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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
21,245 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.

2017 Ford Focus engine problems

engine problem

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2017 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #25

May 042023

Focus

  • miles

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

On MANY multiple occasions the vehicle has undergone a transmission/clutch failure. The worst of which was when passing a vehicle on a busy section of interstate and the car effectively put itself in neutral, unable to accelerate, at which point the vehicle behind us had to swerve to not collide with us or cause an accident. After the third time bringing it back to the dealership for repairs, I looked into it. We have only been able to drive this car LITERALLY HALF of the time we-??ve owned it, and poured thousands in repairs for obvious and negligent manufacturing defects that YOU KNOW ABOUT. This is a well known issue, and FAR FAR beyond the reasonable requirements for a recall. I am stuck with this vehicle and am mounting debt because I cannot afford another car. The NHTSA has outright failed in its duties to protect people from Fords clear fraud and negligence. I-??m unsure if it-??s political pressure to not oust them, or because you-??re corrupt. Either way, I-??ve decided to mount a campaign to bring light to this issue, and your complete lack of response. Ford is at fault for fraud and endangerment. YOU are at fault for willfully ignoring an issue that has, ON THOUSANDS OF WELL DOCUMENTED OCCASIONS, caused real financial and/or physical harm. Which is literally the exact opposite of your institution-??s purpose. I will not be including the paperwork or screenshots of our (currently) 10+ shop visits and bills, because you already have thousands (if not literal millions) of examples. You make me a sick as Ford. Shame on you.

- Oakland City, IN, USA

problem #24

Dec 052022

Focus

  • miles
I pulled out of my brothers driveway as I pulled out the car failed to go over 10mph and started to lurch back and forth. I almost got in an accident because of this. There was a car coming down the road and they had to swerve to miss me because I couldn-??t get the car to go over 10. I promptly pulled the car over after that.The car also would go into reverse but would not move. I had the car towed to a local Ford dealer because I did not feel it was safe to drive. There were no warning lights on the car at the time of the incident. The check engine light did come on later though. The dealership said the TCM had failed and would need to be replaced but I would need to wait for the part because it-??s on national factory back order. After waiting 4 months and calling Ford to complain multiple times the part finally came in. They installed the part and told me it did not fix the issue and I would need a replacement transmission. The car has not been fixed, failure date was at 87,300 miles. The car is no longer safe to drive and costs way too much for me to fix.

- Ilion, NY, USA

problem #23

Nov 162022

Focus

  • miles
Car was at highway speed and was given light input to change lanes. With light input, the engine accelerated in an uncontrolled manner, revving to maybe 5000 rpm. The driver had to slam on the brakes to counteract. Result was a rear-end collision with the car in front (Route 95 near Laurel, MD). For what it is worth, the car also gave an "overheating" alarm for the Powershift DCT transmission even though no such alarm had ever appeared previously. So first time alarm on the transmission and the following day this incident with the unintended acceleration. These could be unrelated, but could also be related. With the overheating transmission issue, the car was left sit for 10 minutes and then drove normally. Car also drove normally after the accident. No further abnormal acceleration issues.

- Glenwood, MD, USA

problem #22

Jan 012019

Focus

  • 70,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed her that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to replicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

- New Haven, CT, USA

problem #21

May 212022

Focus

  • miles
All lights came on and vehicle immediately slowed down, brakes became hard and it eventually just stalled out. Would not restart. Towed to repair shop. Mechanic found that the oil was full but no oil to engine. Found that the oil pump belt had malfunctioned and tore up leaving debris in the oil pan. Vehicle has approx 66,000 miles on it and manual says this piece if equipment should last until 150,000. Upon research, this is a common occurrence in the 2017, 2018 Ford focus.

- Evans, GA, USA

problem #20

Feb 012018

Focus

  • miles
I purchased this car new and within a week it began shuddering, studdering, jerking during acceleration. For a while I thought it was just me getting used to the car and pressing the gas pedal oddly. Over the years the problem has became worse and approximately 12-15 months ago I took it in to be checked out. I had to contact the dealership and complain about the way my car was driving numerous times before they allowed me to bring it in. I cannot remember if there was a recall on the transmission or if the "repair" was covered under warranty. Either way, the dealership tried everything they could to avoid me- so much that I passed the maximum miles covered in the manufacturer warranty before I was allowed to bring it in but they did still honor it, considering my complaint was well before the threshold was surpassed. When I picked my car up I was told a new electronic component was installed in(?) the transmission that would record and adapt to my driving style, allowing a much smoother transition between gear shifts, solving the shuddering. Whatever they did worked for about a week, just long enough to ensure the manufacturer warranty expired. Now it is worse than ever- sever shuddering and jerking between gears, taking longer than it should to shift gears, even slipping gears sometimes, occasional uninitiated engine revving and bogging down, hesitating to accelerate- both at a stop and while in motion, rolling backwards on an incline while in drive. I'm afraid to pull out onto a road if there's any traffic coming, afraid to cross at a median, merge into traffic from an off ramp. I've known from the beginning that something isn't right with this car, and reading through the class-action lawsuit against Ford for this same model car years 2012-2016, I believe Ford knows, too.

