2012 Ford FOCUS: complaints, problems and recalls

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED BUT DID NOT COVER THE PILLARS ON THE SIDE OF THE WINDOWS CAUSING SEVERE INJURIES TO THE PASSENGER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED A BODY SHOP. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE PASSENGER OF THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THE DOCTORS CONFIRMED THAT THE PASSENGER HAD SUSTAINED A BROKEN NECK, A…

Owner-reported narrative. 240 miles reported. Look up ODI 10401399 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE WHEN HE NOTICED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL WERE LOCATED VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING NOR WAS IT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5.

Owner-reported narrative. 5 miles reported. Look up ODI 10410444 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT AND SHE WOULD HAVE TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO CONTINUE STEERING STRAIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS INTENDED, AND THERE WAS NO REMEDY AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75.

Owner-reported narrative. 75 miles reported. Look up ODI 10413327 at NHTSA ↗

WILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE STEERING WENT TO MANUAL, WARNING DISPLAY READ "STEERING MALFUNCTION STOP SAFELY" CONTACT AUTHORIZED DEALER. THIS HAS ONLY HAPPEN ONCE AND STILL NOT SURE WHAT FIXES IT. STILL AT DEALER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 2,985 miles reported. Look up ODI 10414894 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING AND STUCK IN TRAFFIC. GOING SLOW, 5-10MPH, THE CAR STARTED SHIFTING REALLY STRANGE, NOT MOVING WHEN INITIALLY ACCELERATING AND THEN JERKING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. MY DESTINATION WAS 3 BLOCKS AHEAD OF ME SO I STAYED ON ROUTE AND PARKED WHEN I ARRIVED. AS I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR IT WOULDN'T START. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO START AFTER "MESSING" WITH THE AUTO SHIFTER AND LEAVING THE CAR IN NUETRAL. ONCE STARTED THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR, OR MOVE WHEN PLACED INTO D, R OR L. I SHUT THE CAR DOWN AND IT WOULD NOT START A…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10417756 at NHTSA ↗

IN MY BRAND NEW 2012 FORD FOCUS WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50MPH IT IS INCREDIBLY HARD TO KEEP THE CAR IN IT'S LANE WITHOUT CONSTANT ADJUSTMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL. IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE BEING BUFFETED BY STRONG WINDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE FASTER THAN 60MPH DUE TO THE FACT THE VEHICLE ACTS LIKE A SNAKE GOING BACK AND FORTH SO MUCH. I'M NOT ALONE IN THIS, THE ONLINE FORD FOCUS COMMUNITY "FOCUSFANATICS.COM" HAS REPORTED MANY CASES OF THIS OCCURRING. THE THREAD OF COMPLAINTS IS HERE HTTP://WWW.FOCUSFANATICS.COM/FOR…

Owner-reported narrative. 700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10421413 at NHTSA ↗

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR ON 08/19/2011 AND THE NEXT DAY WHILE TAKING OFF FROM A STOP SIGN THE CAR WOULD SHUDDER, I DO NOT HAVE THIS ISSUE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS COLD BUT IN STOP AND GO DRIVING AND NORMAL CITY DRIVING AFTER IT HAS WARMED UP. ALSO WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR FROM A STOP THE VEHICLE WILL GO FOR A SECOND THEN HAVE A NICE SIZED FLAT SPOT SO EVEN THE PEOPLE IN THE CAR WILL GO FORWARD AS IF THE BRAKES WERE COMING ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE TECH DROVE IT AND VERIFIED THAT IT DID HAVE THIS ISSUE. THEY CONTACTED FOR…

Owner-reported narrative. 20 miles reported. Look up ODI 10426262 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 600.

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10426419 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2012-04-05 (April 5, 2012)

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 FOCUS VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1, 2010, THROUGH OCTOBER 18, 2011. A SEAL IN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR TO THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER MOTOR MAY BE MISSING.

Consequence: WATER OR OTHER CONTAMINANTS MAY ACCUMULATE IN THE CONNECTOR, RESULTING IN AN INTERMITTENT OR INOPERATIVE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER MOTOR, REDUCING VISIBILITY AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND AS NECESSARY, CLEAN AND PROPERLY SEAL THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER MOTOR CONNECTOR. ANY INOPERATIVE WIPER MOTORS WILL BE REPLACED. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

Reported: 2013-08-01 (August 1, 2013)

Ford is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Focus BEV vehicles equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights, manufactured September 15, 2011, through May 6, 2013; and model year 2013 Focus ST vehicles equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights, manufactured February 16, 2012, through May 7, 2013. Due to a wiring incompatability, the front side marker lamps may not function. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence: Without the proper illumination of the side maker lamps, the vehicle may be less visible in night time conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will modify the headlamp assembly wiring, free of charge. The recall began on August 16, 2013. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13C04.

Reported: 2016-09-06 (September 6, 2016)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Consequence: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.

Reported: 2018-10-22 (October 22, 2018)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles with a 2.0L GDI or 2.0L GTDI engine. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in fuel vapor management system.

Consequence: The excessive vaccuum may result in an engine stall while driving, without warning and without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Ford Customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S32. Note: Until the vehicle is serviced for this concern, owners are advised to keep the fuel tank at least halfway full.

Reported: 2019-07-05 (July 5, 2019)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 and 2017 Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0L GDI gasoline engines and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles equipped with 2.0L GTDI engines, previously recalled under 18V-735. The affected vehicles did not have the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) updated as intended. Therefore, the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system.

Consequence: The excessive vacuum may result in an engine stall while driving, without warning and without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began July 29, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S22.

Reported: 2020-06-08 (June 8, 2020)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Consequence: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

Reported: 2026-06-09 (June 9, 2026)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Focus vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 18V735. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly while driving.

Consequence: An engine that stalls while driving increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S40. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.