Home · 2017 Ford Focus Bev · Complaints

What 842 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 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 (842)Crash / fire / injury (22)Transmission & drivetrain (428)Engine (206)Fuel system (169)Engine & cooling (70)Speed control (37)Electrical system (36)Steering (20)Airbags (15)Brakes (9)Lights (9)

Newest first · 842 complaints · page 17 of 34

Nov 20, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

2017 Ford Focus SE with automatic transmission. It shutters when taking off from a complete stop or at low speeds shaking the whole car. With it being hesitant taking off it just isnt safe if you're ever in a situation where you need to get out of the way of an incident. The clutch wears out way to fast. It needs a whole different transmission instead of Fords dual clutch powershift transmission that should have been perfected before putting them into so many cars.

NHTSA ODI 11494320

Nov 19, 2022Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlCrash

Car was at highway speed and was given light input to change lanes. With light input, the engine accelerated in an uncontrolled manner, revving to maybe 5000 rpm. The driver had to slam on the brakes to counteract. Result was a rear-end collision with the car in front (Route 95 near Laurel, MD). For what it is worth, the car also gave an "overheating" alarm for the Powershift DCT transmission even though no such alarm had ever appeared previously. So first time alarm on the transmission and the following day this incident with the unintended acceleration. These could be unrelated, but could also be related. With the overheating transmission issue, the car was left sit for 10 minutes and then drove normally. Car also drove normally after the accident. No further abnormal acceleration issues.

NHTSA ODI 11494225

Nov 17, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the "transmission overheating" message was displayed, and the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission control module and transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 118,000.

NHTSA ODI 11494006

Nov 12, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

this car with 38k on it has a transmission failure. it was very dangerous. the car lost its reverse gear and won't stay in its forward gears. it will jump in and out of drive down to low and then to nothing. i guess this could happen at any time during owning or driving this car. you could be going 70 and the transmission could fail. it would cause a wreck that might kill many on a busy road. there are no parts for this to be fixed. some back order of the computer chip. now i have a low mile car with no way to fix it. plus, this can happen at any time. ford should look into a fix for this problem. i know that there is a recall for the 2016. it should include the 2017 as well.

NHTSA ODI 11493288

Nov 11, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

Hi I have ford focus SEL 2017 which I bought in jan02,2020 and since two week my car not get enough power to run while in drive mode sometimes it’s stop middle of road and when press has paddle it not move forward now since one week it getting transmission is overheating stop for 5 minutes now it’s show engine light on dashboard I think it’s I feel like my car transmission slipping

NHTSA ODI 11493185

Nov 9, 2022Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after a routine oil change at the local dealer, while driving approximately 45 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated, and an abnormal sound was heard coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was inoperable and was towed to three different independent mechanics; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil belt and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the local dealer awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.

NHTSA ODI 11492938

Nov 8, 2022

Shudder upon acceleration due to faulty clutch pack. even when replaced under warranty the faulty clutch presents the same problem. Causes all kinds of UNKNOWN problems when the car fails to accelerate and/or the clutch assembly fails. Problem has been confirmed multiple times by Ford Dealer. Been inspected by the manufacturer- FORD and deemed unsafe and needing immediate repair. No warning lamps, messages, etc. Car will just do that with no warning.

NHTSA ODI 11492784

Nov 3, 2022Transmission & drivetrainSpeed control

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed her that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to replicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11492153

Nov 2, 2022

I am requesting an investigation as to the matter at hand; this letter contains all specifics as related to the vehicle and from the time of purchase to now. The vehicle is currently not in operable conditions and it can be identified as a 2017 Ford Focus SE 4 Cylinders 2 2.0L DI DOHC 122 CID. There was a lawsuit for this car prior and there was a judgment rendered for issues with the vehicle, new issues have arisen since the lawsuit. On or about 9/19/2022 however on or about 10/9/2022 Plaintiff began experiencing issues with the car. On or about 10/16/2022 a mechanic diagnosed the car with having issues of P07A3 and P2872 and that labor would be about $600.00 not including parts. Subsequently, the vehicle is not currently running. If you request more information from me I can send it, however, please redact any sensitive information.

NHTSA ODI 11491927

Oct 31, 2022Engine

While driving, the ROM is unstable and jumps from 1 to 3 then all the way to zero when pressing the brakes preparing to make a stop. The car then starts to shudder excessively and then basically shuts down in the middle of the highway. The oil and battery light would come on. I would have to quickly place the car in park, and turn the car back on. Once I turn the car on, the oil and battery light turns off and the engine light stays on until it is brought to the ford dealership. This situation has happened about four times. Each time it is an issue with a pressure sensor but when the dealership goes in to check, they don’t find anything wrong. The car had stopped in the middle of the highway multiple times, slips and jerks during the smallest acceleration, and consistently shudders when breaking or idle.

NHTSA ODI 11491691

Oct 27, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was shifted into drive(D) and he depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle shifted into Limp Mode then inadvertently lunged forward. The contact stated that the vehicle then failed to exceed 60 MPH. The contact stated that the next day after the vehicle was started, the transmission fault service light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline to submit a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 108,372.

NHTSA ODI 11491131

Oct 20, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

Transmission slipping, stalling, jerking.needs a clutch pack and some other stuff. One of the codes said transmission friction element "A" stuck on. This is a 2017 model the 2012-2016 ford focuses was recalled the Fords DSPS power shift transmission. The they installed the exact same transmission in the 2017-18 models even though they had lawsuits/recalls. But the 2017 are having the same issues and won't fix the issue!

