KnownCarProblems2016 Ford Focus Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 1,183 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Focus, most often about the transmission (57% of complaints, typically around 64,000 miles). It is 6th of 19 Focus model years by number of complaints and has 10 recalls.
Most common 2016 Ford Focus problems
Transmission
674 complaints · 57%Half of these problems showed up before 64,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, clutch assembly.
Car overheated driving down interstate. Car has been taken to Ford dealership. Dealership found no coolant leaks, but determined coolant is being burned/absorbed by turbo portion of 1.0 l ecoboost engine. Motor head has cracked. Vehicle is 620 miles out of power train warranty so is not covered. Same issue is…
My vehicle started shaking during acceleration jump during deceleration. Check engine light came on and also transmission failed warning. Vehicle stopped changing into final gear and prolonged other shifting so to 3500rnpir more.these actions occurred on regular streets and highway as well.
Engine
281 complaints · 24%Half of these problems showed up before 61,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
On 10/27/2018 approximately 1330 after making a right turn onto 29 in warrenton headed towards culpeper going about 45mph the car sputtered and stalled. Took 3 times to get the vehicle restarted. Then did it again after making a left onto 17 in bealeton. The vehicle would get up to about 20 MPH and just stall in…
Approximately at 30000 miles while still under warranty I brought the vehicle to sheehy of warrenton because while on rte 28 in sterling va the vehicle was intermittently jerking sputtering and stalling. Dealer stated they couldn't find any issues because no code was present. On 10/18/18 I brought the car in again…
Fuel system
230 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles. Parts named most often: storage, delivery.
After the original recall to repair the stuck canister purge valve my vehicles fuel gauge is not accurate I run out of gas at 1/4 tank or 135 miles to empty. When filling up on fuel my vehicle will not start properly when attempting to start the vehicle after refilling the fuel tank to full. This is not a one time…
Car stalled on a sunday while driving 70 MPH on the highway. Had to have it towed at my own expense over 80 miles to my home. The next day attempted to drive it to dealership when it stalled again while at 40mph. Had samaritan assistance to push it out of the road and had to push it to the nearest lot in the rain as…
Other or unspecified
105 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 43,000 miles.
I've had my 2016 Ford Focus se 4-door for one year. It has almost 50,000 miles. I've had to have the clutch replaced once, and many other things, and the local Ford dealership said it's ready for another clutch soon. It's an automatic but grinds when changing gears. Also, the car is getting 15 miles per hour city and…
May 30 2019 my car cut off from driving in the of the middle of the highway call road side told I'm stuck in middle of the highway can't move, they'll be a hour, tow directly to the dealer where I brought it and get car service they found its the clutch had it fix already maybe a year ago, I purchase premium care…
Electrical
82 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 52,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument panel.
Ive had several occasions where I have my keys in my purse never opened the hatch in the back went inside a store came back out to my hatchback door open this is very concerning to me I do have my sons baseball equipment and my speakers in which one got stolen I need to know if anything is going to be done soon so I…
My vehicle's make/model/year (2016 Ford Focus) has a reported recall for a serious safety hazard involving the powershift dual clutch transmission. Online, it states that model years 2012-2016 Ford Focus vehicles have this issue. This type of transmission is considered a manual transmission that is controlled…
Steering
45 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 48,000 miles. Parts named most often: electric power assist system.
There are class action suits over the transmission/clutch recalls for the Focus. Ford dealers chapman Ford, horsham and hoffman Ford, harrisburg, pa, are refusing to repair the Ford Focus 2016 clutch that is slipping (about 48,000 miles) with their reason being that the car has a branded title. The car was in a minor…
The contact owned a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, she made a left turn and the steering wheel seized. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle crashed into the side of a house. There were people inside the house, however, they were not injured and medical…
Speed control
36 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 33,500 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
When it's driving up a hill it's makes a sound where as the speed stays the same and do want increase. I believe it's the clutch is scraping when it runs. When driving same level does the same but sometimes unexpected.
Canister purge valve, engine stall recall. I have been having this issue since I recieved the car febuary 2017. The issues was when I would step on the gas to drive, it would stall slowly the speed from its original speed and can feel a pull and push from the car trying to speed up even when I step on the gas pedal…
Wheels and tires
17 complaints · 1%Half of these problems showed up before 26,500 miles. Parts named most often: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs, temporary/emergency spare tire, rim, tread/belt.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the spare tire failed to fit on the vehicle because it was too small. The vehicle was taken to riverside Ford (5900 sycamore canyon blvd, riverside, california 92507, [phone]), but the dealer could not assist. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.…
Tires are wearing out on the inside a lot faster. Am on 3rd set the first two sets did this and the dealer said the alignment was fine. I.feel this is a safety hazard as a cursory inspection of the tires looks ok but if you get on the ground to check the inside part the wear will be alarming. I went online to check…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2016 Ford Focus recalls
Transmission: manual transmission
Risk: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were october 16, 2026. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26s43. 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 2015-2018 focus and 2013-2016 fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18v169 and 18v845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
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.
