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CarComplaints.com Notes: You should probably steer clear of the 2012 Focus. Otherwise, you might not be able to steer at all.

The 2012 is the first Focus to offer Electronic Power Assist Steering (EPAS). It's also the first year with massive power steering failure. These things are not mutually exclusive.

And while you wait for your steering to disappear, you'll be greeted with a transmission that shudders, vibrates or won't shift at all.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
54,257 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Ford Focus accessories - exterior problems

accessories - exterior problem

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2012 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #45

Jun 202022

Focus

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My windshield wipers are malfunctioning causing no visibility and battery to die. They will not turn off even after car in turned off and keys are no longer in emmision

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #44

Oct 202020

Focus

  • miles
Driver side and passenger side windshield wipers failed to operate several times and get stuck periodically. Totally impaired vision in rain. Took the vehicle to the local Ford dealer approximately 1 year ago and they could not find the issue to resolve. They replaced with new windshield wipers which we had just replaced 1 month prior. They tried to adjust the placement of the wipers but this did not fix it. This vehicle has not been inspected by any other dealer or service center. There are multiple complaints of this same issue on online sites and forums with no real solutions prevalent. This is a major safety malfunction that needs to be addressed and recalled by Ford Motor Company and find a solution before any fatalities happen. This car is driven by my underage, new driver! extreme safety hazard!! no lights, warning lamps or problems prior to failure.

- Titusville, FL, USA

problem #43

Jul 142021

Focus

  • miles
Passangers wiper motor stopped working, then driver side stopped working within 2 weeks of the passanger side failure.

- Avella, PA, USA

problem #42

Apr 282021

Focus

  • 85,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving my 2012 Ford Focus SE on 4/28/2021 at 45mph my windshield wipers began to move erratically on their own - at different speed levels. They did not respond to the lever at all. The wipers continued after ignition was turned off. At 7:15am the next morning of 4/29/2021 while driving at 20mph, the windshield wipers responded to the lever when turned on and off. However at 10:30A, the windshield wipers began to move back and forth erratically again without being activated by the lever. Later in the after noon, 5pm while driving on the highway at 65mph, the windshield wipers stopped working all together in the midst of a rainstorm. As of today, 4/30/2021 the windshield wipers are non-responsive.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #41

Jan 082020

Focus 4-cyl

  • 130,563 miles
Whenever it rains and I'm using my wipers they will just shut off randomly or they do a very inconvenient delay at the worst of times especially when it's raining hard. It's dangerous and you can't see. Oddly enough my horn don't work either. I got the car January 1st,2020 of course it was previously owned I got it from a used car dealer the horn worked until I think March, 2020. I hit a bump and it's like it just quit after that then a couple week later I got a bump again and it started workin for a little bit. Then a couple days went by and it just stopped never to work again. Checked all the fuses they all looked good none looked blown. It's scary because so many times people will either pull out in front of me like they don't see me or almost hit me and I have no way to alert them that they almost him me and need to pay attention. Then there's the whole having to take off slowly if not and you take off fast it the car will jerk and stall and it does it really when sometimes when turning and now the RPM drop so low when idling it almost dies. I just replace the motor a couple months ago and it was doing this before the ne motor got out in just not as bad. And it's like you can press the gas pedal and push it but the car. Aren't beg jl and goes... it's scary to me and I usually always have my kid with me. It freaks me out because not only does it stall or whatever it's doing I have no horn to let people know to go around I know a girl I work with her daughter has the same car as me and stalking has gotta.

- Sikeston, MO, USA

problem #40

Aug 152016

Focus 4-cyl

  • 34,000 miles
[xxx] is my name. This about my 2012 Ford Focus which I bought in 2014 with 27000 miles. In July 2020 it has about 65000 miles. It has been used for local driving, not for commuting. After I drove it several thousands of miles I discovered that there was a leak in the roof above the driver's shoulder and head as well as over the driver's front side window. The leak would occur only after heavy sustained rain down pours. I thought that the sunroof had somehow owned but I could no see any opening at any time. After several leaks occurred during heavy rains I took the car to the dealer. They gave me an appointment on a Monday in the middle of the month when the water man comes! I told them the problem and asked what I should do. The service boss told me to park it in a garage the bill was 264 dollars. I was not happy. They had to clean a passageway from the car roof and windows that passes through the door and front body to the pavement. It takes a while to get clogged again and it is time for the waterman. It not necessary to have a sunroof for this leak to occur. Ik think that this situation in the 2012 Ford Focus is common and should be considered as a recall issue. Is there any way that NHTSA would pursue such an action. The leaking occurs when it is raining very heavily. It has occurred while the car is parked when I have driven while it rained. The water would drip on my left side and leg, occasionally on my head.since 08/15/2016 and ongoing in heavy rain while the car is parked and while I am driving if it rains heavily. There was evidence in the car insides that the leakages had occurred before I bought the car from the Ford dealer in nanuet, NY. [xxx], [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Pearl River, NY, USA

