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What 888 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 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 (888)Crash / fire / injury (22)Transmission & drivetrain (448)Engine (226)Fuel system (177)Engine & cooling (78)Electrical system (38)Speed control (38)Steering (20)Airbags (15)Brakes (11)Lights (9)

226 of 888 complaints match · Engine · clear filters · page 2 of 10

Apr 30, 2025Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and then was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed that the timing belt had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA ODI 11657890

Apr 16, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal and the vehicle jerked forward. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally hesitated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and to a dealer; however, the neither the dealer nor the independent mechanic were able to determine the cause of the failure. On another occasion, the vehicle stalled and unintendedly shifted to neutral, and then lunged forward while driving 20 MPH. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehicle stalled every 30 seconds. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with an electronic clutch failure. The contact stated that the mechanic was able to shift to neutral and start the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with clutch failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11655049

Apr 5, 2025Engine

I had a head gasket repair that failed almost causing an accident on the interstate. Then I had a new long block engine assembly, turbo charger, catalytic converter replaced due to a crack in cylinder 3. Car had 45,500 miles and never ran without oil. This occurred [XXX]. Warranty did cover this repair. Then at 65,000 miles I had another new long block assembly, turbo charger, and catalytic converter replaced again due to a crack in cylinder 3. Again the car was not run without oil. I did pay for this repair. Kunes Ford service department told me that the same cylinder 3 keeps cracking on the 1L 3 cylinder eco boost engines. Also be advised that they are not listing engine replacements on service repair records. The engine/turbo charger/catalytic converter replacement from July 2024 is not even listed. A case was opened with Ford but I still had to pay $1500 for the repair due to a manufacturer defect in cylinder 3. Ford is not listing any of these repairs correctly on the vehicle service records. The July 2024 repair is not even listed under the service records. Ford also had cases opened up but I do not currently have the case numbers. Kunes Ford has the no fear power train warranty, all service done at Ford and it was not honored for this repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11652921

Apr 3, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the transmission failed to shift properly, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

NHTSA ODI 11652648

Apr 1, 2025Engine

The catalytic converter which is essential for the vehicle to pass smog going to be registered has failed at less than 100,000 miles for a component that should last potentially the life of the vehicle this is unacceptable tell us the approximate

NHTSA ODI 11651939

Apr 1, 2025Engine & coolingFuel systemEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and then stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was running rough. The engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the fuel injectors. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there was no recall coverage on the VIN for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11652069

Apr 1, 2025EngineTransmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond, and jerked abnormally. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, and the RPM fluctuated, causing the vehicle to lose motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

NHTSA ODI 11652166

Mar 28, 2025Transmission & drivetrainBrakesEngine

Current Ford recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 only includes VINs with automatic transmissions. However, the oil pump belt & timing belt are the same used on the automatic transmissions that are subject of the recall. These components are just as likely to fail on manual transmission VINs but are not included in the current campaign.

NHTSA ODI 11651262

Mar 25, 2025Engine

The component or system failed or malfunction: The oil pump failed because of the belt the operated the pump. The oil pump drive belt material degraded lost teeth,resulting in a loss of oil pressure and also causing the engine to seize up. Safety or risks: There was no safety risks because I was able to control the vehicle and get it off the road safely. The problem has been reported to the dealer and vehicle is still in possession of the dealer. There was no advance warning lamps or messages prior the the failure.The vehicle just stalled out and could not be re-started. The vehicle has only been inspected by the dealer at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11650535

Mar 21, 2025Engine & coolingEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the oil light illuminated, and the contact became aware that there was oil leaking from the oil pan. The contact also became aware that there was a rod that had slightly detached from the oil pan. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted; however, the contact was unable to speak with a representative. The failure mileage was 114,000.

NHTSA ODI 11649796

Mar 3, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly shuddered and jerked before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the clutch position sensor, and the battery monitoring sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11645949

Feb 25, 2025Engine

January 2025 Vehicle experienced verified oil belt tensioner failure as the same in the recall #23564 My VIN is not in the recall list even though it is the same make model and year of the effected vehicles. The reason I believe it is not on the recall list is due to that they only included automatic transmissions and not the vin's of manual transmission. I have a manual transmission and so my VIN reflects a manual transmission. The transmission has nothing to do with the oil belt tensioner in this case as the motor/oil belt tensioners are the same design. I am requesting for an expedited review of this information to get all manual transmissions added onto the recall list which I've been told by Ford that only you can add vehicles to that list.

NHTSA ODI 11644769

Feb 25, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact’s son owns a 2017 Ford Focus. While the contact’s son was pulling into a parking space, the vehicle lost motive power, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle then failed to exceed 10 MPH. The vehicle failed to start and was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11644863

Feb 10, 2025Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at slow speeds in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was unable to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway; however, bystanders assisted in pushing the vehicle to a safe location. The vehicle was unable to be restarted. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel sensor. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 24N07. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,000.

