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

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT A VERY HIGH SPEED, THE VEHICLE DIED SUDDENLY, AND SHE WAS FORCED TO "GLIDE" INTO THE MEDIAN. TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THE TRANS MODULE IS ON A "REPLACEMENT PROGRAM", AND THAT THE MODULE IS ON BACK ORDER. I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD RENT A CAR BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING I COULD DO. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHEN I REMINDED THE GENTLEMAN THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE, I WAS TOLD THAT ITS REALLY NOT A CONCERN.

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I WAS DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION MAKING A LEFT TUN WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY DRIVERS SIDE PASSENGER DOOR FLEW OPEN. MY DOG WAS IN HIS CRATE IN THE BACK SEAT AND ALMOST FLEW OUT. I PULLED OVER AND COULD NOT GET THE DOOR TO LATCH. I'VE HAD TO TIE IT DOWN BECAUSE I CAN NOT AFFORD $600 TO PAY TO GET THIS FIXED. PLEASE FORD RECALL THIS MODEL SO I DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE AROUND IN THIS DANGEROUS VEHICLE.

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DOOR LATCH...SPECIFICALLY DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR.....FAILED TO LATCH AND STILL WILL NOT LATCH. CAME OUT FROM MY WORK LOCATION AND OPENED DOOR, PLACED LUNCH BOX IN BACK SEAT, SHUT DOOR(I THOUGHT), GOT IN AND STARTED CAR AND WARNING SYSTEM ADVISED REAR DOOR NOT SHUT. GOT OUT AND TRIED TO SHUT DOOR BUT WOULD NOT LATCH ANY MORE. HAD TO TIE DOOR WITH STRING TO KEEP IT FROM FLYING OPEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD.

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WHILE DRIVING ON I-75 FROM ATLANTA TO TAMPA MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR JUST FLEW OPEN WHILE I WAS DOING ABOUT 70MPH. THANKFULLY NOBODY WAS NEXT TO ME AT THE TIME AND I HAD TWINE IN MY CAR TO TIE THE DOOR SHUT.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. AFTER CLOSING THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR, THE DOOR LATCH FAILED. WHILE DRIVING, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR OPENED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LATCHES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

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WHILE TRAVELING HOME FROM WORK, MY CAR STALLED BRIEFLY ON MAIN STREET. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT TO GET MY CAR OUT OF THE STREET. I TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON AND RESUMED DRIVING. I MADE IT TO MY DESTINATION AND GOT IN THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE AGAIN AND THE CAR WOULD RUN GO ANYWHERE. THE FORD DEALERSHIP SAID TO BRING IT TO THEIR SHOP FOR A DIAGNOSIS. I WAS ON THE WAY TO TAKE MY 2012 FORD FOCUS TITANIUM TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT EMPIRE FORD IN ABINGDON, VA. THEY STATED THE CAR WOULD BE OK TO DRIVE IF I COULD GET THE VEHICLE TO GO FORWARDS. I WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT ON THE INTERSTATE. I TRIED TO GIVE THE CAR FUEL AND BEGAN PRESSING THE GAS AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. SPEED LIMIT IS 70 AND 70-75 MPH CARS WERE COMING TOWARDS ME. I WAS FORCED TO CROSS OVER THE ON RAMP WHERE CARS WERE MERGING ON TO THE INTERSTATE TO GET TO THE EMERGENCY SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. IT WAS A PRETTY SCARY EVENT AND I FELT THAT MY LIFE WAS PUT IN DANGER. SO, NOW FORD IS SAYING THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BUT FIX THE TCM (TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE). THERE IS NO FIX!!!! IF THERE WAS, I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED. SO I AM STUCK WITH A VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FIVE TIMES NOW FOR TRANSMISSION ISSUES. IT IS CLEARLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE IN ORDER FOR FORD TO SEE THERE IS NOT A FIX FOR THESE MODELS, SOMEONE LOSING THEIR LIFE?

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DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR CAME OPEN ON ITS OWN, IT HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES, IT DOES NOT LATCH, AND IS VERY DANGEROUS.

