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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:
9 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
84,045 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 body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2012 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 15 of 15)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #10

Aug 212014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 33,000 miles

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

I turned onto a two lane street (one lane in each direction). The oncoming traffic was stopped due a red light. An SUV pulled out of a parking lot between two of the cars waiting for the light to turn green and tried to cut across my lane also, but hit my car instead. I drive a Ford Focus, a small car. I was hit on my driver's side front fender and door. The front driver's side fender and mirror were torn completely off of the car. The front driver's side tire was damaged, and something was bent, so that the tire could no longer be set in a straight position. The hood was bent, and the driver's side headlight was hanging from the car. The interior portion of the driver's side foot well caved inward and hit my legs. The driver's door was hit so hard that the door would not open, and I had to untangle my feet, and exit the car from the passenger side. My tiny car was hit by an SUV that had "punched" the gas to try and cross in front of me- but hit my driver's side door instead. There was a great deal of damage done to my car, but my airbag never deployed. I've heard of airbags going off when someone barely hit something with their bumper, yet I got hit directly in my door, at a decent rate of speed by an automobile twice the size of mine, and my airbag did not deploy. Not my front airbag, nor my side impact airbags. I have to believe this is some type of defect.

- Pearland, TX, USA

problem #9

Oct 172012

Focus

  • 1,200 miles
I was driving a nearly brand new 2012 Ford Focus at approximately 45-50 mph when collided with another car traveling at least equivalent if not higher speed. I saw the other car attempting pulling in front of me after failing to stop at a stop sign and I tried to stop the car by braking, but the car was not able to slow down or stop in time. I T-boned the other car and my car was dragged by the other car and rested on the side of the road. As a result, my car was totaled. On the police report, the police indicated the crash was moderate. The water pump, bumper and other stuff came off the car, but the airbags were never deployed. I sustained head and cervical spinal injuries.

- Westlake Village, CA, USA

problem #8

Oct 192012

Focus 4-cyl

  • 13,335 miles
Transmission shutters causing whole car to shake. Acts as if the fly wheel is glazed over and clutch can not engage properly, this is turn caused a body vibration making a loud vibration noise. Ford knows of this problem and has yet to have a recall to make a permanent fix. Ford replaced a clutch pack in my car but the design is flawed - this will happen again and at my expense. Ford agreed to extend my warranty mileage but not the time in which use said mileage. The original warranty was 60K or five yrs. Now its 100K or five yrs, two of which are gone. Increasing the mileage does nothing for me the warranty still expires at the same time. Ford is well aware of this problem in the fiesta and Focus models. I'm a professional mechanic for over 25 yrs. I've talked with several Ford shops and they are very aware of this issue. I spoke with the owner of the dealership I bought the car from and he even stated that was the no.1 topic at a Ford convention in vegas this yr. This is simply a poor design and Ford wants the customer to pay for it. My car stared this problem around 13K and Ford has been yanking me around for another 13K before putting in the replacement parts that are no doubt going to fail again. My gas mileage in town went from 33.5 to 24.5 and this was also acceptable to Ford - not me. This needs to be fixed right away before a total transmission failure kills someone.

- Avon, IN, USA

problem #7

Aug 102013

Focus 4-cyl

  • 35,000 miles

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

The vehicle was parked with the engine off. A fire spontaneously began in the engine compartment. The vehicle was in service for 14 months, bought new and under a maintenance contract. No previous issues.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #6

Jan 022012

Focus 4-cyl

  • 5,000 miles
I bought the 2012 Ford Focus sel on November 18th 2011 and first recall was Jan 02 2012 they reprogrammed the transmission and there was a 2nd recall and the reprogrammed the transmission again but im still having hesitation on startups and loses power as well but hasn't stalled yet but I thought few times it will stall out but it didn't. I hope Ford can fix the hesitation of this vehicle but if not then I will never buy a Ford again. Also the suspension is very hard on bumps. Feels like there is no shocks on the car. Very disappointed on my front windshield. Cracked when I only had 15,000 miles on the car.

- Clawson , MI, USA

problem #5

Oct 012012

Focus

  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that whenever there was sun shining on the dashboard, the reflection would blind her visibility of the roadway. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 5,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Seal Beach, CA, USA

problem #4

Sep 272012

Focus

  • miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that there was no trunk release in the vehicle. The contact stated that her son entered the trunk of the vehicle and was unable to get out because it did not come equipped with a trunk release. The dealer was notified and stated that there were no recalls for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired.the manufacturer was notified and provided no assistance. The failure mileage was not available.

- Cheaspeake, VA, USA

problem #3

Jul 142012

Focus 4-cyl

  • 31,000 miles
In June 2012, my daughter was driving and her front passenger tire exploded. This was the 3rd set of new tires we had placed on this vehicle (by 30,000 miles - averaging 10,000 miles per set of tires). Then in July 2012, she was driving home and started to skid. She was not able to recover from the skid and hit a tree head-on. The front of her car was destroyed. The tree centered her car and the front end looked like a Volkswagen bug. The air bags did not deploy. We had this vehicle into the dealership 3 times for problems with the front end. Each time they said they could not find anything wrong with it. However, the driver and passengers could feel the car sway when riding it in. The vehicle was totaled by the insurance company ($17,000 check sent to Ford) and we still owe $1700 that we have agreed to pay to Ford to keep from ruining our credit. Thank god she was wearing a seat belt that actually worked - otherwise we would have had to plan our daughters funeral. We purchased this car because it was advertised as being a very safe car with the interior wrapped in air bags. Wrapping the interior with air bags does not help if they do not work. I have been buying Ford automobiles for 30 years but, right now I am wondering how safe my Ford F-150 is. We are now considering hiring an attorney.

- Robbinsville, NC, USA

problem #2

Aug 202012

Focus

  • 11,400 miles
I was leave an appointment when I came to a stop sign at an intersection. I stopped short of the faded white line on the road but a little past the position in which the stop sign was posted so I assumed I would be good to go from this spot. I then looked both ways did not see any on coming traffic from either direction so I proceeded to cross the intersection. It wasn't until I was have way into the road that I even notice the other driver coming at me and by that time it was to late any neither myself or the other driver were able to avoid the collision. The other drivers car the stuck my in the rear passenger completely destroying it and spinning me out of the road in the direction of a light pole which I was unable to avoid or stop short of due to the fact that I had lost power to the vehicles controls. My final stopping position was a few feet away from the pole after it ripped that section of front bumper apart and I bounced of the front driver side tire. No airbags deployed neither the side nor front.

- Lancaster, CA, USA

problem #1

Jun 182012

Focus

  • 3,100 miles
Vehicle central locking system locked the car while parked with the keys in the ignition. Locksmith was called to force entry. Alarm did not activate when door was opened.

- Royal Oak, MI, USA

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