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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:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
58,682 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 miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2012 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 5 of 18)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #262

Oct 242019

Focus

  • 121,255 miles

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

Power steering went out while traveling.

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #261

Nov 012019

Focus

  • 103,000 miles
2012 Focus S a majority of the time from a stop vehicle starts jerking and I don't own a stick shift. Also as it's jerking the rpms go really high as if I need to shift idk but also every time I put it in park it rolls about quarter-incput it in park it rolls about a half an inch or more then I hear a click well it's more like a tin can sound I hate it I hope it's not my transmission

- Homer, AK, USA

problem #260

Nov 202019

Focus

  • 149,242 miles
It seems as the transmission needs reprogram the body control module with updated software it seems to be stuck on S instead of normal drive and it has problems when accelerate and shift

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #259

Aug 142019

Focus

  • miles

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

Car shuttered mid traffic light so I pressed on the accelerator and it jerked back into speed and I was going under a highway when my car wouldn't accelerate anymore and started jerking again so I pulled into a gas station and realized that I could not reverse either.

- Sealy, TX, USA

problem #258

Nov 092019

Focus

  • 102,657 miles
My car is a Ford Focus 2012 I was in the highway and I couldn't accelerate. I lost speed while I was in the highway.my car was fine all week I ran without any problem no light appear at the dashboard.when I couldn't accelarate in the highway a message appear for the first time transmission malfuction.

- Laurel, MD, USA

problem #257

Aug 112019

Focus

  • 64,700 miles
I reported about a vehicle safety complain/recall like 2-3mos from now but it's been a while since it's like no reply or actions coming from you because I just wanna know if for some reasons it's already available for my car for a recall or something in your system or I still have to wait for it? I have a car that I believe a latchkey/locked in the driver's seat is broke because whenever I'm driving from 30-50 mph it's keep on opening the door and esp. When turning that's why I put some duct tape on it just to prevent from opening by itself. I just hope you can do immediate action for this kind of matter. Thank you very much and hope to hear from you soon!

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #256

Sep 102019

Focus

  • 31,000 miles

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

Scraping noise coming from electronic steering component. Similar issues described on line. Seems like a widespread problem.

- Glen Mills, PA, USA

problem #255

Jul 112012

Focus

  • 4,600 miles
Three weeks after buying my brand new 2012 Ford Focus, the car began to hesitate on the highway. I complained to the dealer who said it was a Ford problem and not theirs. The following month, I almost died in the car. A regional manager from Ford came to the dealership to speak with me, resolved nothing. I followed lemon law protocol and documented everything through the service dept. More than 12 visits. Four visits before the near fatal crash and the remainder afterwards. Ford ran out the statute of limitations on my vehicle so they did not have to pay me. The vehicle has a propensity of turning off when accelerating to 65 mph. When making a turn or U-turn the car hesitates. Ford admitted to manufacturer defect and still would not put me in my original position which has left me with disc displacements beneath my brain stem. I have chronic neck pain every day of my life. I was making a left hand turn and had plenty of time to turn. A white utility van flew out of the lane to try to beat the light as I was turning. The car turned off and I had to brace for impact. The car would not start. Two additional malfunctions caused the car to veer left and crash into curbs. Last week, I had to make a U-turn. I had plenty of time. While turning, the car hesitated, and the car was stopping, the way it did in 2012. I was almost killed by an 18-wheeler who thought I was initiating road rage. He then followed me and ran me off the road coming one inch to the side of my vehicle. I tried to take pictures, but my hand was trembling. Ford needs to replace my vehicle at the replacement value from July of 2012 and obey the va lemon law statute. Ford offered me a buy out of $8,000 in December 2018. I had to lay out $14,000 for a new vehicle. They should have credited all of my car payments $17K, and provided a settlement for permanent spine and neck injuries. Accountability is demanded.

- Duluth, GA, USA

problem #254

Jan 092018

Focus

  • miles
The transmission races and stay there this transmission has only lasted a year and three months now Ford does'nt want anything to do with it. They knowingly knew there transmission were faulty. Now they want me to come out pocket $611 to put another bad transmission in.