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LOUD POPPING AND CRACKLING NOISE THEN INOP RADIO. STATIONARY OR IN MOTION. DIAGNOSED BY FORD AS CONSISTANT WITH OTHER RADIO FALURES WHERE THE ACM IS FAULTY. ADVISED FIX WAS REPLACE @ $800.

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THE DOOR LATCH ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS BROKEN AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE DOOR TO CLOSE. I CANNOT LOCK THE CAR DOOR OR SHUT IT. WHEN I ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE DOOR IT "POPS" BACK OPEN. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET WHILE TURNING. I WAS DRIVING AND THE DOOR SUDDENLY OPENED BY ITSELF WHEN MAKING A TURN, DUE TO THE BROKEN LATCH.

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CAR DOOR RANDOMLY STOPPED LATCHING. SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, ONCE IN MOTION AND ONCE NOT IN MOTION. TERRIFYING AND FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE. ONE REPAIR HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR, COSTING 450 DOLLARS. HUGE SAFETY HAZZARD, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE RANDOMNESS OF IT.

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THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION IN MY FORD HAS STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND LEFT ME SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE MANY TIMES. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY IN THAT I HAVE ONLY BEEN STRANDED IN A TRAFFIC LANE ONCE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO FORD AND GONE THROUGH THE SAME THINGS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY STATED: FIRST THEY BLAMED IT ON INSUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL GROUNDS, THEN THEY CHARGED ME $200 TO REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THE TRANSMISSION THEN FAILED IN THE DEALERS LOT. I FINALLY HAD THE TCM REPLACED UNDER RECALL IN FENRUARY 2015 AND HAVE BEEN LUCKY WHEN COMPARED TO MANY OTHERS. THE VEHICLE HAS RECENTLY BEGUN SHAKING VIOLENTLY, LURCHING FORWARD, AND SOMETIMES NOT MOVING FORWARD AT ALL. I NEVER KNOW WHAT GEAR I WILL GET WHEN I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR OR IF I WILL GET A FORWARD GEAR AT ALL. THE MOST DANGEROUS THING IS THE UNPREDICTABILITY. IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BUT CITY DRIVING IS INTOLERABLE. THE FORD MECHANIC TOLD ME I NEED A NEW TCM (AGAIN?), BOTH CLUTCHES, AND THE SLAVE CYLINDER REPLACED. I ASKED HOW LONG I COULD EXPECT THAT REPAIR TO LAST. HE ADMITTED - AWAY FROM OTHER EMPLOYEES - THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE ROAD BECAUSE IT IS TOO DANGEROUS. THE FORD SERVICE CONSULTANT ADVISED ME TO PARK THE CAR AND TO SELL IT BUT MY CONSCIENCE WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO PUT SOMEONE ELSE AT RISK BY DRIVING IT. I HAVE PARKED THE FOCUS AND WILL NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO DRIVE IT. A USED CAR LOT EMPLOYEE TOLD ME ON 27 AUGUST THAT SHE REFUSES TO SELL THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO DANGEROUS. A BRIEF SEARCH OF THE NET REVEALS LAWSUITS IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ILLINOIS, AND CALIFORNIA ALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS. THESE VEHICLES MUST BE RECALLED AND THE TRANSMISSIONS MUST BE REPLACED WITH A SYSTEM THAT ACTUALLY WORKS, NOT WITH THE SAME BAD SYSTEM. IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE ONE OF THESE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS GETS SOMEONE KILLED.

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THE DRIVER DOOR LATCH FAILS TO CATCH WHEN CLOSING THE DOOR, EVEN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LOCK THE DOOR. AS A RESULT, THE DOOR DOES NOT SECURE AND SWINGS OPEN WHILE DRIVING, PARTICULARLY WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT, AND DOES NOT LOCK TO SECURE INTERIOR AND CONTENTS. THE FAILURE WAS FIRST DISCOVERED WHILE DRIVING. AS WE TURNED RIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION, AFTER HAVING COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE DRIVER'S DOOR FLEW OPEN, ALMOST STRIKING A CAR DRIVING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECT ON THE STREET WE TURNED ONTO, NARROWLY AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT.