problem #39

Jul 032020

Focus 4-cyl

  • 169,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While moving if you turn on the windshields wiper fluid and the windows are down that fluid flows into the window and can sometimes splash I your face

- Desoto, MO, USA

problem #38

Mar 032016

Focus

  • 55,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the windshield wipers activated independent of driver input. Additionally, on several occasions during inclement weather, the windshield wipers failed to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to woody anderson Ford located at 2500 jordan ln nw, huntsville, al 35810, where the windshield wipers were replaced under warranty. The failure recurred seven months later however, the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

- Lacey's Spring, AL, USA

problem #37

Apr 152017

Focus

  • 40,000 miles
Purchased the car used in 2014 with approximately 26,000 miles from schultz Ford route 304, bardonia, NY for about $18,000. In 2017 it was noticed that during raining water was entering the car interior above the left window onto the driver's seat and onto the front left floor mat where it would pool. Subsequently the interior wetness was heavier as the rain was heavier whether car is parked or in motion. The water needed to be soaked up with towels and sponges as necessary. Then an appointment was made with schultz dealership and repair to remedy the problem. The appointment was made with 'the water man' on a Monday that he was scheduled to be at schultz's Ford dealership (once or twice a month). The leak was fixed by the water man for $265 who used tools to re-emerging out mostly tree and plant debris that fell on the car and somehow entered the draining channels that allow the entering rain water to drain through the roof and doors to the ground. I asked the supervisor of the schultz service center why the car had a leaking problem and why isn't there recall for the problem, and what can I do to eliminate or alleviate the problem. His snide response was 'park you car in a garage when not driving!' after the leak was tended to by schultz dealership the leaks were greatly minimized, but they slowly returned over months and months until now they are as bad as they when we first had the 'water man' remediate the problem temporarily. This vehicle safety complaint is being made to alert the Agency to this problem in the 2012 Ford Focus car, and to ask you to see if there is a systematic safety problem in water leakage for this Ford model that should result in a recall for this model. There is a great danger that this continual leakage problem could cause microbe and mold problems due to moisture accumulation.

- Pearl River, NY, USA

problem #36

Jan 212020

Focus

  • 133,000 miles
Wipers just stopped working with no indications of any issues. Changed fuse and no change. I used wipers on Monday while driving and Tuesday morning went to spray washer fluid to clean and sprayer worked and no motion in wipers. My car was in my driveway at 94 bethel ridge road

- Catskill, NY, USA

problem #35

Dec 102019

Focus

  • 25 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driving in rain on country two lane highway at 35 to 45 mph, turned on slow windshield whippers and only driver side came on for a few swipes then the passenger side whiper came on for two passes. For the next 10-minutes while driving in the rain, only the driver side whiper worked. All of a sudden the passenger side whiper came on (out of sink) and crashed into the driver side whiper causing the passenger side to stop in motion. I almost ran off the road!! only the driver side whiper worked until I got home. I have not driven the car ever since this event. I will call my repair shop today to see if he can fix this safety issue. My 2012 Ford Focus mileage is only 033305.

- Wrightsville, PA, USA

problem #34

Aug 282019

Focus

  • 70,000 miles
Inoperative passenger side windshield wiper. Same as NHTSA campaign id number : 12V149000

- Camillus, NY, USA

problem #33

Jul 052019

Focus

  • 112,000 miles
I have a 2012 Ford Focus titanium hatchback. I took my car into bob tomes Ford for a shuttering problem and was told to wait and see to continue to drive the car. Months later I had the tcm replace and now my clutch is out. These were all issues at the time I originally brought my car into Ford. After the tcm was replace I tried to pick up my car from bob tomes Ford service center and the service team could not start my car or get it in gear( yet somehow they "test drove" it). My car has stalled in the middle of intersections, my check engine light has come, my transmission is overheating and asking me to pull over and wait 5 minuets. This is extremely dangerous as I am a mother and have up to 3 children with me at one time. I can not trust my car to get me from a to B safely. My car dies randomly when it wants to. My car is now completely undriveable. I am still paying on this car and I can not even drive it! I need something to be done about this asap. This is absolutely terrifying that Ford is allowed to sell cars knowing the transmission is faulty before they were on the market.

