What 743 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Focus Bev

While driving service transmission light came on, car won't shift, no reverse, 76,000 Miles on car. Check engine light on but no codes showing. No warning as this happened.

NHTSA ODI 11490579

bought my car 2018 ford focus in 2019 used. its since been at the dealership 3 times. transmission is jerking and taking off by itself. they had my car for 5 months said it was fixed but almost a year later doing the same thing. the warranty just ran out, they said i would have to pay for it. the car is very dangerous. i still owe 10000 on the car. i am so heartbroken. i have no one to help me.

NHTSA ODI 11488681

The automatic transmission control module has malfunctioned. When the car is stopped and the accelerator is pressed, the car will stall and jolt forward. This is an extreme safety risk as it could cause an accident and could be a life or death situation. The problem has been confirmed and diagnosed by a dealer. The vehicle was inspected by the manufacture company . The check engine light appeared as the vehicle was being given to the dealership for inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11487900

I hit 75,000 miles in my Focus. Got routined maintenance. Having issues with the transmission. While driving the car it skips from 1st to 3rd, it will not reverse, and I have to get it jump started half the time. Haven’t been able to drive my car since 05/2022. Ford acknowledged my recall but the VIN number isn’t the same, so they aren’t willing to help out much. The amount of money it’s going to take to fix this car will not be worth it.

NHTSA ODI 11487367

Transmission / Clutch Slippage. Apparently a well known issue for the 2018 Ford Focus. I am now looking at my 3rd replacement for the clutch as it continues to fail, most recently within 10k miles from the last replacement. Vehicle has less than 85k. Simple daily driving and the vehicle transmission starts to slip gears when leaving a stop, from 1st to 2nd gear. This is not good when crossing larger interceptions or going up hills. The longer I drive the vehicle, the worse it gets. Ford is well aware of this issue with the 2018 and earlier models, as are the Ford dealerships and Focus owners.

NHTSA ODI 11486550

The clutch on the vehicle continues to fail. It has been replaced three times by a ford dealer. When taking off from a stopped position the vehicle makes a grinding noise and shudders when switching from first to second gear(Around 16mph). The shudders can be slight or aggressive enough that it shakes the entire car.

NHTSA ODI 11486258

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated she depressed the accelerator pedal harder than usual and the vehicle jerked and accelerated abruptly. The contact stated that on another occasion there was an abnormal sound while shifting gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the transmission and clutches needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle warranty had expired. The failure mileage was 58,000.

NHTSA ODI 11485212

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission control module (TCM) to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part being on backorder. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

NHTSA ODI 11484024

The contact called on behalf of her daughter who owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that her daughter attempted to start the vehicle, but the engine failed to turn over. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11483255

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while idling at red traffic light, the vehicle jerked and shuddered and then hesitated while attempting to accelerate. The failure also occurred while attempting to turn the vehicle to the left or right and also while shifting into reverse(R). The contact stated that occasionally the transmission failed to engage as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the clutch was replaced three times. The vehicle was diagnosed again and it was determined that the clutch needed to be replaced again. The clutch was not replaced. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11482539

I informed the dealership twice that something was wrong with my vehicle. I had it serviced twice, now I’m being told my TCM needs to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11481610

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the clutch pedal was vibrating and slipping. There was an abnormal transmission noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that an electronic update was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11480118

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated; the contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the failure continued and the vehicle would not accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle also shifted to neutral(N) independently. The contact was able to pull over safely. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the transmission was defective. The contact was referred to the local dealer for assistance. The dealer was contacted and they stated that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11477746

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving the clutch was sticking. The vehicle hesitated and almost stopped before shifting into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The transmission overheating message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer who informed her that the clutch was rusted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 82,171,

NHTSA ODI 11477115

I own a 2018 Ford Focus and am experiencing the same symptoms as other 2018 Focuses involved in NHTSA Campaign #18V845000, however my VIN was not part of the batch that was recalled. The car stutters/shudders when accelerating at low speeds/take off. It switches gears hard, often with a jerk or a clunk. It also switches gears inconsistently, ramping the RPMs at times. We visited the Ford dealership on 3 separate occasions to address this issue to no avail. The third time was 7 months after I purchased the vehicle - 1 month too late to qualify as a lemon under my state's lemon laws. I believe this recall needs to be expanded to include other 2018 Ford Focuses sooner rather than later.

NHTSA ODI 11476986

Occasionally, car lurches forward at stop signs without pressing the gas pedal, and other times, the car doesn't initially respond to gas pedal at a stop, stalling for 1-2 seconds and then lurching forward unexpectedly. Vehicle also trembles and shakes when upshifting from gears 1-2, and 2-3.

