What 3,789 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Focus RS

DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING TO SCHOOL AND POWER STEERING SUDDENLY QUIT FUNCTIONING AND WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING IN A BUSY CITY STREET IN DAVIE, FL. HAD A LOCAL MECHANIC DO A QUICK CHECK BUT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. WILL BE CONTACTING LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR ASSISTANCE FEEL IT COULD BE UNSAFE FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS IF I DRIVE MUCH THIS WAY

NHTSA ODI 10910093

ON 9/18/2016 IN A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT,STARTED CAR PUT INTO DRIVE AND WAS TURNING ONTO EXIT LANE OF LOT WHEN STEERING WHEEL STOPPED TURNING AND AMBER "I"LIGHT CAME ON.STOPPED VEHICLE .PUT IN PARK.COULD NOT TURN WHEEL EITHER DIRECTION.TURNED CAR OFF THEN RESTARTED,AMBER LIGHT STAYED ON POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE.WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER CAR TO A SAFE PARKING AREA FROM LANE .IT WAS A SCARY EVENT .MY FRIEND HER 4 MONTH OLD AND 4 YEAR OLD WERE IN THE CAR WITH ME AND ALSO HER 15 YEAR OLD NIECE!WE WERE ABOUT TO GO ON THE HIGHWAY!! I NOW UNDERSTAND A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED AFTER HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAFETY PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THIS SAME SYSTEM HAS BEEN RECALLED ON OTHER MODELS.I AM APPALLED AND PERPLEXED AS YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OUR SAFETY.PLEASE DO YOUR DUTY TO RECALL THIS SAFETY PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 10909620

POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT POWER STEERING WILL NOT FUNCTION UNTIL CAR KEY IS TURNED OFF AND ON A FEW TIMES. THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM THEY HAVE INTHE FORD FUSION AND IT IS ON RECALL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED?? IT DOES IT ABOUT ONCE DAY.

NHTSA ODI 10909531

AT APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES, I HAD TURNED OFF MY CAR TO GET GAS. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, I RECEIVED A POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT MESSAGE. THE POWER STEERING NO LONGER OPERATED. I COULD STILL STEER THE CAR, BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. MULTIPLE RESTARTS DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER, AND THEY VERIFIED THE ISSUE. THE DEALER OFFERED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK CONTAINING THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MODULE FOR $1700.

NHTSA ODI 10908899

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING FAILURE SIGNAL ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO RECALL RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

NHTSA ODI 10909344

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THERE WAS A LOUD BOOMING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEREO MODULE INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED EVEN WHEN THE POWER WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE STEREO MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 10909360

THE TRANSMISSION HAS SHUDDERED AND SLIPPED FROM NEW. FORD HAS REPLACED THE CLUTCH TWICE, MADE PROGRAM MODULE ADJUSTMENTS NUMEROUS TIMES. NOTHING THEY HAVE DONE HAS RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THIS CAR FOR MY DAUGHTER AND CONSTANTLY AM CONCERNED THAT SHE DRIVES A CAR THAT DOES NOTHING BUT HESITATE AND SHUDDER

NHTSA ODI 10909382

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FLUNG OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LATCH FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V643000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 10908791

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE DOOR LATCH PAW SPRING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V643000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES), WITHOUT THE CUSTOMER'S KNOWLEDGE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THERE WERE NO ADDITIONAL FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000

NHTSA ODI 10908808

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER TURNING ON THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD DISPLAY A WARNING MESSAGE OF "STEERING ASSIST FAULT". THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR BOX WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 10908493

MY WIFE'S 2012 FORD FOCUS SEL DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR WON'T CLOSE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON A BLVD. GOING STRAIGHT AND THE CAR COMPUTER STARTED TO DING DING DING... THE MESSAGE STATED THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR WAS OPEN, NOW THE DOOR WON'T STAY CLOSED. WE KEEP THE REAR DOOR CLOSED WITH BUNGEE CORDS NOW. LUCKILY SHE DIDN'T DIDN'T HAVE A REAR SEAT PASSENGER AT THE TIME. THERE SEEMS TO BE A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND THE BODY WHEN TALKING ABOUT FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, FORD RECALL HQ., AND MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. IT ALL SOUNDS GOOD ON THE PHONE BUT THE RUBBER AIN'T MEETING THE ROAD ON ANYTHING ACTUALLY GETTING DONE. ANYTHING.

