Home · 2018 Ford Focus Bev · Complaints

What 743 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 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 (743)Crash / fire / injury (21)Transmission & drivetrain (285)Engine (195)Fuel system (181)Engine & cooling (108)Electrical system (38)Steering (30)Speed control (23)Brakes (21)Airbags (8)Body & structure (6)

195 of 743 complaints match · Engine · clear filters · page 8 of 8

Nov 14, 2019SteeringEngineFuel system

THE 2018 FORD FOCUS HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOUR TIMES FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RELATING TO THE VAPER/VACUUM HOSE, SENSOR OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. IN ADDITION, THE FOCUS NOW HAS A BROKEN STEERING GEAR. I WAS DRIVING ON THE CITY STREET WHEN IT WENT OUT, AND THANKFULLY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE NEAR.

NHTSA ODI 11280175

Oct 22, 2019Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED WHILE ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MAXWELL FORD (5000 S IH 35 FRONTAGE RD, AUSTIN, TX 78745, (512) 443-5000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PURGE VALVE FAILED. THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED AT THE COST OF $425. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED AS TO WHY HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE UNKNOWN RECALL. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED TO KEEP THE REPAIR PAPERWORK IN CASE OF A FUTURE RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSFERRED TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,839.

NHTSA ODI 11270175

Sep 26, 2019Transmission & drivetrainEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER 25 MINUTES. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, BUT COOLED DOWN ONCE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GILLIE HYDE AUTO GROUP (610A HAPPY VALLEY RD, GLASGOW, KY 42141, (888) 621-5047) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V735000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11258410

Sep 24, 2019Transmission & drivetrainEngine

THE TRANSMISSION LUGS OR SLIPS WHEN GOING FROM A STOPPED POSITION. IT WILL EVENTUALLY GO AND SEEMS TO BE FINE ONCE I AM OVER 25 MILES PER HOUR. IT STARTED ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGO AND SEEMS TO BE MORE FREQUENT. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS ABOUT 30,000 MILES ON IT. IT GETS REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND IS NOT DRIVEN ROUGHLY.

NHTSA ODI 11257772

Sep 23, 2019Engine

WHILE SITTING AT A LIGHT OR CORNER AFTER A STOP THE CAR SHAKES & BOUNCES UNTIL I MOVE AGAIN, ONLY 15000 MILES ON IT. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER.

NHTSA ODI 11257344

Sep 6, 2019EngineFuel system

THE ENGINE STALLED ONCE ON AUGUST 20TH, 2019 WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. EACH TIME THAT I FILL THE TANK WITH FUEL I HAVE TO TRY 2-3 TIMES TO START ENGINE AS IT MAKES A NOISE AS IF I'M COMPLETELY OUT OF FUEL THOUGH IT'S A FULL TANK AND I'M STILL AT THE PUMP. FORD DEALERSHIP STATED TO ME THIS IS "NORMAL" FOR ALL CARS THOUGH I'VE NEVER DEALT WITH THIS AND AT 39 I'VE HAD SEVERAL CARS.

NHTSA ODI 11253728

Aug 18, 2019Engine

CAR STALLS

NHTSA ODI 11244768

Aug 15, 2019Transmission & drivetrainEngine

THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SKIPPING WHICH CAUSED A BELT TO BREAK INSIDE THE ENGINE AND THEN THE OIL PUMP WENT OUT. HAD AN OIL CHANGE AROUND JULY 1ST AND NOTHING WAS WRONG. FORD CLAIMS IT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE I WAS OVER 2,000 MILES ON AN OIL CHANGE.

NHTSA ODI 11244103

Aug 12, 2019Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system

MY CAR STARTED HAVING A CLUTCH SHUDDER BEFORE IT WAS A YEAR OLD. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FIRST TIME AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE ADAPTIVE LEARN FEATURE, AND RESET THE COMPUTER. IT WAS STILL DOINF IT AND I TOOK IT BACK WITHIN A WEEK. I WAS TOLD ITS A FORD CLUTCH PROBLEM, BUT UNTIL IT GETS BAD ENOUGH TO REGISTER IN THE COMPUTER I HAD TO KEEP DRIVING IT. THEN THE GEAR SHIFT CABLE BROKE, IT CAME OUT OF THE TRANSMITION AND HAD TO BE FIXED, AT THE SAME TIME I HAD THE CLUTCH RE-CHECKED AND IT FINALLY REGISTERED BAD IN THE COMPUTER AND WAS REPLACED. 1 WEEK AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK IT STRTED OVERHEATING AND HAD TO GO BACK TO THE SHOP (8/7/19), I ALSO REALIZED WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE CAR HAD BURNT THROUGH AROUND 1/2 TANK OF FUELS IN A LITTLE OVER 60 MILES. I WAS TOLD THE COOLING FAN JUST STOPPED WORKING AND WAS REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI 11243296

Jul 23, 2019Engine

TRANSMISSION VIBRATION INVOLVING DOUBLE CLUTCH @ SPEEDS 13 -18 MPH IN MOTION.

