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.
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.
Transmission continually is slipping. The dual clutch transmission is the problem. Ford settled a class action law suit regarding this type of vehicle. I was never notified.
Several times, now, I have started the car and the none of the readouts were working (odometer, fuel level, etc.); the cruise control would not engage. After driving a few minutes they all came on. Today (6-14-2021) I backed out of the driveway and put it in drive. The transmission wouldn't engage. I shut it off and let it sit a couple of minutes and started it and it engage, this time, still no dash readouts. Two miles down the road the readouts came on. I went into town to do my business and when I went to come home, it did the same thing.
My Ford Focus Hatchback doesn't have much power. Driving down the interstate it lost power and then the transmission failed warning came on. I had to drive along the side of the interstate to limp the car home. This car sputters and jerks when driving. After I bought it I took it back to the dealer and he told me that its normal for this car to act in in that way. Now I know that is not the case that was the transmission starting to go out and they should not have told me it was ok. I see two other complaints like mine. I don't see a recall but I would sure like one to help pay for the repairs. I will have to have the car towed to the service center when they have an opening My phone number is: [XXX] Email is: [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The dual clutch transmission is slipping. I contacted Ford and they indicated that this issue is not covered under the warranty even though a class action lawsuit has been settled regarding this type of vehicle.
I had just purchased Ford Focus used. The dealership told me, that my cause recall does not stand. Because it exceeded over 100,000 miles. They said it out of warranty. They told me to pay $3,400 estimation to fix the car. I told them recall don't expire. Also that Ford manufactures tell me up to 2012-2017 have recalls on transmissions issues. I'm just upset they don't hold up to there standards with Ford and I love Ford motors. They car stalls and won't go into gear. It has difficulty responding to gears. I bought it used ABS notice the problems. So I hauled it in to the Ford dealership.
- Winslow, AZ, USA
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I have had this situation happen in several different scenarios. Essentially, the transmission does not know if the vehicle is in park / reverse / neutral / drive and therefore I cannot shift positions or move the vehicle. Sometimes when I turn vehicle over, I am parked but vehicle does not know I am parked (there is P / R / N / D on dashboard and usually a grey box indicates what position I am in. When it doesn't know where I am, there is no grey box at all). Sometimes this happens after driving, then I park and sit idle for a bit, then try to leave but vehicle doesn't know what position I am in. In the most dangerous scenarios, I will be driving!!!!! then the vehicle doesn't know I am in D and when I try to accelerate, I just rev on the engine as if I am in neutral. I have had this happen on the highway as well as when going slow. It is extremely dangerous. This vehicle is known for having transmission issues (it was not well known when I originally purchased the vehicle). Car is currently in shop so I do not have any info / feedback from Ford.
I'm still making payments on my 2012 Ford Focus SE. 3 days after buying it the check engine light came on said catalyst coverter is plugged up. Now the transmission is missing up. It has never one time passed the emissions control test since owning it. There isn't a day that goes by that this car hasn't throw me a different code from the check engine light. I got screwed. The car isn't safe to drive idk how many time my daughter and I have almost got hit because of the car not moving when giving the gas too it. I took it to the Ford dealership to get all my recalls done and they only did 1 recall and that was the tcm. They said that would fix the transmission problem im having. What lies
The contact called on behalf of his son who owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated his son was driving to the airport when the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The following day the vehicle was towed to charles gabus Ford (4545 merle hay rd, des moines, ia 50310) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the tcm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, several months later the failure recurred with the transmission warning light illuminated. The contact stated that a message on the instrument display suggested that the vehicle be shifted to park. The vehicle was shifted into park, restarted, and driven to a nearby parking lot. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.
For years my car has randomly shut down while driving and has been needed to be towed twice. It and has had 10 recalls performed, including the transmission. My car shut down again on Monday night coasting along a flat road at 45 mph so I decided to call Ford today and ask what new recalls have come out and they stated my car has a field service issue for the transmission that is common but they have not recalled it. Why? they also mentioned that they have to look into whether or not I would have to pay to fix this commonly reported problem.
