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What 1,185 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (1,185)Crash / fire / injury (32)Transmission & drivetrain (674)Engine (235)Fuel system (224)Electrical system (85)Engine & cooling (49)Steering (45)Speed control (36)Airbags (15)Wheels (15)Body & structure (14)

8 of 1,185 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

May 20, 2026Electrical systemBrakesEngineCrash1 injury

[XXX] driving her 2016 ford focus hit me [XXX] she claims her btakes did not work hitting multiple times she hit me so hard her car flew many feet back. I believe her car was defective it was alittle snowy but nothing bad. [XXX] said her brakes did not work at all. Me and multiple cars were able to come to complete stop with no skidding i have toyota rav4. I think her car might have been told my car needed repairs. I was severely injured severe permanent concussion brain neck back shoulder arm hand chest back muscle nerve damage. Dunno if [XXX] was also injured INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11738923

Nov 10, 2019SteeringElectronic Stability Control (esc)EngineFire1 injury

ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE 2 WEEKS AFTER SERVICE DEPT AT VIC BAILEY FORD REPLACED. INCIDENT REPORT. TOTAL LOSS AND LAWSUIT COMING IF NOT COMPENSATED FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS. ENGINE IGNITED WITH ME IN VEHICLE! SERVICE BAY RELEASED CAR TO ME 2 WEEKS AGO. TOLD THEM WAS NOT FIXED FOR 2 WEEKS WAITED ON APPT. OIL LIGHT CAME ON AFTER DROPPING OF DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL. MULTIPLE WITNESSES AND VIDEOS OF FIRE UNDER CAR AND THEN BLEW DUE TO HEAT SOURCE WHICH WAS ALL SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND PULLED OVER AS SOON AS OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND I SMELLED SMOKE. TURNED INTO NEAREST PARKING LOT OFF HIGHWAY 221, SPARTANBURG SC. ROEBUCK FIRE DEPT RESPONDED. WILL NOT DRIVER A VEHICLE FROM FORD EVER AGAIN!

NHTSA ODI 11279251

Sep 8, 2019Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel systemCrash

THE VEHICLE STALLED DURING A LEFT TURN INTO THE RIGHT LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND WAS HIT AS A RESULT. THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO FORD PREVIOUSLY DUE TO CONCERNS OF STALLING/SLUGGISH ACCELERATION AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER DISCLOSED AN ISSUE WAS KNOWN THAT WAS MOST LIKELY THE CAUSE. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR AND PERFORMED REPAIRS. THE ACCELERATION SEEMED A LITTLE BETTER BUT STILL NOT RIGHT BASED ON DECADES OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE. I THINK THE CPV ISSUE (18S32/18V-735) MAY HAVE CAUSED THE CAR TO STALL AND BE HIT WHEN IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HIT OTHERWISE.

NHTSA ODI 11254004

May 17, 2019EngineCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND CAUSED A FRONT END COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES AND RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY LOT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,654. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11208270

May 16, 2019EngineCrash1 injury

ON NOVEMBER 4, 2018- WHILE MAKING A LEFT-HAND TURN, THE 2016 FORD FOCUS I WAS DRIVING STALLED OUT ON THE MAIN ROAD. ON JANUARY 4, 2019 I FILLED OUT A COMPLAINT ONLINE WITH THE NHTSA-( HAVE BEEN GIVEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS) AT FIRST I WAS TOLD THAT THE COMPLAINT WAS LOST BECAUSE OF A COMPUTER ERROR, THEN I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A HARD TIME EVERY TIME I CALL UP AND ASK ABOUT IT.

NHTSA ODI 11208046

Mar 13, 2019Fuel systemAirbagsElectronic Stability Control (esc)EngineCrash

I PURCHASE A 2016 FORD FOCUS TODAY AND THERE'S ONE OPEN RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. THE TAKATA RECALL AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS ISSUE TO BE FIXED BECAUSE IT SOUNDS DANGEROUS FROM THE RESEARCH I DID ON THE RECALL. PLUS I HAVE MY 1ST CAR WRECK A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND MY CAR WAS TOTALED OUT. I WANT TO BE SAFE BEHIND THE WHEEL AND I HAVE A LITTLE BOY; WHO WILL BE A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE I DON'T WANT MY CAR TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND CAUSE A ACCIDENT AND MY SON GET HURT. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 11186688

Oct 29, 2018EngineCrash

ON OCTOBER 11, 2018 THE SAME DAY AS HURRICANE MICHEL, MY 2016 FORD FOCUS ST WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE CUT OFF WHILE IN MOTION AND LOST COMPLETE CONTROL BY ITSELF, CAUSING THE CAR TO FLIP ON ITS SIDE AND BE COMPLETELY TOTALED. THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH WAS UNKNOWN AT THE TIME, BUT ON OCTOBER 25, 2018 FORD PUTS OUT A RECALL FOR THE EXACT MODEL FORD FOCUS BECAUSE OF AN ISSUE CAUSING THE CAR TO RANDOMLY STALL. THEY ARE TELLING OWNERS TO KEEP THEIR FUEL TANK ABOVE HALF FULL TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM AND I KNOW AT THE TIME MY FUEL TANK WAS NOT ABOVE HALF AND THE INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ON. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS CRASH WAS FROM THE RECALL THAT FORD PUT OUT ONLY A FEW DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT TOTALING MY 2016 FORD FOCUS ST.

NHTSA ODI 11143734

Jan 25, 2018BrakesEngineCrash1 injury

THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 2PM ON FRIDAY 1/12. WE CALLED TWO DIFFERENT FORD DEALAHIPS TO GET THE CAR SERVICED. BOTH MADE AN APPT FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK BUT NEITHER TOLD US NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR. LATER THAT DAY IF HAPPENED AGAIN AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK TO STOP THE CAR SO ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS HIT AND SUP SEQUENTALY TOTALED MY VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11064917

Working with the data? Download all 1,185 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 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 2016 Ford Focus verdict →