2015 Ford Focus Visibility Problems

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving in the rain, the front windshield wipers were inoperable. The failure occurred intermittently prior to the complete failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the windshield wiper module needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11749138

Incident

Jul 7, 2026

Mileage

130,000 mi

Unknown, vehicle slips out of gear leaving you stranded in the middle of the street

NHTSA ID

11574584

Incident

Feb 28, 2024

I am having issues with the company Ford in regards to my vehicle. It has been at Dowling Ford, in Cheshire, Connecticut for 5 weeks. I believe I am one of the unlucky 2015 Ford Focus owners who was sold a one of the cars that has a faulty transmission. After doing some research, I discovered that Ford has a lawsuit against them for unloading Ford Focus' with faulty transmissions. I will attach the link to the article stating this information. Ford is trying to charge me $5900.00 to fix the car that wasn't even brought in for the reasons that they are trying to charge me with. I bought the car for just under 7,000. It is only a 2015 and has 106,000 miles on it and should not be running into these problems. I have contacted the corporate office of Ford multiple times and they refuse to offer any help what so ever. I have only had the car for two years. My car was only brought in because the wipers weren't working properly and it was overheating while only in idle. It was diagnosed that the transmission module needed to be replaced which was covered under the warranty. Well, the bad news began there when I had to wait 2 weeks for that part to come in because it was "back ordered". Once that was replaced, they tried to tell me now that something else needs to be replaced which was the clutches on the transmission and it would cost $3200. Then once they fixed that which took 4 more days, they now are saying something else is wrong which is the transmission case and would be an additional $2700. My car was not brought in for any of these issues and now all of a sudden, my car needs them all replaced. Ford, hasn't even offered me a loaner during the last 5 weeks. I don't feel safe in this vehicle, and I know that I am driving an unsafe vehicle that shouldn't have even been sold to anyone.

NHTSA ID

11526280

Incident

May 5, 2023

The front windshield wipers will slow after only a few minutes of use, in a heavy or light rain, and eventually come to a stop after about 30 more seconds. This happens every time I use the wipers in the rain. I have had it looked at by a Ford service tech at a dealership on at least 3 occasions, but they claim either that they cannot recreate the problem, or that they are designed to work that way to avoid burning out the wiper motors. Wipers should not be designed to stop working when it is raining, that is just ridiculous. Despite Ford's position that this is all new to them, or that it is how they are designed to work (depending on whom you talk to at Ford), the fact the wipers stop working during rain...heavy, moderate, or light rain...it is a well-known issue across the Ford Focus ST enthusiast community. A simply Google search will uncover many identical reports. When the wipers stop working during a rain, you obviously cannot see clearly ahead. You can turn the wipers off then back on to get them working again, but they stop all the same soon after.

NHTSA ID

11482180

Incident

Aug 30, 2022

WIPERS DON'T SHUT OFF WHEN CARED IS OFF AND DON'T TURN ON SOME TIMES WHEN I DRIVE AND IT RAINING HARD OR SNOWING

NHTSA ID

11384907

Incident

Dec 25, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE WHEEL BARREL AND WHEEL HUB NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,066.

NHTSA ID

11276882

Incident

Oct 14, 2019

Mileage

56,066 mi

WHEN I TURN ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, THE WIPER BLADES SOMETIME STOP, WITH THE BLADES IN A VERTICAL POSITION OR ANOTHER ANGLE ON THE WINDSHIELD. THEY MAY REMAIN IN THAT POSITION FOR A MINUTE OR MORE. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS AND ON HIGHWAYS. TO GET THE WIPERS WORKING AGAIN, I USUALLY HAVE TO TURN THE WIPER CONTROL OFF AND THEN BACK ON. DURING THIS TIME, RAIN IS ACCUMULATING ON THE WINDSHIELD, REDUCING VISIBILITY. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE. I REPORTED THE WIPER PROBLEM TO THE DEALER, BOB THOMAS FORD, 2215 DIXWELL AVENUE, HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT 06514, ON AUGUST 15, 2018, WHEN THE CAR HAD 11,122 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE DEALER DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. RECEIPT FROM THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTION STATED: "REFER TO SSM 45753." REPAIR TECHNICIAN SAID HE COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. SINCE THAT TIME, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE CONTINUED TO STOP, UNPREDICTABLY, IN A VERTICAL OR OTHER POSITION ON THE WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ID

11230076

Incident

Jun 15, 2018

Mileage

10,300 mi

THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER IS FREEZING AND DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY NO MATTER WHAT OPERATION IT IS IN: LOW, MEDIUM OR HIGH. I HAVE HAD THE WIPER BLADES, WIPER ARM, AND WIPER MOTOR REPLACED AND NONE OF IT HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM. IT HAS LEFT ME IN SEVERAL DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. I HAVE ALMOST WRECKED NUMEROUS TIMES. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THREE MONTHS. NOBODY SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, INCLUDING THE FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT.