NHTSA ODI 11490151

Oct 19, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle would not immediately start-up. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The vehicle would idle rough after start-up. The contact would depress the accelerator while the vehicle was in park(P) and rev the engine to 3,000 RPM before the vehicle would operate normally. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure to start up after fueling was intermittent; however, the failure occurred more frequently. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle he had to depress the accelerator pedal down for a minute or two and take several attempts to start the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ODI 11489972

Oct 17, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The transmission is not functioning properly. The vehicle experiences jerking, slipping, bucking, sudden and/or delayed acceleration, and transmission failure. There is a check engine light and a transmission failure warning sign that comes on. This is a safety hazard as the car does not accelerate reliably and will temporarily stall in the middle of intersections, highways, onramps, etc. I talked to several mechanics who say that this is likely due to a PCM issue. I brought it to a Ford dealership to check into, but they could not run a diagnostics test because there was no recall associated with my VIN.

NHTSA ODI 11489642

Oct 11, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "transmission too hot pull over" suddenly displayed, and moments later the vehicle shut off. After eventually restarting the engine, the vehicle was driven to the nearby fuel station and later towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11488742

Oct 5, 2022Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence where an independent mechanic checked the engine and confirmed that the oil level was not low. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with low oil pressure and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

NHTSA ODI 11487978

Oct 5, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

Transmission overheating, jerking, hesitant and lost gear while driving

NHTSA ODI 11488106

Sep 27, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle and attempting to restart the vehicle, the RPM was fluctuating and the vehicle then lost motive power. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after a few attempts she was able to restart vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic; however, the contact was not provided with a diagnosis and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure continued after refueling and the contact stated that the vehicle would stall and lose motive power after coming to a complete stop at a red light or at a stop sign. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic where the failure code P144A for the EVAP system was retrieved. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as a cause for the failure; however, her VIN was not included in the recall. The local dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer made aware of the failure and a case was opened and the contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11486773

Sep 21, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

I enjoy driving my 2017 Ford Focus, but the glaring negative against my vehicle is the transmission. Once per year I find myself at a dealership because my Focus starts to shudder after acceleration from a full stop. This phenomena shakes the vehicle, alerting everyone inside that something is wrong. No warning lights appear on the dash from discovery of the problem until servicing. Once the shuddering starts happening, it will happen more and more frequently until it cannot be ignored and the vehicle needs to be fixed. I don't haul trailers. There are not that many miles on the Focus (under 60,000). I've even adjusted my driving habits to change speeds as gradually as possible so as to not put any undue strain on the transmission. Nevertheless, the problem keeps reoccurring and I keep having to lean on the existing powertrain warranty to get rid of the problem... temporarily. Within a year, it always comes back. This year is no different. I am currently trying to get the Focus serviced once more before my "60,000 mile/5 year" powertrain warranty expires on October 3rd, 2022. This issue is forcing me to consider selling a car in wonderful condition because I can't afford to replace clutch arrays out of pocket every year. The alternative is to forgo the servicing and roll the dice with a spotty transmission. I dare say that can't last. I've talked numerous times with people at the dealership. Everyone I have spoken with acknowledges that this is a known issue with the 2017's. Prior vehicle years have been recalled for transmission troubles. How is the 2017 Focus any different? How hasn't a recall been started already? I'm attaching the service records from the dealerships. Ford Customer Care directed me to the NHTSA, but nothing more. I am hoping someone can help me to either extend this warranty with Ford (at no additional cost to me for a manufacturer defect) or get the need for a recall acknowledged by Ford. Thank you and God bless.

NHTSA ODI 11485711

Sep 21, 2022Fuel system

Purge valve failure causing stalling

NHTSA ODI 11485737

Sep 20, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

2017 Ford Focus, continuous transmission problems. I have had the clutch and transmission control replaced 2 times already under factory wannary. It is just outside of the powertrain warranty and now the dealer is telling me it needs to be replaced again. It has 41,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11485496

Sep 19, 2022Fuel system

Stalling out repeatedly while driving since I have purchased the car. No issues being read on any code readers. Has happened 12 times in 2 years. Plenty of fuel. Replaced battery even when battery was okay. And has been towed to dealership multiple times. No reason given. No warning lights at all. Now finally I have been given a code after 2 years that there is a very small evap leak. Which the repair shop has informed me is a common issue with this car. Because of this. My car risks stalling out even while driving down the highway when I have plenty of fuel in the tank.

NHTSA ODI 11485236

Sep 14, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH and attempting to park the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering while driving above 60 MPH or whenever the accelerator pedal was depressed while driving up hill. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 11484433

Sep 3, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

Feels like gear is slipping when going from a stop to moving (1st to 2nd shifting)

NHTSA ODI 11482778

Sep 1, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start immediately. The vehicle would start after several attempts but would shudder and then turn off independently. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and decelerated independently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred after refueling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank was collapsing internally due to a stuck canister purge valve failure. The independent mechanic also informed the contact that each time she had refueled the vehicle, air was being pushed into the fueling system. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) due to the manufactured date of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11482384

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Working with the data? Download all 842 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 2017 Ford Focus Bev verdict →