2018 Ford Focus complaints

My head gasket blew and there was no unjust stress put on my engine. One day my check engine light came on and then my vehicle overheated and started to have vapor leak out of the exhaust

1. The code indicates that the evaporative emission control (EVAP) system is unable to bleed up the fuel tank vacuum. p1450 2.Purge Valve needs replacement as it is sucking p0456 3. After getting gas, gar does not start Sick of being told nothing is wrong and it isn't happening to my 2018 Ford Focus. Now I have to have it diagnosed again for 280.00 when I know that my car should be included in all recalls. Yes it has been confirmed by a mechanic I am at risk constantly in this car. Yes check engine soon light keeps coming on

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before shifting to the next gear. The contact stated that the hard shifting occurred at various speeds. The failure also occurred while the vehicle was down shifting. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Transmission control module went at 85,000 miles cost me 3500 in repair. Causing the clutch and clutch solenoids to go early.

Oil pump belt failed at a little over 50,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle came to a complete stop, and the transmission inadvertently downshifted. The vehicle then jerked forward. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clutch forks, transmission, and activator were faulty, and determined that the clutch, clutch forks, and activator needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

When weather began to get cold in 2023, the car's Sync system and all associated electronics (back up camera, usb ports, radio, navigation, touch screen, etc.,) went dark. At first 30% of the time, but within weeks the system was dead. Looking online, we found many other people having similar experiences with Ford products. The Ford dealership who serviced the problem said it was very common in Ford 150s. At first the component would fail and turn off and on intermittently. There was no warning. It would cut out or resume mid trip. Within a day or so, failure and possible resumption only happened when the car was turned on from a full stop and key removal. Updating the Sync system was not an option as it would go black or not connect to any methods. Dealership was unable to attempt an update as well. The part was replaced by a ford dealership. I no longer have it but they may. This puts myself and others at risk for multiple reasons a) Backup Camera display failing unexpectedly, b) navigation system failing unexpectedly, c) electrical component failure in the car may lead to other electrical systems failing. The issue was investigated and reproduced by Lilliston Ford in Vineland, NJ on Dec 21, when they deemed it a failure of the AIMS component and said it required full replacement. It was at this time they indicated that they are seeing it in other Ford vehicles. There were no symptoms. It was a fairly rapid degeneration from "sometimes" to "constant" failure within 2-3 week

The dealership told me that I need a new engine and they said that the engine was poorly made but that there was nothing they could do to help with the cost. I only have 103,947 miles on the vehicle and kept up routine maintenance. The dealer said that Ford is likely to recall this engine. I also tried to call Ford corporate customer support for assistance and they said they were unwilling to help at all. There is a safety issue with the coolant system that causes engine failure. The diagnostic is to replace the entire engine. There are safety bulletins that exist but no assistant other than replacing a failed engine with another poorly made engine. This should not be legally allowed to occur. The consumer is helpless here. Please help me.

Symptoms began 2020 with grinding and vibrating when automatic shift from A stop to first gear especially on inclines. Dealer inspected transmission and found excessive clutch residual, replaced the duel clutch, cleaned clutch housing, and reset the transmission 11-17-2020. Symptoms have re started 2023. Clutch and transmission issues can lead to leaks and fire risk.

The dealership told me that the sensor I read that was a recall wasn't covered because my vin wasn't on the list of re-calls. I looked up what auto zone pulled up as the code and pretty sure it was the fuel filter valve. But after taking it to our regular mechanic he replaced a line in the engine area that connect beside the battery going to the air filter area looks like a long black hose and then stated that may have been bad gas but was reading the re-call and my car was doing what I was reading. Some one said purge valve. He already replaced it and works fine. But I would get gas started off not starting up good then got worse had to leave it on while pumping 1 day it just died on me on fourth of a tank in the middle of rush hour and about got hit a bunch of times and nearly had to go to the e.r. made my heart rate escalade to high. Then got to were I couldn't even barely get it started so my ex husband paid to get it fixed costing dang near $250 I shouldn't have to be responsible for. There was never anything ever wrong with my car prior had it since new took very good care of it only put 60 thousand miles on it in 5 years maybe a very few oil changes and 1 set of tires but that was it. It won't let me upload my files either

While backing out of a parking spot vehicile was in reverse and without notice the car slamed in drive. My daughter slammed on the brakes and tried agian the car got alomost out of the parking spot and it did it again shifting gears with no warning. This happened three times. She checked to make all the doors were closed. No others cars were anywhere near her. She finally got the car home and we took it to the local Ford dealer and they said they never heard of this problem. This seems to be documented with Ford Focus autos. The car has 38,000 miles and is out of warranty by 2 months. This seems to be a safety issue Ford should correct. The car is not safe for the road.

