2016 Ford Focus Electric Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Focus Electric, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical450.0%
- Engine225.0%
- Exterior lighting112.5%
- Powertrain (other)112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
When on freeway car suddenly displays an alert saying Stop safely now And will shut off , while driving makes it impossible to properly control the car . It has done this on multiple occasions, On the freeway , on residential streets and also when starting from park and proceeding to drive car has suddenly stopped and unable to restart right away
The Body Control Module controlling the lights, hatch, and door lock/unlock malfunctioned. Its a serious safety issue when the lights go out unexpectedly while driving.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
When on freeway car suddenly displays an alert saying Stop safely now And will shut off , while driving makes it impossible to properly control the car . It has done this on multiple occasions, On the freeway , on residential streets and also when starting from park and proceeding to drive car has suddenly stopped and unable to restart right away
IT RAINED, AND CAR STOPPED. NO MOTIVE POWER. A RED WARNING, "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE ON DASH. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 20-2004 TO PUT ON A SPLASH SHIELD TO KEEP THE 318VOLT (HIGH!) CONNECTOR FROM BEING HIT BY WATER, BUT THE DEALERSHIP JUST PUT ON A BIG 350 AMP FUSE AND PUT THE CAR BACK IN SERVICE. THE FUSE BLEW DUE TO WATER INTRUSION. TREATED A SIDE EFFECT, NOT THE MAIN PROBLEM. THEY REFUSED TO DO WHAT WAS IN TSB 20-2004 & FSA 16B02. THE ATTACHED PICTURE SHOWS HOW CLOSE THE TIRE IS TO THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY CONNECTOR! FORD KNOWS THIS, BUT NO RECALL, AND DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Body Control Module controlling the lights, hatch, and door lock/unlock malfunctioned. Its a serious safety issue when the lights go out unexpectedly while driving.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW ON 3/17/17. A SAFTEY RECALL (16V479) HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ISSUED FOR THE VEHICLE BACK IN JUNE 2016. THE DEALER SOLD ME THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS UNDER A STOP-SALE RECALL IN VIOLATION OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT. A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER ASKED ME TO TAKE IT IN FOR WARRANTY WORK. I HAVE NOT HAD USE OF THE VEHICLE FOR THE WEEK SINCE AND AM BEING TOLD THAT IT MAY TAKE 2 MORE WEEKS FOR THE REPAIR WORK TO BE COMPLETED. THE DEALER VIOLATED THE LAW AND THE STOP-SALE RECALL ORDER ON THE VIN BY SELLING ME THE VEHICLE BEFORE THIS REPAIR WORK WAS DONE. I PAID FOR THE VEHICLE, BUT WILL HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO USE IT FOR ABOUT 1 WEEK OVER THE COURSE OF THE FIRST MONTH. NEWS REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE NHTSA HAS FINED DEALERS IN THE PAST FOR THIS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .