Home · 2014 Ford Focus · Complaints

What 2,641 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Focus

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (2,641)Crash / fire / injury (89)Transmission & drivetrain (1,587)Engine (454)Fuel system (359)Electrical system (274)Steering (225)Speed control (169)Body & structure (62)Latches & locks (47)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (39)Brakes (34)

1,587 of 2,641 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · clear filters · page 6 of 64

Jul 3, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission warning light illuminated, and the transmission hesitated while shifting gear. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally slightly rolled backwards. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer retrieved DTC codes: P0783 and P2872. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11598601

Jul 1, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system

The general information I have is my transmission is not working, and it causes the car to stall and jerk unexpectedly, it will be driving fine then aggressively slow down almost to a stop, then launch forward, which could cause an accident to the person in front of me or behind. When these events happen it’s on and off, and the stalling will follow multiple times during a driving period. The engine light will come on, and many mechanics we have talked to have said to either replace the transition or sell the car, and the transmission is the same price I paid for the car. It’s ultimately unfortunate because it is a great car, low miles, in great condition, and I am young into college with big loans and can’t afford to fix this car.

NHTSA ODI 11597904

Jun 28, 2024Transmission & drivetrainSpeed control

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and then decelerated independently, surging several times before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 84,000.

NHTSA ODI 11597533

Jun 21, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The service engine soon warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the TCM needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02, and Technical Service Bulletin: 16-0129 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11595737

Jun 20, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving on four occasions at various speeds, the vehicle shifted into neutral(N) inadvertently and would not shift into any other gear. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed again, and the transmission eventually shifted into the desired gear. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering with an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment while changing gear. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch assembly and shift motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

NHTSA ODI 11595517

Jun 17, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

I have been trying to get my car fixed but they will not honor the recalled part. I took it to another garage bc Ford is saying it's my clutch but I seem for my own eyes the only code was for the tcm. And then Ford told me they do not honor another mechanics diagnostics.

NHTSA ODI 11594781

Jun 14, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was stalling and jerking. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated when the transmission was shifted into gear and attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 149,127.

NHTSA ODI 11594378

Jun 12, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngine

As I have stated before , this seems to be an issue with all cars like this and the year! I am very disappointed that I heard NOTHING back from the first time I sent this. Spending over $4000 on a $4000 car is ridiculous

NHTSA ODI 11593833

Jun 11, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

This is for a shuttering clutch. I was not put in an unsafe position. The problem was found by the dealer when the car was in having a TCM replaced. There was no warning lamps or any other indication. I was told from the dealer I purchased the car from that it was an automatic but had a clutch and would feel like a manual transmission when it shifts. The dealer told me there was a Consumer Satisfaction Program 19N08 but it had expired and there is nothing they could do. Ford’s Customer Care told me the same thing. My car is over the 7 years but has 77,200 miles which is way below the 100,000 to qualify for 19N08. This program only ran from 2019-2020 before it expired. A car like mine has low miles and didn’t see the problem until now but is left out of a known problem because of the short program time frame. Now after only owning the car for 6 months I have to pay approximately $2700 to fix this known problem. This program needs to be opened back up or allow every vehicle with this problem to use the program one time without the time restriction.

NHTSA ODI 11593785

May 31, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngine

When the transmission went out, it shuddered so hard it broke the motor mounts. This is a serious problem and needs to be one recall list! I just had to pay $4000 to have the clutch, nigh shift levers engagement bearing and bearing support tube replaced. The dealership can almost do this car with his eyes closed because he has done so many! This should not be the case!!!

NHTSA ODI 11591816

May 24, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system

It did the exact same thing it did in April! Driving in traffic this time. The jerking, and not wanting to excelerate... then jumps from drive to neutral doing 70 mph! On hwy 59! THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AT THIS POINT! MAKE FORD FIX THIS

NHTSA ODI 11590585

May 23, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

Car shudders and bucks because of a faulty clutch brake as stated by the dealership that diagnosed it.

NHTSA ODI 11590411

May 22, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated, and the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired six times, but the failure persisted. The contact was informed that the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50.

