Home · 2015 Ford Focus Bev · Complaints

What 979 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Focus Bev

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 (979)Crash / fire / injury (35)Transmission & drivetrain (536)Fuel system (165)Engine (157)Steering (94)Electrical system (63)Speed control (43)Airbags (17)Body & structure (16)Wheels (12)Visibility & wipers (10)

Newest first · 979 complaints · page 12 of 40

Sep 27, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while parking in the driveway, she shifted to park(P) however, the vehicle rolled backward. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and then shifted the vehicle back into park(P). The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated and had remained illuminated for three months. The contact stated that recently while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11486656

Sep 23, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

while driving the car stalls and sometimes will not switch gears. have taken it in twice and they do not repair the clutch on the transmission. they only reprogram the car. took it in a couple years ago and they did not replace it. took it in a couple weeks ago and they reprogrammed it again and charged me 170 dollars at d patrick ford in evansville. said it was past the mileage for warranty. niw i am going to have to take it in a third time when they should have fixed it the first time.

NHTSA ODI 11485959

Sep 23, 2022Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

Vehicle will loose power and ac as if the gears are slipping causing a sudden reduced speed. The transmission warnings will also light up stating transmission overheating.

NHTSA ODI 11486076

Sep 16, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

I was driving on my way home from work when the transmission failed. Car lost all ability to maneuver - no forward or reverse. I was in the middle of an incline when the car stalled, had to roll to the bottom of the hill and call a wrecker. If I had been in high volume traffic, this would have been a death sentence.

NHTSA ODI 11484798

Sep 13, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the transmission would not operate in reverse. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and the vehicle operated normal. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission clutch actuator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11484198

Sep 12, 2022

Ford Focus 2015 the does not shift to the next gear and I got stuck in the middle of traffic and had to push it to a safe spot in neutral. This car was Part of a Ford Recall buyback program. It has been at Car Max in Norwood Mass for months I was towed 4 times close calls with kids in the car. These cars are still being sold by CarMax mine can’t be fixed I am paying for a death trap

NHTSA ODI 11483975

Sep 9, 2022

My 2015 Ford Focus power shift didn’t work correctly which caused the transmission to not work correctly and it stopped working and the fuel tank deform and the coolant reservoir doesn’t work good all the time and causes the car to over heat. Many times my safety was at risk with myself alone and with my children because the car would not go sometimes and could cause an accident. I was helped a few times my police officers when I was in the side of the road because the car kept having transmission problems. I took the car to the Ford dealership and they confirmed the problems and about the fuel tank deformation recall. Many time the check engine light would come up on the dash board. The dealership told me the car had to many problems and they could not do anything about it. Which are common problems on 2010-2016 focus models. My car has been at the ford shop for 4 months and they haven’t fixed it yet .

NHTSA ODI 11483613

Sep 8, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunctioned and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. On several occasions, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved and the RPM’s increased; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,000.

NHTSA ODI 11483447

Sep 6, 2022SteeringEngine

Start the vehicle, put it in reverse, stop and change gears to drive and the vehicle will not move forward the steering wheel jerks. I have to put the car in park turn off the engine and then power back on and try again.

NHTSA ODI 11483073

Aug 31, 2022Visibility & wipers

The front windshield wipers will slow after only a few minutes of use, in a heavy or light rain, and eventually come to a stop after about 30 more seconds. This happens every time I use the wipers in the rain. I have had it looked at by a Ford service tech at a dealership on at least 3 occasions, but they claim either that they cannot recreate the problem, or that they are designed to work that way to avoid burning out the wiper motors. Wipers should not be designed to stop working when it is raining, that is just ridiculous. Despite Ford's position that this is all new to them, or that it is how they are designed to work (depending on whom you talk to at Ford), the fact the wipers stop working during rain...heavy, moderate, or light rain...it is a well-known issue across the Ford Focus ST enthusiast community. A simply Google search will uncover many identical reports. When the wipers stop working during a rain, you obviously cannot see clearly ahead. You can turn the wipers off then back on to get them working again, but they stop all the same soon after.

NHTSA ODI 11482180

Aug 31, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The transmission of my car has always been jerky and unreliable, sometimes causing the vehicle to shake when driving at high speeds. While driving through the mountains, the transmission continuously got worse, eventually causing me to be unable to put the car in reverse. The car also failed to switch gears adequately while driving on the highway, making it difficult to accelerate and increasing the likelihood of an accident. There were no warning symbols on my dashboard to alert me to what could be the issue. My vehicle has not yet been inspected by a dealership, manufacturer, or independent service center.