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TAKATA RECALL THE DOOR LATCH ON THE DRIVER SIDE UNEXPECTEDLY STOP LATCHING SHUT. WAS PARKING THE CAR IN A PARKING LOT AND WENT TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT LOCK OR CLOSE. THE DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE DOOR IT BOUNCES BACK AND DOES NOT LATCH SHUT. HAD HOLD THE DOOR SHUT IN ORDER TO DRIVE HOME. RESEARCHED FORD FOR RECALLS AND FOUND THAT THE 2012 FORD FIESTA AND THE 2012 FORD FUSION WERE RECALLED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

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I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ,AND THE DRIVER DOOR LATCH FAILED. THE DOOR CAME OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AND NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 49,000 MILES ON IT. ALL SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE IS UP TO DATE.

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I AM AN OWNER OF A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE DRIVER DOOR LATCH SUDDENLY GAVE OUT AND WILL NOT SECURELY SHUT. THE DOOR WILL CLOSE, BUT WILL FLAP OPEN. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE FIX. YOU CAN SEE HOW THIS IS FRUSTRATING WHEN THE LATCH GAVE OUT ON ITS OWN. THANKFULLY, NOT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. PLEASE KEEP INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE FOR IT SHOULD BE AN ISSUED RECALL. THIS IS A MUST TO KEEP ALL FOCUS OWNERS SAFE AND SECURE WHILE DRIVING. THANKS.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPENED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

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MY DRIVERS SIDE LATCH FAILED ON ME ONE DAY, WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND AN ALARM WENT OFF SAYING THE DOOR WAS OPEN. I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN, WHEN MY DOOR BEGAN TO SWING OPEN. LUCKILY, I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE TURNING. MY CAR HAD ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON IT, WHEN THE INCIDENT OCURRED. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THE LATCH ROD WAS BROKEN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEY TOLD ME TO GO TO FORD AND SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON IT. WENT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WASN'T A SAFETY ISSUE RECALL AND IT WOULD COST $500 TO REPAIR IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT'S NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, WHEN NOW I HAVE TO TIE A BUNGEE CORD TO KEEP IT SOMEWHAT CLOSED.

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LEFT SIDE REAR DOOR FLEW OPEN ON A TURN, (SURPRISED) PULLED OVER TO CLOSE DOOR BUT IT WOULD NOT LATCH. I AM NOW DRIVING AROUND WITH THE DOOR STRAPPED CLOSED. WENT TO A FORD DEALER TO GET FIXED BUT THE COST IS TOO HIGH FOR ME RIGHT NOW. VERY DANGEROUS AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A NEWER CAR.

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MY DOOR LATCH STOPPED WORKING ON MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, SEEMINGLY OUT OF NOWHERE. I NOTICED THE ISSUE WHEN I HAD PARKED AT WORK AND THE DOOR WAS NOT STAYING SHUT AFTER LOCKING IT.

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WHEN I WENT OUT ONE DAY TO LEAVE WORK THE BACK DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER DOOR LATCH NO LONGER WORKED AFTER I OPENED THE CAR. I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR AT ALL WITHOUT THE DOOR FLYING OPEN. I TRIED TO SECURE IT BUT THE WEIGHT OF THE DOOR BREAKS ALL STRINGS/ROPES. I RESORTED TO A BUNGEE CORD. WHEN I TAKE TURNS THE DOOR STILL OPENS BUT CLOSES SHUT. I HAVE A BABY THAT SITS IN THE BACK SEAT SO I WAS SCARED AND TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY ARE TELLING ME SINCE ITS NOT AN ACTIVE RECALL YET THAT THEY WILL ONLY REPAIR IT FOR A DISCOUNTED RATE OF $350 BUT THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER. I TOLD THEM THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE AS I HAVE A BABY IN THE BACKSEAT AND IT'S A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. INTERESTING ENOUGH, AT FIRST WHEN THE REP. THOUGHT IT WAS COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY, HE TOLD ME HE COULD NOT RELEASE MY VEHICLE TO ME BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. NOW THAT THEY MIGHT NOT PAY FOR IT, IT'S OK TO BE RELEASED. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN FORD. I AM STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK IF THEY WILL PAY FOR IT BUT AGAIN, THE PART ISN'T IN YET EITHER. I AM ALSO NOT ABLE TO SECURE MY CAR ANYMORE BECAUSE WITH ONE DOOR ALWAYS OPEN THE DOORS WILL LOCK BUT THE ALARM DOESN'T WORK.

