NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Ford Focus. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence where an independent mechanic checked the engine and confirmed that the oil level was not low. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with low oil pressure and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
The transmission is not functioning properly. The vehicle experiences jerking, slipping, bucking, sudden and/or delayed acceleration, and transmission failure. There is a check engine light and a transmission failure warning sign that comes on. This is a safety hazard as the car does not accelerate reliably and will temporarily stall in the middle of intersections, highways, onramps, etc. I talked to several mechanics who say that this is likely due to a PCM issue. I brought it to a Ford dealership to check into, but they could not run a diagnostics test because there was no recall associated with my VIN.
2017 Ford Focus SE with automatic transmission. It shutters when taking off from a complete stop or at low speeds shaking the whole car. With it being hesitant taking off it just isnt safe if you're ever in a situation where you need to get out of the way of an incident. The clutch wears out way to fast. It needs a whole different transmission instead of Fords dual clutch powershift transmission that should have been perfected before putting them into so many cars.
2017 Ford Focus, continuous transmission problems. I have had the clutch and transmission control replaced 2 times already under factory wannary. It is just outside of the powertrain warranty and now the dealer is telling me it needs to be replaced again. It has 41,000 miles.
Purge valve failure causing stalling
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse while the transmission was shifted into reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the control module needed to be replaced; however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
I enjoy driving my 2017 Ford Focus, but the glaring negative against my vehicle is the transmission. Once per year I find myself at a dealership because my Focus starts to shudder after acceleration from a full stop. This phenomena shakes the vehicle, alerting everyone inside that something is wrong. No warning lights appear on the dash from discovery of the problem until servicing. Once the shuddering starts happening, it will happen more and more frequently until it cannot be ignored and the vehicle needs to be fixed. I don't haul trailers. There are not that many miles on the Focus (under 60,000). I've even adjusted my driving habits to change speeds as gradually as possible so as to not put any undue strain on the transmission. Nevertheless, the problem keeps reoccurring and I keep having to lean on the existing powertrain warranty to get rid of the problem... temporarily. Within a year, it always comes back. This year is no different. I am currently trying to get the Focus serviced once more before my "60,000 mile/5 year" powertrain warranty expires on October 3rd, 2022. This issue is forcing me to consider selling a car in wonderful condition because I can't afford to replace clutch arrays out of pocket every year. The alternative is to forgo the servicing and roll the dice with a spotty transmission. I dare say that can't last. I've talked numerous times with people at the dealership. Everyone I have spoken with acknowledges that this is a known issue with the 2017's. Prior vehicle years have been recalled for transmission troubles. How is the 2017 Focus any different? How hasn't a recall been started already? I'm attaching the service records from the dealerships. Ford Customer Care directed me to the NHTSA, but nothing more. I am hoping someone can help me to either extend this warranty with Ford (at no additional cost to me for a manufacturer defect) or get the need for a recall acknowledged by Ford. Thank you and God bless.
Stalling out repeatedly while driving since I have purchased the car. No issues being read on any code readers. Has happened 12 times in 2 years. Plenty of fuel. Replaced battery even when battery was okay. And has been towed to dealership multiple times. No reason given. No warning lights at all. Now finally I have been given a code after 2 years that there is a very small evap leak. Which the repair shop has informed me is a common issue with this car. Because of this. My car risks stalling out even while driving down the highway when I have plenty of fuel in the tank.
Unknown at this moment but I known I have to buy a fuel pump and also now it's something eles is wrong with it and we just got this car 5 months ago and now we don't have no warranty because it passes the warranty date and also we didn't want this car but they did had the car we was approved for
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact ws unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the replacement engine was purchased from the dealer. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer was contacted several times, and the contact was informed that parts were not available, and the call was disconnected. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was purchased, but they offered no assistance. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The purge valve keeps failing causing hard starts and uneven pressure in the fuel tank
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving from a stationary position, the rear wheels were vibrating during acceleration. The contact stated that transmission fault and transmission hot messages were displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Feels like gear is slipping when going from a stop to moving (1st to 2nd shifting)
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH and attempting to park the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering while driving above 60 MPH or whenever the accelerator pedal was depressed while driving up hill. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
The contact called on behalf of a client who owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated the client was at a stop light when the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The client restarted the vehicle and drove to the independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the failure to be a stuck canister purge valve. The mechanic also related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,763.
Interior lighting. Multiple shorted wires kept blowing fuses for interior lights. Wiring harness for all interior lights had to be replaced with multiple areas of chafing and wires melted together.
