What 743 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Focus Bev

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to shift gear, the transmission was slipping and failed to register the intended gear. The failure caused the vehicle to stall, and the vehicle needed to be restarted to change gear. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11514636

I keep having an off and on check engine light with a P1450 code for the last two months. I’ve looked up my vehicle history. I found that my vehicle came up as a 2.0L GDI engine type which my car would qualify under the recall. But when I look up my vin, it tells me no. What do I do? I just financed this vehicle in October.

NHTSA ODI 11511687

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to shift into 2nd gear at 4,000 RPM. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, who diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced; however, the replacement part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11511711

My 2018 Ford Focus has a recall, it has been in the service center since November for non-repairable issues. Ford Motor company has lacked transparency and disclosures by lying about the recalls and defects as more than one the Ford certified dealership confirmed my emissions warranty and recall on parts but the manufacture continues to deny any sort of warranty and recall which is “VIN” specific but my engine and transmission falls under the classification of the recall “1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission.” Recall is for 2016-2018 and mine is a 2018. The condition and symptoms of just under 49k miles has these ongoing, Non-repairable issues as it’s since had its Clutch motor replaced, Transmission Control Module that was on a National back order because thousands of other vehicles identical to mine have the same issues but some do and some have “no recalls on their VINs” but after even this part was replaced, my vehicle still being in the service center, just like other past and pending lawsuits have stated - one part is replaced and the other malfunctions because now, after 5 months and four clear diagnostics - after the TCM was replaced, my vehicles Clutch Levers have malfunctioned all while still not operating the vehicle. The battery was also completely dead after being tested and fully replaced less than 3k miles ago. These Clutch Levers part is apparently not covered under any warranties and the manufacturer is not willing to pay for out of pocket expenses nor am I in the position to continue to invest in repairing, diagnosis, insurances, transportation, etc., but I don’t want to sell a vehicle that’s not safe to drive. I’d like some sort of an arbitration or buy-back option with the manufacturer but they’ve declined accountability because they’ve stated my VIN has no recall, and they’re administered from this department. I’ve filed several ongoing claims and I really hope this could be investigated internally as time is of the essence!

NHTSA ODI 11510910

Hesitation, stuttering, and lack of power have plagued me since purchasing 2022. When I put my foot on the accelerator the car should go. My car decides to take a coffee break, then smoke break, then bathroom, another smoke break then decides to go.

NHTSA ODI 11510311

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and vibrated abnormally. There was message indicating that "transmission was overheating" displayed. The contact also stated that after refueling the vehicle would fail to immediately start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the purge valve, motor mounts, and shift motor were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11508678

Vehicle GPS goes out and I have no idea if/when the road changes (curves, turns, and if I'm on the correct road or not) apparently APIM module goes out all the time. From stop to start vehicle shudders, lurches, and hesitates. Several times wrecks were miraculously avoided. It's only a matter of time before one does. While driving vehicle looses power, high revs, and losing MPG. For being fuel efficient its burning a lot of it. Ford refuses to even acknowledge my problem. Waiting for my powertrain warranty to expire which is very soon.

NHTSA ODI 11508257

The Ford DPS6 transmission has lost reverse and buck, jerks and possibly sudden acceleration. It’s a 2018 Ford Focus with the same issues as the 2012 models and up.

NHTSA ODI 11507540

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started to shudder and then decelerated without warning. The contact stated that after several minutes the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the clutch was replaced, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the transmission module was updated, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again and the mechanic stated that the transmission module needed to be updated. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 8,000.

NHTSA ODI 11507497

The vehicle is a 2018 Ford Focus SE sedan. The purge valve canister caused my car to stall in traffic and it would not start for up to 20 minutes the recall number is 18s32 but my car specifically does not have this recall, the service engine light is on it turned on right before the car stalled, this is a safety issue because it could lead to a crash due to stalling. The transmission is slipping when it is cold outside and it will not shift until 7,000RPM there is no recall on this but my vehicle has 74xxx miles and should not be having this issue, there is no warning light about the transmission. Ford is going to do a diagnostics for my purge valve but has stated they will not repair unless I pay for it due to lack of recall.