Transmission has failed the clutch got stuck and transmission overheating.

Upon arriving at my job after a 50 mile commute, I noticed my engine making abnormal noise followed by an oil pressure engine light. After researching the symptoms, I found it is well documented that there is an issue with the Ford 1 liter ecoboost wet belt system. 2 Ford SSM bulletins (48093 and 49726) describe a wet belt tensioner failure followed by the oil pump belt shedding teeth resulting in loss of oil pressure. After removing my oil pan, the tensioner was found in the oil pan along with most of the oil pump belts teeth. Ford's recommendation is an engine replacement. Ford recommends replacing the wet belts at 150,000 miles with most failing quite prematurely This failure can happen at any time or speed causing total loss of power or catastrophic engine damage making it a safety concern for the driver as well as others.

In Oct 2022 we were on vacation driving on a highway in IL when my 2018 Ford Focus 3L 1.0L EcoBoost suddenly, without warning, shuddered and lost power. Luckily we were on a rural road and no one was around or it would have caused a traffic issue and potential accident(s). We live in UT and I frequently drive a very busy freeway and was grateful this did not occur there. We pulled to the side and noticed the check engine light and another message regarding Oil but I do not recall the exact words. We had pulled our car behind our motorhome so we were able to tow it back to our vehicle and towed it home. On the way home, we found that I did not have the extended warranty on the car that I intended when I bought it. This was maddening as the car was approximately 7k miles outside of the Ford Powertrain warranty. I eventually towed it to my parents home in ID and my father, a retired mechanic, inspected the car and eventually narrowed it down to the known issue of the oil pump/internal belt failure and that the entire engine would need to be replaced. I don't have the money to repair it. I have all of the service records as the oil changes were performed at a dealerships prior to the engine failure. We have not had it inspected by a dealer or other party at this time. I have been paying insurance and loan payments on a car I haven't been able to use for over a year now and it is extremely frustrating. I also hope to join a potential class action lawsuit.

2018 Ford Focus: Engine had knocking noise and low oil pressure due to failed oil pump belt and turbocharger was failing. Vehicle got towed to Ford Dealership and this information was confirmed by the Ford dealership. This incident happened unexpectedly. Check engine light and oil light came on in vehicle while operating moments before incident occurred. Vehicle had regular oil changes roughly every 3000-5000 miles (extended performance high mileage oil). There was a recall on this specific issue/incident with the following Ford vehicles/years: July 2023 — A Ford EcoBoost class action lawsuit alleges 1-liter EcoBoost engines suffer from oil pump failures that destroy the engines in these Ford vehicles: 2016-2018 Ford Focus 2016-2017 Ford Fiesta 2018-2021 Ford EcoSport

Last week the service engine light appeared. I was due to get an oil change, so I had it done that day. The light remained on, so I took it to a local auto shop and they did a code reader. The code was P0783, drive train. I googled my car and the error code and a huge list on recalls appeared related to the same make and model of my car, but different vin number. If this is true, why isn't my car a part of this? I'm going to call the Ford company and see if they can help me. When I'm driving she chokes and chugs and lurches above 40mph and goes into a high rev then back down within seconds. She also stutters at a stop and just doesn't drive smooth like she used to.

The brake got stuck and made it very difficult to start the car. Considering it’s a push start. The car then started misfiring and had trouble accelerating. Took it to Ford Auto Nation a few weeks later as it had not advanced, they informed me that the clutch and petal had to be replaced along with a few other parts.

Hi I have a 2018 Ford Focus SE with less that 64,000 miles that had the same Powershift Transmission problem as the older recalled ones. It is certainly a safety issue since it involves a loss of power and not switching gears correctly. I called the Ford Customer Service Center and they appeared to agree with me that this type of failure shouldn’t happen so quickly but after a week of waiting for a response after a follow up call they told me via email that they would do nothing and there were no current programs to help out. I see that there is currently is a class action suit involving this very issue and many forums with complaints so there must be many more people out there with the same issue. The car has less than 64,000 miles and had a clutch failure with the Powershift Transmission, still an ongoing issue that it appears Ford doesn’t care about. Our dealer is aware of issues involving these transmissions and they too were unable to get any help from Ford. It appears Ford would rather wait to there are more deaths, lawsuits and/or Government action before doing anything. We have had it repaired and it cost almost $2,000 even after the dealer helped a bit. I’ve attached the bill.

