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.
Power Train · Service Brakes · Wheels
The car tend to move backwards whenever i stop at a stoplight with a slight elevation. *tr
ODI 10583778
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the transmission slipped in and out of gear with extreme hesitation. The failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent for diagnosis. An unknown trouble code was detected and the mechanic recommended the vehicle be taken to a dealer. Additionally, the motor mounts…
ODI 10598014
Engine · Power Train · Suspension
This is an ongoing problem!!!! My vehicle vibrates when trying to accelerate from a complete stop. It hesitates and does not want to accelerate and it appears to not want to shift gears. Does the same thing at low speeds as well.when pulling of from a stop position sounds like a rattling or something making a cranking noise. Also car stalls at times. Taking off from stop sign car stalls when gas is pressed. My car…
ODI 10554232
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. While driving 35 mph, the engine light illuminated that the transmission was hot. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that a faulty seal in the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, when the vehicle was parked on a hill, it drifted in reverse. The vehicle was repaired twice for the same failure; however, the failure…
ODI 10823584
Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
When pulling of from a stop position sounds like a rattling or something making a cranking noise. Also car stalls at times. Taking off from stop sign car stalls when gas is pressed, this is an ongoing problem. *tr
ODI 10550438
Power Train
In october 2013, my car started shuddering violently every time i accelerated from a stop, going around corners and going up hills. On oct. 22, 2013, i brought the car in to the ford dealership for diagnostics and it was determined i needed a new clutch. I was also told that this is a very common problem happening at the time with my make/model. The car was "repaired" and it did not shudder until almost exactly a…
ODI 10702275
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus se. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle failed to shift into gear. The failure was recurring. In addition, the vehicle would roll backward whenever stopped on an incline and would begin shaking, causing difficulty in controlling the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed a transmission failure. The vehicle…
ODI 10552725
Power Train
Transmission shutters, jumps, makes rattling noise. Dealer reprogrammed it in oct. 2013. Did better for a while. Now it is worse, and makes a rattling noise upon acceleration. Took in on march 15th, and was told there is nothing they can do. They said it is normal. It performed ok the first year. Now it is getting worse. *tr
ODI 10572781
Power Train
Car transmission is faulty, was repaired by ford but still defective, have brought in for multiple repairs but still, not working properly, and transmission has slipped out of gear when pulling into traffic. Im personally scared to drive this car and do not trust it while pulling into any kind of traffic situation. *tr
ODI 10584663
Power Train
This is an automatic transmission. It continues to roll back while in drive and stopped on any simple incline. Brought it to dealers and they continue to say that this is normal. This is dangerous issue. *tr
ODI 10662338
Power Train
I was slowing down to pull into a freeway on ramp turn lane, and the car suddenly lurched. It kept doing this over the course of 3 months on and off when we would drive at slower speeds. We took it into the ford dealership, and they said it was a computer reprogramming issue. They reprogrammed the computer today, but i'm extremely doubtful that it's going to fix this based off of what other people have stated…
ODI 10558273
Power Train
The vehicle will not always shift out of gear when accelerating or decelerating. The vehicle will shudder violently when shift even after the car has been warmed up. This has caused the vehicle to stall when coming to interceptions or when take off not catch into a gear. Currently the transmission has been replaced once and reprogramed 3 times, still experiencing the same issues.
ODI 10782135
Power Train
On-going issues with the transmission shudder, jerk, choking at lower speeds especially at about 15 mpg to 40 mpg. There has not been an accident yet but many close calls. During stop and go traffic, or making a turn from a stoplight, or in a construction zone where speeds are slower - driving this vehicle becomes an issue. There are time when the car will not move even with the gas pedal pushed, it jerks and chugs…
ODI 10644431
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
This car has been a lemon. Ford has attempted to "fix" the repeated issue i am having with this car stalling out unexpectedly due to transmission failure. Ford replaced the tcm but the car still is unreliable. The service advisor at the o'meara ford in colorado told me that this car is a lemon and that he has not seen a product from ford this bad in many years. He also said that he has advised his family to not ride…
ODI 10786579
Power Train
The vehicle's transmission has failed three times; twice it required a new clutch and seals, and once (most recently) it required a new transmission control module. In each case, the car either stalled while driving or became stuck in a gear (most recently, in reverse).
ODI 10743789
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System · Power Train
The transmission in our focus stutters and grinds when shifting from 1st gear to 2nd. *tr
ODI 10649257
Power Train
Transmission started jerking, grinding and not shifting properly. Car has been in the shop 6-8 times in the last year. The latest issue with the transmission was basically feeling like it went out of gear and the car had no power. Dangerous when it happens going down the freeway at 70 mph and in traffic. Definitely a safety issued and needs to be addressed. From what i see online the is happening with many, many…
ODI 10598330
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the traction control warning light illuminated as the vehicle began to swerve independently before stalling. The vehicle was restarted but would only accelerate at very low speeds. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the transmission control module would need to be replaced. The…
ODI 10546658
Power Train
The car while being driven at low speed, in heavy traffic will shift into a lower gear allowing the motor to rev slightly, then as it engages the lower gear the car will accelerate abruptly. This happens when you are trying to move your foot from the gas to the brake. This happened several times in about a 20 min. Span. This has also happened while i was trying to park, causing the car to climb onto a railroad tie…
ODI 10546315
Power Train · Unknown Or Other · Vehicle Speed Control
Shutters/ grinding noise/ tugs and jolts at low speeds and up hills. When in bumper to bumper traffic message on dash, overheating transmission pull over wait 8 minutes. *tr
ODI 10630887
Power Train
In september of 2013, i purchased a used ford focus for my teenage son. Soon after purchasing, we realized the transmission seemed to be having problems. It was still under factory warranty, so we took it to a ford dealership to have it checked out and repaired. We were told that the computer programming needed to be reset, which they did, and that it would take driving it about 1000 miles for the car to "learn" the…
ODI 10702094
Power Train
I drove approximately 1/8 of mile this morning and i stopped at a blinker light. When i proceeded to make a right hand turn, the vehicle lunged, clunked and the gears disengaged. None of the gears worked. I could not move forward, backward or even put the vehicle into "park" because it would roll backward down a slight incline. I had to engage the parking brake in order to keep the vehicle from rolling backwards…
ODI 10543871
Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated that while coasting downhill at 20 mph, the vehicle down shifted and was close to stalling. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal to prevent the stalling but the vehicle then accelerated independently and crashed into another vehicle. A police report was filed however, there were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for inspection. The…
Crash reported
ODI 10543815
Engine · Power Train
The ford focus 2012 is a true lemon! It runs rough jerking movements esp in low gear. It has lack of acceleration. I bought this car new and have had it to the dealership four times only to be told its all normal for the 2012. However i feel its not normal! My last visit i was handed a sheet filled with '' normal'' things to expect! The dealership refused to allow me to trade it back in. I wrote to the ford motor co…
ODI 10543215
Power Train
Transmission shutters, jerks, rolls back in park, sometimes you don't know if it going to work or just leave you sitting. A piece of junk!!! Dealer works on it and it seems to get worse!! They say its part of the design. I bet no ford employees drive one!! *tr
ODI 10583701