NHTSA ODI 11475868

Automatic transmission shudders going into 2nd gear, and can be felt through the steering wheel.

NHTSA ODI 11474278

My 2018 Ford Focus has less than 35K miles on it. It has sat at a dealership since December 2021 waiting on a TCM while I am stuck with car payments and zero help from Ford. Ford has stranded over 50k customers and has no ETA on this part. Their dealerships are advising customers the vehicles are safe despite the fact that they shudder, lurch while braked, and decelerate for no reason. This is a known issue that Ford already lost a lawsuit for ok earlier models and now they’ve been sued for the 2017/2018 models. NHTSA needs to investigate this. These cars are not safe and should not be on the road.

NHTSA ODI 11473767

Vehicle stopped working June 21. Car refused to start up. Had it jumped, battery was completely drained. Discovered had no reverse, drive works up to 10-15mph. Drove it short distance to a Ford dealer service center. Discovered they said it's a powertrain issue and they're 3 weeks behind as they have no available mechanic to look at it. Called another dealer and was told the same thing. Had it towed home. Took it to a highly recommended mechanic and they said the powertrain is shot and needs replacing. Discovered it's a well known documented issue as of 2020. I have extended warranty on it but it may be denied because A) one ford dealer who did some work on the car within first few months of purchase "lost" my service records as they claim its not in their system. B) possibly denied because it's a known defect and they'd lose money to replace it. There's no recall on this defect. I wonder why!? This is a well known issue and seriously affects the value of my vehicle if I want to trade it in or sell it since it's all over the place and all mechanics know to "RUN" away from this car. No engine light on until arriving at dealer. No leaks, bluetooth stopped working as well. In early 2020 I did take it to get serviced and complained of shuddering and shaking upon acceleration but was told it's fine and within normal specs. Car left me stranded so they knew since then they've got a problem. Car is currently available for inspection at the garage where I'm expecting it to get fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11473441

Engine shudders and sometimes stalls out when accelerating from complete stop and from low speed. Shudders also after changing gears or when trying to accelerate quickly like to change lanes. Especially after being driven more than about 50 miles without stopping. Has to be cranked 2 or 3 times after fueling and engine will only stay on if accelerator is pressed almost to the floor. Check engine light comes on and goes off randomly.

NHTSA ODI 11471195

My car sounds like its going die when putting fuel in my car, I have to leave car running while fueling. No matter the level of fuel. If I turn on my car after fueling, it takes a few tries to get car started back. Sometimes my car shakes when taking off or speeding up. This has been going on for the last year. Check engine light is on.

NHTSA ODI 11470612

Transmission control module failed, and according to Ford Service tech, basically "ate" the clutch. Vehicle can not go above 30 mph, and does not shift properly. Tech states is not included in recalls, though thinks it should be included. Parts on backorder with no ETA on resolution. No repairs able to be made. Purge Control Valve failed, causing engine to die while fuel gauge showing 3/4 tank, repeated issue until tranmission control module failure rendered vehicle mostly unusable. Tech states is not included in recalls, though thinks it should be included. Parts on backorder with no ETA on resolution. No repairs able to be made.

NHTSA ODI 11468642

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was jerking. While driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into 3rd gear, the vehicle jerked. The check engine warning light was illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as designed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

NHTSA ODI 11464065

My vehicle is a 2018 Ford Focus st and I am not the first person to have this problem. My vehicle casually lost 3rd and 4th gear synchronizer out of the blue and I had to purchase to synchronizers to replace them. Among pulling the transmission apart and splitting the case open. My mechanic and I identified that 3rd and 4th gear synchronizers had metal tabs on them to keep them in position and they snapped off on every side, so there being a total of six tabs broken, three per synchronizer as you see in the photos. I am not the first person to have this issue so I would ask if you would please review this issue and look deeper into it to possibly come up with a solution.

NHTSA ODI 11462363

Transmission started to shift and shudder harshly. Very high RPM (up to 5000-6000 rpm) without shifting. Car failed to go into reverse of "Sport" mode when shift level placed in that position. Car jerks and shudders upon initial takeoff from a stop, that feels like a sudden loss of power and has delayed acceleration. Very harsh shifting from 1st to 2nd gear that jolts entire car and driver. The RPM stays very high if the car will go into Drive and after a while the transmission overheats and a transmission temperature warning is displayed. Sometimes the car won't start. Trouble codes pulled are P087B and P287A.

NHTSA ODI 11456923