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CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2015 Ford Focus & its "Powershift" transmission has a defect trend where the car shudders when accelerating, especially when starting uphill.

Most owners have reported their Ford Focus remains driveable while the vehicle is still at low mileage, but the shuddering is annoying & unpleasant & may reduce the resale value of the vehicle.

However, owners of higher-mileage vehicles from earlier 3rd generation Focus model years report transmission failure & a host of other major & expensive transmission-related problems. Potential buyers beware.

2.8

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
50,444 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.

2015 Ford Focus transmission problems

transmission problem

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2015 Ford Focus Owner Comments

problem #9

Nov 032023

Focus

  • 88,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. While the contact's mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shook excessively. The contact's mother stated that when she depressed the accelerator pedal the vehicle started shaking excessively. The contact stated that he contacted the dealer to inform them of the failure. The contact stated that the transmission clutch assembly had been replaced three times under an unstated recall repair. The dealer informed the contact that the repair would not be covered under the recall because the recall had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

- Plymouth, OH, USA

problem #8

Aug 012022

Focus

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond when shifted to reverse(R). The contact also stated that the transmission was slipping while driving and the vehicle failed to accelerate properly while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the transmission control module (TCM), but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the clutch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the clutch had previously been replaced; however, the failure occurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 80,000.

- Lynn Haven, FL, USA

problem #7

Aug 132022

Focus

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while parking the vehicle in a parking lot, the contact was unable to shift the vehicle into reverse(R). The contact stated that she then shifted the vehicle to drive(D) and was able to front-end park the vehicle and then shift to park(P). When the contact returned and started the vehicle, she could not shift the gear shifter into reverse(R). The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that once she left the parking lot, the vehicle engine would rev as she depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to properly respond. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) needed to be replaced. The TCM was replaced; however, the contact was told by the dealer that the transmission needed additional work. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

- Gaines, MI, USA

problem #6

Jul 012022

Focus 4-cyl

  • 86,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was in the driveway, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact related the failure to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 19N08. The vehicle was diagnosed with a transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

- Clinton, NC, USA

problem #5

May 222022

Focus

  • miles
Esta es la segunda vez que se arruina la caja de la transmisión voy caminando y no agarra velocidad voy en el freeway y no avanza no hace los cambios al tratar de rebasar, aparece una luz roja y marca motor. Hoy apareció una advertencia en el tablero que dice transmisión caliente espere 5 minutos voy en freeway do de me parqueo"?" Fui a la agencia y no me han ayudado dijeron que debo dejar el carro por 3 meses.ahi parado con ellos repito es la segunda vez en 2 años y medio que esto pasa

- San Antonio , TX, USA

problem #4

Jan 012018

Focus

  • miles
Transmission slips jerks shakes when trying to take off. It will not pick up speed until it's in third gear, . This car is not a manual it's an automatic transmission. It was taken to a Ford dealer and we were charged money and told that it was fixed. This Is a 78-year-old womans car. She was unaware that the vehicle had an issue. The car only has 62,000 miles on it and is a 2015. And it also has a warning light that comes on when you drive with the AC on or on hot days or if you drive longer than a few miles a warning light comes on and tells you to pull over and that the car is overheating. Both of these items I'm listing are very dangerous especially when getting on an interstate or pulling out in traffic. I don't know if it's an electrical issue with the overheating light coming on but the radio has also stopped working. The transmission definitely has a safety issue. I'm afraid of driving very far because of these two issues.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #3

Oct 112021

Focus

  • miles

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

Transmission stopped working after overheating of engine. Clutch stopped working as well.

- Lansing, MI, USA

problem #2

Sep 142021

Focus

  • miles
While driving to work, my transmission started to slip. On the freeway, if I pressed the gas pedal, my car would NOT go faster. Instead, my engine would rev to almost redline and my car would continue to coast, but loose momentum. Once the transmission downshifted to a lower gear, then the transmission would begin to work. Once I got into the City, I almost rear ended someone when the transmission surged. I was pushing the gas through an intersection, and suddenly my car lurched forward, the tires squealed, etc. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid slamming into the car in front of me.

- Annandale, VA, USA

problem #1

Jun 222021

Focus

  • 114,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the check engine warning light was illuminated and the RPM started to rise. The contact also stated it the vehicle was rough when shifting gears. The contact was able to drive to his residence. The contact called a local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

- Wathena, KS, USA

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