NHTSA ID

11119605

Incident

Jun 8, 2018

Mileage

35,000 mi

I OWNED THE VEHICLE 2 YEARS AND THEN REPLACED THE WIPER BLADES AT NAPA. THEN THEY STARTED STOPPING MIDWAY ON THE GLASS OR SLOWING AND STOPPING. I REPLACED THE BLADES WITH GENUINE FORD BLADES AT THE DEALER'S QUICK LANE, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THE SERVICE DEPT. COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM ON TWO VISITS, AND SAID IT HAS AN ADVANCED SENSOR SYSTEM AND "IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO THAT." I AM AFRAID THE WIPERS WILL GIVE OUT IN A STORM. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SNAPPED AT ME "IF YOU KEEP COMING BACK, WE MAY HAVE TO CHARGE YOU," EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TIME LEFT ON THE FULL WARRANTY. THIS IS A HAZARD, AND THEY SHOULD WARN PEOPLE THAT THE SYSTEM USES SO-CALLED SMART TECHNOLOGY, AND TO BE CAREFUL WHEN CHANGING THE BLADES.

NHTSA ID

11034460

Incident

Aug 23, 2017

Mileage

6,000 mi

THERE IS EXTREME DISTORTION OF THE IMAGE ON THE INSIDE MANUAL (NON-ELECTRONIC) REAR-VIEW MIRROR WHEN THE MIRROR IS SET TO THE "NIGHT" POSITION. THE MIRRORS ARE OK WHEN SET TO THE "DAY" POSITION. I HAVE OBSERVED THIS DEFECT IN THE MIRROR OF MY PERSONAL FORD FOCUS 2015, AND IN OTHER FORD VEHICLES I HAVE EXAMINED ON FORD DEALER LOTS. WHEN SET TO THE NIGHT POSITION, ANY MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVER'S HEAD RELATIVE TO THE MIRROR CAUSES SEVERE DISTORTION OF THE IMAGE WHETHER THE MOVEMENT IS IN THE VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL PLANE (HOWEVER, MOVEMENT IN THE HORIZONTAL PLANE APPEARS TO CAUSE WORSE DISTORTION THAN IN THE VERTICAL). THIS DISTORTION IS MOST DISCONCERTING TO FOLKS WHO DRIVE AT NIGHT, AND COULD CAUSE THE DRIVER TO PERCEIVE THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE IS CLOSER/FARTHER BEHIND THAN IT ACTUALLY IS, OR TO PERCEIVE THAT IT IS IN A LANE OTHER THAN WHERE IT ACTUALLY IS. WHEN I DEMONSTRATED THIS TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER SERVICE MANAGER AND TRIED TO MAKE A WARRANTY CLAIM, HE PERMITTED ME TO OBSERVE THE MIRROR IN OTHER VEHICLES ON THE LOT, ALL OF WHICH DEMONSTRATED THE SAME DEFECT. HE CLAIMS THAT IF A "DEFECT" APPEARS ON OTHER COMPARABLE VEHICLES, IT IS NOT REALLY A DEFECT AND IS "NORMAL." ANYONE WHO SUBSCRIBES TO SUCH NONSENSICAL LOGIC MUST SURELY BE LIVING IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE!

NHTSA ID

10937336

Incident

Dec 15, 2016

I TRADED THIS VEHICLE IN FROM A 2012 FORD FIESTA, WHICH AFTER THREE YEARS HAD BECOME A ROLLING DISASTER, FROM THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION TO THE ALWAYS-DYING BATTERY AND TWO RECALLS. THE DEALER ASSURED ME THE 2015 FOCUS WAS REDESIGNED AND MUCH BETTER. I'LL ADMIT IT DRIVES MUCH BETTER, IS ROOMIER, AND NO JERKING IN THE TRANSMISSION LIKE THE FIESTA'S "AUTOMATED MANUAL" TRANSMISSION DID. BUT NOW WHEN THE VEHICLE GETS HOT, I SMELL AN OVERWHELMING SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING, ALMOST LIKE A GASKET, RUBBERY TYPE SMELL. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BRAKES, ENGINE OIL, WHAT. I TOLD THE SERVICE DEPT. ABOUT IT, BUT THEY SAID WITH JULY THEY WERE SHORT OF HELP WITH VACATIONS, AND SINCE THE CAR ONLY HAD 500 MILES ON IT, I HAD "PLENTY OF TIME" ON THE WARRANTY, NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. THEY SAID TO LET IT BREAK IN AT LEAST ANOTHER 500 MILES. SO FAR I'VE NOT HAD SMOKE, STARTING OR STALLING PROBLEMS LIKE OTHERS HAVE REPORTED. I HAVE BROKEN IN LOTS OF BRAND NEW CARS IN MY LIFETIME, AND NEVER, EVER HAD A BURNING SMELL. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND GOT THE USUAL NONSENSE OF "WE'LL ESCALATE THIS ISSUE WITH YOUR LOCAL DEALER," AND LIKE THE FIESTA, NOTHING. ....UPDATED 11/13/15 *BF THE COMPLAINT HAS SINCE BEEN RESOLVED. THE LOCAL FOR DEALER PERFORMED A THOROUGH CHECK OF THE VEHICLE AND ADJUSTED THE CLIMATE CONTROL. UPDATED 11/17/15. *JB

NHTSA ID

10730934

Incident

Jun 24, 2015

Mileage

500 mi