EVAP EMISSION PURGE VALVE FORD HAS A RECALL BUT VIN.NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL
While driving 2017 Focus on 8/14/22, the car began to shutter. When owner stopped to buy gas, the car would not restart until about 10 minute later . Then it would not go into reverse. Made it home. Next day, 8/15/22, while driving, it began to shutter again, the Transmission overheating warning light appeared, and vehicle immediately stopped running. Pulled off to side of road. It would not restart. Was towed to a local repair shop (not a Ford dealership). The repair shop ran a diagnostic and reported 4 PCM and 7 TCM fault codes. (See attachment.)Vehicle has not been repaired. Vehicle has approx 130,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start immediately. The vehicle would start after several attempts but would shudder and then turn off independently. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and decelerated independently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred after refueling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank was collapsing internally due to a stuck canister purge valve failure. The independent mechanic also informed the contact that each time she had refueled the vehicle, air was being pushed into the fueling system. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) due to the manufactured date of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
My transmission started to slip , took it to a garage then I had to WALK through A VERY BAD area in Philadelphia. Ford Roadside towed it to Chapman’s on Roosevelt Blvd on 8/9 where we bought it. They still haven’t looked at it because they’re so busy and backed up and in the meantime I have no way to get to work & it’s costing me $40 a day for Lyft and my mental health. The car only has 60,000 miles, I shouldn’t have to be dealing with this
Transmission overheating, jerking, hesitant and lost gear while driving
Transmission module failure. Car stalls and shutters when driving causing possible car accident. Took to Ford dealership service center and they found Transmission module failure needs replacement immediately can cause auto accident. Warning engine light comes on.
Ford owners have been plagued with the issue of poorly designed lug nuts that expand with age. My service center just informed me that most or all of my lug nuts need to be replaced, so I have authorized that to complete the service. I have read that the problem is caused partly because of improper tightening. When I purchased my Ford in 2018(a one year leftover) the Ford dealer had to resurface the rotors twice because of pulsation. I've since had oil changes done at another Ford dealer that supposedly included tire rotation, so it seems that Ford could be at fault for bad lug nuts and reinstalling them as well. I think that a recall is justified. What is odd is that this issue has been around for quite some time, but they are still selling the same part. How is that?
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle would not immediately start-up. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The vehicle would idle rough after start-up. The contact would depress the accelerator while the vehicle was in park(P) and rev the engine to 3,000 RPM before the vehicle would operate normally. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure to start up after fueling was intermittent; however, the failure occurred more frequently. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle he had to depress the accelerator pedal down for a minute or two and take several attempts to start the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
I was driving and all of a sudden could not go over 30 miles an hour. I took it 3 dealerships 1 including a Ford Dealership. What I have been told is that there have been many issues with this type/manufacturer of transmission. The diagnostic codes that are coming out when being run are P072C P2832 P0219 P2578 Ford dealership states that the internal fork stop inside the transmission is broken. It needs a partial rebuild including forks, case, clutchesm], and related parts.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
I financed a 2017 Ford Focus se 6 speed manual in March of 2020 (it’s now aug 2022), and about a month ago I was driving a main hwy when I needed to downshift due to traffic. I go to put it in 3rd and instead it slips into 1st. (It’s not suppose to allow you to do that, states in the owners manual bc it’s a safety feature). Meanwhile it is stuck in 1st, redlining, as I’m in the middle of a busy highway unable to do anything. I had to push the car off the road in order to not get hit by oncoming cars. Called Ford, called the dealership, found out there’s a recall on the engine and the transmission but neither of them would Honor the recall. Attorney’s won’t do a thing about it, and now I’m stuck paying $8k on a car I can no longer drive. I promise this is the last time I’ll EVER own a ford.
Vehicle shudders in lower gears typically starting from a stop as it shifts up in gears. I consider this a safety issue considering it impacts the driveability of the vehicle and limits the ability to get out of the way of traffic if needed. The symptoms are exactly as described in earlier 2011-2016 Focus model power transmission recall.
On Friday July 15th around 7PM, my wife and I were driving out of town to visit family. We stopped at a gas station along the highway to make sure we had gas an everything before getting too far out of town. We had no issues when we stopped but after leaving we tried getting on the highway and after merging the car reved up very high and seemed to have dropped into a low heat like 1st or 2nd. We attempted to get off the highway but with this low gear the car could not do more than about 20Mph. We finally made it off the highway and checked everything we could think of that could cause this issue but found nothing. We had to get the car towed home because besides being stuck in a very low forward gear when shifting to drive, we also lost reverse. After being towed home we parked the car to see if this just needed to cool off and come back to it later. We let it sit for a few days and now the car is disabled. It turns on and runs smooth but the transmission is non-operational. We no longer have any gear control and can only turn the engine on. I called Ford about this issue but was not helped in any way. Just asked to pay for a diagnostic.I don’t think I will be buying any more Ford vehicles since they could not fix this issue after so many years.
Gas indicator numbers went wrong. So could not identify how much gas is left in my car
1) A bracket that connects the seat to the rails that are attached to the floor had a weld break. Photos provided below. 2) The seat is no longer attached to the car in this particular part 3) No 4) I took the car to my dealer who did not physically look at it but refused to do anything to help me because the car was no longer within warranty period. They could provide me a quote only after I paid a $220 diagnosis fee. The part to repair is $1,020 before diagnosis charge, labor, and tax. 5) There were no warning or symptoms prior to the failure.