While driving vehicle two "Oil Lights" on dash came on and car instantly began making a noise. Pulled over and had it towed to a service shop, they are telling me the "Oil Pump Drive Belt" broke and now the entire engine needs replaced. Upon researching this issue I come to find that this is a VERY COMMON issue that Ford is aware of but refusing to fix. This needs addressed!

The purge valve problem persists well into this model year. The car is hiccuping and stalling at lights and has difficulty starting after fueling. I find it appalling that reprogramming the "check engine" light to acknowledge the defect, rather than actually repairing the defect was considered an adequate solution. My car has 59,000 miles and is just out of warranty. I think had this purge valve problem (rather than just the engine light symptom) been properly addressed by the NHTSA and Ford, my family would be safer in this car. I will never buy a Ford again.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that he depressed the accelerator pedal and heard an abnormally loud bang and pulled over. The contact stated that the “Engine Fault - Service Immediately" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer determined that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

Car failed to engage transmission at low to moderate speeds particularly when accelerating. RPMs revved with no acceleration and then engaged suddenly causing the car to lurch forward and jerked while accelerating. The check engine light appeared. The car was brought to an independent service station. Repairs were made to the computer system and motors but the problem is still not resolved. Mechanic recommends full transmission replacement at this point. Called Ford Dealer who said this is a known issue with dual transmission system. Called Ford Motor Co to make them aware of the issue and no assistance was provided (they stated that my consumer score did not qualify me for assistance but would not disclose what was impacting my score).

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle independently shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,172.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering, failed to accelerate as needed and lost motive power and went into LIMP mode. The low oil pressure and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the messages "Reduced Engine Power" and " Service Vehicle Now" were displayed. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump belt had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: SSM49918. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating, which caused the vehicle to jerk. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty dual clutch transmission. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 66,200.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving approximately 45 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering, the clutch was slipping, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission clutch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transmission clutch was replaced but the failure recently reoccurred and the transmission clutch was replaced a second time. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 19,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine light had been illuminated. The vehicle would suddenly stall while idle causing the contact to have to restart the vehicle or continually reeving in order to prevent stalling. The vehicle would also display a sputtering when slowing down. The contact noticed that the mileage per gallon ratio had decreased significantly. The vehicle had been taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the purge valve had been stuck open causing multiple failures. The fuel tank had been warped a bit and may need to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact was informed that their vehicle's year/make/model was involved in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however their VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, and later at any speed, the vehicle would begin to idle roughly and then shake and lose forward momentum. The contact stated that the check engine warning was illuminated. The contact stated that she drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who used a handheld scanner and stated that a vacuum purge valve code was showing on his scanner. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

-Engine service now message -stalling out while driving - loss of power - loss of gas mileage

While driving on the highway my oil light came on, followed by a complete loss of power and my vehicle went into limp mode. I was almost hit twice while trying to get off on the shoulder. I proceeded to shut the car off for 20 minutes and checked the oil level to which it was full. I sat for 30 more minutes and attempted to start the vehicle when it started knocking. I immediately shut it off and had it towed home. From home I contacted a Ford dealership and had it towed there 9/20/23. There they ran their mechanical oil pressure gauge and my engine had absolutely no oil pressure. The “recommendation” is to replace the long block and turbo, as if it’s drivable any other way.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine block had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to contact the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was denied coverage due to the vehicle being out of warranty. The failure mileage was 47,686.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, moments later the vehicle was restarted, and the check engine warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle failed to respond when shifted into reverse(R). The contact stated that while driving the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH and failed to drive in the lower gears. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 134,000.

Vehicle with no warning or signs displayed a transmission fault while in cruise control on flat straight road and began to rev. Pulled off of main road into parking lot and attempted to back into space but vehicle would not reverse. There was no issue backing up 15 minutes prior and of course it happens shortly after the 100,000 mile mark.

