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2016 Ford Focus problems

What owners reported to NHTSA, at what mileage, and every safety recall for this model year.

1,183owner complaints
10safety recalls
27involved a crash

Also reported: 2 fires, 24 people injured, 0 deaths. Each complaint is counted once even if it lists several components.

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Most reported problems

Complaints by component. One complaint can name more than one component, so these add up to more than 1,183.

Power train674
Usually 29,184–93,000 miles (middle half of 474 reports with mileage)
Parts named: Automatic transmission › control module (tcm/PCM/tecm) (19); Automatic transmission (13); Automatic transmission › internal › clutches/bands (10); Clutch assembly (10); Automatic transmission › internal › clutches/bands › actuators/solenoids (2)
Engine234
Usually 34,500–81,000 miles (middle half of 131 reports with mileage)
Fuel/propulsion system167
Usually 40,000–75,748 miles (middle half of 81 reports with mileage)
Unknown or other105
Usually 13,803–78,066 miles (middle half of 45 reports with mileage)
Electrical system82
Usually 22,875–73,673 miles (middle half of 46 reports with mileage)
Parts named: Instrument panel › fuel gauge (1)
Fuel system, gasoline61
Usually 65,000–102,000 miles (middle half of 53 reports with mileage)
Parts named: Delivery › fuel pump (3); Storage › evaporative emissions › canister (3); Delivery › fuel pump › control/drive module (1); Storage › tank assembly (1)
Engine and engine cooling50
Usually 68,564–106,750 miles (middle half of 42 reports with mileage)
Parts named: Engine › gasoline › belts and associated pulleys (1)
Steering45
Usually 32,110–72,000 miles (middle half of 27 reports with mileage)
Parts named: Electric power assist system (1)
Vehicle speed control36
Usually 14,000–53,250 miles (middle half of 24 reports with mileage)
Parts named: Accelerator pedal (3)
Air bags15
Usually 41,450–83,900 miles (middle half of 11 reports with mileage)

When problems show up

Reports by odometer reading at the time of the problem, top components. Each bar is a 25,000-mile band, labeled by where it starts (0 = 0–25k miles). Reports without mileage are left out.

Power train

474 reports with mileage · median 64,000 miles
025k50k75k100k125k150k175k200k+

Engine

131 reports with mileage · median 53,000 miles
025k50k75k100k125k150k175k200k+

Fuel/propulsion system

81 reports with mileage · median 56,223 miles
025k50k75k100k125k150k175k200k+

Safety recalls (10)

Recalls that cover the 2016 Ford Focus. Some apply only to certain trims or build dates. This page cannot tell whether a specific car's recall work was done.

Check a specific VIN's open recalls on nhtsa.gov

Power train › manual transmission

Campaign 26V376000 · 2026-06-09 · 5,252 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Fuel system, gasoline › storage › evaporative emissions › canister

Campaign 26V369000 · 2026-06-09 · 257,868 vehicles

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Focus vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 18V735. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may…

Full recall text and remedy

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.

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

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

Equipment › electrical › engine block heater

Campaign 26V012000 · 2026-01-15 · 2,403 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

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.

Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: 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 Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.

Equipment › electrical › engine block heater

Campaign 26V011000 · 2026-01-15 · 116,672 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

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.

Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: 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 became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

Engine and engine cooling › engine › oil/lubrication › pump

Campaign 23V905000 · 2023-12-22 · 139,730 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

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.

Consequence: A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Power train › manual transmission

Campaign 18V845000 · 2018-11-28 · 2,828 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Fuel system, gasoline › storage; fuel system, gasoline › storage › evaporative emissions › canister

Campaign 18V735000 · 2018-10-22 · 1,282,596 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

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.

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

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

Power train › manual transmission

Campaign 18V169000 · 2018-03-12 · 5,361 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Structure › body

Campaign 17V052000 · 2017-01-24 · 17 vehicles

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Focus and C-Max vehicles. The floor pan may have improperly welded left-hand apron joints.

Full recall text and remedy

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Latches/locks/linkages › hatchback/liftgate › lock; structure › body › hatchback/liftgate

Campaign 16V698000 · 2016-09-28 · 64,038 vehicles

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…

Full recall text and remedy

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."

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Questions to ask the seller

Has the transmission been serviced or repaired? On the test drive, watch for slipping, delayed engagement, or harsh shifts.

674 owner complaints mention the transmission or drivetrain, half of the reports with mileage are between 29,184 and 93,000 miles.

Has the engine had any repairs, oil leaks, or check-engine lights? Ask for the invoices and listen for knocking or ticking on a cold start.

234 owner complaints mention the engine, half of the reports with mileage are between 34,500 and 81,000 miles.

Any stalling, hesitation, loss of power, or fuel smell? Ask whether fuel-system parts were replaced and get the receipts.

167 owner complaints mention the fuel or propulsion system, half of the reports with mileage are between 40,000 and 75,748 miles.

Any battery drain, dashboard warning lights, or electrical repairs? Test every switch, screen, and power accessory before buying.

82 owner complaints mention the electrical system, half of the reports with mileage are between 22,875 and 73,673 miles.

Any fuel smell, leaks, hard starting, or fuel-gauge problems? Ask whether fuel pump or fuel-line work was done.

61 owner complaints mention the fuel system, half of the reports with mileage are between 65,000 and 102,000 miles.

Has the open recall work been done? Ask for dealer service records, and check the VIN on nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for this model year.

Other Ford Focus years

Owner complaints per model year (2010–2022). Older cars have had more time to collect reports.

Compare all years on one chart

Source: NHTSA complaints file (FLAT_CMPL, updated 2026-10-21) and NHTSA recalls file. Page generated 2026-10-22.

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