2012 Ford Focus Transmission Problems

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine started to shake violently; occasionally, causing the vehicle to shut off unexpectedly. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the torque converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.

NHTSA ID

11648373

Incident

Feb 12, 2025

Mileage

81,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was under warranty and was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with clutch failure. The vehicle was repaired, and the clutch was replaced. On another occasion, the vehicle started to lose motive power and failed to reverse. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the clutch had left residue, which caused the transmission to fail. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with clutch failure; however, the contact was informed that the clutch was not under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA ID

11643446

Incident

Oct 18, 2021

Mileage

93,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred a short distance from the residence. The vehicle was driven back to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission clutch assembly failure. The contact was informed that the transmission clutch assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The contact stated that the transmission clutch assembly had been replaced in 2019, 2020, and 2021, and the repairs were covered under warranty. The contact stated that another Ford dealer had completed the previous repairs. The contact stated that in 2021 after the repair was performed, the contact was provided a discount if the failure reoccurred; however, the discount was not applied during the July 2024 repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 139,164.

NHTSA ID

11623172

Incident

Jun 24, 2024

Mileage

139,164 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled and shuddered; the vehicle made an abnormal sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch assembly, lever assembly, along several other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact did research and was made aware of an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 28,139.

NHTSA ID

11619838

Incident

Oct 1, 2024

Mileage

28,139 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle was unable to properly shift gear. Additionally, the transmission began to lose motive power. The message that the transmission was overheating was displayed. The vehicle was able to restart after 30 minutes. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the transmission control module and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the dealer stated that the shift module also needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 112,000.

NHTSA ID

11583604

Incident

Apr 17, 2024

Mileage

112,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speed, the engine revved up; however, the vehicle failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal and the vehicle shuddered. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift into the intended gear. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that she continued driving; however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission control module (TCM) was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11544131

Incident

Mar 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift gear as designed. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission control module (TCM), resulting in damage to the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 119,000.

NHTSA ID

11544059

Incident

Jul 15, 2023

Mileage

119,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The message that the transmission had overheated was displayed. The contact was able to push the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the part was on backorder. The parts arrived and the transmission control module was replaced, but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact about an Extended Warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

NHTSA ID

11542696

Incident

May 24, 2023

Mileage

146,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle started shaking, and the gear shifter failed to shift into reverse(R). The service engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ID

11538715

Incident

Aug 6, 2023

Mileage

63,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle seemed to shift into neutral and failed to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the service engine message was displayed. The contact pulled over to allow the engine to cool down. The vehicle was restarted and taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission failure caused the clutch to fail. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11533666

Incident

Jun 25, 2023

Mileage

80,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that she received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V523000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The contact was then informed that the recall was completed and retained the vehicle however, the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 minutes away from the dealer at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound while on an incline. The contact then stated that she allowed the vehicle to drift back into the street while shifted into drive(D). The contact stated that she depressed the brake pedal and shifted into reverse(R) and the “Pull Over - Transmission Overheated” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM (Transmission Control Module) failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was currently at the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,511.

NHTSA ID

11529186

Incident

Jun 22, 2023

Mileage

122,511 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond upon shifting into reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure occurred on several occasions. Additionally, the contact stated that while accelerating, the clutch vibrated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer retrieved diagnostic trouble codes: P087A-00 (Clutch Position Sensor) and P287A-00 (Stuck Clutch). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11515851

Incident

Mar 31, 2023

Mileage

150,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the vehicle failed to reverse while the transmission was shifted into reverse(R). The check engine warning light and traction control warning light were illuminated. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Automatic Transmission Control Module). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle warranty coverage period had been exceeded. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ID

11511508

Incident

Oct 14, 2022

Mileage

200,000 mi

Was driving home came to 4 way stop when I tried to accelerate the car wouldn’t shift out 1 gear. Car was towed to Steve Rogers ford 8/5/22. Where their vehicle still sits waiting from a TCM ( transmission control module). No one will provide a loaner or rental which the part is on infamous backorder

NHTSA ID

11502328

Incident

Aug 5, 2022

My son was traveling on 3 lane highway in the far left passing lane when the vehicle acted like it went into neutral. He was able to coast through traffic on the busy highway to get pulled over onto the right hand side of the road. The motor was still running but the vehicle would not move. He could not put the vehicle into park so he shut off the vehicle and called a towing service. The towing service was also unable to get the vehicle into neutral. There were no initial warnings that anything was going wrong with the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to Nielsen Ford in Morristown, NJ where it was diagnosed as being a Transmission Control Module issue.

NHTSA ID

11492942

Incident

Aug 30, 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission warning light illuminated indicating not to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that she was able to maneuver the vehicle off the road. The contact then notified her son and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that parts were on back order and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

NHTSA ID

11487229

Incident

Mar 23, 2022

Mileage

54,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions, when the vehicle was shifted into gear, the engine revved and the RPM increased rapidly without acceleration then shifted into a different gear. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the transmission overheated. The transmission temperature and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic that the TCM malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

NHTSA ID

11484057

Incident

Sep 9, 2022

Mileage

83,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced rough driving with the Transmission Fault message displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it lost motive power and the mechanic jumpstarted the vehicle. The mechanic related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 14M02-S5 (Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage) however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The mechanic advised the daughter to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ID

11482559

Incident

Sep 2, 2022

Mileage

81,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the transmission failed. The transmission overheating warning light was illuminated and indicated to wait 5 minutes before proceeding. The contact then waited approximately 10 minutes then continued driving to his destination with the transmission was slipping. The contact then experienced the same failure while leaving his destination, and the vehicle lost reverse(R) gear. The contact proceeded to drive 50 MPH and pulled over again safely before the low battery warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart. The contact then received assistance while attempting to jump start the vehicle. The vehicle finally restarted and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the contact related the failure to the transmission dual clutch failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 209,000.

NHTSA ID

11480815

Incident

Aug 18, 2022

Mileage

209,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the TCM was recently replaced; however, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to hesitate and then stall during acceleration while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed 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 132,155.

NHTSA ID

11480153

Incident

Aug 6, 2022

Mileage

132,155 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was not responding. The contact stated that occasionally while in the drive(D) or reverse(R), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact and employee pushed the vehicle to the local mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed a failure with the transmission and clutch actuator circuit. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with the clutch actuator circuit and transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.

NHTSA ID

11477787

Incident

Jul 14, 2022

Mileage

29,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while shifting to the intended gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission clutch plate 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 110,000.

NHTSA ID

11477558

Incident

Jul 30, 2022

Mileage

110,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and inadvertently downshifted. The contact stated that the downshifting occurred while accelerating to merge into traffic. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had since become constant. The contact stated that the transmission control module warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the part was not available and he would be placed on a waiting list. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

NHTSA ID

11476548

Incident

Nov 13, 2011

Mileage

101,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the transmission was clicking. There was a parking aid malfunction warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken the next day to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed with a failure. The contact continued to drive the vehicle and the failure recurred. The contact stated that while exiting the highway at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was safely pushed to a local mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ID

11474444

Incident

Jul 4, 2022

Mileage

120,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his son was driving, the vehicle was jerking. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the transmission and PCM needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance, but no additional assistance was provided. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V523000 (Power Train). The approximate failure mileage was 169,000.

NHTSA ID

11472769

Incident

Jun 20, 2022

Mileage

169,000 mi