NHTSA ODI 11641756

Jan 29, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, after the light had changed, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the engine revved but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to turn off and restart the vehicle; however, after shifting to drive (D) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to move. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several years before, and the check engine and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

NHTSA ODI 11639389

Jan 28, 2025BrakesEngine

Car has loss of power, loss of power brakes, low engine oil pressure. Current recall 23S64 does not cover my vin but my car is experiencing the same issues. My car is in the same date range and has the same engine. Car was diagnosed with bad oil pump/belt. I have contacted Ford multiple times about having my car included in recall with no resolution.

NHTSA ODI 11639144

Jan 27, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngine

I started driving and the car seemed to act rough. I went up a small hill and I had almost no power halfway up. The car showed the symbol of the little car that looks like it is sliding. I had to chug up the rest of the hill fighting the car itself because there was no where else to go. It kept revving but went no more than about ten mph. Once I got over the top I pulled into someone's driveway so I could get back home. I was unable to reverse. The car just revved. I had to turn off the car, put it in neutral, and push the car backwards out of the driveway. I was able to start the car and nurse it home, but it jumped and revved the entire time. I tried to use down hills to my advantage and barely paused at stop signs for fear of getting stuck on the road. I got to my house and parked. Now the car only starts when it wants to. I checked codes and got P287A for the clutch. I haven't called Ford for service options yet because I really don't know what to do and have no idea how I'd get there. I think this car should have been included in the powertrain recall because this came out of nowhere.

NHTSA ODI 11638971

Jan 24, 2025Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating, and failed to properly shift gears. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with clutch failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the clutch had previously been repaired and sealed by the same local dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

NHTSA ODI 11638234

Jan 24, 2025Engine

I was driving on I-90 at speed when the engine red warning light came on and the engine lost power and started making a lot of noise. I had to pull off on the shoulder of the interstate and shut down engine. Waited for 5 minutes and restarted engine but the warning light remained on. Fortunately, I was near an exit and limped to my maintenance provider. Their diagnosis was that the oil pump had failed and it was providing no oil pressure at all. They also said that there was an existing recall #23V905000 that pertained to this failure of the oil pump. I then contacted Ford and was told that my VIN number was not linked to the recall number because my car has a manual transmission. It is obvious that the recall is due to an engine oil pump failure and that has absolutely nothing to do with either a manual or automatic transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11638348

Jan 23, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling very rough. The contact stated that while idling, the vehicle shuddered and jerked significantly, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. The contact was able to restart the vehicle with assistance. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had illuminated several times. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where diagnostic trouble codes related to a stuck canister purge valve were retrieved. Additionally, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch and the engine mount needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. 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 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11638007

Jan 17, 2025Engine

The contact owns a 2017 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 low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with oil pump failure. The contact was informed that the oil pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall repair or special warranty programs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

NHTSA ODI 11636618

Jan 15, 2025Engine

Dear NHTSA Recall Division, I am writing to bring to your attention a safety and performance issue related to a potential defect in the EVAP canister purge valve of my 2017 ford focus, which may be linked to the previously issued recall for this component. The EVAP canister purge valve in my vehicle has become stuck in the open position, resulting in the engine burning an excessive amount of fuel. This has led to an overly rich fuel mixture, which has placed significant strain on the vehicle's catalytic converter. As a result, the converter is showing signs of damage, including clogging, rough idle, and potential stalling Given the severity of this issue, I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate the potential consequences of this defect and determine if the damage to the catalytic converter—stemming from the malfunctioning purge valve—should be addressed through an expanded recall. The defect appears to not only affect engine performance but could also present long-term risks to vehicle safety, including the possibility of unexpected stalling while driving. I respectfully ask for guidance on the appropriate steps to take in order to address this matter, including whether additional recalls or safety measures will be initiated to cover the catalytic converter damage caused by the faulty EVAP canister purge valve. Additionally, I would appreciate any further instructions on how to proceed with obtaining repairs or replacements for the defective parts. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and assistance in ensuring the safety and performance of affected vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11636145

Jan 7, 2025Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 25-35 MPH, the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and waited for a while before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal after driving a short distance. The oil pressure warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was towed to dealer where it was diagnosed with oil pump failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11634614

Jan 3, 2025EngineFuel systemDriver assistance

Cruise control fails constantly, has trouble picking up speed going up hills. Can't maintain speed on hills and sloaps. Gave to dealership for two months said it was fine only for them to tell me they had no mechanic. Engine continues to fail and they won't check for new recall for free on my car. My check ending light is currently on, I believe it is the same issue with the other Ford Focus recall.

NHTSA ODI 11633798

Dec 30, 2024Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal whining sound was coming from the vehicle and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the “Service Engine Soon” message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact used a code reader and retrieved information that the failure was related to the ECU (Engine Control Unit). Due to the failure, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on several occasions where the turbo assembly, purge valve, related hoses, and gaskets, engine mount, coolant expansion tank, and various other parts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was provided a case number and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

NHTSA ODI 11633109

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Working with the data? Download all 888 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 2017 Ford Focus verdict →