CarComplaints.com Notes: For the third year in a row, the 3rd generation Focus is experiencing massive transmission problems.
Most notably owners keep complaining about how there's bad hesitation and jerking when starting from a stop. This isn't the result of an old, worn out part. In fact, the average mileage it's reported to us is just over 15k miles.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,681 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.
I want to know if anything is being done about the proliferation of high intensity headlamps both at the oem and the aftermarket level. These headlamps are blinding even on the low beam level. Typically in rural areas I have to wear sunglasses to avoid becoming blinded by oncoming vehicles.
Recently my car radio has been crackling and then completely stopping all music. The radio system will be completely off and make an extremely loud static noise and scare me while I am driving! this is not safe and could cause a massive accident or an older person to have a heart attack. I have a panic disorder and it gave me a panic attack while I was driving. I had to pull over and take my emergency panic medication. Volume is completely off when it is happening and the radio is completely powered off. Even when the car is completely shut off and we walk away from it the noise will continue and wake the neighbors up. We have completely pulled the fuse from our car.
We were notified that the "clutch" on the Ford Focus was under warranty for the life time of our car due to a shuttering sensation when pulling out from a complete stop. We are now on our 3rd replacement since 2015. The latest repair was on 9-27-19
Radio malfunction. After some time of driving, the radio will begin to crackle which leads almost unbearable popping within the speakers and has also caused the radio to stop working altogether but still makes the popping noise. Popping noise is so loud that it has frightened the driver several times. The driver has even made the decision to just remove the radio from the vehicle to prevent being frightened and jerking the steering wheel. This happens nearly all of the time, whether the vehicle is in motion or stationary, whether turned off or running.
- Dacula, GA, USA
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While accelerating either uphill or at speeds above 45 the car will begin to shake. I was told to fix my camber and toe bars to alleviate the shaking of the car, my struts, and to replace my tires. Neither of these solutions have helped this.
Horns were replaced in 2017 under warranty. Dealer's service writer told me they were having problems with horns. Horns worked intermittently starting five months ago. Had car in for state inspection two weeks ago and that day they worked so car passed but service writer advised that horns needed to be replaced. The car is no longer under warranty and the part is more than one year old which is the length of time Ford warranties the part. I have checked on the Ford Focus forum (Focus fanatics.com) and many others have had the same problem. A horn is not a normal "wear and tear" part and should not have this problem. The dealer refused to even check with Ford to see if they would replace the part either as a warranty item or as a "good will" item. Obviously this is a substandard part and should be investigated.
Tamara recall-bought 2014 Ford Focus in 2017.ran rough.had electronic transmission recalled and replaced.car had vibration, shaking on acceleration and very little power after.Ford told me 1- that's how it's supposed to run and 2- keep taking it back- I have a good warranty.eventually they would find something wrong and fix it.I hate my car
I had a recall on this vehicle prior to this complaint I'm filing now. The recall was fuel deformation inspection, Ford installed a fuel vapour Sep the recall number is 18S32. Now this problem was originally fixed 3/18/19. It is 8/13/19 that I am back at the same location for the same exact problem which includes low fuel pressure, the gas isn't getting to the engine (censor) and the car stops out of no where while driving on a highway.
All of the internal lights have stopped working, and the horn does not work. Fuses are all fine. I noticed the horn not working after someone almost hit me on the highway.
At a stop light just before my house my car made a noise, lurched and then didnt want to accelerate. It was close to home so we crawled it home thankfully then it refused to go in reverse. Previously it had a stutter problem brought it to Ford and other mechanics and got no answer as to what caused it. Currently being in my 9th month of pregnancy and having an 11 month old baby in the car these issues couldve caused a crash and put the life of my unborn child and my baby in the back in danger. Ford knows about this problem, being that it is the tcm which is faulty however they refuse to fix the whole problem. The tcm causes the clutch and clutch forks to go bad leading to these problems and Ford wants over $2000 to fix it while they only replace the tcm. Ford put out this car knowing it had these problems on the production line and does not properly inform owners therefore causing a safety issue while driving.
While driving my RPM went all the way up to 8 then the orange light highlighting D was blinking then my car just started slowing down. I pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the car. Waited a while and tried to start it and it wouldn't even start. There was nothing when I turned the key. Then I got a warning light that said transmission fault. Tried to start it again and it said car was not in park
When starting car would sputter and shake. Had to have transmission and clutch replaced $1700. Also when stopped it would surge forward and sometimes backward. Car is a 2014 Focus eith 15,500. Miles. Afraid to drive any distance for fear of slipping out of drive. Have written Ford but to no avail. I have all my records.
While driving in motion, I ramdonly get an alert that there is an engine malfunction, which then causes my car to have very little power when accelerating. If I come to a stop, then give it gas, it goes extremely slow, causing my RPM's to shoot up. My transmission is horrible while shifting. Its sputters, hesitates, jumps, and feels like it cant make up its mind on what gear to go in. And its only gotten worse. Thre has been 3 different occasions where after stopping for gas, or being at work that I have shut my car off, and when I went to start it up again, it wouldnt. It woulndt even turn over. After trying several times, it would finally start. Whatever is causing all of these problems, is also draining my battery as I had to get a new one after just over 2 years. A battery is supposed to last 5 years. Ford said only 3-5 and therefore would not cover it since I was supposedly coming up on the 3rd year. Which I was not. I do not feel safe in this car. And I now have a newly turned 16 Y/O daughter whos just is about to learn how to drive. And I should not feel its unsafe for her to have to learn in this vehicle I have a few more years to pay on it and it wouldnt benefit me to sell or trade in at this point. I have attached a picture of the second time I got this engine alert. I can't exactly take a picture of how my car drives or how the transmission shifts. If I can send video's, I'd be happy to do so if it would help.
My car has been down for 2 months. I immediately took my car to Ford because it hasn't even been a year since my purchase. After having my car for a week they decided that my car needed a new clutch. Now that I'm reading all of these reviews that are very similar to mine I need answers. My car was shuddering when I first made the purchase, but I was told those types of cars just drive like that. Ford said that my clutch was not covered and I have to pay $2500 to get it fixed. When it's clear that Ford was already having issues with these transmissions. Now I'm stuck between having a repossession or having to come up with $2500 and pay my car note still. This is insane.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Quilcene, WA, USA