2016 Ford Focus Engine Problems

The car would not accelerate when pressing accelerator, they said the clutch assembly malfunctioned, confirmed by documentation. Myself and others had our safety at risk because the car could not be controlled properly while on the road. The car was taken to the dealer and they confirmed the problem. The dealer's service center gave inspection, and confirmed the problem. The warning message did not appear until after the problem put myself and others' safety at risk.

NHTSA ID

11751981

Incident

Jun 20, 2026

When I bought the car it stuttered it ended up being the clutch then my transmission went out The bolt in my engine mount broke and my engine was basically on the ground

NHTSA ID

11741924

Incident

May 1, 2026

We bought this vehicle from Carvana in February 2023. Since very early on owning this vehicle, the engine hesitated and stuttered when trying to shift from first to second gear, and would lunge forward slightly. In December 2024, I received a letter from Ford Motor Company about a customer satisfaction program, Campaign 24N07. The letter addressed the symptoms my vehicle exhibited, including engine hesitation, engine running rough, and engine stalling at low speeds, though the check engine light was not on. The letter states that Ford Motor Company provides a one-time replacement of the canister purge valve, given these symptoms and the check engine light being on. When I called all the local Ford dealerships, they refused to do it because the check engine light was not on, and that Ford Motor Company issued this as a customer satisfaction program, rather than a safety recall.Everything that was listed in Campaign 24N07 is MOST DEFINITELY a safety issue, and should not be taken lightly. It is highly concerning that Ford Motor Company didn’t think to consider ENGINE ISSUES a safety recall. The class action lawsuit Vargas et al v. Ford Motor Company had a deadline of November 4, 2020, which was 2 years and 3 months prior to us buying the vehicle, so any vehicles of the affected years and models should have been either repaired, or not allowed to be sold unless the repairs were done by an authorized Ford dealership. This information was not told to us when we bought the vehicle.On May 25, 2026, while driving, the engine fault and steering assist fault warnings came on, as well as the check engine light. When we were able to safely park the car, we discovered the entire power train is non operational. The engine no longer turns over, and we are now having to buy a new car.

NHTSA ID

11739970

Incident

May 25, 2026

[XXX] driving her 2016 ford focus hit me [XXX] she claims her btakes did not work hitting multiple times she hit me so hard her car flew many feet back. I believe her car was defective it was alittle snowy but nothing bad. [XXX] said her brakes did not work at all. Me and multiple cars were able to come to complete stop with no skidding i have toyota rav4. I think her car might have been told my car needed repairs. I was severely injured severe permanent concussion brain neck back shoulder arm hand chest back muscle nerve damage. Dunno if [XXX] was also injured INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11738923

Incident

Jan 20, 2025

Ford Motor issued two safety recalls regarding this, but has since closed them without providing a safe resolution for consumers. July 8 2019 Ford issued Ford Safety Recall program 19S22 (following 18S32) for stuck open canister purge valve (CPV). This can result in a failure to bleed the vacuum from the gas tank, and deforms the gas tank upon failure. This has been confirmed, reproduced, and recalled by Ford before, but continues to happen nationwide to Ford Focus ST owners as a small subset of their vehicles. A stuck open CPV can result in a number of codes. In my case, I got a P1450, Ford-Specific check engine light on the MIL. This can cause inability to start, along with rough idle and stalling while driving. Ford reports closing these safety recalls and provides no further support for the issue.

NHTSA ID

11735835

Incident

May 4, 2026

NHTSA Recall Number23V905 Recall Status recall Incomplete Ford performed an interim engine repair in 2024. Due to the unavailability of parts when the recall was initiated, it took approximately 8 months for the interim engine and repair to be completed. I received my car back in August 2024 and then a supplement to the recall was placed. After getting the car back, my check engine light came on but Ford advised that it didn't have anything to do with the engine replacement and associated parts. Then I began experiencing symptoms of a valve purge issue and received an EVAP code. I attempted to address this at the dealership during routine maintenance but it was not checked or repaired. In January 2026, my engine failed again with similar symptoms. It was towed to the same dealership where they informed me that I was out of warranty on the engine and my new issue had to do with coolant intrusion. When I checked my service records, they had noted that a coolant hose was broken and replaced during recall repairs. Additionally there is a recall for other 2016 Ford Focus coolant intrusions caused by a heater block. This leads me to believe that the repair may have been faulty. Additionally, the 23V905 recall is still open with a supplement to the original.