- Cove City, NC, USA

problem #19

Jan 132021

Focus

  • 65,000 miles

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

Two things happens after I would push on the break the car would accelerate until I pushed on the break again and it shutters and act as if it will stall out when I first start to drive when I first accelerate from any stopped situation

- Edgewater, FL, USA

problem #18

Oct 052020

Focus

  • 75,000 miles
I put my vehicle in drive and it wouldn't move, it felt like I was pressing on the gas while the brakes were on, then I was leaving a store when my vehicle would not reverse and a message would pop up saying transmission not in park. It finally started but wouldn't go over 11 miles then it dropped down to 4 miles. So, I had parked it and went to turn it back on but it wouldn't turn on, it was like my battery had died.

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #17

Mar 182020

Focus 4-cyl

  • 5 miles
Gas pedal gets stuck when moving forward. I have to get underneath the pedal and return it back to neutral spot with my toes. Engine jerks when fuel gets to 1/4 tank. Once after a trip to the grocery store, gas pedal stayed stuck after placing it in park. RPM's were above 2000.

- West Jordan, UT, USA

problem #16

Mar 102020

Focus

  • 70,192 miles
I was accelerating from a stop sign when the car didn't want to go forward, the rpms just idled as the engine revved but I couldn't drive forward, then the vehicle lunges forward, as if the transmission was stuck in neutral. After it jumped forward it began making a terrible grinding noise and lost control, almost driving straight into another car. I then proceeded to pull over and turned off the car, then it made these loud clicking noises and the emergency transmission light flashed red and said 'transmission overheating, stop and turn off the engine.' I left the car sit for 2 am hour, then went to turn it on and it would not start. It only made the ticking noise again. After trying to start it 3 times, it finally turned on, but continued to get stuck as the car would not move even though it was in drive. The next day I took it to the dealership but as I left my house and got on the freeway, the vehicle started rolling backwards on the inclined on-ramp even though it was in drive. Oncoming traffic swerved around my immobile car as I panicked and floored the gas petal. It finally lunged forward, seconds before a semi came barreling through the lane. I got it to the dealer as it flashed the transmission overheating light. The check engine light was on as well each time. The car had already been serviced 4 times prior to this, for transmission issues and multiple recalls. Each time I took it to get serviced, it got worse. When I finally picked it up, I couldn't even get it home because it broke down half a mile away. The dealerships service department refused to do any repairs to the vehicle even though the transmission failed and nearly killed me. They printed me the papers stating the clutch, actuators a & B, the T/O bearing, and another part need to be replaced and it will cost me $1800. In other words, I have to pay them just so I don't die in Ford faulty car

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #15

Jun 132019

Focus

  • 10,000 miles

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

A few months ago, my car started to shake (in a jerking, forward and back motion), and struggle to accelerate. It would make this noise, like gears grinding. I took it to the dealership to get it fixed under warranty, and they replaced the clutch. For about a week, it was fine. Then it started to do the same thing again. It will jerk back and forth when I accelerate from a complete stop (at a stoplight for example). Recently, I have been losing gas very quickly because it will go all the way past 4rpms just to get from 0-20mph. I'm not sure if the warranty is still on it, but it only has 12,000 miles on it. I have only made one very big trip with it, to Kansas and back to Virginia. It does this off and on every single time I drive it. I have to drive anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour for work, so this is really not convenient to have. Multiple times I was worried it would break down as I struggled to keep it from overdoing itself while accelerating. A few times, I could smell something like exhaust in the vents. This has been happening over the course of 6 months and has only gotten worse, even after taking it to the dealership, and having them tell me it was "fixed."

