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.
The hands-free phone system (sync) malfunctions and stops working causing unexpected distraction to the driver. Warranty is expired, although Ford extended the warranty for this issue on other Ford vehicles.
On long trips (over 160 miles) with consistently high speeds, the engine torque and tachometer gauge level rises/whines, indicating a shift should be made in the automatic transmission, but the automatic transmission lags behind, causing the hover/forward stall due to engine torque, much like when you increase the torque causing the engine to "roar" before shifting in a manual transmission. This usually happens while accelerating on higher speed roads and highways at higher speeds, usually 40-70 mph range and mostly when on a long trip w/O stopping, except for gas. Car is always in motion and there is no change in engine temp and no warning lights lit.this problem has occurred many times in the past 18 months. The date indicated was the most recent date.
I own a 2012 Ford Focus I brought it brand new and drove it off the lot. This car has been in the dealership 3 times for the transmission but it is still worse than driving a manual!!! I was notified months and months ago that there is a recall for the door latches. I have called several times trying to find out the latest info on the recall. Not to my surprise no one from Ford has bothered to call me back!!! I have my family in this car and I do not want any of them popping out!!! shame on Ford for selling these cars.
Driving (straight) on a highway going 55. Car slows down to crawl, making grinding noise, error message appears "parking aid malfunction". was able to pull to side of road, put in park and cut off ignition. Would not restart. Dashboard still says car is in drive.
Transmission bucking, popping and revving high with no acceleration while in motion in 1st gear changing to 2nd gear and 2nd to 3rd gear. The vehicle had total loss of acceleration while turning onto a road by my house from a full stop. The sport mode on the gearshift lever does not light up and is not able to use. Transmission problems are mostly in lower gears. This vehicle always had small transmission problems but this has gone to a dangerous point. I have made an appointment with my Ford dealer, today is 6/13/17. They cannot get me in to see the vehicle until 6/19/17. While the ac is on, the vehicle always had issues accelerating on an slight incline. I just always assumed that it was just the way the vehicle was but it appears that it was just a symptom of an issue that has shown up later on.
- New Cumberland, PA, USA
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I went to get my oil changed someplace other than my Ford dealership and since, the car has been running oddly. Mostly issues with accelerating after sitting at a red light on roads where the speed is anywhere from 35 to 45 mph. It doesn't happen all the time, but I noticed it about a week after the oil change. The other issue, that is more cause for alarm, is that the doors will not close completely. First it was the passenger front door, then the passenger rear door and finally the driver rear door. All while stationary, thank goodness. Since then, all but the driver's side front door have been secured with bungee cords for the last few weeks, because I did not have the funds to replace the door latches. One of which had been replaced only last year and cost me nearly $500 because the part hadn't been on recall! I then found out today that there is a recall on said parts that began in January 2017 but I have yet to be notified by my dealership! I only noticed because I wanted to see -if- there had been a recall due to hearing about a few other people having this same type of issue. See photos of bungee corded doors. This is extremely dangerous and those who own this same model of car should be notified immediately of a recall, not when parts are available. I would never have known had I not thought of doing my own research. I may never had known if I was waiting on my dealership to notify me... I may have been seriously injured or worse if I had waited on them.
I am receiving "electric power steering assist system" error messages as my power steering completely disappears. Fortunately, each time it has been when I first start my vehicle and prepare to move. According to what I have read, Ford has been aware of this issue, but I have never been notified. I have less than 50,000 miles on my car and this is just another in an ongoing "recall" situations. I have had starter issues, recall 15B22 transmission control module, silent recall for seal leak, car revving while driving down the highway and periodic display disappearance. I am very disappointed as I love the way the car handles and I get 40+ mpg on the highway but am now concerned about taking any trips or driving on highways as I have read this power steering issue can occur while in motion. This latest issue began about 2 months ago.
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.
Audio control module(radio) it does not work. It has nothing but static noises coming out and the car is only 5 years old. This affects what is wrong and there is thousands of complaints. To get it fixed it will cost over $800 to fix it. If you look the radios have been bad in Focus, feista, Fusion & Taurus from 2008 to 2013. Ford knows about this problem and now the consumer has to pay for it. Since it is electrical it could effect other parts of the system. They told us to put an after market radio system in and that will still cost over $700. I am life time Ford buyer and now I fill duped from them.
