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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:
13 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
45,887 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2012 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 6 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #59

Jul 142014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 46,000 miles

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

At random times the car will just shut off leaving a coasting vehicle down the highway, or leave you stalled out in the middle of an intersection. If you leave it sit for 30min-1hour it may restart. If you press the accelerator it was not respond. After a couple minutes the vehicle will recover from a rough idle and try to lunge forward even when vehicle is in park. Problem: Transmission control module.

- Jennings, OK, USA

problem #58

Sep 182013

Focus 4-cyl

  • miles
Shutters/ grinding noise/ tugs and jolts at low speeds and up hills. When in bumper to bumper traffic message on dash, overheating transmission pull over wait 8 minutes.

- Spring Valley, CA, USA

problem #57

Aug 262014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 57,500 miles
The car stopped accelerating while I was driving on 1-95 in New Jersey at rush hour. I was able to pull over safely, resumed driving and the car repeated this over the next day. After a service by a Ford dealer, the car ran smoothly for 10 miles then the problem re occurred and engine light went back on. Would not accelerate in reverse or drive. Definitely was not fixed. This is in addition to the constant sputtering and chugging when I accelerate. But coming to a dead stop on I95 in New Jersey traffic was terrifying.

- Harrisburg, PA, USA

problem #56

Aug 222014

Focus

  • 44,400 miles

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

I was traveling from the route 128 highway exit ramp onto the interstate 95 going approximately 50-55 mph, as I rounded the top of the ramp I went to accelerate onto I-95 when I found I was slowing in speed/decelerating and found that I had no pick up with the vehicle. I was actually coasting, the engine appeared to be on but I was unable to accelerate. As I coasted to the break down lane the check engine light flashed on. I sat at the side of the road for approximately 5-7 minutes, the car did re-start. Due to what appeared to be a dangerous spot on the highway I attempted to continue driving towards an exit. Approximately 4 miles down the highway ( I traveled at 50 mph in the far right lane) the car again, stopped accelerating was decelerating, I was pumping the gas petal without success and I coasted to the side of the road. I had the car towed to rodman Ford in foxboro MA. The service advisor is telling me the diagnostic shows nothing is wrong with the car. He also reports even though the check engine light flashed on twice their is no indication of the computer registering any type of failure.

- Taunton, MA, USA

problem #55

May 012013

Focus 4-cyl

  • miles
When turning to make a right turn the front of the car makes a metal on metal scraping sound (intermittingly) also the transmission doesn't seem to always kick in when after coming to a complete stop the car shakes as the gas pedal is pushed. I've brought it to the dealership where I bought it and they keep telling me nothing is wrong with it, it is just how the car operates.

- St Bonifacius, MN, USA

problem #54

Aug 062014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 63,500 miles
Without warning, (no lights on dash-board - no unusual noises - no problems starting etc), there were no gears and I was left in neutral. It required coming to a stop, putting it into park and starting again to limp along to get to a safe point to park the car and call for help. Luckily I was not yet onto the freeway! the Ford dealership mechanic was able to replicate these circumstances and he too found himself without gears; he was on the freeway on-ramp and was lucky to not be hit. I can only imagine how dangerous this is if you are in 4 lanes of traffic going 60 mph!!! notwithstanding the severity of this "module" defect, the problem according to Ford does not come under the 'transmission recall' and my car is 3,500 miles over the magical 60,000 power-train recall. I am stuck with a $1,500 bill and the fear that it might happen again; if not to me, someone else with this model/year Focus.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #53

Apr 092014

Focus

  • 26,000 miles

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

Accelerating from stop, engine hesitates, causing turns and acceleration onto streets to take longer than expected.

- Laughlin, NV, USA

problem #52

Aug 082014

Focus

  • 63,000 miles
I was leaving from the bp gas station from wayne sullivan dr in paducah, ky I had drove from ledbetter which is 10 mins outside of paducah and when I started my car to leave gas station pulling out into busy intersection I went to accelerate and my car would not go any faster than 10mph with oncoming traffic behind me and my 5 year old child in the car with me. I had reported transmission problems before they put computer to adjust it but told me slippage and jerking would be normal due to the type of transmission. My car has always rolled back on steep hills also.

- Ledbetter, KY, USA

problem #51

Aug 052014

Focus

  • 53,622 miles
I was driving down a road and all of a sudden my car wouldn't go I kept stepping on the gas and there was no throttle power. I turned of the main street and let the car glide to a complete stop. Praying that the garbage truck would stop cause my car was barely moving. I turned it off and then it made a weird noise.... I tried turning it on but it didn't so I called roadside assistance but while I was talking to them the car cranked up again. I drove it to the nearest dealer the told me I needed a new battery but I took my battery out H as D it checked and it's still good. Today my car did the same thing and now it's in the driveway it doesn't have throttle power the RPM's are not working not even when it's in park.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #50

Jul 062014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 36,100 miles
While driving on the road, going about 40-50 mph on a sunny, hot day in July, the traction control suddenly turned on and the car started to decelerate. I found it odd as the weather was not inclement and I had not hit a pothole so I pulled over since the car was automatically slowing down. I was lucky not to have been in an accident as there were plenty of cars around and this was less than half a mile from the highway that I was about to travel. After pulling over, I turned the car off to try to clear the traction control as it seemed to be stuck on. The car would not turn back on (the engine was not turning on though the battery was fine). After calling the Ford auto club and having help come out, the car got towed to the dealership. The issue turned out to be with the transmission control module that was covered under the original power train warranty.

