What 3,788 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Focus

Transmition control module on my 2012 ford focus sel Broke on a road trip leaving me with 1,3,5 gear only , and online it says this is a common issue considering you NEED a transmission to drive I feel this should be something that gets a recall

NHTSA ODI 11543714

Not even a month ago my car started jerking when taking off like hard enough to practically put you through the windshield. It almost stalled on me at a stop sign. I have the customer satisfaction program 14mo2 letter from Ford about my TCM replacement. But I believe it is the power shift dual clutch in transmission that’s having the issue.. I called Ford today because the dealership I want to take my car to wants to charge me $4000 if it’s not the TCM. Apparently there have been issues with the powershift clutch transmission and that the coverage that they had to fix that issue has expired years ago. I cannot drive it out of my small town for fear of it breaking down on me. I found out the TCM had been replaced in 2016 and I’ve only had this car six months to seven months tops and it only has 75,000 miles on it. It revs up real high and does not shift gears properly. I am afraid to take it out on a highway or anything afraid it might cause an accident and Ford told me they will not fix it unless I pay for it if it’s the powershift dual clutch. I thought ford was supposed to fix any transmission issues whether under warranty or not. These safety issues could get someone killed!

NHTSA ODI 11543137

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The message that the transmission had overheated was displayed. The contact was able to push the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the part was on backorder. The parts arrived and the transmission control module was replaced, but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact about an Extended Warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

NHTSA ODI 11542696

My check engine light went on and off for a while, and every time I filled up with gas my car would not start. I would have to turn it off and then on again in order to get it to run. I have attached details of the repair, which were a specific 2012 Ford Focus recall that my car had not been included in. Since this repair, my car’s fuel tank still does not function properly. My fuel gauge is faulty, which is dangerous because I could run out of gas at any moment even if it appears to be half full. My fuel tank is not pressurized enough to push enough gas into the tank to run as it should (I may have worded that wrong, but I am repeating what [XXX] has told me). This car should have been on the fuel pump recall list. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11542247

It was a fateful day on June 16th, 2020 when our lives took an unexpected turn. Engaged in a peaceful drive, cruising at a steady 60mph with the assistance of the trusty cruise control, we were abruptly jolted towards the left, instantly relinquishing any grasp of control we had over our vehicle causing us to loose control and wreck our car in a corn field. Reason for mechanical failure unknown

NHTSA ODI 11542210

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that when her grandparent started the vehicle and attempted to shift into reverse, the gear shifter was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with failure of the clutch and transmission. The contact was informed that the clutch and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11541742

The transmission shakes and shutters went to dealer and asked about the issue and they stated it was known issue and I should just accelerate very quickly which would clean the clutches. It did work temporarily. in August 2023 while driving the car it refused to down shift while climbing a hill. AFter stopping by the side of the road, the car would not start on the first try. After trying again car did start however it would not go into reverse. It would move forward however driving in heavy traffic the car would not shift out of second causing very high rpms. Limped it into the dealership where they stated it was the clutch and shifting forks. One month later I got the car back and on the way home it once again would not shift while climbing a hill and the check engine light came on. The next morning when I went out to start it once again it would not start. Once it did I could not shift it into revers and once again only second gear was available.

NHTSA ODI 11541258

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered an Extended Warranty on the TCM but offered no assistance with repairing the transmission. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

NHTSA ODI 11540738

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly shift gear with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the clutch assembly and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the warranty on the vehicle had expired. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11540179

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle started shaking, and the gear shifter failed to shift into reverse(R). The service engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11538715

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the service transmission and check engine warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the failure was most likely related to the transmission. The contact later received a Customer Satisfaction letter related to the transmission control module (TCM). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and remained in the dealer possession for a week. The contact was informed that the transmission might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11537995

August 3, 2023, vehicle bucking from 1RPM to 2 RPM. No engine lights came on. At every stop and go vehicle hesitated. I was driving a relative to a post operation doctor visit. Went to dealer following day. They could not inspect the car. Gave appointment for 5 days later. Recall letter I received is for the TCM/PCM-Transmission/Power Control Module. Dealer says they have vehicles waiting 2 and 3 years for this part. If this is my issue they cannot provide me with a time frame for getting the issue corrected. When I drove to the dealer the engine light did come on and it continues to be on. Car can leave me stranded or vehicle may jerk forward even with the brake applied are some of the different issues that can happen.

