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.
After driving about 15 minutes warning light comes on that transmission malfunction, pull over immediately. Ford says it's the computer but will not fix this. This was on a city street going 50 mph. My daughter drives this vehicle if she had been on the interstate this could have resulted in a serious accident. 2012 Ford Focus, 117,000 miles.
The radio in my 2012 Ford Focus SE has malfunctioned. While driving one day, I heard a loud pop and then static. It was so loud it scared me and I almost had an accident. It has done this numerous times, even when the car is turned off and the key is removed from the ignition. Upon checking social media and complaints on the web, this has happened to quite a few 2012 Ford Focus vehicles. The only way to stop this from happening is to remove the fuse for the radio from the fuse box located under the glove box on the inside of the vehicle. Ford has refused to make the necessary repairs at their cost and I fully believe this is a safety issue due to the loudness of the popping and cracking. I have now been without a radio in my car for more than a year. After speaking with some audio experts, the only suggested solution is to replace the head unit for the radio. These cost more than $200 alone, not including the labor to install the head unit.
While driving in town, the car started to shutter and wouldn't advance out of first gear. We were turning a corner. Shudder, transmission service light came on.
Vehicle lost transmission while driving uphill on a 45 mph roadway, in June 2014. Vehicle would not move. When you stepped on the gas pedal the car would not move. Had to turn the vehicle off and let sit for several moments. Once started vehicle was operable. On another occassion transmission was again not operating properly and vehicle would not accelerate. This happened on a 55 mph highway and almost caused vehicle to cause an accident, since vehicle would not funtion property (Sept. 2014). In August 2015 motor vehicle would "jump" all the time while driving. In August 2017, the car again would not accelerate over 20 mph and the transmission light was on. This again happened while driving on a 55 mph highway, almost causing a motor vehicle accident because vehicle would not accelerate over 20 mph. I was forced to pay $484.17 to Ford dealership for repairs, when in fact repairs were due to faulty transmission, which Ford knew about.
When I put my gear in reverse, sometimes my car jerks and reverse faster than it should or other times the car would idle, I would see the RPM going up and hear the RPM but the car doesnt move. I'd have to hit brake and try to reverse again. When I come to a stop and try to drive, the vehicle either jerks or just takes off. The problem almost happens every time. Or when I am slowing down, the car would jerk or shudder. Whenever I take the vehicle to the dealership, they just tell me the shudder/jerks are in their normal range reading and basically tells me that is normal for the vehicle to do. All the shuddering, jerking, and being hesitant happens mostly starting from a stationary position, like at a red light or a stop sign. This has been happening every since I bought the car in 2016 August, as a used car. I've had to get a new clutch, and replace the new one because it wasn't working properly.
- Anaheim, CA, USA
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I purchased this vehicle from Ford of kirkland in Washington state in 2016, and noticed driving issues the day I drove it off the lot. This vehicle has a dps6 transmission and it constantly jerks, shudders and slips out of gear while driving at any speed. It often fails to accelerate or accelerates suddenly and out of control, especially when going uphill. It also frequently overheats, especially when idling, despite having work done on it several times that was supposed to fix this problem. I was told this was an automatic transmission when the vehicle was sold to me, and the dps6 is not an automatic transmission at all. I also frequently have issues with the electrical and radio system. The clock changes randomly and the audio switches unexpectedly to radio stations from blue tooth while driving and then fails to switch back to any blue tooth device, sometimes for several days until it randomly begins working again. This is especially problematic when I am relying on audio directions from navigation apps that are paired from my cell phone while driving. I was also told by Ford of kirkland service center that there is "nothing wrong" with my transmission or my vehicle and that I'm just not driving it "correctly, " which makes absolutely no sense. This vehicle and its faulty transmission are unsafe to drive. I do not let anyone else drive this vehicle because I fear for their safety and I only drive it myself in times where it is absolutely necessary, which I can prove by the very small amount of miles I have put on it since purchase. I experience the above stated problems every single time I drive it this vehicle, which is a clearly a lemon by definition. Ford broke the law by selling me this dangerous vehicle with a transmission that they knew was unsafe and by falsely advertising this transmission as an automatic.
I was driving southbound in the left lane on I-495 from md into va, about to get to the ez pass camera. I seldom use the pass, therefore it is not affixed to the windshield. I had placed it on the dashboard in anticipation of the upcoming camera. Traffic was alternately slowing down and speeding up to approximately 35 mph. The driver ahead of me suddenly slowed nearly to a stop, so I pressed my brakes, which caused the ez pass to slide across the dashboard and up against the windshield. Unable to reach it with my seatbelt on, and because the car was barely moving, I unfastened the seat belt to retrieve the pass. At the same time the driver ahead of me slightly increased her speed, then suddenly slowed again, which I did, too. However, this time I had to punch the brake. It went straight to the floor, my car sped up, and I was unable to avoid rear-ending the car ahead. It was such a helpless feeling to try and stop and have no brakes! a "crash mode" message showed up on screen behind the steering wheel and the sync system automatically dialed 911. The other driver got out of her car and walked back to ask if I was okay. I was fine, but because traffic in the right lane was speeding past, and some cars were even passing us on the shoulder, I did not attempt to get out of my car. Eventually the state police, emts and a tow-truck arrived. My steering no longer worked, but once the other car was towed out of the way the responding officer was able to walk alongside my car, pushing it onto the shoulder while I attempted to steer. The tow driver took over from there. I rode with him back to md to the body shop of the Ford dealer where I purchased the car in 2011 and have had all maintenance performed and previous clutch issues addressed. It was in the shop for a month. I asked if there was something wrong with the brakes but was told there was no evidence of that.
