Home · 2017 Ford Focus · Complaints

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)

177 of 888 complaints match · Fuel system · clear filters · page 4 of 8

Mar 15, 2023Fuel system

The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the canister purge valve had failed. The mechanic then informed him of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact attempted to reach the dealer but was unsuccessful. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

NHTSA ODI 11512052

Feb 24, 2023Fuel systemEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after her daughter refueled the vehicle, there was an abnormal rumbling noise detected and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed her about the codes regarding the canister purge valve. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ODI 11508966

Feb 14, 2023Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle needed to be refueled more frequently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where various fuel system failure codes were retrieved, and it was determined that the canister purge valve, carbon canister, and fuel tank needed to be replaced. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 65,200.

NHTSA ODI 11507254

Feb 1, 2023Fuel systemTransmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering while shifting from first gear. Additionally, after refueling, the vehicle hesitated to restart. The contact also stated while driving, the transmission was slipping. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that there was an issue with the fuel system. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the purge valve being stuck open. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11505002

Jan 16, 2023Fuel system

Service engine light is on and code reader indicates the Canister purge valve is malfunctioning causing excessive vacuum in the fuel management system. Ford has recalled certain 2012-2018 Ford focus vehicles for this. Recall is 18S32. My vin is not on their list for a recall but obviously should have been. Car idles rough and after refueling is hard to start... I have to try 3 or 4 time before it starts.

NHTSA ODI 11502043

Jan 13, 2023Fuel systemTransmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the canister purge valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking and hesitating while attempting to accelerate. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) or 18V845000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recalls. The failure mileage was 100.

NHTSA ODI 11501651

Dec 30, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and at various speeds, the check engine warning light would illuminate. The contact stated that she noticed a drop in fuel economy. Additionally, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would hesitate. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle was refueled, the vehicle would not immediately start as needed. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that once she drove the vehicle a few miles the shaking would stop. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that there might be water in the gasoline. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic retrieved codes: P2196 and P1450. The independent mechanic advised the contact that the codes were symptoms of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,138.

NHTSA ODI 11499587

Dec 16, 2022Fuel system

Check engine code shows on dash, when checked by mechanic it leads to faulty canister purge valve. The vehicle shutters and stalls intermittently.

NHTSA ODI 11497684

Dec 6, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after her daughter refueled the vehicle, the vehicle experienced rough idling and then stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair had previously been performed. The vehicle was not repaired a second time. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11496198

Nov 30, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, after refueling, the vehicle would not immediately start. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic and the local dealer who diagnosed that the purge valve was faulty, causing the fuel tank to become deformed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was 35,000.

NHTSA ODI 11495450

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

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, 2022Fuel system

Purge valve failure causing stalling

NHTSA ODI 11485737

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 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

Aug 25, 2022Fuel system

EVAP EMISSION PURGE VALVE FORD HAS A RECALL BUT VIN.NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL

NHTSA ODI 11481263

Aug 24, 2022Fuel system

The contact called on behalf of a client who owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated the client was at a stop light when the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The client restarted the vehicle and drove to the independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the failure to be a stuck canister purge valve. The mechanic also related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,763.

NHTSA ODI 11481016

Aug 5, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle and driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving; however, the contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring after refueling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that fuel tank vacuum system had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that her vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown recall as the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11477713

Jul 25, 2022Fuel system

The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that soon after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle shut off without warning. The contact stated that his wife would depress the accelerator pedal to prevent the vehicle from inadvertently stalling. The contact stated that initially, no warning lights had appeared on the instrument panel; however, recently the check engine warning light had illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer however, the mechanic found no failure with the vehicle. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test showed that the vehicle had a defective PCV valve. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the mechanic informed him that he was familiar with the failure; however, he was provided an estimate for a diagnostic fee. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11475644

Jun 13, 2022Fuel system

What caused me to realize my car had safety issues was roughly 6 months ago when my car died at the pump after turning on. It chugged for a good 3 seconds as the dash lights flickered and it stalled. I was able to just turn it off and restart it after 2+ tries, and I wondered if It was too hot or if I put premium in, just playing it off. I thought I let the car get too low on E too, so I didn't think too much about it at the time as it didn't seem to happen for quite some time again. I filled my car all the way full at the first occurrence and mcurrently gets 29.8mpg. It started being consistently a problem when I started to refill on half a tank of gas or lower. The car starts to work harder and you can feel it wanting to die while I'm driving. The battery light does not stay on or come on the dash after the car starts so I know it wasn't the alternator at the time either. I was parked on a slight incline at under a quarter tank and I had to put my car in neutral and roll start it. It wasn't drastic or anything but the car was being weird and idling hard, but my RPMs stayed at normal levels. It just was shaking after starting. That's when I realized that the gasoline tank was not only having issues after I pumped gas. My check engine finally came on and a valve sensor for the gas tank was signaled. The car seems to run harder after starting up and it finally died on me while I was parked and idling. The battery was replaced at 55,643, mi.; Check engine light signaled at 53,000 roughly. - The car is available upon request. - I currently own a 2017 Ford focus & I bought it certified used from a Dodge dealership in Northern Kentucky. - It didn't signal any warning lamps or other signs of failure until it hit 5 y.o. and after I refueled my tank. I started to panic because I was going to be late for work and I had no time for this. -My car has been serviced twice to confirm diagnosis; Once for a simple oil change & code reader, and then at a certified local repair.

NHTSA ODI 11469079

Apr 27, 2022Fuel systemFire

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus ST. The contact stated that when he proceeded to start his vehicle, the vehicle would not start. The contact stated that he then had his vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who was able to start his vehicle by placing air in the fuel tank. The contact stated that once the vehicle started, there was a huge amount of black smoke. The contact stated that he was advised by the mechanic that he had a deforming fuel tank that was causing the failure. The contact stated that no warning lights had illuminated the vehicle at the time. The contact stated that he was able to drive his vehicle back to his residence, however, when he attempted to restart the vehicle, it would not start. The contact stated that he then contacted both the dealer and manufacturer who advised him that there was a recall, however, his vehicle was not a part of the recall NHTSA campaign 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was 83,000.

NHTSA ODI 11462512

Apr 20, 2022Fuel system

Recalled for fuel system issue. Issue was fixed at dealership. The issue still persists even after problem was “fixed” at ford dealership. Gas is not getting to the engine.

NHTSA ODI 11461575

Apr 13, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle off the lot, the engine fault and the service engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. Additionally, after refueling, the vehicle would inadvertently stall. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that an unknown software update was performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11460658

Apr 4, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the RPM gauge was fluctuating while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a canister purge valve failure. The dealer informed the contact that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

NHTSA ODI 11459538

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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 →