NHTSA ODI 10908540

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE RESTARTED IN ORDER FOR THE STEERING TO BE OPERATIONAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 10908535

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING FROM HER JOB WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON HER 2012 FORD FOCUS. SHE IS A COLLEGE STUDENT NEEDING A SAFE RELIABLE CAR TO GET HER BACK AND FORTH FROM COLLEGE. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THAT THE FUSIONS WERE RECALLED FOR POWER STEERING FAILING. WHY NOT THE FOCUS??? IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT ITS GOING TO COST AN ESTIMATED $1850 TO FIX A PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 10908592

THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET, DOWNHILL, WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 35 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. THIS NORMALLY WOULD BE A GREAT CONDITION TO COAST DOWNHILL WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES OR GAS. MY CAR STARTED SHAKING AND THEN KEPT TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT, IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY GEAR SELECTED AND STARTED PULLING ITSELF TO A STOP. DURING RUSH HOUR THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS. I TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT AND THE CAR QUICKLY SHUT OFF AS SOON AS I GOT DOWN TO 5 MPH. ONCE THE CAR WAS BACK ON IT WOULDN'T GO OVER 20 MPH, VERY DANGEROUS AS THE TO GET TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 45 MPH ANY WAY I WOULD GO. ONCE I ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME IT WOULD TAKE A WEEK TO GET IN ON APPOINTMENT, AND THERE WERE NO LOANERS. THIS BEING MY ONLY CAR IS FIRST OF ALL DANGEROUS AND UNSETTLING, BUT ALSO EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT. HOURS LATER AFTER LETTING MY CAR COOL OFF AND SETTLE, THE PROBLEMS SEEMED TO REMEDY THEMSELVES UNTIL I WAS REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. I REVERSED, APPLIED THE BRAKE, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, BUT WHEN I APPLIED THE GAS, THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS UNTIL I SLAMMED ON THE BREAK AND TRIED THE GAS AGAIN. WHILE TRYING TO LEAVE THAT SAME PARKING LOT JUST AFTER THIS, MY CAR WOULDN'T ACCELERATE UP THE SMALL HILL AND BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS AGAIN EXTREMELY FAST. I BELIEVE THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY HAD THERE BEEN PEDESTRIANS BEHIND MY CAR. PREVIOUS ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND REPROGRAM THE TCM WERE GREETED WITH PAMPHLETS STATING JERKING AND SHAKING WERE NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTOMATIC CARS. I WAS TOLD THE WAITING LIST JUST TO CHECK IF MY CAR QUALIFIED FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WOULD BE SIX WEEKS AND I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE MY CAR THERE WITH NO LOANER JUST IN CASE THE WAIT TIME WAS CUT SHORTER. FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON AND TARGETED GROUP FOR FORD VEHICLES THIS ISN'T A POSSIBILITY.

NHTSA ODI 10908071

STEER WHEEL ASSIST SHUTS OFF AT CAR ENGINE START WHILE PARKED IN RESIDENCE PARKING. MULTIPLE RESTART AT SAME LOCATION WOULD NOT MAKE THE ISSUE DISAPPEAR. CAR CANNOT BE OPERATED AS LACK OF STEERING POWER IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD ON THE ROAD. CAR HAS 36000 MILES.

NHTSA ODI 10908093

I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM THE GYM ON 9/15/16 WHEN I GOT AN ERROR ON THE DASHBOARD SAYING "STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION." AT THAT TIME MY FOCUS WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND APPROACHING A TURN THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE. THIS WAS HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND IMPAIRED MOST OF MY ABILITY TO STEER AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS I WAS TRYING TO STEER THE TURN. THIS IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS, AND FROM HUNDREDS OF REVIEWS ONLINE MANY 2012 FORD FOCUS OWNERS ARE HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NOT ONLY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, BUT NEED TO BE RECALLED FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL FORD FOCUS DRIVERS.

NHTSA ODI 10907979

MY TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT AND MY CAR DRIVERS REALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHEN I GOT IT

NHTSA ODI 10908041

THE FRONT AND REAR DOOR LATCH ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WILL NOT KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED. THESE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY ARE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. MY VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN. PLEASE INCLUDE MY VEHICLE IN THE RECALL. IT IS NOT LISTED.

NHTSA ODI 10907417

I WAS OUT RUNNING SOME ERRANDS. I HAD DRIVEN 15 MILES TO MY DESTINATION. WHEN I GOT BACK TO MY CAR, MY PASSENGER NOTICED THAT THE DOOR DID NOT LOCK. I CHECKED IT AND NOTICED THAT THE LATCH DID NOT ACTIVATE TO CLOSE. WE HAD TO DRIVE HOME, THROUGH THE STREET, HOLDING THE DOOR. THE CAR'S SYSTEM DID NOT REGISTER THE DOOR OPENED.