I few day after getting this car I felt a hesatats going in to 2 gear shortly later I took it had it diagnosed but they said it would be about $70 unless it was a recall on it so they did the said the tcm was out and it has a recall on it but also I need a clutch and that was $4000. So they fixed it and it's it all good now about 2 no. Later I was stopped at a red light with a SUV in front of me I had my foot on the brake and it started fellow writing in that shop for you made me hit the SUV in front.of me, it started doing the other stuff again I felled my gas up and tried to start it but it would start I seat the a lil the tried it again if stared just when I started driving it was jerking really bad I stop at the closest place I can get a diagnostic brand on it the said it was something in the gas tank so I took it back to the Ford place cause the was a recall on something to do with the gas tank they fixed it ones again but shortly after that more started going wrong the hazard light wouldn't warm, put it reverse it would do anything but set there and raise my RPM's, but then it started working again so we kept on driving it, it would just do all these things off and on other than the hazard light never worked again, driving down the road want about 5miles it was running hot so I pulled over and killed it and called my dad he checked all the fluids the where fine but I tried to start it it wouldn't start seat the a lil the it started so I took it to the shop I always used on some of my cars the said it was my fan it was $400. Going down the hwy 70mp it stoped accelerating the rpms went down to little past one like I was sitting idling pulled over on the side of the highway without causing an accident I had to turn the car off then I restarted and then shifting down the road again but still haven't all kinds of problems this car is probably a death trap
The 6 speed power assist transmission hesitates. Shifts roughly, and shutters when shifting. The hesitation is sometimes from a dead stop and that's a hazard when entering traffic. Mostly highway driving. This has been ongoing. It was repaired by the dealer once but is happening again.
I started my car this morning to warm up, I live in Maine, so after 10 minutes I want to go to work and my power steering was off, I couldn't turn the steering wheel easily like normal and the car was running. Good thing it didn't happened later tonight on hockey 🏒 practice with my son. It's very big safety issue. Please advise. Thanks.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at 45 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove home. The contact took the vehicle to gibbes Ford (2840 St matthews rd, orangeburg, SC 29118) where the failure was diagnosed as a transmission failure however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle failed to start at the dealer and was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under an unknown recall and the transmission was replaced at hilbish Ford (2600 S cannon blvd, kannapolis, nc 28083) however, the failure recurred. The failure mileage was 168,919.
The car has transmission problems something every common in this make. This has caused me to almost get in some accidents because of the skid created by these transmission problems. The car is very jumpy and will skid when the transmission acts up. This happens while driving, on the move or when I start to move after being stationary for a few moments.
I was driving home and it started to shift incorrectly and luckily I was closer to home. By the time I had to turn into my driveway it quit shifting all together. My door locks do not lock, I've had to bungee the rear doors together. My mirrors do not work. Also the fuel gauge doesn't read correctly.
Already have an open investigation with you guys already. I just wanted to add on another issue. After getting the car serviced for transmission issues, ot seems like the car rides worse than it did before. It idles really rough. The car shakes violently. It's really a gamble, in my eyes, to drive the car. I rarely feel safe amd try not to take my family anywhere for fear of what might happen. There have been numerous incidents with these issues, the latest afain being on 12/22/20
My 2012 Ford Focus continuously overheats. I've seen that the coolant reservoir regularly needs to be refilled. (now up to 4 times a week). I've had the car looked at numerous times and no one can figure out what is going on. I've replaced the water pump, thermostat, and there seems to ne no leaks anywhere. I'm at my wits end. This is a vehicle that me and my family use regularly when possible. It. this past week, (12/22/2020), the car overheated and steam spewed from under the hood while we were all in the vehicle. This happened while driving home on 125th St in nyc. While we stopped to get pizza, I noticed steam billowing from under the hood. Check it out and saw antifreeze spewing out from the firewall and leaking onto the ground.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Raleigh, NC, USA