- Ocala, FL, USA

problem #253

Aug 182019

Focus

  • 64,959 miles
While driving Ford Focus electric, car alerted me to stop safely now, while driving in traffic without any prior warning. Typically this occurs when there is an issue with the car and it was unexpected while driving in traffic. The dealer while working with Ford determined that the battery needed to be replaced.

- Amherst, NY, USA

problem #252

Sep 122019

Focus

  • miles

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

'takata recall' I was driving and in the middle of the road on watt ave and the car went from 45miles to 0 in seconds on a green light and I got hit by the car behind me, was barely moving a light came on the car saying 'transmission malfunction service now'

- Antelope, CA, USA

problem #251

Sep 052019

Focus

  • 19,900 miles
When I entered the VIN number for my vehicle it said that there were no recalls for this vehicle"? I have already had to return the vehicle to the dealership to have several manufacturing recall problems addressed!!?? I should have received a recall letter about the clutch problem in this vehicle! why have not received anything" why does your system not recognize that this vehicle dies have recalls! how can zi get a letter from the manufacturer so have tried everything!

- Lowell, MA, USA

problem #250

Sep 032019

Focus

  • 89,000 miles
Have seen 2 recalls for this vehicle involving the locks/latches, fuel problems, and steering wheel locked up twice today for no reason.

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #249

Aug 282019

Focus

  • 48,000 miles
Radio has went out and now lights have become dim on the dashboard. Radio is completely off but still hearing static noise through the speakers.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #248

Apr 212019

Focus

  • 125,000 miles
Takata recall my 2012 Ford Focus is having transmission issues. I can not drive over 60 in my vehicle and I am not the only one with this issue. I have read reports and called Ford and no one will take a look into this. It has caused me to have to pull over on the side of the highway and the car will smoke and over heat. I am not able to cut the car on for 10 mins and all of my dashboard lights appear. It has been this way for the past 4 months. I have had to get a new form of transportation because of it. Can someone please look into this.

- Summerville, SC, USA

problem #247

Aug 012015

Focus

  • 50 miles
My car shuts off or stalls while driving, gas indicator is not accurate, I can smell fuel for a long time after I fill up, the transmission is not smooth at all, it jerks and shakes, wiper fluid is full but it won't release.

- West Memphis, AR, USA

problem #246

Jul 222019

Focus

  • miles
The driver's door is keep on opening while in motion so I have to really hold on tight with the door while driving. I think because the latchkey/lock broke or something... I've already go to Ford for this one but they said it's not on their recall list...

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #245

May 102019

Focus

  • 83,550 miles
Had 2 issues with dual-clutch transmission since buying the vehicle. Clutch was replaced on May 13th, 2019 for my 2012 Ford Focus. I was stuck on the highway twice for this occurrence with the vehicle jerking while in motion then the "check engine" light coming on and the car stalling out. The vehicle then came to a stop and could not be restarted. The cost of the repair was $2667.46 dollars to replace the clutch. The previous time was due to a problem with the transmission control module but was fixed with no issues.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #244

Aug 112019

Focus

  • 111,000 miles
Car suddenly loses all power while driving down the road and completely shuts down, loses all power for about 15 min to hour and the will suddenly start up again

- Shreveport, LA, USA

problem #243

Aug 082019

Focus

  • 77,210 miles
My transmission has been worked on 3 times now. It's been a burnt clutch twice and the third was a recall they fixed on the transmission. And now for a 4th time, I need to take my car in to be worked on because of the transmission. My car won't go in reverse. Sometimes it will begin to go forward instead of backwards. When I put my car in reverse from park, I can hear the gears grind. The car shudders and jerks like it usually does. But instead of the transmission failure light coming like it did the first three times, now the engine light turns on but I know this is the transmission because it's happened 3 times before. Each time my car has broke down because of the transmission, I was on populated roads and I could have easily been in a car accident.

- Burbank, CA, USA

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