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.
Sync module failed. Costing $1000 to fix. A smog part failure resulted in Ford wanting 2000 to repair and replace the fuel tank. The clutch fails to engage on low speed turns creating a loss of control. Ford fixed with the recall. Steering fault detected making it near impossible to steer the car. Recall is available on other models but not Focus. Another 1000 to fix it. Ford is unsafe!
I have 2012 Ford Focus with about 85,000 miles. Since 2014, I've had my tcm reprogrammed several times and then replaced in Dec 2015 under the extended warranty after it completely stopped working. I brought my car to Ford again in July 2017 because my steering locked up while I was attempting to back up in a parking lot. I was told it was the epas system, and it would cost about $1,800 to replace since it's not covered under warranty. At their insistence, I paid for the replacement. I also made a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at that time. Since July, I've have been back to three Ford dealerships - first two times because of a grinding noise (they couldn't diagnose it then but have since said it is my clutch) and a second time this past Tuesday (9/12) after my car basically short circuited in a parking lot on Monday and it started lurching forward while trying to reverse...simultaneously my breaks locked up and my steering locked up again (my sound/radio display/front buttons were also intermittently not working). Jc Ford did some "reprogramming" but said they couldn't duplicate the issues and told me my clutch would need replaced eventually but Ford would not cover it until it got worse. They told me these problems were unrelated despite me insisting they all felt similar while driving the vehicle. Yesterday (weds, 9/13), while attempting to turn onto a highway, my car again "stalled"/short-circuited (not sure what exactly happened - but the same thing as the previous times) and my breaks locked up and I couldn't move the vehicle from the middle of the road. Fortunately, I was able to get it out of the road after turning it off and on several times. I immediately took it to a Ford nearby and am waiting to hear if they find anything else. I am now scared to drive my vehicle despite Ford looking at it and "fixing" it several times.
Shudder when taking off, seems to be from 1st to 2nd....or 2nd to third. I dont really know. Automatic gearbox. As well, my radio will crackle and pop then "freeze" no sound or control other than a very loud and distracting static and popping from the speakers. This has gotten much worse.
The electrical power steering malfunction light will illuminate, when this happens this is a sudden complete loss of power steering making it impossible to steer vehicle. This occurred when the vehicle was in park stationary and also while in drive moving. It occasionally would happen. After the third or fourth time, the malfunction light remained illuminated and power steering loss remained despite try to restart car, this final time it did not shut off problem. Took vehicle into Ford where I had to pay for a complete new steering rack and cbm. Cost $2,000 at Ford dealership.
- Hainesport, NJ, USA
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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.
Started with horn and tail light intermittently not working. Then intermittently as you are driving the car shuts off with no warning. This is a major safety issue! everything locks up and you attempt to make it safely to the side of the road. All dash lights work but car won't start. Found same complaints on internet and youtube but no recall. Took to local Ford dealer and they cannot find the issue. The diagnostic machine did not issue a code. I explained in detail the issue and asked for documentation of the issue. The paper they gave me said runs rough when ac is on. I said that is not the issue. They said don't worry the ticket is still open in the system. I asked if they could put a reader on the car while driven to catch the diagnostic code and they said no. So I am in same situation as other owners where my safety and others are at stake each time this car shuts off. Also dealer said they H horn with a screwdriver to make it work for now. So no horn, tail light and car shutting off intermittently are serious safety issues. Ford needs to recall this problem and fix it!
Driver window was slow to go up and down then finally quit working all together. Took it to dealership in tallassee Alabama. Ben atkinson Ford which is now tallassee auto. I was told it would cost me $275. To have it fixed.
I had my car towed to my mechanic because of it has been not starting/hesitating to start when in park. I also tried switching to neutral and attempted to start and got nothing. My mechanic ran a diagnostic test and its coming up with a security code issue stating my key does not read but will start several minutes after attempt. This has just randomly started happening and I have read multiple complaints in Ford forums stating the same situation. All lights on dash and radio come on but car has no noise and refuses to start. I thought it was my battery or starter and my mechanic has confirmed that it was neither. I tried contacting the Ford dealership where I bought this car and they refuse to fix it or even acknowledge the issue. This make has had more issues than I have ever had with any vehicle I have ever owned. Ford needs to step up because this is ridiculous. My husband has the same vehicle and his transmission is also on nationwide recall backorder for the same make and model. They should have had a warning for consumers that this was a terrible production year.
The steering wheel locks up and won't turn this has happened while driving and when I just start the car. I can put my key in the ignition and all the lights, radio, and chime works, but the car won't start. I had it checked when I got it started and the battery was fine and the altenator was fine and so was my starter. I have been having problems with my car for the past 4 years please help.