- West Chester, PA, USA

problem #49

Jul 092014

Focus

  • 26,400 miles

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

My car was in the shop about 4X's in 1 month. Issue began driving about 45 mph. Went to accelerate felt a sudden jerk & nothing. Look down to see my drive light flashing & am steadily decreasing in speed with no way to accelerate, like in neutral. I luckily was able to get out of oncoming traffic, put the car in park which began to flash. Accelerated a couple times to be sure it responded before driving but the service engine light was on. Driving again, about to make a left turn, not a mile down the road, same thing happened. This time put it in park, accelerated & nothing. Shut off my car to reset it & my car would not turn on. After waiting for the tow truck, the car would just not turn on, everything related to the battery would turn on but the car didn't. in the shop this 1st time a total of 3 days, still unsure about it being fixed (because they just fixed the "electrical" part, not the issue) lo & behold when I turned into my neighborhood same thing happened (drive light flashed & accelerator didn't respond). I get home to park & turn on my car, after attempting to turn it back on, nothing. Another tow truck came the next morning to get it, this time my car was there 7 days. After 2 days of driving the same thing happened I was on a hill almost began rolling backwards into another car until I put it into P & pulled the E break. Car went in they stated that they figured it out & I hoped 3rd X's the charm. Nope, I was on a highway had to pull over away from oncoming traffic decrease the risk of me being hit. 9 days in the shop after ordering a transmission control module for my car & replacing it, it works. Although I was just informed that the same thing is now happening to a friend with a 2013 Ford Focus. It's something that needs to be looked into because loosing the ability to accelerate in the middle of traffic is very dangerous life threatening & scary.

- Cameron, NC, USA

problem #48

Dec 182013

Focus

  • 55,000 miles
The engine seems to race at times and while the RPM are rising to car does not accelerate. Also when I am at a red light it will either shutter or lurch forward occasional. When I took it for service they told me this was a normal function of the dual core transmission. However it seems to me that if this were true the frequency would not be increasing and I would not notice it when I M driving. Thank you I hope you can do something to help.

- Parma, OH, USA

problem #47

May 302014

Focus

  • 40,000 miles
I have had the worst problems with this car. I have had it in the Ford dealer ship 5 times since Jan. 2012. They keep saying nothing is wrong. It rolls worse then a 5 speed. It tries to stall out on me taking off., acts like it is going to die going up a hill. I have to push gas pedal down all the way to get up a hill. It happens most the time but not always. It is to the point I am about to never own a Ford again.

- Nancy, KY, USA

problem #46

Jul 092014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 64,559 miles
Driving on the highway when car did not want to accelerate and suddenly accelerated. Motor light turned on. When taken to get checked, motor light was off and. Was told others have been experiencing the same. This is the second time it happens.

- Clint, TX, USA

problem #45

Aug 132013

Focus

  • miles
2012 Ford Focus. Consumer writes in regards to acceleration problems. The consumer stated it felt as though the vehicle was loosing power and trying to stall out. She would try to accelerate and the vehicle would rev, but would not go, and when it finally did go, it was very jumpy and slow. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer five times for the same issue. The dealer stated the vehicle needed a computer upgrade. The dealer stated it would take a while for the upgrade to work, but it never did, and the problem worsened. The next time, the dealer stated the tcm needed to be replaced. The replacement of the tcm, made the problem even worse. The vehicle began jerking upon acceleration and it felt as though the transmission was slipping.

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #44

Aug 012012

Focus 4-cyl

  • 17,951 miles
Approached stop light on a road with steep incline. Came to complete stop behind several cars without incident, but when pressed gas to move at green light, gear (despite being automatic transmission) slipped and stayed in neutral, revving but not engaging. Car began quickly rolling backwards. I was able to yank emergency brake just before hitting the car approaching mine from behind. Similar incidences have occurred with regard to incorrect/ dangerous automatic gear changes -- sudden loss of needed gear change to enter highway from ramp (flat land) and all kinds of gear changing problems (stuck in gear several gears too low or too high) in hilly terrain. This can result in lurching as well. Dealership claims normal operation and says the car isn't generating helpful codes as a result.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #43

Jun 102014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 75,000 miles
While I am driving (this has occurred three times) the check engine light comes on and the gears keep slipping. I take it in and they reset the computer or whatever they do and it works fine right after but continues to drive like the gears are slipping.

- Alice, TX, USA

problem #42

Jun 052013

Focus

  • 9,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would lunge forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 9,000 and the current mileage was 20,000.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #41

May 212014

Focus

  • 53,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost power. The contact mentioned that the check engine and the gear switch warning lights illuminated. The door chime sounded and the vehicle was able to restart approximately 15 minutes later. The failure recurred on two other occasions. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the computer failed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 53,000.

- St Albans, WV, USA

problem #40

May 192014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 68,850 miles
I have a Ford Focus 2012 SE with winter and comfort packages. My vehicle suddenly swapped up from 79 mph to 81 mph when I pressed the down button to slow the car.

- Locust Grove, GA, USA

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