NHTSA ID

11718286

Incident

Jan 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. While operating the vehicle, the vehicle was shaking abnormally while idling, while low on fuel, while driving long distances, or while driving uphill. The vehicle shut off unexpectedly intermittently. On several occasions, the RPM increased; however, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle eventually stalled. The accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to respond. The brake pedal became firm. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped and restarted several times or shut down unintendedly. After refueling, the contact had to wait for approximately 2 to 10 minutes before the vehicle responded as needed. Occasionally, the contact had to wait for over an hour before the vehicle was restarted. The check engine warning light illuminated intermittently and later turned off. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved excessively without the vehicle responding as needed. An abnormal sound was coming from the vehicle. The Oxygen sensor error code was displayed. The failure persisted over time. The vehicle was previously repaired at an unknown dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). Additionally, the high-pressure fuel pump was replaced. The local dealer was not contacted regarding the current failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11717299

Incident

Feb 11, 2024

Mileage

150,000 mi

I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding an ongoing mechanical issue with my 2016 Ford Focus. Although my vehicle currently shows zero active recalls, I have experienced a recurring and concerning problem. Each time I turn on the air conditioning and the air begins to blow cold, my engine temperature rises significantly and causes the vehicle to overheat. This issue occurs consistently and makes it unsafe to operate the vehicle while using the air conditioning. Overheating poses a serious safety risk and may lead to engine damage or sudden breakdowns. Given that this problem appears to be directly connected to the operation of the air conditioning system, I am concerned that this may be a known defect or design issue that has not been addressed through a recall. I am requesting that this issue be formally documented, investigated, and addressed. I would appreciate guidance on next steps, including inspection, repair options, or whether this issue has been reported by other 2016 Ford Focus owners. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

NHTSA ID

11713578

Incident

Jan 25, 2026

This vehicle been having problems with heater

NHTSA ID

11712802

Incident

Dec 25, 2025

Fuel purge valve is malfunctioning. Vehicle loses power and is sluggish. Idles very rough and sometimes has a loss of power. My car has been at Ford twice in the last six months and problem still isn't fixed. Complete engine was replaced about a year and a half ago due to recall issue which I don't want happening again. I do not feel safe driving this car. I made an appointment with Ford a month ago for tomorrow for same stalling issue. I went to drop off and explain I wanted the repairs done for the recall to see if that fixed the problem. I filled up my gas tank on Sunday. The car wouldn't start and engine light came on saying engine failure service now. I let it sit for about ten minutes and it hesitantly cranked and engine light went off but accelerates slower with loss of power. It keeps doing this intermittently and sometimes loses power, and struggles when idling. I cut off let sit and then is okay until I pump gas again. I told the service repair person what happened and handed him the key to drop off the vehicle. He said if the light was not on at the time he would not be able to fix it and they couldn't schedule my vehicle for any additional recalls that are greatly needed for the car. It is running terrible. It idles and intermittently loses power while driving. Evan at Ford (Greer) response was to wait until it got bad enough that the engine light came on and stayed on. This was at D&D Ford in Greer, SC. He said it was Ford's policy the light had to be on to replace under recall with no charge. I told him it is unsafe to drive if it gets any worse it could cause an accident. I have two children and his recommendation to wait until it gets worse was appalling. He kept backlashing Ford and stated he doesn't work for Ford he works for D&D and only represents Ford. I said to him he was not representing Ford very well and that it was highly unlikely they would agree with his statements. I asked for documation of this policy--it contradicts what he says.