NHTSA ODI 11506993

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine light illuminated. The contact diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved information indicating a transmission failure. While driving to an independent mechanic at 30 MPH, a message to "Pull Over Safely" appeared on the instrument panel as the vehicle started to overheat. The vehicle was diagnosed by the independent mechanic with a defective clutch. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 11506282

The transmission is going out, they’ve replaced it and it’s still a bad transmission. Having a bad transmission could cause the car to shut off in the middle of the road causing an accident. My engine is constantly overheating, my car gives me warnings to stop the car because of overheating. I can’t even drive on the expressway because i’m scared my car is going to blow up or something. The electrical inside the car does not work, i can’t unlock the doors on the driver side but on the passenger side i can. The sunshade blocking thing you pull down lights don’t come on, nothing about the car really works. The car jerks when driving like it’s about to shut off in the middle of the road, that’s a safety defect or whatever you wanna call it. The car makes a ticking noise when you start it up and OH the idle, let me tell you about the idling of this car. I could be driving 25-35 MPH and the car idles up to 5! literally, it’s unsafe! I have to use my flash light at night when getting things out my car, getting my baby brother out of the car. it don’t make sense.

NHTSA ODI 11505765

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated she noticed the vehicle was not shifting correctly while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the clutch was replaced, but the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 88.

NHTSA ODI 11505852

Car will not go in reverse transmission went out and needs tcm repair, so to shift fork b circuit going out causing damage to transmission

NHTSA ODI 11505027

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the transmission experienced rough shifting while the vehicle jumped, and the engine revved loudly. The transmission fault message was displayed. Additionally, the fuel gauge level was inaccurate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control unit (TCU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,474.

NHTSA ODI 11504387

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the transmission started to hard shift. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, but the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

NHTSA ODI 11501617

The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where contact’s son was informed that there were several possible causes for the failure; and he was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under warranty or recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11501478

My son was driving home from Boston on 12/18/22, where he attends college. About 30 minutes into his drive home to NJ his car slowed down tremendously, and his RPMs were shooting up and down like crazy. He has about 69k miles on his vehicle. We get it towed to a Ford dealership in Medford, MA. The next day I drive from NJ to the dealership where they tell us that they have seen this problem a lot lately with 2018 Focus' and it could possibly be the TCM, which has a recall on it. Well unfortunately his VIN does not fall under the recall. Personally, if there is a recall on this powertrain issue for certain VINs, it should be on all of them. Who can afford 4200.00 nowadays to pay for their vehicle to get repaired???? Especially a college student. We got him this car brand new in 2018. Well come to find out after they diagnosed it, it is the TCM. Code that the computer found is P07 ALPHA5.

NHTSA ODI 11500243

Purchased a Ford Focus 2018 (42,000k miles) in August 2019 from Drive Time Stone Mountain as a graduation gift for my daughter. In December 2019, while driving she notices her ECO went out and it no longer turned off when the car stopped, 2 weeks later the car stops in the middle of the street. We take it to a dealership in Statesboro, GA where she attends college and they inform us that the motor needs to be replaced. The motor is replaced and the ECO comes back on but goes off again in abt 3 mos. not even a yr later same thing happens same diagnostic of motor went out. The same FORD dealership installs a new one. Sept 2022, she is driving car stops a good Samaritan who happens to be a mechanic told her its the motor and power train and it will cost $7000 to replace because we are 60 days past warranty. Needless to say the car is still there. I have since purchased her a Kia with a lifetime engine. However, I need for this FOCUS to be fixed as a good will courtesy so I can sell it or trade it in. Paying $550 a month for a note and insurance for a non working car SUCKS! By the way, the car has 61,000k miles on it when it went out this last time. The sad part is that there are hundreds of FORD FOCUS owners with the same issue! Why not put a recall on this hunk of junk??!!!!

NHTSA ODI 11499364

2018 Ford Focus shutters, bucks when starting out from stopped position. Vibrates and lunges. RPM's too high. Dealer could not duplicate issue when I took it in

NHTSA ODI 11497319

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11496046

This VIN needs to be updated clearly because I was experiencing transmission issues that were extremely unsafe causing the vehicle to jerk left and ride on the road as well as not go into reverse - I almost got killed by upcoming traffic!!!! Ford as well as the dealership took no accountability but stated there was a recall with the clutch system and it needed to be replaced as well as codes that needed to be reset. My vehicles year, make, and model indeed have similar recalls so my VIN should be under that classification as well because it left the repair shop with $1,000 worth of repairs and it arrived to me unable to start! There’s still internal issues and unfixable transmission issues like many of the pending lawsuits have stated.

NHTSA ODI 11495236

The car sputters consistently in 2nd gear

NHTSA ODI 11494107

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started to stall as if there was no gasoline inside the fuel tank. The contact stated that the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after several attempts the vehicle started as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the PCV needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11493518

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds and accelerating, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the clutch was replaced. The failure reoccurred and the clutch was replaced three times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was 600 miles over the warranty, and the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11492062