KnownCarProblems2012 Ford Focus Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 3,770 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Focus, most often about the transmission (38% of complaints, typically around 55,000 miles). It is the most complained-about Focus model year since 2000 and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2012 Ford Focus problems
Transmission
1,447 complaints · 38%Half of these problems showed up before 55,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, clutch assembly, manual transmission, driveline.
My boyfriend and I bought a 2012 Ford Focus se hatchback on september first. After driving the car for a couple of days my boyfriend noticed that the transmission was not right but he thought this was happening just because the car was new. Then, when driving to work I noticed that when I stopped on any incline street…
On my way to the dealer to deliver the car for shuddering from stop to first gear, the car failed to engage in gear when I depressed the accelerator. I pressed the accelerator harder and the vehicle lurched into gear, and commenced up the hill from my house - the car then appeared to go into neutral on its own, thus…
Steering
927 complaints · 25%Half of these problems showed up before 78,000 miles. Parts named most often: electric power assist system, hydraulic power assist system.
Upon starting the car a message appeared that stated 'steering malfunction assist'; then driving/steering was almost impossible. Shut the car off; then re-started and it was ok. Next day the message appeared again. The car is now parked with plans to take it in.
The steering wheel would not move, there is an error message, steering assist fault. It happened before, but I turned the car off and back on again and it would turn. Before this incident there would be times when the A/C fan would adjust itself, by going higher or lower and the radio volume would increase or…
Engine
501 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 60,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system, cooling system.
The contact owned a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, smoke emitted from the engine and the engine caught on fire. The vehicle was then stopped and the fire was extinguished. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an authorized dealer. The dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The…
Vehicle lost power and was not able to safely accelerate while traveling on the highway. The problem happened when I down shifted a gear to pass someone (manual transmission). The vehicle felt like it had about 30% power. I was forced to pull off of highway. Once vehicle was shutoff and turned back on it returned to…
Other or unspecified
358 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles.
This is the second time in 2 months that I've had problems with this car's transmission. Not only does it stutter when shifting and take time to accelerate, but now the transmission is not working. In april, the car completely stopped accelerating, almost resulting in a crash on the highway. The dealership diagnosed…
The vehicle would not turn over. There was no clicking of the vehicle trying to start. After 4 tries to start the car it was left to sit for 30 min before we tried again. The car then was tried to start again did not start until the 4th try. Then the car started. It seems to be skipping a gear while driving will go…
Electrical
352 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 64,500 miles. Parts named most often: horn, software, wiring, instrument panel.
I have a Ford Focus 2012 se with winter and comfort packages. My vehicle suddenly swapped up from 79 MPH to 81 MPH when I pressed the down button to slow the car.
The vehicle would not start; Ford had the car for 17 days before they decided it was the transmission control module; they charged US in excess of $1400; we have had the vehicle in for service many times over the past 2+ years for navigation system freeze ups and noise/vibrations in the front end.
Fuel system
340 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 83,000 miles. Parts named most often: storage, delivery.
Car was running fine and the vehicle lost power and slowed to a crawl. After sitting awhile it started up again only to loose power again. Was told it was the computer, then the battery, then the transmission. Now being told that it was the TCM voltage being the problem. The car is in the shop. The service manager has…
I'm writing about a problem that I feel is a safety defect. My car started idling very erratically and the amber engine light is on. The dealer says that the vapor canister control solenoid failed, drawing a vacuum in the fuel tank which caused the fuel tank to collapse. It also filled the vapor canister with fuel.…
Body and structure
332 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 60,000 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While driving 15 MPH and attempting to make a right turn, the front driver side door ajar warning indicator illuminated. The contact attempted to close the door, but it failed to properly close. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While parked, the latch on the front passenger side door lock failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 61,000.
Speed control
166 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 45,000 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
I have had the worst problems with this car. I have had it in the Ford dealer ship 5 times since jan. 2012. They keep saying nothing is wrong. It rolls worse then a 5 speed. It tries to stall out on me taking off., acts like it is going to die going up a hill. I have to push gas pedal down all the way to get up a…
Since we purchased the vehicle, it seemed to stutter when trying to go from a stop. I was told that this is normal for this transmission. But on august 24th, the transmission started to have even more problems. First the vehicle was having a hard time accelerating past 20 MPH. Then it started jerking back and forth…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2012 Ford Focus recalls
Fuel system: canister
Risk: An engine that stalls while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: canister
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: canister
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Lights: exterior lighting
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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."
Visibility and wipers: switch/wiring
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Loss of motive power
Summary
On september 15, 2023, the office of defect investigation (odi) opened this recall query (rq) after receiving 98 consumer complaints alleging loss of motive power in model year (my) 2012-2018 ford focus vehicles. The rq focused on the effectiveness of the remedies of recall 18v-735 and 19v-515. In october 2018, ford issued recall 18v-735, which updated powertrain control module (PCM) software in my 2012-2018 ford focus vehicles equipped with 2.0l gdi engines built prior to april 13, 2017, and those with 2.0l gtdi engines built prior to february 2, 2018. The recall addressed vehicles experiencing a malfunctioning canister purge valve (cpv) that can stick open and PCM software that does not ad
Door latch failures
Summary
In december 2019, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation based on 235 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (my) 2012-2014 ford fiesta, and 2013-2014 fusion and lincoln mkz. Some voqs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other voqs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a ?door will not close? Condition, however in certain somewhat rare circu
Door latch failure
Summary
In january, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation based on consumers' allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (my) 2012-2013 ford focus vehicles (subject vehicles).odi has received 464 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 200 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion.one consumer alleged an injury that occurred while driving when a door inadvertently opened and then closed on a child's arm.another alleged that a door that inadvertently opened struck a parked vehicle.in response to odi's information request, ford motor company (ford) provided 500 unique repo
Questions about the 2012 Ford Focus
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford Focus?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (1,447 complaints, typically around 55,000 miles); steering (927 complaints, typically around 78,000 miles); engine (501 complaints, typically around 60,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2012 Ford Focus have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 9, 2026 (fuel system). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2012 a bad year for the Ford Focus?
- It is the most complained-about Focus model year since 2000, with 3,770 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.