NHTSA ODI 11234029

Jun 26, 2019Transmission & drivetrainEngine

2018 FORD FOCUS SEL . VEHICLE HESITATES OR SHUDDERS WHEN TAKING OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11222833

May 3, 2019EngineFuel system

FORD FOCUS, HESITATING WHEN DRIVING, ENGINE STOPPED WHILE DRIVING AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED.OVER PERIOD OF TIME, HEARD STRANGE NOISES LIKE A LOUD BOOM WHILE DRIVING. HAPPENS ONLY WHEN GAS LEVEL IS AROUND HALF TANK. DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE VIN.CUT OFF HAPPENED AFTER MAKING A TURN ALSO THE BOOM NOISE. HESITATION USUALLY ON SLIGHT UPHILL. DEALER SAID THEY WILL CHECK WITH FORD COMPANY ABOUT THIS. I'M ACTUALLY AFRAID TO DRIVE IT ANYMORE, IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11205514

Apr 23, 2019Engine

WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE AFTER DECREASING SPEED IT SHOOTS UP IN RPM AND WILL BARELY MOVE UNTIL I LET GO OF GAS AND ALLOW IT SOME TIME. IT'S AS IF I'M REVVING MY ENGINE WITH THE THE BRAKE APPLIED. ITS SLOWLY GETTING WORSE. I'M UP TO DATE ON ALL MY MAINTENANCE AND THE CAR IS AT APPROX 17500 MILES. I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW IN AUGUST.

NHTSA ODI 11203048

Apr 23, 2019Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CROWN FORD (256 SWAIN STREET, FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28303) WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: CAS-17722233. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

NHTSA ODI 11203193

Feb 25, 2019Engine

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN OCTOBER OF 2018. THE TRANSMISSION HAS STARTED TO FAIL, WITH SHUDDERING, STALLING AND JUMPING AT ACCELARATIONS. THIS IS THE SECOND FOCUS MODEL THAT I HAVE HAD DIFFICULTIES WITH.

NHTSA ODI 11182464

Feb 9, 2019Engine

THE FUEL SYSTEM

NHTSA ODI 11175938

Jan 22, 2019Transmission & drivetrainBrakesEngine

THE 2018 FORD FOCUS TI STARTED TO GIVE ME PROBLEMS WHEN BRAKING AND ACCELERATING, THE FIST WAS WHEN TAKING OFF AT A STOP LIGHT, THE FOCUS ACCELERATED MORE WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND BRAKING TO A CAR IN FRONT OF ME, IT WAS LIKE I WAS HITTING GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME. AFTER THAT ON THE SAME DAY I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL AND IT WAS ACCELERATING WITH OUT PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL I HIT THE BRAKES AGAIN AND IT FINALLY STOPPED, WHEN I GOT TO MY DESTINATION I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND AGAIN PRESS THE BRAKE IT REVVED UP TO 3000 RPMS AND DID NOT STOP UNTIL I PRESS THE RUN/STOP BUTTON. THE NEXT DAY I WAS DRIVING AND DID A HARD STOP IT ABOUT STALLED WITH RPMS GOING DOWN TO 400 AND FLUCTUATING UP TO 1200 RPMS, WITH ALL THIS WAS GOING ON MY BRAKES FELT SOFT THEN HARD, THE TRANSMISSION ALSO CLICKED TWO TIMES WHEN HARD STOPPING.

NHTSA ODI 11171466

Dec 6, 2018EngineFuel system

MY 2018 FORD FOCUS ST IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS THE CURRENT CAMPAIGN 18V735. ON OCCASION THE VEHICLE DIPS DOWN ON RPMS AS IF ITS GOING TO STALL ON START UP. ITS NOT RECORDED AS CURRENT RECALL ON MY VIN BUT I BELIEVE THE SAME ISSUE IS OCCURRING.

NHTSA ODI 11156658

Oct 30, 2018Electrical systemEngine

I WAS DRIVING NORMALLY AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITH NO WARNING (LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT OFF) THEN CAME BACK UP. NOT LONG AFTER THIS, I CAME ACROSS AN ARTICLE THAT SUGGESTED A CURRENT RECALL COULD BE TO BLAME FOR THIS BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. IT SHOULD BE. (DATE OF OCCURRENCE IS APPROXIMATE.)

NHTSA ODI 11144048

Mar 4, 2018Transmission & drivetrainEngine

FROM A COMPLETE STOP (DUE TO STOPPED TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY OR WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT), ACCELERATION CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO HESITATE, RAPIDLY INCREASE RPM, AND SHUDDER/SHAKE VIOLENTLY. HAPPENS ROUGHLY BETWEEN 0-35 MPH. THE ISSUE IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT, SO I'LL BE TAKING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP. MILEAGE IS JUST UNDER 30K.

NHTSA ODI 11076145

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Working with the data? Download all 743 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 22, 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 2018 Ford Focus Bev verdict →