With less than 21K miles on the car and the alternator, it seized up, tore the pulley off, and shredded the belt and left my car dead. I was driving on the freeway and heard a metallic grinding and jingling sound. Had I not been able to exit when I did, I might not have been able to safely navigate my car to a stop. Ford is refusing to admit that it was their manufacturing that was responsible for this. They did not cover it under any of the remaining warranties on the car. My dad works in the auto industry and he was telling me that they test the alternators that his company makes to last 150K miles and that this should not have failed the way that it did.
Car was running fine then turned it off and 10 minutes later would not crank. Car will not start.you can jump start it and it starts. Now cut it off want crank
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. Within two weeks of purchasing the vehicle, it failed to start and the key was not recognized in the ignition. Also, the 6 speed automatic transmission failed to shift appropriately and the contact had to turn the vehicle off and back on due to the failure. There was also a sudden loss of eps and the steering assist fault warning indicator flashed. The vehicle became difficult to steer intermittently. The dealer (dave knapp Ford Lincoln, 500 wagner ave, greenville, oh 45331, (800) 717-3673) was unable to diagnose the cause of the failures. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V643000 (latches/locks/linkages) and two manufacturer service campaigns (transmission clutch shudder/transmission input shaft seal - 14M01, transmission control module extended coverage). The failure mileage was not available. Parts distribution disconnect. Updated 08/03/17
Car will sporadically and intermittently not turn over when key is in ignition. Battery is not faulty. Alternator is not faulty. Wiring is not faulty. All have been tested. From what I have experienced this happens when the car's internal software (or more specifically transmission control module) does not recognize is in park thereby preventing the vehicle from starting. This sometimes prevents the vehicle from being started from anywhere of 30 seconds to at an extreme instance nearly 45 minutes. Often times, the only way to start the car in these instances is to keep the foot on the brake, move the shifter into neutral and wait (for previously mentioned times) until the dashboard indicates that it recognizes the car is in neutral. (when this occurs, when shifter is first moved to neutral no gear appears to be highlighted in dashboard)
Our family took part in the recall campaign that was due to defective transmissions Ford sold previously. (this campaign was not easy to discover). The car would stop in the middle of traffic randomly, and still does after the dealership applied the fixes Ford suggested. My mother experienced total power loss twice and was almost in two accidents because of that. (the problem still persists). There are only 54,000 miles on the car and it is in great physical condition.
My passenger side window started having issues with not wanting to go back up after being rolled down. Then both of my rear windows & my drivers side door started doing the same thing and now neither of my front windows will roll down at all. This started just after my warranty expired and makes no sense considering it is garage kept and driven by 1 person. I hardly ever used any other window beside the driver side window so it makes no sense that all the other windows have had issues with not wanting to work properly before the drivers side did. Also my car has had a recall on it for almost 2 years and they still say the part is unavailable as of today. I am worried for my safety with the recall and also wondering if that issue doesn't have something to do with my windows working & not working sporadically
My first issue with the vehicle is a malfunctioning horn and front passenger side window. Then the transmission failed on me while I was driving. I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership for service. Ford replaced the transmission after having the car for about a month. The dealership said they also fixed the horn. But that is not the case. The horn is still not working. I don't use the horn much, but I realized how dangerous not having one can be last week. I had to signal a vehicle backing up into the main road in order to avoid a collision. Since my horn was not working, I had to swerve. The vehicle is back at the dealership for service. The vehicle has been there for 3 days and they still have not updated me on the status of my vehicle.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While driving various speeds, a green and red light flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle's downhill indicator illuminated without being activated. The vehicle revved and shifted into neutral. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually returned to normal. Other times, the contact would have to turn off the vehicle and restart it a few times until it returned to normal. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired and the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 71,000.
Notice came up on dash monitor "steering assist malfunction-needs attention". after re-starting the car you could steer it, and took it to a Ford dealer and was told it needed a "steering rack" at a cost of $1600, not covered on the "drive train" warranty, even though I was told by the sales man from a different dealer where I bought the car, that a new steering rack had been installed at just over 3000 miles. The car now only has just over 45000 miles on it. Not happy! car was not moving when the initial "needs attention" message appeared, it was parked in a parking lot, and just started to go home from work.
I was driving to get on the freeway and as I tried to accelerate it would not go any higher in speed of 25mph and then it speeds up drastically. I parked it and later that day car would not start after 15 minutes car turned on without problems then I drove it home and parked it and doesn't turn on at all. Put in new battery but car still would not turn on on computer screen says to contact manufacture.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Roseville, CA, USA