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while his daughter was driving 70 MPH, the low oil pressure and check engine warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle started shuddering and then lost motive power. The contact's daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump pretensioner belt had failed, which caused the engine and the turbo to fail. The dealer informed the contact that the engine and the turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 70,318.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal became firm. The check oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Vehicle has less than 70,000 miles on it. While driving lost oil pressure and brakes. Yes available for inspection. When pressure was lost and brakes failed I could not have stopped to avoid an accident. Multiple articles on the pump failure. Spoke with Ford they say not their problem. No warning. Engine light came on with brake light while driving. Car has been sitting parked. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The purge valve has been an ongoing continuous problem since we bought the vehicle. I have fixed it multiple times. It’s caused the vehicle to stall after putting gas in the tank, and just recently stalled while driving, causing me to hit a curb leading to the passenger front tire popping, the rim being dented, the tire rod bent, alignment out of wack, and the valance ripped off. It also caused a dashboard light to pop up saying Hill Start is Not Available. I was in the car thankfully alone and not with my children. The windshield wipers are a fairly newer issue, they come on whenever they want with the switch being touch. But won’t come on when I try to do it myself. I had my mom take a photo of the steering wheel/road while I was driving to show the severity of the alignment needed, it’s causing extra wear and tear EXTREMELY fast on tires. Rainy season has begun and this is absolutely unsafe and not my responsibility.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was later taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the purge valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact also indicated that the vehicle had previously experienced rough idling, check engine light illuminated, fuel gauge reading errors, and the Distance to Empty reading was incorrect. The local dealer was notified of the failures. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 55,000.

I was driving and could not get the transmission out of first gear and will not go in reverse. I was broke down waiting for a tow n 110 degree Texas weather. I have vertigo so I do not drive much. My car only has 55018 miles. I cannot afford a $6500 transmission repair. I am a single mom trying to put two girls through college. Help!!

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the passenger’s side headlight was inoperable. The headlamp failure message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact that there was condensation in the headlight housing. The contact was informed that the headlight housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 75,366.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the following morning the vehicle failed to start. The battery was replaced however, after starting the vehicle, the vehicle was operating in LIMP Mode. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced; however, after retrieving the vehicle the check engine warning light remained illuminated and the RPM was revving too high. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the TCM was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 61,000.

When you accelerate the car hesitates and shakes, the rpm needle goes way up even though you are creeping along. It seems like it is a recall issue on earlier model Ford Focus's. The recall should be extended to all model years. There is no reason I should have to spend money to repair a transmission issue on a 5 year old car. It is sitting out on the street not being driven while I make payments, not a happy camper. The check engine light comes on also, if someone was following too close and it starts sputtering it could cause an accident, a auto parts store checked it out- Most likely solution-"Replace Dual Clutch Transmission Clutch Assembly"

My oil light is flickering. I have taken it to 3 different mechanics, one of which is a Ford dealership. Oil is getting on the timing belt, causing it to fray. Oil is being prevented from getting to the engine efficiently. They all state that the problem is a design issue, and that having it repaired will fix it for awhile, but the problem will continue later.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated she was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle also stalled at slower speeds, and there were times when the vehicle failed to restart. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) needed to be replaced. The mechanic advised the contact that there was a manufacturer’s recall associated with the failure; NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact was referred to a dealer by the mechanic to have the vehicle repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer that the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling, he attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart immediately. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the fuel tank pressure sensor and the fuel tank vacuum had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

Car started making a noise and jerking, couldn't go above 12 mph and wouldn't go in reverse. Check engine light came on. This is same fault we had with our previous Ford focus which was supposed to be corrected in 2018 models but clearly isn't. Dealership said it is tcm and back order for part could be months, told us they don't do loaner cars but the repair is free. The repair isn't free because this is our only car and my disabled husband needs transport to weekly hospital appointments so it is costing 30 dollars a day for a rental we shouldn't have to pay for. Ford TCM is clearly a huge issue no matter what year you buy.

NHTSA number 18v845000 and 18v735000, my car is showing the same symptoms transmission and purge valve and should be included in these recalls

Slave cylinder on 2018 limited edition focus rs, i was driving home and pedal instantly fell to the floor! In the middle of the highway right before my exit and I had to do some rather scary driving when the car wouldn't change gears & stalled. I had to get the car to emergency lane/shoulder to pull over! No previous signs/warning lights or vehicle drive ability leading up to complete catastrophic failure of said slave cylinder. It's currently at the dealership where I had it towed with the clutch still on the floor &. Although the clutch was still on the floor the dealership took 2 DAYS TO "DIAGNOSE" the issue with the vehicle when its obviously a hydraulic issue with either the master cylinder or slave cylinder smdh thats an issue in of its self but i digress.The dealership did confirm that it is indeed a complete failure of slave cylinder. I've read that this is a known issue with ford focus vehicles that ford is well aware of yet they haven't recalled this part let alone acknowledge said issue when brought in for replacement. This is the 2nd time I have an issue with the slave cylinder which I had replaced 26,000 miles ago my vehicle currently has 126,699 but I replaced slave cylinder @ 104,568 miles so new slave cylinder doesn't even have 30,000 miles on it.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000. The VIN was unavailable.