What 1,143 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Focus RS

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 60 MPH while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission and fuel system failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was no longer drivable and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11465122

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated and started shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly while driving from a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was diagnosed as a transmission failure associated with Ford Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19N08. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19N08 due to the manufactured date of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

NHTSA ODI 11464807

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal as the service engine light would illuminate on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where he was informed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the vehicle was not under recall or warranty for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred him to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 11464849

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle began to experience loss of speed, the contact would depress the accelerator and the vehicle hesitated and jerked. The contact heard a grinding metal sound coming the floorboards. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an auto parts store where the failure was diagnosed as the "transmission friction element A frozen in the on position." The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutches needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) needed to be replaced. The contact purchased a non-OEM TCM and the vehicle was repaired. The failure recurred and the contact purchased another non-OEM TCM which was re-installed. The failure reoccurred and the vehicle was returned to the same dealer and had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 11464419

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and then stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to return to the residence. The contact called an unknown local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11464169

The transmission slips going from first to second gear. Was told the clutches have went bad.

NHTSA ODI 11462214

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while accelerating, the vehicle would hesitate while shifting gear and then lunge forward. The contact stated that the failure was ongoing. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

NHTSA ODI 11462097

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the transmission failed to shift as needed with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.

NHTSA ODI 11460414

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to a transmission specialist who provided the same diagnostic information. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was associated to an extended warranty and the repair would be covered; however, he needed to contact the manufacturer for towing assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist with the repair of the vehicle as his VIN was not included in an unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 135,751.

NHTSA ODI 11459246

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that since owning the vehicle, she has had the transmission clutch replaced on two separate occasions. The contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact had the vehicle repaired by the dealer after each failure under the vehicle warranty. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

NHTSA ODI 11459085

The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated while the RPM gauge remained high and the engine revved. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the automatic clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11459137

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving and accelerating, the vehicle experienced shuddering and vibration between first and second gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact scheduled an appointment with the local dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11458618

Yes, I was on my way to school and as I pulled out into the first busy road along my way my car hesitated, jerked and was very erratic and eventually died completely, all power lost. I just barely missed being hit by another vehicle and somehow I made it within the Double suicide lane. I was extremely terrified because I don’t know anything about vehicles and this is my first car so I called my mother. And from there she had it towed and repaired. And then due to further research I stumbled across where my car might fall within a recall that has something to do with a component on my transmission. This Effect has put my mother out $4000 for a faulty transmission component sold by Ford. I would love for her to be reimbursed for that. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11458484

The transmission went and I went to a known transmission service company and they told me it is a known fact that dual clutch assembly in the ford focus goes bad. I brought the car less then 4 months ago. They told me I had to replace multiple parts. No warnings came on and when I drive. The car stops accelerating randomly and the transmisson overheats

NHTSA ODI 11458135

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was shifting hard and the vehicle was shuddering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted and the warning message "Stop Vehicle Immediately - Transmission Fluid Hot" warning light illuminated while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving, causing her to veer to the side of the road for a moment. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the repair as the vehicle was out of warranty and the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they would assist with the repair of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 11458168

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his employee was driving, the transmission was shifting hard. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch, transmission clutch, and actuator forts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11457994

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her daughter was either stopped at a traffic light or traffic sign and attempting to move off, the vehicle would inadvertently lunge forward. Additionally, the vehicle would shift with a loud thumping noise. The contact stated her daughter did not notice any warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to a dealer but had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11458056

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle began to stall as the service transmission warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the vehicle would not accelerate above 35 MPH while the RPM would rev up while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective transmission control module. The contact was also informed that the PCM unit would be reset in order to resume normal driving while they awaited for the transmission control module parts to arrive. Once the parts arrived and the vehicle was repaired, the same failure occurred the moment the contact left the dealer parking lot; the vehicle then remained parked in the contact's driveway. A second diagnostic was performed by the dealer and the contact was given an estimate to replace the clutch. The contact filed a case with the manufacturer to have the cost of the repair covered; however, his case was denied. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the dealer's possession. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11457832

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving approximately 65 mph, the transmission erroneously down shifted causing the driver to lose control of the steering and crash into the center median causing damage to the undercarriage of the vehicle. During the crash no injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The contact indicated that prior to the incident the vehicle had experienced rough shifting. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the powertrain control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered.. The failure mileage was 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11457619

I was driving the car about 25 mph and it shudders, and the acceleration is very bad. Sometimes the engine rpms go up to about 5000 before it shifts into the next gear. Also while driving, a "transmission is hot, pull over" message appears randomly. I was able to restart the vehicle after sitting for about 10 minutes on the highway, but the message reappears randomly while driving, and I have to pull over again. The car was taken to Ford, where they said the transmission was in perfect health, but I was charged for replacing the Transmission control unit. Take note that all of the transmission overheating issues are after the Transmission control unit were installed. Every time the car is driven, the hot transmission message pops up and I have to pull over and wait. This is ridiculous. I noticed on this website there are more than 300 powertrain transmission complaints. When will something be done? How many people need to complain before Ford is forced to fix this? The car is very jerky as well, and it does not feel safe to drive.

NHTSA ODI 11457021

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle shifted abnormally hard, and the transmission made a loud banging sound. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that several transmission clutches had to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the transmission was experiencing the recurring failure with loud banging while shifting gears. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11456845

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered and delayed in responding. The contact stated as the vehicle shifted from low gear to a higher gear, the vehicle stopped shuddering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that it was not a failure and the vehicle was operating as designed. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring significantly and had increased in intensity. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would be responsible for the cost of the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in a recall associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

NHTSA ODI 11455804

My vehicle will shutter almost every time I reach about 20 mph and shift from first to second gear. I took it to the dealership and they had explained to me it might be the clutch. I had that repaired a little over two years ago at another location for the same issue, very concerned.

NHTSA ODI 11455648

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission overheating warning message was displayed. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred and the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with clutch and transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and directed the contact to a settlement lawsuit link for the transmission. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11455074

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle vibrated while shifting into 2nd gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a clutch slippage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

NHTSA ODI 11453399