2012 Ford Focus Power Train Problems
- 1,052
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 1052 stored complaint records:
- 27 indicate a crash
- 11 indicate injury
- 3 indicate fire
What owners report
- Automatic Transmission · 4 records
- Clutch Assembly · 3 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 330 |
| 60–100k mi | 243 |
| 30–60k mi | 239 |
| 100–150k mi | 96 |
| 150–400k mi | 20 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
I am filing a complaint against a 2012 ford focus se. The car has been making transmission noises that cannot be resolved for quite some time now and while driving on the 101 freeway, all of the instrument panel lights came on and the entire car completely shut off and no controls were working at all almost causing an intense pile up that could have killed my mother and i instantly. We were left in the middle of the…
ODI 10669229
Power Train
I have had an ongoing issue with the transmission almost since buying this terrible car new. Transmission constantly shudders and jerks. Most recently was driving at about 60 mph when the car suddenly lost ability to maintain speed. Very dangerous timing as i was accelerating on to expressway and needed the speed to merge. Ford has no answer for this problem. Someone will be killed in these cars because of this…
ODI 10668473
Power Train
While driving on the road the vehicle lost all power. Went from 40mph to 0. When able to drive it again it would not go over 30 mph. The next day it drove with hesitation and jerking. Then appeared to run somewhat normal for a short time (10 minutes) after that started to jerk so violently that if a car was in front of me i would have hit it. After reading up on the ford focus, this problem seems to be consistent. I…
ODI 10668076
Power Train
With the engine still running, suddenly no power was delivered to the wheels. I was able to roll to a stop at the curb. I returned 1-1/2 hours later and was able to drive the car about 3 miles before the problem recurred. I had the car towed to a ford dealership. The problem was a failed transmission control module, which was replaced by an identical unit. Had this failure occurred while driving at high speed on a…
ODI 10788921
Power Train
I have taken my ford focus to the dealership three times to inform them about the transmission. At first they told me they had to reprogram it and that would fix the problem but it didn't. I took a second time and they told me the same. On saturday november 29 2014 i was parked at an incline at a furniture store when i put my vehicle in reverse it went but when i tried to engage the drive it just kept going back. I…
Crash reported
ODI 10670760
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle shifted from drive into neutral and shifted back into drive independently. The vehicle was restarted and the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.
ODI 10661205
Power Train · Wheels
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. While driving approximately 25 to 35 mph, the vehicle made a loud abnormal sound, the transmission spun, and the wheels did not engage. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission software had to be updated. The software update was performed; however, the failure…
ODI 10767505
Power Train
I bought the car used in november or 2014. After a few days of driving there was this a loud boom when accelerating from a stop light. After that the transmission would shutter so bad the car was not drive-able. I contacted the dealership where i bought it and they tested and told me it was the worst shuttering they had ever recorded. They told me ford would fix it for free but the part was on back order. I waited…
ODI 10725467
Power Train
Second problem was at 45,000 miles when the transmission control module (tcm) malfunctioned. The car lost all power while riding down the road and left me stranded in the middle of the highway. The car would not shift into park and was stuck in drive. I could not get the key out or attempt to crank it because the transmission was stuck in drive. I immediately called the ford dealership and they told me that i had to…
ODI 10807920
Engine · Power Train
To whom it may concern, i am a very unhappy customer with a car that i had purchased from your company. The car is not reliable what so ever and i can't trust it with anything! I have always wanted the newer model focus and when i finally have the money to afford one i am extremely disappointed. I have never had this many issues with a car and this is one of the newest cars i have yet bought. I have missed 8 days of…
ODI 10658928
Power Train
I have been experiencing increasing hesitating and shuddering from my transmission when attempting to accelerate. At times, i have experienced high engine revs with very little power to the wheels. I can no longer rely on the transmission to deliver the engine power to the wheels when i need it. I have had several incidents where i've experienced loss of power when attempting to maneuver the vehicle into the flow of…
ODI 10659644
Power Train
When drive the transmission jumps and sputters been in ford auto centers many times and when i call all i am told us this is normal. *tr
ODI 10654258
Power Train
We received recall notification from ford stating computer needed updated for the transmission/computer/clutch issues they are having. Had software update done. Fast forward to august of this year. Was driving car at highway speed and it started shaking badly, check engine light came on, car would only go about 30 mph. Took car to dealership under warranty and recall notice. Software was again updated. We were told…
ODI 10762911
Power Train
It has happened a few times when i start the car and go into reverse or drive i cannot turn the steering wheel. It takes a minute and then i can turn the wheel. I stopped at wayne akers ford and they said it might be the electronics for my power steering. They were surprised it is happening so soon. They said to bring it back for service on a weekday when more staffing. *tr
ODI 10661303
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. While driving 35 mph, the vehicle felt as if it were jumping in and out of gear. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred several times. The transmission jumped out of gear and the vehicle could not be driven. The vehicle was towed. It was diagnosed again as…
ODI 10849645
Engine · Power Train
Transmission shakes and grinds. Car rolls backwards on hills. Ford says this is normal behavior but having a car roll backwards on hills with an automatic transmission is a safety concern. *tr
ODI 10650382
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 mph, the vehicle independently shifted into neutral. The contact also stated that the traction control and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The failure recurred on five occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis. The mechanic stated that the power train automatic control module needed to be…
ODI 10650417
Power Train
It has been happening ever since i got this car. I have taken it to the dealership four times and they 'can never duplicate it' or tell me that it is normal. My car shudders and makes a loud grinding noise when it shifts from 1st-2nd gear. It is very annoying and stalls when i try to take off. If i would have known this was going to happen i would have not purchased this car. What the real kicker is i took it in…
ODI 10649750
Electronic Stability Control · Power Train
Engine stalled and shutdown while driving with loss of control. Engine also rev'ed up down without acceleration and deceleration while driving and traction warning control light came on. Car was driven to nearby parking lot where it completely shutdown. Car needed to be towed to dealer, as it could not be driven safely. Ford dealer identified the problem as a dtc code u0101 or simply a bad tcm(transmission control…
ODI 10649318
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact had not experienced any failures prior to taking the vehicle to the dealer to receive a manufacturer's recall remedy. After the repair, the failure progressed randomly for longer than a year. Upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was slow to respond and the rear tires locked when accelerating. The contact later experienced the vehicle stalling without…
ODI 10837727
Power Train
While driving, vehicle engine temperature climbed drastically and immediately. Upon closer inspection, coolant level in engine was dangerously low. 2 weeks later, coolant level low again. No visible leaks in system. *tr
ODI 10650751
Power Train
Clutch chatter at low speed, start off and shifting from 1st to 2nd, only seems to do it after its warm or under a load. *tr
ODI 10644430
Power Train
Driving during very heavy morning rush hour traffic (at approx 25 mph). Car began to shudder/hesitate very bad and would not accelerate - i was about to get onto the interstate. The check engine light came on and i was able to limp the car the remaining few miles to the office. The check engine light stayed on in the afternoon on the drive home. Was able to plug in my own obd computer and received the code p0902…
ODI 10644496
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, the vehicle was shifted into the drive position but failed to drive forward when the accelerator pedal was engaged. The contact mentioned that the same failure applied when attempting to reverse. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.
ODI 10695047
Electrical System · Power Train · Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice where the transmission control module was replaced. Weeks later, there was an abnormal noise coming from the radio and it randomly failed to work. While driving, the steering wheel seized and the contact had to apply force to the steering wheel each time the failure recurred. The…
ODI 10775342