- Woodbridge, VA, USA

problem #14

Jan 302020

Focus

  • 35 miles
Vehicle stays in high gear, even when parked, I turn the vehicle off, then back on, and the car is still in a high gear and the engine revs. Also, the battery dies after the car is turned off for even 5 minutes.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #13

Dec 022017

Focus

  • 5,000 miles
1. car will maintain speed/RPM after you take your foot off the gas pedal. 2. car will accelerate on its own when your driving and you take your foot off the gas pedal. 3. car will accelerate from a stop without pressing the gas pedal. 4. RPM will increase when at a stop, the only thing keeping you from moving is keeping your foot on the brake or shifting to neutral or park. Issues started shortly after buying the car brand new and has continued after multiple visits to Ford dealership for same issue. Dealership says they are unable to replicate the problem and so each time we are told the vehicle is operating' as designed.'

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #12

Aug 012019

Focus

  • 38,000 miles
The car shutter upon starts from stop lights and signs.

- Spring Lake, MI, USA

problem #11

Jul 182019

Focus

  • 42,250 miles
When in motion, traveling forward in drive. The car will behave as if it has shifted into neutral -- not responding to pressure on the accelerator and revving up to as many as 6000 RPM. The car will behave this way even in cruise-control mode. When at last the car begins responding to accelerator pressure, it lurches abruptly. In addition, when making a turn from a stop (e.g., a left-hand turn from a light that has just turned green), the car will not begin moving with any consistency according to acceleration; often, it revs either shortly after moving or without any movement.

- Red Hook, NY, USA

problem #10

May 202019

Focus

  • 13,000 miles
I have a 2017 Focus that the transmission thats sluggish/slipping. I bought the car new and at 13,000 I already had to replace the transmission for a clicking/stalling/slipping. When I bought it in and explained the reason its like they already knew about the issue and the part was on back order. Had to wait about a month before the part got changed. Now at 15,000 the transmission acting up again. The transmission revs high before switching gears. It sluggish when merging onto the highway. Even when needing that little bit extra power going up a hill, it bogs down and I have to move over in lanes make sure no one behind me gets stuck. I'm already thinking about taking my car back in again before my 30,000 mile warranty hits to try and get it replaced once again. The transmission is unreliable and not effective. I wish I didnt buy this car and went with a Nissan or Toyota. But im stuck with this unreliable car.

- Lewisville, TX, USA

problem #9

Dec 102018

Focus

  • 0 miles
Ford Focus recall #18S35, NHTSA recall #18V-735 it has been over six ( 6 ) months and still no remedy. I don't understand why my elderly mother should wait this long.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #8

Jan 062019

Focus

  • miles
Anytime I try to make any sort of turn in this vehicle, trying to accelerate into the turn I essentially get stalled out even though the gas pedal is engaged and trying to power the vehicle to make the turn. It becomes a dangerous aspect especially when it starts to become busy on a main city street and the car won't accelerate like it's supposed to while trying to make the turn. My vehicle can start to make the turn and then start to stall out as I'm in the middle of the turn, and then it will sit there for a second until there are inbound cars coming and then it'll continue to make the turn after stalling for about 5 seconds. It's become a concern because it now comes down to waiting until the roadway is empty and full to make a safe turn. On top of that, if I'm going anywhere between 8 to 15 miles an hour, my car starts to stutter at low speeds. Not sure exactly what the cases for that, but it has raised some eyebrows and some concerns to myself with that because you never know what's going to happen if it starts to stutter and stalls out completely or disables the vehicle. This is the second hatchback I've purchased through Ford, and it's the first time I've ever had any sort of issues with the vehicle. I just don't want something to happen while I'm driving or trying to make any sort of turns from a main street to a side street install out in the middle of the roadway and possibly get hit from oncoming traffic. Especially going through any sort of school zones when it's clearly marked to go 15 miles an hour or below. I would recommend looking into this issue, because it looks like it has happened very frequently with a few other 2017 Focus's.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #7

Apr 192019

Focus

  • 40,000 miles
Car will not start. Will respond to a jump but will not start after running for awhile again. Then it starts with a bit of hesitation for awhile and then back to needing a jump. When at a stop and accelerating, there is a huge pause before the rpms kick in then it goes all the way to max before calming down to where it should be. Power just doesn't feel right. Also the sync 3 has horrible response and delay most days. Is it related to the power /electrical issue? new owner purchased 2/19.

- Littleton, CO, USA

problem #6

Apr 112019

Focus

  • 35,728 miles
At unpredictable times, accelerator pressure results only in engine revving. This occurs regardless of current speed, when turning at any speed or when moving forward. The transmission will not engage for several seconds. When it does finally engage, it will do so in a burst of acceleration. These conditions create problems in which routine traffic maneuvers become unsafe.

- Red Hook, NY, USA

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