NHTSA ODI 10907490

MY WIFE TRADED IN HER 2009 TAURUS FOR A NEW 2012 FOCUS SEDAN BACK IN APRIL 2012 AT GREEN FORD. A MONTH OR SO AFTER GETTING THE FOCUS, IT HAD A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK. GREEN FORD FIXED THE PROBLEM. IN MID-2015 WE STARTED TO NOTICE TRANSMISSION ISSUES LIKE ERRATICALLY SHIFTING IN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR, VERY SLUGGISH SHIFT BETWEEN LOW GEARS AND THAT THE UPSHIFT BAGS DOWN LIKE THE VEHICLE MIGHT STALL, BUCKING, KICKING, JERKING, HARSH ENGAGEMENT, DELAYED ACCELERATION AND LURCHING FORWARD INTO INTERSECTIONS AT RED LIGHTS DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THEIR BRAKING EFFORTS TO STOP THE CAR. WE TOOK IT TO GREEN FORD ON 9/18/2015. THEY STATING THAT IT WAS WORKING AS DESIGNED. HOWEVER, FOR A PRECAUTION, THEY SAID THEY REPROGRAMMED THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) AND THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM). HOWEVER, IT WAS A RECALL ISSUE FOR THAT STATED PROBLEM/S. IN THE OFFICIAL SERVICE HISTORY FOR THE FORD OWNER'S RECORDS, THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE SAFETY RECALL DONE ON MY FOCUS, JUST THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND A MILEAGE OF OVER 96,000 MILES ON THE FOCUS AT THE TIME. JUMP FORWARD TO A YEAR LATER, ON FRIDAY, SEPT. 9, 2016, AT 2PM, MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING IN A 45 MPH SPEED ZONE WHEN THE CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME. SECONDS LATER, THE FORD STARTED TO STALL AND HAVE POWER ISSUES, CAUSING HER TO FIND THE NEXT SIDE ROAD TO PULL OVER. THE CAR COMPLETED STALLED AND COULD NOT TURN OVER. AFTER 2 TOWING EVENTS, FROM THE BREAKDOWN LOCATION TO THOMAS TIRE, THOMAS TO STEARNS FORD, AND SITTING OVER THE WEEKEND, ON SEPT. 9, WE FOUND OUT IT WAS THE RECALL TCM THAT BROKE. THE TCM WAS IN BACK ORDER UNTIL OCTOBER 28, 2016. STEARNS FORD SENT ME TO ENTERPRISE WHERE THEY PAID FOR A FORD RENTAL. THE ONLY FORD ON THE RENTAL LOT WAS THE TRANSIT 250 OR 350 VAN (VERY LOW MPG). I HAD TO PAY FOR THE LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE DAILY. AFTER THE 3RD DAY, I BORROWED A FAMILY MEMBER'S CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10907322

LURCHING AND UNCONTROLLED SHIFTING OCCURS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. IT HAS LEFT ME STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A LEFT TURN BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SHIFT CORRECTLY. NOW I RAN OFF THE ROAD WHILE EXITING A FREEWAY BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING TURNED OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURN. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED 6 TIMES RANDOMLY. IT GIVES ME A POWER STEERING FAULT. I HAVE COME CLOSE TO BEING THE CAUSE OF 3 ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THESE TWO ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI 10907220

THE ELECTRONIC POWER ASSISTED STEERING (DPAS) SYSTEM ON MY 2012 FORD FOCUS HAS FAILED. THE VEHICLE IS UN-DRIVABLE ABSENT EXTREME FORCE. EMERGENCY MANEUVERS ARE OUT OF THE QUESTION. THE VEHICLE IS UTTERLY UNSAFE TO OPERATE. RESTARTING THE VEHICLE AND RESETTING THE ECU HAVE NO EFFECT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE (STATIONARY). LUCKILY IT DIDN'T FAIL WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI 10907290

DOOR LATCHES BAD ON CAR HAVE HAD TWO OCCACIONS WHERE THEY GO FAULTY, FIRST TIME WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO BOTH THE DRIVERS DOOR LATCH WENT BAD, THE CAR WAS NOT IN MOTION WHEN I FOUND OUT, AND I WAS UNDER THE WARRANTY TO FIX THE PROBLEM SO I NEVER COMPLAINED. THE SECOND TIME I WAS DRIVING WITH MY DOG IN THE BACK SEAT AND THE DOOR SWINGS OPEN, I WAS VERY SHOCKED FROM THE SITUATION BECAUSE MY DOG NEARLY FEEL OUT, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS IT WAS MY FAULT I DID NOT CLOSE THE DOOR, BUT WHEN I WENT TO SHUT THE DOOR IN THE BACK THE LATCH WOULD NOT CLOSE, I KNEW AT THIS POINT WHAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE OF MY FIRST EXPERIENCE. THIS TIME I WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND HAD TO PAY OVER 500 DOLLARS TO FIX. THAT WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENS TO ME AND IVE HEARD OTHER PEOPLE THAT OWN FORD FOCUS CARS THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. ON BOTH DRIVERS DOOR. SEEMS LIKE FRAUD IF YOU ASK ME

NHTSA ODI 10906919

AT 58,000. HORN STARTED TO WORK INTERMITTENT, NOW IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. WHAT NEXT? ALREADY HAD WORK DONE ON TRANNY. EVERY THING SEEMS TO BE COMPUTER RELATED. IT ALSO SURGES AT START UP AT STOP.

NHTSA ODI 10906735

THE DOOR ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY 2012 FORD FOCUS SUDDENLY OPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I WAS TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROX. 50 MPH WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR SPRUNG OPEN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TRAVELLING NEXT TO ME TO SWERVE AWAY. THE WEEK BEFORE THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY.

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