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DOOR LATCH ON BOTH FRONT AND REAR DOORS FAILS TO OPERATE. DOORS CANNOT CLOSE.

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ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE DOOR LATCHES (REAR PASSENGER AND REAR DRIVER SIDE) ON THE VEHICLE BECAME STUCK OPEN/LOCKED. ONE OCCURRENCE RESULTED IN THE PASSENGER REAR DOOR FULLY OPENING WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN THE OTHER INCIDENT (8/24/2016) INVOLVED NOT BEING ABLE TO CLOSE THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR, LATCH WAS STUCK IN THE LOCK POSITION AND WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR FULL CLOSURE.

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AS I WAS DRIVING MY 2012 FORD FOCUS THE DOOR ALL OF SUDDEN THE DRIVER REAR SIDE DOOR OPENED. I PULLED OVER AND TRIED TO SHUT THE DOOR BUT IT JUST BOUNCED BACK OPEN. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY HAZARD AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHY I SHOULD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AS THIS VEHICLE IS NOT THAT OLD FOR THIS TO BE HAPPENING AND I'VE ALSO HEARD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. GOOD THING NO ONE WAS IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS OCCURRED OR THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING. I'M HOPING THERE WILL BE A RECALL FOR THE DOOR LATCH SOON.

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WHEN I COME TO A STOP....AND THEN HAVE TO START UP AGAIN...THE CAR DOESN'T PICK UP THE SPEED. IT STUTTERS AND WILL NOT GET MOVING FOR A BIT. AND THEN IT DOES. SOMETIMES SCARY AS I AM TURING INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC AND CAN'T GET MOVING. THIS HAPPENS ON CITY STREETS AFTER STOPPING. ON A FEW OCCASIONS IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, LIKE IT HAS LOST A CONNECTION.

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I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED IN MAY OF 2015.. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE CAR RUNNING SHAKY AND ATTRIBUTED THAT TO BAD FUEL. IT WAS INTERMITTENT AND WOULD COME AND GO. MAY 2016, MY HUSBAND, SON AND I ARE TRAVELING TO HIS TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP AND WERE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND MY HUSBAND STEPPED ON THE GAS TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR JERKED US ALL FORWARD HARD AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WITH CARS HONKING BEHIND US. WE HAD A MESSAGE 'TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION SERVICE NOW'. HE CALLED A FORD SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD MY TRANSMISSION WAS UNDER TWO SEPARATE RECALLSCAR FAX REPORT SHOWN AT THE DEALERSHIP). WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE FORD SERVICE CENTER. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THERE ARE THREE STEPS TO TRY TO GET THIS CORRECTED. THEY PERFORMED THE FIRST STEP WHICH WAS TO REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK THE NEXT DAY AND PULLING OUT INTO A BUSY INTERSECTION. MY CAR JERKED ME FORWARD HARD AND DOESN'T ACCELERATE AND I AM FACING TRAFFIC FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS. I CREPT OUT SLOWLY, SHUDDER, SHAKE, SHUDDER SHAKE AND NARROWLY MISS A COLLISION FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS AND HAD THE SAME MESSAGE 'TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION SERVICE NOW'. I HAD MY CAR TOWED FOR THE SECOND STEP OF THE RECALL. THE SECOND STEP IS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. I AM PULLING OUT OF A LOCAL STORE AND AGAIN MY CAR JERKS ME FORWARD HARD AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITH A LOGGING TRUCK COMING UPON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF MY CAR. ONCE AGAIN, I NARROWLY ESCAPE ANOTHER COLLISION. THIRD STEP OF THE RECALL WHICH WAS TO CLEAN THE CLUTCHES. I GOT THE CAR BACK AND A WEEK LATER. AGAIN, MY CAR JERKED US BOTH FORWARD HARD AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. MY SON IS YELLING 'MOM, GET GOING THEY ARE GOING TO HIT US' AS HE IS LOOKING BACK AT A CAR THAT ALMOST HIT US FROM BEHIND WHILE MY CAR FAILS TO ACCELERATE.

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