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
I bought my car brand new and have had problems with the transmission within a month of driving it. The first time i took it in they reprogrammed the powertrain to fix shuddering and rollback as well as fixed the nameplate that fell off my car. The transmission seemed to shudder way more than before after this. The second time i took it in they repaired a leaky seal and reprogramed the powertrain control module.…
ODI 10750375
Electrical System · Power Train
In may of 2012 my car had the transmission completely replaced after being in the shop for 6 weeks. The cruise control would stick on and not shut off. The power windows and air conditioner both decided not work at the same time. I have had the struts replaces before 10,000 miles. The gas mileage goes from 14 mpg to 33mpg randomly. The car likes to roll back and not go into gear when driving. I replace tires every 6…
ODI 10651550
Power Train
Noticed roll back on incline at vehicle service tech reprogrammed pcm tcm and abs module july 2013 have been noticing hesitation and jerking on shifting at service once again tech reprogrammed tcm july 2014 car has still continued to hesitate on acceleration and now a vibration and noise can be heard from transmission tech can find no problem. *tr
ODI 10610923
Engine · Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, a metal to metal rattling noise emitted outside of the vehicle. The transmission slipped gears and the vehicle began to vibrate with hesitation. The failure occurred sporadically when shifting into second gear. Additionally, when the brake pedal was depressed when driving on an incline the vehicle would roll. The vehicle…
ODI 10575120
Power Train
Transmission shifts erratically. Will not down shift when needed causing loss of control of the car. Car will also roll back when you stop if on a slight incline. There is a voluntary recall by ford for this problem, however the remedies do not work. I have already had these remedies performed on my car over a year ago. The problems still exist. I expressed my concerns regarding these transmission problems over a…
ODI 10459652
Power Train
Multiple issues car disengaged from transmission when on highway. Rpm shot way up but car not engaging to transmission. Had to pull over (coast) to side of highway with no power train. Required major dps6 replacement at ford dealer in park city utah initially when purchased car would roll backwards when in forward gear, the car still does this and will all roll forward when in backward gear. Car still constantly…
ODI 11231658
Power Train
Transmission shudder. Rebuilt 3 times. Software reset 5 times. Transmission computer replaced 1x. Still shudders, drifts back when on a hill, jerks into gear suddenly. Service station advised me when they replaced the computer (not under warranty) that the shudder and other characteristics were normal for the transmission and did not do anything about it. This began when i purchase the car in spring of 2012 and is…
ODI 10640862
Engine · Power Train
On-going problems with the transmission. The first incident occurred approximately one month after purchase. I took it to the dealer and they told me that the shuddering/shifting problems that i was experiencing were "normal" and that the vehicle needed an adjustment period. I was told that it would smooth out once it got used to my driving pattern. The problem continued and i took it back several times to the…
ODI 10604277
Power Train · Service Brakes
Vehicle rolls back after i begin to accelerate when i am stopped at a red light. I did receive a recall notice that had this type of problem listed. Vehicle had about 4700 miles on it. I took it in and they claimed that they fixed it but it could take up to 6 months for the "adjustment" to take place. This did not sound reasonable to me but they would not do anything further. This is definitely a safety issue when…
ODI 10469192
Power Train
I cannot give exact dates and mileage because this problem has been form the get go and gotten progressively worse recently. The car used to simply struggle to go form a stop or low speed. We had the transmission reprogrammed but that did not help. It continues to act in that manner but now has gotten dangerous to drive. We bought the car new and it is driven from georgetown, ky to cincinnati 5 days a week for work.…
ODI 10628020
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated that while stopped on an incline, she attempted to apply pressure to the accelerator when the hill assist failed, causing the vehicle to roll away in reverse. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis where the transmission program was updated however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was returned to the dealer and the contact was informed that the…
ODI 10483762
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated that once he shifted to drive and attempted to accelerate, the vehicle started to shake and lunge forward. The contact also stated that when the vehicle shifted from 1st gear to 2nd gear it hesitated and made a loud grinding noise and independently reverted back to 1st gear. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis…
ODI 10473011
Power Train