- Frisco, TX, USA

problem #32

May 102019

Focus

  • 116,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While driving 30 mph, both windshield wipers failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to performance Ford Lincoln bountiful (located at 1800 S main St, bountiful, ut 84010, (888) 476-8961) where an appointment was scheduled to have the vehicle repaired per NHTSA campaign numbers: 13V475000 (electrical system, equipment) and 18V735000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited the same symptoms as listed in NHTSA campaign number: 12V149000 (visibility) regarding the wipers. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the wiper failure. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 116,000.

- Layton, UT, USA

problem #31

Apr 272018

Focus 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While driving various speeds with the wiper blades operational, the passenger side wiper blade stopped operating. The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's vision as the wiper blade failed to stop. The dealer (lonnie cobb Ford, 1618 us-45, henderson, tn 38340, (731) 989-2121) stated that there were no recalls for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer stated that the repair could be difficult. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 63,000.

- Henderson, TN, USA

problem #30

Sep 102018

Focus

  • 140,000 miles
Wipers would not work at any level while vehicle engine was running, then later began running on their own. This includes while vehicle was both stationary (0mph) and in motion (73mph). First incident of wipers not working at all occurred in the morning after vehicle was started for the first time of the day, and continued throughout the day. Later, during afternoon commute (70mph), wipers spontaneously started running on their own briefly without lever being pressed. On the same evening, when vehicle was stationary (0mph), wipers started running on high speed and would not stop running despite engine being turned off and keys removed from the ignition.

- Paducah, KY, USA

problem #29

May 282018

Focus

  • 45,000 miles
First problem is with the radio. This began when my car had 37000 miles and the radio would make a loud thumping sound. The car would seem to shake and I did not realize it was the radio until the other issues began. A loud screeching and popping started which would come out of nowhere. This can cause a big disturbance since you are not expecting it to happen and it is extremely loud. Eventually the sound always occurred and even after turning the car off it would still continue - doors open and keys out of ignition. It finally stopped and there is no sound, but after six months it started making the sound again, and again out of nowhere. This is extremely distracting because there is absolutely no sound coming from the radio, off or on and it will suddenly start to shriek or pop. It stopped again, but I am waiting for it to begin again. I have taken it in to the dealer several times only to be told there is nothing that can be done and they have not seen this issue before. My next issue is with the wiper blades. This began recently and I have around 45000 miles on my vehicle. At first the wiper on the driver's side flew off while in use. I thought that I had possibly put TR he wipes on incorrectly even though it had been working fine for a month or so. I had the auto parts store put new blades on and again about two weeks later it flew off. Luckily I hadn't driven off and was able to retrieve the wiper and put it back on this time. Three months later the drivers side wiper will just stop working midway through the window. I can flip the wipers on and off several times and it will work for a second, but continues to get stuck in the middle of the windshield. The passengers side gets stuck as well, but will fix itself.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #28

May 082018

Focus

  • 51,000 miles
I was driving at night while it was raining I wanted to use the wipers to clear the rain using the intermittent button but they would not shut off and then the wiper just stopped, I can put the passenger wiper down manual and then the wiper will close. The wipers will not operate now

- Salem, NH, USA

problem #27

Dec 082017

Focus

  • 88,000 miles
Washer fluid not dispensing.

- Lawrence, MA, USA

problem #26

Aug 242017

Focus

  • 88,500 miles
As I was driving approximately 60-65mph on the garden state parkway my windshield wipers came on without me telling them to. They cycled through fast, normal, intermittent, off for 60-90 seconds per cycle. After the second cycle I decided to exit the highway and find a place to park and shut the car off. I then hear a thud as I come to a light, 30 seconds later I see smoke. I pull into the parking lot and see lots of smoke and some flames coming from under my hood. I turn off the car and the wipers keep going. I get out and call 911 and within a few minutes my car is engulfed in flames.

- Port Reading, NJ, USA

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