAGE THE NEXT GEAR. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES THE ENGINE WILL REV APPROXIMATELY 1,000 RPMS HIGHER AND REMAIN FOR 7 TO 10 SECONDS BEFORE FALLING. THIS ALL HAPPENS WITH NO INPUT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. IT ALSO SEEMS TO BE WORSE WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS HIGHER. THIS HAPPENS ONLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS (MANUAL TRANSMISSION).
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS AND SHIFTING GEARS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD BECOME STUCK. ALSO, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK AND THE ENGINE REVVED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED LOVELAND FORD (999 E EISENHOWER BLVD, LOVELAND, CO 80537, (970) 744-7101) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE BOOKED FOR SERVICE UNTIL DECEMBER 6, 2018. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,500.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026