NHTSA ODI 11590143

May 22, 2024BrakesTransmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated the clutch had been replaced on several occasions. The contact stated while approaching a stop sign the vehicle hesitated to come to a full stop. Additionally, under rainy conditions, the vehicle failed to fully respond to the brake pedal being depressed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11590219

May 20, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while at a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved significantly while the transmission was in 1st gear. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift to a higher gear. The contact stated that upon releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shifted to the next gear; however, the transmission was slipping. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved; however, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The message "Service Transmission Now" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the transmission was recalibrated twice; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission slave cylinder, the levers A and B and the transmission clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 161,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11589740

May 18, 2024Transmission & drivetrainDriver assistance

I believe the defective TCM cause all kinds of havoc on the other systems. And Ford KNOWS they can not fix this issue. Cause car to accelerate an come to a stop in the street! No way safe

NHTSA ODI 11589478

May 17, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. In addition, the failure occurred while the contact was driving from a stop sign or driving uphill. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed clutch. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the clutch had previously been replaced twice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

NHTSA ODI 11589315

May 17, 2024Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

The vehicle is a 2014 Ford Focus equipped with a PowerShift dual-clutch transmission-named DSP6. The vehicle exhibits a Faulty automatic transmission/shift malfunction and is unable to shift properly; causing intermittent engine deceleration coming to a stop; this indicates there is a shift malfunction and a faulty transmission. This problem has been confirmed by the dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11589383

May 16, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. After jumpstarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 213,000.

NHTSA ODI 11589186

May 13, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the transmission started to make a rattling noise. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart on the third attempt however, the failure recurred. The vehicle taken to the dealer where the diagnostic test result was not disclosed; however, the transmission clutch was replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as a failure with the transmission clutch which needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11588411

May 3, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the accelerator pedal failed to function as intended. Additionally, the vehicle shuddered. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission clutch, and it was determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the transmission clutch had been replaced in the vehicle twice previously. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11586865

May 2, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly shifted into neutral. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing, and the vehicle stalled and was undriveable. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V523000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.

NHTSA ODI 11586527

May 1, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was pulling back and failed to shift into the intended gear. The contact continuously depressed the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle the following day, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch and the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the TCM was replaced; however, the failure recurred six days later while driving from a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the message "Transmission Overheating - Stop Vehicle For 5 Minutes" was displayed. The contact veered over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle after 15 minutes; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

NHTSA ODI 11586335

Apr 25, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

Our 2014 Ford Focus SE must be repaired again for the same transmission defect. Our original transmission repair was covered under a recall. I was told by the Ford dealer that my repair would not be covered as the recall had expired! Ford now uses a “Loyalty Program” to deny what was once a recall. The only warranty we have under the "Loyalty Program" is the TCM module. Ford is denying any coverage for the transmission repair. We purchased the vehicle new and were never told about this defective design. The danger is that there is no warning that the transmission is failing. Should the transmission fail while driving this could result in a crash. The first failure occurred while traveling on [XXX] toward Tampa Florida. We pulled out into the center lane to pass slower traffic only to find out the transmission did not respond, and we lost speed and had to get over to the right lane to avoid being hit by oncoming traffic. Ford must repair the vehicles and not deny coverage under the sham of a loyalty program. At present, Ford wants $4,497.66 to complete the repairs of our vehicle. Ford said the transmission will fail again in 35,000 to 80,000 miles depending on how the car is driven. I will not be the only complaint regarding this type of transmission design because Ford used this same transmission design in several models. We need the NHSTA to investigate and look up the original recall for this failure and have it recalled once again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11585247

Apr 25, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle shuddered like the transmission was about to shift; however, the vehicle had an automatic transmission. The contact stated while driving at unknown speeds the vehicle was slow to accelerate and while the accelerator pedal was depressed the vehicle drove sluggishly. The contact placed the car in park and waited 15 minutes, then when the vehicle was shifted into drive the failure was not replicated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer once and was diagnosed with a transmission module failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer several times and was diagnosed with the same failure and repaired. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to a different dealer several times and was diagnosed with the same failure and repaired. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to the initial dealer where it was diagnosed with a clutch assembly failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11585293

← NewerOlder →

Working with the data? Download all 2,641 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 7, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2014 Ford Focus verdict →