CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2016 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.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
44,933 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.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle jerked until shifting into gear. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was advised that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.
The transmission (powertrain) on my 2016 Ford Focus SE (VIN: [XXX] ) has had persistent issues since shortly after I purchased the car in April 2022. It has not completely failed yet, but the symptoms -?" including shuddering, slipping, jerking, and hesitation when accelerating or shifting -?" have worsened over time. It uses a dual-clutch transmission with no dipstick, making it difficult to properly monitor or service. The vehicle is in my possession and available for inspection upon request. Due to the unpredictable and unsafe driving behavior, I have stopped driving the vehicle altogether and have not driven it in over a month. The car hesitates when shifting, especially at stop signs or when merging into traffic, creating serious safety concerns for myself and others. The issue has been reproduced multiple times and addressed at the CarMax dealership in Tinley Park, IL, where I bought the car. However, their repairs were only temporary, and the problem returned. Because the car is now outside of their warranty period, they refuse to inspect it without charging a diagnostic fee. I also contacted Ford Customer Service, but was told that since there is no current recall, I would need to pay out of pocket and that no assistance could be offered. There were no warning lights or messages at the start of the issue, which began within 60-?"90 days of ownership. The transmission symptoms have been present ever since, and have progressively worsened. This is clearly part of a wider transmission issue with the 2016 Focus, as supported by numerous consumer complaints and lawsuits. I urge NHTSA to investigate and take appropriate action, including consideration of a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The vehicle shutters and fails to engage while taking off from a stop. The transmission feels like the clutch slips (Automatic transmission). This 2016 Ford Focus is having the exact same issues as mentioned in the Ford customer satisfaction program 14M02 -Supplement #7. In this memo Ford outlines that 2012-2016 Ford Focus models with the DPS6 automatic transmission built between August 1st 2010 - November 5th 2015 in Michigan can get repairs made. I contacted Ford and they are saying they will not honor repairing the vehicle since it isn't showing the recall attached to it specifically even though they acknowledge the issues exist in my vehicle. On the 14M02 recall supplemental #7 the Fords with that transmission have received additional extended warranties to 10yrs 150,000 miles. My car has 132,000 miles and is 9 years old. I had this same issue fixed prior while the vehicle was still under the original factory warranty. I need assistance since Ford is failing to make the appropriate repairs to a vehicle they have acknowledged has problems from a bad designed transmission. These 2012-2016 cars are LEMONS!! PLEASE HELP!
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with a defective clutch module. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair and was later referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into second gear while driving. The contact stated there was an abnormal grinding sound while turning the steering wheel. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10-50 MPH, the vehicle began to slow down and kick back. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission control module, purge valve, and power control module failure, and a software reprogramming was needed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who replaced the transmission. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 15,060.
- Jacksonville, FL, USA
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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and accelerating, the vehicle shuddered and jerked before shifting into gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 16-0129. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving on an Interstate at 50 MPH, the -??Transmission Fault Service Now" message was displayed and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and DTC: P07A3 and P2872 were retrieved. The contact was advised that the clutch, transmission, and the passenger-??s side engine mount were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 222,440.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and accelerating, the vehicle shuddered and jerked before shifting into gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was confirmed that the failure was with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 19N08. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the message "Transmission Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and then towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with internal clutch failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Transmision gets hot and i have to pull over right away, otherwise I might cause an accident. Once is get hot it won't move at all. Obd code p2872 and p2872dp. Clutch A stack engaged. My car only has 75400 miles. I took it to ford liner. And they told me the car has no recalls at all. They charge 196 dollars to inspect the car. They also told me that they need to change the couch A because is stuck but want to charge me 4,650$
Battery was disconnected in order to install new radio. After installation, car started just fine but could not go faster than 20mph and would "stall" (even though it is auto transmission) once getting up to that speed. Ford dealership diagnosed as needing a new transmission control module. I was also told this problem would have occurred whenever the battery died, so it was no fault on the radio installation. There is a recall on these parts but for some reason my vehicle is not included in any warranties or recalls. I do not have any written communication with the Ford dealership yet as all contact has been via phone calls.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the transmission was slipping. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle had performed as designed. The vehicle later failed to reverse while the transmission was shifted to reverse(R). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power; however, the RPM continued to increase, prompting the contact to immediately turn off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission control module, resulting in damages to the transmission. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 51,000.
I am dealing with a dual clutch going bad the car is stalling hesitating and loosing power very dangerous to drive. Also i just replaced transmission without finding any help from ford even there was a recall now my dual clutch is going on and there was a recall i never got to be apart of when i first got the car in 2015. I need help please point in the direction i feel like ford should fixed this buy the car back
My clutch and or transmission is malfunctioning. When I drive up hill the car shudders and I lose power, it's a risk when another vehicle or pedestrian is behind me. When I accelerate from a full stop, same symptoms. If in an emergency I have to move I would be at risk because then the vehicle would hesitate. The issue was confirmed with the manufacturer's dealership service center. No warning lamps, no messages just a sudden appearance of the symptoms that were progressively getting worse. I looked up two separate customer satisfaction programs which I believe I should be eligible but bought the vehicle after their expiration and even though I think the vehicle satisfies the programs' terms, the manufacturer did not include my vehicle's vin.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the front-end shuddered and vibrated significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the dealer had picked up the vehicle for the repair of Ford Campaign Number: 24N07; however, upon diagnosing the vehicle, the dealer informed the contact that the failure was not related to the Service Campaign, but instead to the transmission dual dry clutch. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered because the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 85,500.
My vehicle started having issues with the transmission, like shifting issues while starting to accelerate, not going into gear while I am accelerating as well as going in and out of gear in current speed levels with the flow of traffic. It would go from a drive engagement to neutral and would cause me to be in dangerous situations while having passengers in my car as well as my children. I do Lyft an Uber as a current profession, and the last 10 rides that I have given people have been put in positions of compromise or danger due to the shifting issues. After googling issues online, I discovered my Transmission has had various online complaints of Same danger issues. I had 2 Mechanics also verify the issues as well. I contacted ford customer service and they have denied any issues or any recalls attached to my vin. After speaking with ford they said my vehicle was made after the cut off. My transmission DPS6 is the same model that was given extended warranty or repair or Replacement. The documents I found state that the DPS6 automatic transmission was covered under these manufacture dates: August 1, 2010 through November 5, 2015. After speaking with the Ford customer service agent she had mentioned that my car was built December 23, 2015. Which includes the same transmission as stated previously. The program where I found this information is on your website specifically. Program 14M02. Please add all transmissions affected by this situation to the timeline of the warranty extension. My vehicle would fall within the warranty extension of what is listed on the form below of up to 10 years and 150,000 miles considering it is only nine years old with 125,000 miles. Due to it being the same exact transmission, I feel that it is very unfair that it was not included in the extension of this warranty coverage. Please reconsider in adding that coverage to my VIN number. [XXX] [XXX] 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
- Worthington, OH, USA