Transmission clutch and tcm recall I am the second owner of my 2012 Ford Focus S, I purchased the vehicle in August of 2018. 6 months later, the car started cutting off while I'm driving 50+mph on the highway with my daughter in the back seat and cars flying behind us. I took it to the Ford dealership, they told me nothing was wrong with the tcm, they reprogrammed something, and replaced a canister purge valve, got the car back a couple weeks later, it started doing the same thing. Took it back to the dealership and they replaced the transmission clutch for $1,090. Now here we are 5 months later and my car is shifting so hard and hesitating like I am a 10 year old trying to drive a stick shift. It's hesitating when I take off and while I'm trying to slowly take off the RPM jumps to 4 and 5 and my car just takes off causing me to slam on my breaks. I looked online and found two recalls..... the tcm and the transmission clutch ! both extended warranty's. 150,000 miles or 10 years from the warranty start date, which ever comes first.. and guess what" I'm at 163,000. When I took it to the dealership a few days ago they wanted $150 just to diagnose the problem" the problem is the recall's that are associated with my vehicle, I don't get why the mileage matters.... it's the same problem it was before I even reached 150,000. I hate having to put my daughter in this vehicle. Fsa title: Transmission clutch shudder / transmission input shaft seal warranty extension field service action number: 14M01 fsa title: Transmission control module extended warranty coverage field service action number: 14M02
My recently purchased 2012 Ford Focus with'19,000 miles' just cost me $1,437.14 to replace the clutch!!! this is due to a Ford manufacturing mistake this should never happen on an automatic drive vehicle with less than 20,000 miles on the vehicle!!!"??" I will never by another Ford vehicle again. I will tell everyone in earshot if me a that evens mentions considering buying a Ford to not under any circumstances but that brand. Ford has the worst customer service ratings ever! I highly recommend doing there research before even waiting there time to go to a Ford dealership!! biggest rip off car company by far!! thus problem never should have happened and Ford should of stepped up and done the rite thing by its customers!! never again!! I will be telling everyone what a rip off you people are!! how do you sleep at night knowing that people's lives are in danger driving this vehicle!!
The door latch on the passenger side just quick working. The door just flys open. Thank god my fiance was only in the parking lot when this happened. The door will shut but will not latch. After doing some research, there is a recall for this part, but when my VIN is entered, my car does not have the recall...same year make and model. It has to be the same door latch? please help with this, this was very dangerous and can't happen to anymore people!
My car horn would periodically go out then one day it completely stopped working, I discovered this when I tried to warn a truck that I was in a lane the truck decided to merge into. I first took it to Ford to have it repaired however they never completed this repair for me. I then got my horn replaced at a Firestone where my service adviser informed me there were no signs of electrical issues and they really couldn't figure out what was wrong besides the horn system. They stated "have power all the way to the horn when pushing button on wheel." So they had to remove and replace horn assembly. I mentioned this to a Ford service adviser, and their response was "oh yeah sometimes that happens with the Ford horns a spring breaks." Like it was common and common knowledge. This concerns me because in NY you are required to have a working horn for any inspection due to safety. Horns are essential to help prevent accidents and prevent people from merging, backing into your vehicle etc. The fact that Ford service knows the problem as common knowledge scares and infuriates me. I was lucky and did not get in an accident, although I had a close call where if their wasn't a shoulder to ride on a truck would of merged into my vehicle since my horn had suddenly stopped working.
Started car and dash light indicated the following message, "transmission malfunction. Service now"like many others I have seen online.it also states engine needs service
Unsure what is wrong. However, I have had my car in 2 twice for a shudder, jerking, and hard shifting. The dealership fixed the hard shifting for a cost, but the shuddering with never got fixed has been happening even before they reset or replaced the transmission control module. It shudders going up step hills, and at times when accelerating. This happens frequently, and we were told this is a common problem, and we shouldn't be alarmed. However after driving every day for a living, this doesn't feel or sound correct, its definitely not safe.
The vehicle has had repeated issues over the past 7 years of ownership. The vehicle has shuddered upon acceleration for many years. A transmission recall supposedly fixed the problem, however, the vehicle has continued to shudder and also struggled going uphill. I took the vehicle into the local Ford dealership, as it was becoming difficult to drive safely. The vehicle would not accelerate when going up even a moderate incline and would begin to shudder and "rev up". I was traveling on the highway up an incline when the vehicle struggled to accelerate, began shuddering, and the engine became loud. I had to move over into the far right lane and slowly make my way up the incline traveling well below the posted speed limit. The Ford dealership determined that it was the clutch that needed replaced. When I questioned if this was related to all of the other shuddering problems and transmission problems I have had over the years, I was told that this was not associated with that and told that I would be responsible for paying the full amount of the repairs. A secondary auto shop suggested that I reach out to the Ford dealership, as they believed that the need for the clutch replacement and problems could easily be related to previous transmission issues. The Ford corporation was contacted and refused to do anything about the situation, other than documenting the incident in my file.
The transmission is under class action lawsuit. Having trouble with since buying in 2012, still waiting on outcome of that. Today. March 27, 2019, "steering wheel assist- service needed". steering out wheel will not turn. I work I need a car. I will be calling Ford today. My Ford Focus SE is no longer under warranty, over 140,000 miles on it. I was not able to leave home for work today. Sometimes when I turn the car off the time changes I then turn it back on and it goes back to the correct time. Also in the past sometimes in would not start. I would wait a while and then it would start. It has not done that since I bought the car in 2012. This car has a lot of problems.
Over the last 4 months my Ford Focus has completely ran like [xxx] the car bogs out cuts off due to the fuel and cluster jam and it's caused my clutch or transmission to throw codes. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Marble Hill, GA, USA