NHTSA ODI 11482200

Aug 30, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH from the driveway, the transmission failed to operate as designed. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

NHTSA ODI 11482016

Aug 30, 2022EngineFuel system

On August 14th at approximately 2 pm my Ford Focus came to a complete stall at the intersection of Seymour Hwy and Brookes Ave in Wichita Falls, Texas. After several failed attempts to restart the vehicle it was pushed into a saver location and towed by Mike's Towing in WF to Quality Lube on Pearlie Drive also in WF. Fuel gauge was sitting at a little over 1/4 tank and panel was reading 78 miles to empty. I ran the VIN and pulled up a recall from 10/22/2018 that Ford neglected to contact me the owner of. The mechanic at Quality Lube would not touch it because of the recall. On August 15th I put gas in and the vehicle started right up, I drove the vehicle from Quality Lube straight to Pruitt Ford (location of purchase) located in Burkburnett, Texas. Left the vehicle and my mother called the next day and explained the problem and dangers improper vacuum through the fuel tank could cause and recall was pulled up. Pruitt Ford failed to run diagnostic to insure their fix actually fixed the issues, stating that they performed the recall and the check engine light was no longer on so they were done on their end. Picked up the vehicle from Pruitt Ford midafternoon on August 18th. August 24th the Check Engine Light came back on, Pruitt Ford was called and stated I would be responsible for $135 to run a diagnostic. I had the code pulled up and it stated P1450 Unable to Bleed Up Fuel Tank Vacuum. Pruitt Ford failed to repair the vehicle to a safe condition. On the 25th the vehicle was taken back to them after being supplied a case number to get the vehicle properly repaired through Ford Motor. CAS-38298302-J2R8C6 This morning I get a call from Pruitt Ford stating that Ford Motor will not honor the recall due to the mileages on the vehicle. This is a 2015 with 65,844 miles on it, there is no mileage limit on a recall and recalls have no expiration date. Ford Motor states it is not a warranty problem therefore the dealership is responsible recall repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11482047

Aug 30, 2022Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system

The transmission has been repaired only to have worse problems surface. Overnight, I lost my Reverse and a week later the Drive function stopped working. It placed me in a dangerous situation. I was at a gas station, suddenly no Reverse. I was wedged between cars. I had to push it backwards to give room for the car in front. I took it to Ford and they wanted $3000 for a clutch, they made me pay $210 diagnosis fee at Gene Butman Ford. I was angry. I went to a part store, the part was $245!!! I told Ford this car has been in for recalls with transmission and evaporative system. This is at least the third time for the transmission. It's a 2015, only 115,000 miles on it and it already is a piece of junk. I'm never buying a Ford again. The dealership folk were rude and offered nothing even when I mentioned a recall on the transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11482120

Aug 26, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate the vehicle shuddered before operating normally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer for a power train recall on the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired under the recall however, the failure persisted. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty coverage. The approximate failure mileage was 87,415.

NHTSA ODI 11481427

Aug 23, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was in the driveway, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact related the failure to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 19N08. The vehicle was diagnosed with a transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

NHTSA ODI 11480819

Aug 11, 2022Engine

Car will not go in reverse and shakes vigorously when shifting gears. We think it is an issue with the transmission. I called multiple ford dealerships as focuses have known transmission issues with these exact symptoms, but they said they cannot take a look for weeks. They have a policy where they will give rental cars for these transmission issues, but they are pretending they are not sure what the issue is and will not take a look for weeks, leaving me without a car for weeks because ford sold me a defective car.

NHTSA ODI 11478808

Aug 9, 2022Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact towed the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11478433

Aug 8, 2022

Body control module is bad. Car stalls in the middle of driving and doesn’t start back up for days

NHTSA ODI 11478242

Aug 3, 2022Wheels

When a transmission recall was corrected I was advised that the lug nuts were warping and needed to be replaced. Substandard lug nuts should be covered by the manufacturer

NHTSA ODI 11477383

Aug 3, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

Transmission occasionally fails to shift into reverse and has issues properly shifting gears automatically. Gear shifting has been a very minor issue for at least 5 years, only happened once. In the past week, the issues mentioned in first sentence has grown progressively worse starting with minor juttering when gears are shifted higher. Reverse issue has started at the start of this week, and the juttering has gotten worse. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request at this time. Vehicle fails to speed up when acceleration is applied for a good while, engine reving into 4000-5000 rpm range before it corrects itself after 5-10 seconds. Acceleration issues may cause collision issues with drivers following. Lack of reverse leaves vehicle requiring to park in ways it can drive forward or roll back out of the parking spot, making parking more dangerous. This system has been a part of a prior recall. Since the recall was supposedly fixed, the system has not been inspected since. The check engine light illuminates from time to time, mainly when the vehicle can't reverse.

NHTSA ODI 11477412

Aug 2, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact's son owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her son was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH independently. The contact did not know whether there was a warning light illuminated. The contact's son drove to the dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the gearbox and the transmission clutch were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering and jerking significantly while driving. The contact stated that while her son was attempting to reverse, he moved the gear shifter into reverse but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11477179

Aug 1, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and received a second repair for the failure. The failure recurred after the repair. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was referred to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was 103,000.

NHTSA ODI 11477022

Jul 30, 2022Fuel system

Car turns off after filling with gas. Does not start properly after refilling tank. If I stop sometimes even in traffic it’ll automatically turn off.

NHTSA ODI 11476680

Jul 28, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test determined a fault within the transmission. The contact then called the dealer where he was informed that there would be a delay in service due to overwhelming service demand. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11476257

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Working with the data? Download all 979 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 23, 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 2015 Ford Focus Bev verdict →