Shuttering transmission - brought in to Ford to have serviced because there was an extended warranty offered but my car had already passed the milage limit. I had gone in previously complaining about the shutter and was informed it was because of the type of transmission it was. Now that there is an actual problem with the transmission I now no longer quality for the extended warranty because it was not discovered until I passed 100,000
Upon driving on the highway, the transmission overheated. While driving the car on a road or highway - the transmission will randomly not shift causing the car to rev up high while other times the car will simply refuse to accelerate when the gas is being pressed. The transmission will shake, shudder, and make noise upon accelerating and changing gears. When at a stop light/stop sign and the car is at a complete stop - the transmission will often disengage and the car will lurch forward even though the brake was firmly pressed to the floor. Upon lane changes, the transmission will randomly refuse to accelerate the car at all.
Recall--transmission clutch shudder/transmission input shaft seal warranty extension---field service action number = 14M01 I took my vehicle to homer skelton Ford in olive branch, ms on 2/27/17 for a transmission control module recall. This recall goes up to 150,000 miles which my car has 135,000 miles so it was still in effect. The service guy told me that there was another recall regarding the transmission (I listed it at the top of page) that it expired at 100,000 miles. Well my car had 98,329 miles when I bought it at city auto in memphis, tn. I had no way of knowing about the recall and I didn't receive a recall letter---the lady at Ford customer service checked this out and told me that "no" I wasn't in their system for this recall letter. So now the dealership is wanting me to pay $2033 for repairs due to the 1st recall. The Ford customer service (2 of them) told me to call the service manager and see if he has any resources. I called him twice yesterday...no answer either time. So when the service technician called me and told me my car was ready, he told me that he had to pull the service manager out of a meeting to describe my dilemma, which was to no avail. They said that I was responsible for the whole payment.
The back door on the drivers side the outside handle on the back door is broken an the door wont shut. The outside handle to the door is not broken. On the inside of the door. After I took the door paniel of were the window go up and down. The tracker that lets the window down bye the latch were open the a peace of the white plastic handle is broken right bye the children's safty latches on the door. Ms. Virginia haltom
I could handle the studder and handle the being held hostage by my seat belt, but now I have to pay $1,800 to get my steering fix after almost hitting a tree with my family in the car. I was just about to upgrade to a escape, I will never buy Ford again after this because I have 89000 on my car they will help with nothing. Nor do they care about the safety of me and my family or the other people around me ! I have never been so disappointed. I truly loved this little car until it tried to kill me.
My 2012 Ford Focus has a transmission clutch defect.. my experience with the problem has been a rattle noise, during low gears, check engine light appears off and on, vehicle stalls as your driving, speedometer goes up when you are in park, and it causes the car to "flutter" in and out like it's about to shut off. I have had the defect fixed by the Ford dealership three times.. I am now having take the car back to the dealership to be fixed for the fourth time. I just got my car back from being fixed again for the third time. That same day of picking up my car my son and I stalled out in the middle of the interstate three times! my son is 19 months old, as you can imagine I was fearing for our life.. cars going 70+ miles an hour, going past you, while your stalled out in the middle lane.. I couldn't get out the vehicle with my son, because remind you, I couldn't get out safely, all I could do was hope the people behind me could see my safety hazard lights.. this was not the first time I have stalled out in this car.. this makes stalling out number 6.. I have a huge safety concern with this car. I don't feel safe driving it, especially with my son in the car.. I just want the dealership to replace my car.. I want to feel safe driving and I am terrified to drive mine.
Takata recall. The car will die in the middle of driving. Doesn't matter the speed you are going the lights on the dashboard will light up and you cant accelerate or decelerate the car will just die.
Transmission shutters and hesitates while driving. There is a grinding noise when you give gas after turning a corner. Dealership just reprograms and says it has to adjust to driver but it never fixes the issue. I worry a wreck may happen if the I can't make the car respond timely because of the hesitation. Now they want to charge and I refuse! love the car but hate the transmission. You required a date below that this happened but this is a daily issue.
My transmission shutters very badly I have had it at the dealer in los lunas New Mexico. It is still not fixed. My streering assist light came on and ihaveno power steering. After the last oil change to change oil light will not go off even after the reset procedures have been followed. The lighter does not work. O and to top it off I just got a recall letter something to do with electrical failure. But had nothing to do with the above problems. This is way many for a car of its age I am sure I have a lemon. What can be done?
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Enterprise, AL, USA