Back latch that makes the seat fold down won’t snap back into place.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and started jerking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was no Extended Warranty on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Have taken in my car 2 times for a clutch repair and it’s still not fixed. It shudders when taking off from a stop. I bought this car in June of 2020. One year later in June of 2021 it needed a new clutch. Then in June of 2022 it went in again for a new clutch. I drove it off the service lot and it was worse then when I dropped it off. I will be returning to ford service center on Monday June 27 2022 to tell them it’s still not fixed. I will be going I. With info that I found on the internet regarding problems with the transmission on the make and model of cars. Thank you Carol Brunson.
I am pretty sure that this is not the battery. I had my vehicle towed to the mechanic and the code that he’s getting from the computer is the transmission. The clutch seems to be stuck somehow and will not engage into gears. I can get it started, but it won’t go anywhere. It will start and the lights come on. The check engine light is on, and it is something regarding the transmission. Changing the battery would make know difference. The car has always stuttered when taking off from a parked position.And makes noises when there’s a change in the “gears “
My 2017 Ford Focus has problems with the automatic transmission. It shudders and jerks so badly. It has even shut off on me in the middle of a 4 way intersection with the message “Transmission Fault Service Now” it was not safe. I could have been hurt, or worse. I had the transmission control module replaced, but it did not help. It continues to shift and jerk horribly. It’s hard to accelerate in speed as well.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The vehicle had previously been serviced at the dealer for clutch assembly replacement on two separate occasions; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated during acceleration and experienced rough driving. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
What caused me to realize my car had safety issues was roughly 6 months ago when my car died at the pump after turning on. It chugged for a good 3 seconds as the dash lights flickered and it stalled. I was able to just turn it off and restart it after 2+ tries, and I wondered if It was too hot or if I put premium in, just playing it off. I thought I let the car get too low on E too, so I didn't think too much about it at the time as it didn't seem to happen for quite some time again. I filled my car all the way full at the first occurrence and mcurrently gets 29.8mpg. It started being consistently a problem when I started to refill on half a tank of gas or lower. The car starts to work harder and you can feel it wanting to die while I'm driving. The battery light does not stay on or come on the dash after the car starts so I know it wasn't the alternator at the time either. I was parked on a slight incline at under a quarter tank and I had to put my car in neutral and roll start it. It wasn't drastic or anything but the car was being weird and idling hard, but my RPMs stayed at normal levels. It just was shaking after starting. That's when I realized that the gasoline tank was not only having issues after I pumped gas. My check engine finally came on and a valve sensor for the gas tank was signaled. The car seems to run harder after starting up and it finally died on me while I was parked and idling. The battery was replaced at 55,643, mi.; Check engine light signaled at 53,000 roughly. - The car is available upon request. - I currently own a 2017 Ford focus & I bought it certified used from a Dodge dealership in Northern Kentucky. - It didn't signal any warning lamps or other signs of failure until it hit 5 y.o. and after I refueled my tank. I started to panic because I was going to be late for work and I had no time for this. -My car has been serviced twice to confirm diagnosis; Once for a simple oil change & code reader, and then at a certified local repair.
Lug nuts are expanding and the two different metals are seperating. This is a saftey issue. It was brought to my attention by Discount Tire when I was having my tires rotated.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high engine temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who advised the contact to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a head gasket and engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that there was no warranty and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond while attempting to drive from a complete stop. The contact stated that the vehicle would respond as needed after shifting into a lower gear. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving approximately 45 MPH. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the TCM was reset several times. The contact stated that the vehicle was temporarily fixed after resetting the TCM. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the TCM had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her husband was driving 60 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The driver parked at a nearby gas station; after restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was also illuminated. The contact parked at a nearby parking lot and a bystander who was an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle. The contact was informed that the oil pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to the local dealer the following day. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine, oil pump, and turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine revved while the vehicle hesitated during acceleration, causing the vehicle to overheat. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited until the engine cooled down and then restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the clutch arm was stuck. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked, lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact waited for the vehicle cool down, restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated normally. On another occasion, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the transmission failure message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that no failure was found. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-30 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle started to stall; however, the failure was not consistent enough for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The contact stated that recently the vehicle started struggling while shifting gear and started to stall more frequently. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with clutch assembly failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local Pep Boys where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the fuel system and fuel tank. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an unknown repair and an unknown software update were completed; however, the vehicle failed to start a month later. The contact later drove the vehicle but the vehicle would not exceed 10 MPH. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed; however, the parts were on national back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in a recall associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to reverse and would not accelerate above 15 MPH. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the clutch fork; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic and diagnosed with TCM failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Vehicle has become increasingly hard to drive in first and second gear. Has miss-fires and problems with dumping fuel threw code p144c and has already had injectors and spark plugs replaced roughly a year ago. Feels like vehicle is having the same issues. When started from cold vehicle has miss-fires and runs extremely rough.