What 743 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Focus Bev

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate and had experienced hard shifting from first to second gear. The check engine warning light illuminated and the warning message "transmission Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who replaced that clutch actuator but the failure was not remedied. The contact was advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered.

NHTSA ODI 11632374

My vehicle seized up as I was driving it and I wrecked it aside a median. I had to tow it to the ford dealership for them to diagnose it as the recall stated. The recall wasn’t officially out yet, so I had to tow my vehicle back to my house. This happened in February 2024. I have received a new engine, but had to continue to make payments on a car that I was not able to drive and only received a rental within the past 6 weeks since I have paid for new brakes, new battery, new tires, and an alignment. None of these things were covered for the recall except the engine. The dealership clearly states that because my car has been sitting I have to purchase these other items. I have reached out to corporate and the dealership and haven’t gotten anywhere. I don’t know if even doing this will help, but I definitely feel taken advantage of. I think someone should reimburse me for tires and battery due to the extended time it sat. Heck, even the brakes too.

NHTSA ODI 11632177

My clutch (dual clutch automatic trans) has been replaced 4+ times in less than 5 years. It will be ok for a few months and act up again. My Trans shutters and shakes bad usually in 1st gear when I'm moving from a stop. Its now affecting 2nd gear. This started happening a few months after buying the car which only had 41,000 miles. I am now out of manufacture warranty. The problem consist.

NHTSA ODI 11631979

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11631182

The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start and failed to accelerate above 15 MPH while driving. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact's son pulled over and restarted the vehicle and an abnormal burning odor was coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the clutch and actuator motor were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 65,607.

NHTSA ODI 11630185

In June of 2022 We were driving when all the dashboard lit up saying stop immediately, get to a mechanic, engine light and every light was on. We happen to be right near the Ford dealership in our town and pulled right in. After diagnosing it we were told it needed a new engine as the one we have had metal in the oil, it was froze, they had no idea a car with such low miles would do this, that is until they looked it up and found the recall on this car saying this exact thing could happen. It cost $6000 to have it fixed, this was in 2022. We keep getting told parts would be in to fix this problem, Now its almost 2025 and still waiting on parts,, are we to lose another engine? Which by the way, we want a full refund on the one we had to have fixed,, wouldnt have happened if Ford didnt have this problem with their cars.

NHTSA ODI 11629863

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch assembly needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (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 to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11629762

I bought this car it was used by two other owners. I bought a new battery for this car but there is some kind of electrical problem with smell coming from vents and the radio system keeps shutting off.. keeps giving me a message on the screen that says shit off admission or restart engine to save battery then my whole radio system turns off till I turn off my car... Also now it time 4 tries to start my engine. Dash board will turn on but not engine..

NHTSA ODI 11629472

The car would not accelerate or shift gears. It just happened out of the blue with no warning. I kept up with maintenance schedule and it wasn't even recommended to have checked until 150,000 according to the owners manual that came with the car. I was only at 98,443 miles and had no warning lights or no leaks. I was driving with my grandchildren and was lucky I could coast safely off the road. I had it towed to the local dealership. The tech found that the car needed a NEW transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11628050

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the transmission failed to properly shift between first and second gear, and the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 MPH. Additionally, the vehicle failed to respond while shifting into reverse. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the dual input clutch assembly, shift fork, and clutch actuator were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11626145

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that soon after starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle then failed to accelerate above 35 MPH and was driven to an independent mechanic. A diagnostic test was performed on the vehicle and the contact was instructed to stop driving the vehicle due to a drive belt failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); which was linked to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 52,595. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11625891

Driving into a parking lot the check engine light came on and the vehicle would only move about 10 mph - parked the vehicle and returning to the vehicle it would not go into reverse or any forward gear.06

NHTSA ODI 11625659

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to drive at any speed, the vehicle would jerk aggressively while either accelerating or decelerating, The contact also noted that when shifting the vehicle in reverse, the vehicle would move very slowly. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch and both forks needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 148,406.

NHTSA ODI 11625609

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11625466

After filling up gas tank, car continues to sputter and tries to stall. This only happens after filling tank.

NHTSA ODI 11625138

My car stalls when I get gas. If I get gas, I have to try multiple times to start my car and once it starts, I can’t stop. If I stop, my car will turn off and I have to start it again. My car has died in intersections and on streets many times. I called ford and they told me that I am basically out of luck and will have to have it repaired on my own dime even though I am having the same symptoms of a current recall.

NHTSA ODI 11624762

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light and the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the timing belt needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the thermostat had recently been replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the manufacturer was unable to confirm when parts would be available. The failure mileage was 63,895. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11623891

I was driving to church on I-95 north bound when my sunroof exploded and shattered on me and inside my car

NHTSA ODI 11623255

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11622950

On several occasions over the last several thousand miles, several issues have developed (all without warning at the time of first occurrence). At random times the engine will shut off when lifting out of the throttle. The car will run out of fuel before the fuel gauge is on empty or the "Miles to Empty" indicator state there are more miles to empty. Additionally, when shutting off the car to fuel at a gas station, the car takes up to a minute of cranking to re-start. When it starts, it will randomly shut off for the first several minutes unless throttle is applied before it shuts off. On 10/30/24 when driving with the gas gauge and range to empty indicators not on empty, the car stalled when beginning a slight climb, leaving the car stranded at night in the left most lane of traffic. This suggests fuel tank deformation. When issues started, the Canister Purge Valve was tested and found to be working correctly. It appears Recall 18V-735 is the issue here. Every symptom related to Recall 18V-735 is being experienced ("malfunctioning Canister Purge Valve (CPV) that can stick open and a Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software that does not adequately detect a stuck-open CPV. A CPV that is stuck open in these vehicles can cause excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system, potentially deforming the fuel tank. If this occurs, the customer may observe a Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL), inaccurate or erratic fuel gauge indication, drivability concerns or loss of motive power."). Expanding this recall to cover 2018 Ford Focus with the 1.0L Ecoboost seems prudent as Ford should update the PCM to avoid drivers of this vehicle being stranded in unsafe situations.

NHTSA ODI 11622960

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11622589

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, where the vehicle failed to respond while in reverse(R). The contact drove to the residence at 5 MPH. The contact scanned the vehicle with a vehicle scanner and retrieved a DTC code related to the B-fork. The contact contacted an independent mechanic and was informed that the torque converter might have failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621978

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after the vehicle was refueled, the vehicle failed to start. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had started a year ago; however, the failure had since become persistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with canister purge valve failure. The contact was informed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621691

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked violently. The transmission and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the clutch actuator; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621699

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11621782