2015 Ford Focus problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (466) · Fuel/Propulsion System (93) · Steering (85)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford Focus model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
665 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (9)
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:evaporative Emissions:canister 2026-06-09 · campaign 26V369000 · 257,868 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Focus vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 18V735. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly while driving.
Risk: An engine that stalls while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S40. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.
Power Train:manual Transmission 2026-06-09 · campaign 26V376000 · 5,252 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18V169 and 18V845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
Risk: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect Focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were October 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S43. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.
Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater 2026-01-15 · campaign 26V011000 · 116,672 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. For
Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch 2020-06-08 · campaign 20V331000 · 2,147,323 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to beli
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:evaporative Emissions:canister 2018-10-22 · campaign 18V735000 · 1,282,596 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles with a 2.0L GDI or 2.0L GTDI engine. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in fuel vapor management system.
Risk: The excessive vaccuum may result in an engine stall while driving, without warning and without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Ford Customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S32. Note: Until the vehicle is serviced for this concern, owners are advised to kee
Power Train:manual Transmission 2018-03-12 · campaign 18V169000 · 5,361 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Fusion vehicles equipped with a 1.6L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission and 2015-2016 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission. Also included are four 2017 Ford Focus vehicles that had clutch replacements with potentially affected parts. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
Risk: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Focus vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. Owners of Fusion vehicles will have their clutch assembly replaced free of charge. The recall began August 3, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hatchback/Liftgate:lock 2016-09-28 · campaign 16V698000 · 64,038 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Ford Focus hatchback vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 26, 2016 and equipped with a manual transmission. The hatchback of the affected vehicles may be unlatched with a single press of the interior latch release button. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Risk: With only a single press needed, the driver may accidently unlatch the hatchback, increasing the risk of injury to any unsecured passengers in the back.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began February 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C13.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch 2016-09-06 · campaign 16V643000 · 2,046,297 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
Electrical System:ignition 2015-07-08 · campaign 15V436000 · 374,781 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the engine may continue to run after the key or the START/STOP engine button is turned to off. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
Risk: If the engine does not turn off as expected, someone could move the transmission shifter out of park and the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C06.
Service bulletins (131)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-25 · 26L02 · Other
customer satisfaction program 26l02 certain 2014-2021 model year various vehicles 1.0l fox classic engine timing belt and oil pump belt interval change
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-29 · 25H05 S1 · Other
harvest program 25h05 – supplement #1 certain 2011-2021 model year vehicles software verification harvest program
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-25 · 25N17 · Other
advance notice – customer satisfaction program 25n17 certain 2015-2025 model year multiple vehicle lines rear view camera replacement if required after dealer evaluation
Power Train 2026-03-04 · 25E05 · Other
certain 2015 - 2018 model year focus vehicles with 1.0l engine canister purge valve (cpv) replacement (if required) and powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming submitting owner letter
Unknown Or Other 2026-02-24 · SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the
Power Train 2025-12-03 · 25E05 · Emissions
certain 2015 - 2018 model year focus vehicles with 1.0l engine canister purge valve (cpv) replacement (if required) and powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming
Showing the 6 most recent of 131 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-12 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my car purge valve canister is bad and i reported the situation to a ford dealership near me for over 2 weeks now and nothing has been done.they claim they are expecting parts but nothing yet up until now.…”
2026-10-05 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 57,800 mi“the contact owns a 2015 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 26v369000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the failure occurred after the recall repair. while starting and driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle stalled after refueling, an…”
2026-09-30 · Engine“i am not filing in regards to the clutch fracture recall on previous page . i am filing a complaint regarding the 1.0 l ecoboost engine "wet timing belt " system which is currently under nhtsa engineering analysis . my vehicle has 147,000 miles and still has the original wet timing belt . ford`s original maintenance schedule states this belt is a s…”
2026-09-29 · Unknown Or Other“back in july 2026 there was a rerecall for the 2018 recall that was not done correctly and my vehicle was not recalled for this when in fact that my vehicle should have it shows n i have proof that the recall number for that recall is the same recall they did on my vehicle but yet logged in under fuel tank defective but the recall number from …”
2026-09-12 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my 2015 ford focus se with the 1.0l ecoboost engine and 6-speed manual transmission is experiencing a loss of engine lubrication/oil flow. the camshafts are not receiving adequate oil, there appears to be insufficient oil flow/pressure reaching the cylinder head. i am concerned that continued driving could result in engine damage, engine seizure, o…”
2026-09-11 · Power Train · 56,990 mi“the contact owns a 2015 ford focus. the contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the vehicle failed to respond, with the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the tcm was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the m…”
2026-08-28 · Engine“the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of motive power due to an internal engine failure while stopped at an idle in active traffic. the engine stalled completely and would not restart, creating an immediate safety hazard as the vehicle was stranded in the roadway. this failure is directly related to the known issue where the 1.0l ecobo…”
2026-08-10 · Power Train“the transmission was repaired at 48k and i am now at 76k having severe issues with jerking, shuddering, and so forth. the car has undergone excellent maintenance for the carfax proves this. i bought this car with the very last of my inheritance money thinking i was getting a reliable product and come to find out, i got screwed and am on the hook fo…”
2026-08-10 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 163,951 mi · 💥 crash“the contact's daughter owns a 2015 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while the transmission was in reverse(r), and the vehicle rolled backwards downhill while depressing the brake pedal. the vehicle came to a stop once the vehicle was steered over into the grass, and the vehicle rolled into bushes and stopped. during the failu…”
2026-08-03 · Power Train“my transmission gave out for the 3rd time on 8-1-26 as i was driving it slow down while on the highway busy street and studder it only goes into 2nd and 3rd gear when slowing down i can hear things clicking i know its the duel clutch because this is the 3rd time it happen both times it was fixed by a ford dealer. no message prior to problem but whe…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.