NHTSA ODI 11537749

TCM and clutch system. I originally purchased this vehicle in 2014, and from the moment I purchased this vehicle until now, I have taken this vehicle to Ford dealership numerous times for the same two reasons, the TCM and clutch system. The vehicle is currently at 79K miles. When at a complete stop and I go to accelerate the whole system shutters and vibrates violently and now the most recent, the transmission stays stuck on 2nd gear and when trying to shift the next gear, it shifts violently hard to 3rd gear or just skips 3rd gear altogether, and there's moments where it just won't go past 2nd gear. I accelerate slowly and all of a sudden the car will just take off on me. I had a new clutch system installed in February of 2022 and I already need a new clutch system in August of 2023. In this time frame I have only put in 6,000 miles. The repairs in February of 2022 were not covered under warranty and so this work cost me $3,000. Here I am 1 year and 5 months later and I'm being told I need this whole new system again and it will be a $4,000 job with Ford dealership. How does Ford even allow this to happen? We have another vehicle in the household that is a 2007 Toyota Corolla with 140,000 MI and runs brand new. The work with my Ford Focus is never ending! I also think it is unfair knowing that people still own these vehicles and they know these issues and how dangerous they are and they are doing nothing to help the consumer. The fact that I would have to dish out another $4,000 to keep this car for a repair I just did 1 year and 5 months ago is selfish and insane! I don't know who else to reach out to about this as I have already reached out to Ford and nothing can be done.

NHTSA ODI 11537087

Manufacturer installed radio first just started cutting out with a loud pop that would scare the driver. Now the radio does not work. Only static and popping at top volume the entire time you're driving. Even does it with the car turned off and key out of ignition. I barely avoided an accident during one of these incidents. My car is one of thousands with the same complaint. Dealer does not know how to fix the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11536885

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle downshifted abruptly and decelerated to 25 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The messages "Pull over" and "Transmission Hot" were displayed. The contact stated that he was able to veer to the side of the road; however, the vehicle failed to shift into park (P). The contact turned the vehicle off and waited 30 minutes. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer, who diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, however, the failure persisted. The dealer diagnosed that the transmission had seized between park (P) and reverse (R). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

NHTSA ODI 11536259

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle with the vehicle idling, the “Transmission Overheated – Pull Over” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch actuator inside the TCM had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle remained. The contact was then informed that the vehicle failed to start, and the battery was replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 169,654.

NHTSA ODI 11536075

My car is often displaying a pending P1450 (unable to bleed up fuel tank vacuum) check engine light code. Whenever, I fill my car with gas, it take a few tries to get the car to start. My car has also lost power several times while driving without warning - and took a while to re-start. I had to have my fuel tank replaced as it deformed and leaked gas to the point where it was un-fixable. Car symptoms of not starting after being filled with gas and losing power at random times while in operation have not been solved with the replacement of a brand new fuel tank. The P1450 error code still continues to come up suggesting a purge valve problem that will be expensive to fix, in addition to the fuel tank that has already needed to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11535272

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto to be diagnosed and the mechanic retrieved unknown codes. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for an unknown transmission recall repair. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11534744

sudden loss of power. would not stay in gear. took it to the ford dealer and they had to replace the TCM.

NHTSA ODI 11534824

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle seemed to shift into neutral and failed to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the service engine message was displayed. The contact pulled over to allow the engine to cool down. The vehicle was restarted and taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission failure caused the clutch to fail. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11533666

Hello, This is what happened to my 2012 Ford Focus SE. First I noticed that after putting gas the car doesn't start I have to try it 1 or 2 times more. Second when the vehicle stops on the traffic light sometimes it gets difficult to get out because is not taking the change correctly, so I have to press the clutch so hard. Because of the car doesn't show up any lights or signal that told me that the car is having a problem I took it to the dealership, and they did diagnostic, and the issues are confirmed.

NHTSA ODI 11533174

Power steering went out after a repair to the transmission control module.

NHTSA ODI 11531506

My car was hesitant to accelerate when both stopped and while cruising. When stopped, I would release the brake and the car would shudder and not accelerate. It would sit for a few seconds before going forward. When stopped on a hill, my car would roll backwards when I would release from the brake. When accelerating up a hill, my car would shudder and stop accelerating for a few seconds. Once, while on the Highway, I went to pass a car, getting into the left lane and pressing on the gas. The car did not go any faster but my RPM went all the way up. It was such a danger to drive. The service engine light would go on and off, but never be consistently on. When it turned on, it only stayed on for a day and then went back off. It almost caused a few accidents. When I took it to my local Ford dealership thinking it was the TCM, they told me the car needed a new clutch, levers, and slave cylinder.

NHTSA ODI 11531674

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that the brakes locked up. The driver was able to coast to the side of the road and apply the parking brake. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel tank was deformed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11531357

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated after 2 hours, he was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving to his destination. The contact also stated that after refueling the vehicle the vehicle was difficult to start. The contact stated that the vehicle would then jerk intermittently while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. 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. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11530137