I purchased my 2012 ford focus in may of 2011 - a fairly early build of the remodeled vehicle. At around 20k miles, the car started exhibiting some unusual noises. The dealer told me they were "normal characteristics" of the transmission. Since then, several other focus owners (focusfanatics.com) have had the same issues. My car now makes a grinding noise when shifting into reverse, 2nd, 4th, and occasionally 6th…
ODI 10484556
Power Train
I was driving on freeway at 5 mph due to traffic and all of a sudden my 2012 ford focus shut down with no warning it sort of scared me because didn't know why? I said ok maybe just a coinsidence but to my surprise. It happened again on freeway since thats my daily route was going 45mph and again turned off i took to get serviced since i drive from riverside to burbank everyday thought maybe needs to get serviced and…
ODI 10464010
Power Train
Purchased a new 2012 ford focus with automatic transmission in april, 2012. Immediately experienced low speed transmission shifting problems and also discovered complete free roll backward, unending, until hitting level ground and/or hitting an object while rolling backwards on an incline, even while in gear. This is a serious safety and driver liability issue . Dealership has re-programmed transmission on a…
ODI 10466571
Power Train
This is a ongoing problem with my focus. When accelerating from a stop the focus's automatic dsg transmission (in d) will quickly shift to a higher gear in an effort to minimize fuel consumption. During a stopped turn at a intersection this leads to a unsafe condition where commanded acceleration takes several seconds to happen. The problem happens like this: the car accelerates at a stop sign or parking lot. The…
ODI 10465641
Engine · Power Train
I purchased this vehicle on march 21, 2012 and first took it into the dealership april 4, 2012 because the transmission boggs for the startup 0 to approximately 20 mph. This created a safety hazard when pulling into oncoming traffic because the vehicle had no power, especially when in a stopped position. Passing vehicles was unsafe if you were in the lower gears of the transmission due to lack of power. Another…
ODI 10563512
Power Train
About 1 month after purchase i began to experience transmission sluggishness, slow acceleration due to gear slipping, and sudden acceleration. Not always, but more often than not. I chalked it up to the nature of the dtc as the dealer insisted that is how the trans works. After several more months i received a recall notice for trans problems. Had trans reprogrammed. After about 3 months, all problems returned along…
ODI 10606047
Power Train
Poor shift quality 6 speed dual clutch automatic. *tr
ODI 10462008
Engine · Power Train
Within a month of purchase, the vehicle has been "shuddering" i have reported this to the dealership every time i sent it in for service and all they tell me is "it is normal, you have to get used to it. Its the new transmission technology of ford." i cant believe that after 2yrs and 17k miles on it that it is still exhibiting the same problem and there has been no resolution to it. May i know until when am i going…
ODI 10611271
Power Train · Steering
Since day one of the purchase of my (march ) 2012 ford focus the steering "feels" like it is constantly wandering, after an hour drive time, your arm is give out from the stress. My car also seems to have a flutter in the transmission or engine during take off. The car will also roll back while stopped on an incline. The dealer checked steering the 4th day after purchase and assured me the steering was fine, that it…
ODI 10465313
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact was uncertain of the speed being driven when approaching a traffic stop signal. When the brake was applied the vehicle began to roll backwards for a few seconds. The failure occurred whenever at a complete stop. The manufacturer offered a customer satisfaction program regarding the unintended rolling issue. The vehicle was repaired and the failure recurred. The…
ODI 10467241
Power Train
Since i've owned the car, i've taken it back to the dealer more than twelve times. I bought it new and have problems with transmission slipping, jumping, lurching. I have been having these issues plus issues with the radio constantly resetting itself since the day i bought the car. The dealer claimed to me that the reason my car times backwards after coming to a stop was to save fuel, then there was a recall on the…
ODI 10588511
Engine · Power Train
My focus shutters while trying to move through first gear. Before second gear engages, first gears feels as if it was slipping. I brought this to the attention of my dealer within the first month and they told me it needed to brake in. After bringing it in several times, they performed a 12b37 update, a full pcm re program and ended having to replace the entire gear box because a seal ruptured. All of this in three…
ODI 10502732
Engine And Engine Cooling · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
I bought a 2012 ford focus sedan a couple weeks ago the next day i noticed slow jerky shuttering accerleration when at a complete stop then trying to acclerate. I did not think of anything was wrong until i researched it online finding similar complaints this is a problem and now the car is at the dealership and they currently have it. Next there is a grinding noise while driving and turning sounds an example would…
ODI 10453625