Equipment: engine block heater
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed march 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26s01. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall b
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 focus, 2013-2019 escape, and 2015-2016 mkc vehicles equipped with a 2.0l engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Equipment: engine block heater
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed february 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in october 2026. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25sa4. Vehicle identificatio
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 focus, 2019 explorer, and 2024 explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Engine: pump
Risk: A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt, free of charge. If engine failure occurs due to a damaged oil pump belt and/or oil pump belt tensioner, ford has authorized dealers to replace the engine assembly as an interim repair before the availability of remedy parts for the final repair. This repair will be free of charge (parts and labor). Owner notification letters were mailed august 11, 2025. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23s64.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 ford focus and 2018-2022 ford ecosport vehicles. The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.
Transmission: manual transmission
Risk: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began january 17, 2019. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18s07. Note: this recall is an expansion of recall 18v-169.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 ford focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0l fox gtdi engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
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.
Transmission: manual transmission
Risk: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the focus vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. Owners of fusion vehicles will have their clutch assembly replaced free of charge. The recall began august 3, 2018. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18s07.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 ford fusion vehicles equipped with a 1.6l gtdi engine and 6-speed manual transmission and 2015-2016 ford focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0l gtdi engine and 6-speed manual transmission. Also included are four 2017 ford focus vehicles that had clutch replacements with potentially affected parts. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
Body and structure: body
Risk: Improperly welded apron joints may reduce the front-end structural integrity of the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the apron joints, repairing the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began march 8, 2017. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17s03.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2016 focus and c-max vehicles. The floor pan may have improperly welded left-hand apron joints.
Doors and locks: lock
Risk: With only a single press needed, the driver may accidently unlatch the hatchback, increasing the risk of injury to any unsecured passengers in the back.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began february 10, 2017. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16c13.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 ford focus hatchback vehicles manufactured february 14, 2012, to august 26, 2016 and equipped with a manual transmission. The hatchback of the affected vehicles may be unlatched with a single press of the interior latch release button. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 206, "door locks and door retention components."
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
Timing belt failure
Summary
On december 18, 2025, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe25020 to investigate instances of timing belt failure in model year (my) 2015-2017 ford fiesta and my 2015-2018 ford focus vehicles manufactured by ford motor company (ford), equipped with a 1.0l engine and manual transmission (subject vehicles). Additionally, my 2018-2021 ford ecosport and my 2016-2018 focus vehicles with a 1.0l engine and automatic transmission were analyzed as peer vehicles because they utilize a wet timing belt comprised of similar material as the timing belt in the subject vehicles. Through the pe, odi investigated a potentialâ failure/degradation of the timing belt that may affect oil pump functio
Timing belt failure
Summary
On december 18, 2025, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe25020 to investigate instances of timing belt failure in model year (my) 2015-2017 ford fiesta and my 2015-2018 ford focus vehicles manufactured by ford motor company (ford), equipped with a 1.0l engine and manual transmission (subject vehicles). Additionally, my 2018-2021 ford ecosport and my 2016-2018 focus vehicles with a 1.0l engine and automatic transmission were analyzed as peer vehicles because they utilize a wet timing belt comprised of similar material as the timing belt in the subject vehicles. Through the pe, odi investigated a potentialâ failure/degradation of the timing belt that may affect oil pump functio
Oil pump failure
Summary
On september 20, 2023, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe23-015 to investigate instances of engine failure due to loss of oil pressure in model year (my) 2018-2021 ford ecosport vehicles. Some consumers reported a low engine oil pressure warning lamp immediately preceding a complete loss or reduction of motive power while the vehicle was in motion. The investigation revealed that the engine oil pump drive belt tensioner arm may fracture, separate from the tensioner backing plate, and/or the oil pump drive belt may degrade and lose teeth, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure. A loss of engine oil pressure can result in engine seizure, which can result in a loss of motiv
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
Questions about the 2016 Ford Focus
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Focus?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (674 complaints, typically around 64,000 miles); engine (281 complaints, typically around 61,000 miles); fuel system (230 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2016 Ford Focus have?
- 10 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 9, 2026 (transmission). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2016 a bad year for the Ford Focus?
- It is 6th of 19 Focus model years by number of complaints, with 1,183 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.