NHTSA ID

11710571

Incident

Jan 11, 2026

In the Ford 3 cylinder 1.0L Ecoboost engines there is a terrible wet belt system, there is a recall on the automatic models but nothing for the manual models, regardless of the fact that the manual models are designed far more poorly than the automatic models in the sense that the manual models have no tensioners and rely solely on the factory tension of the screws, keeping in mind that the belt is both rubber and sitting in hot oil when in use, if not a money grab, my best guess is that they hoped the wet rubber belt would simply not not stretch in good faith. 4 days after getting basic maintenance, the wet belt failed, clogging the oil pickup causing engine failure, and temporary loss of power steering, after the engine was given time to warm up, luckily the road was nearly empty, and i was driving at a slower pace. However the fact that Ford Motor Company has gone nearly a decade without dealing with the issue, and then denies having knowledge of this design flaw, is absolutely and abundantly absurd. I have all vehicle maintenance records, as well as mechanic testimony, all of which point to this incident being caused by poor engine design. In addition to the estimated cost to replace the engine is 8,500$, or about 140% the cars total value prior to the engine failure. This a NOT a minor issue, this is not even a uncommon fail point on many other manual models, this IS a major safety concern, that god forbit it, could lead to a major accident. I simply think that the Ford Motor Company should be made accountable for cheaping out for profit, at the cost of customer’s safety.

NHTSA ID

11696939

Incident

Oct 22, 2025

The transistor arm or tensioning arm for the wet belt, which drives the oil pump in the oil pan failed, leading to oil starvation to the engine, causing total catastrophic engine failure, and temporary loss of power steering, while driving, fortunately, I was moving at a slow pace in minimal traffic, however, this is a known fail point in Ford 1.0 L ecoboost 3 cyl engines, that Ford claims my vehicle does not have, and refuses to cover, regardless of the fact that it did happen, and I have pictures in mechanic testimony to prove this to be true, had I’ve been on a different road, or had more traffic, this could have to a fatality. The engine replacement would cost a estimated 4500-7500$

NHTSA ID

11696402

Incident

Oct 22, 2025

The clutch had to be replaced a second time and the engine became disabled while driving due to parts failure and it blowing up. This is all happening with 60,000 miles on the vehicle. My safety came into question with both failures disabling my car while I was driving on the interstate. The clutch was replaced and paid for out of pocket and I have been trying to work with ford about the engine but they have not helped at all. The issues just popped up and failed immediately while driving. This engine failure issue is covered for my vehicle, but my VIN is not covered. The only explanation I have received is that it is because my car is a manual transmission, which has no link to the part that failed on the engine. I was also notified by the ford service manager that my vehicle was made in the exact location and time frame that the recall covers, but my VIN still is not covered. I have received absolutely no help or solution with my vehicles failure and have been without a vehicle for 9 months because of the large price on replacing an entire engine, right after I had to pay for a very expensive clutch replacement.

NHTSA ID

11694988

Incident

Jan 6, 2025

I was driving the car other all of a sudden died on me and told me to put it in park I put it in park and then turned the key off and tried to restart it. It did not restart and would not turn of kept popping up a warning saying starter system failure. Could not turn my wheel or pit it in neutral to get it out of te middle of the road.

NHTSA ID

11686601

Incident

Sep 10, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving approximately 30 MPH, the low oil pressure and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that her granddaughter heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to a dealer who was unable to diagnose the vehicle immediately. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the oil pump had failed and stopped pumping oil to the engine, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was advised that the engine and the oil pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, parts for the recall repair were not yet available to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact mailed a letter to the manufacturer about the failure, but had not yet received a response. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

NHTSA ID

11682072

Incident

Aug 4, 2025

Mileage

99,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds and while idling. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and had to be towed several times. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with oil pump and fuse failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The VIN was included in the recall. The contact was charged a fee for the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

NHTSA ID

11680922

Incident

Mar 15, 2025

Mileage

10,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the RPMs became drastically elevated, and the vehicle shut off unintendedly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and after three days the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle started without hesitation, and the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer to be diagnosed; however, there was no cause for the failure found. The vehicle not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ID

11679422

Incident

Aug 28, 2024

Mileage

40,000 mi

It is my transmission problem, there is an engine light on and the shifting is very rough and it also jumps gears, i know ford had a recall for this problem i believe it should be under warranty it is the TCM

NHTSA ID

11679158

Incident

Aug 7, 2025

2016 Ford Focus, VIN: [XXX] Power Train: Automatic Transmission: Control Module (TCM) This complaint details a recurring and severe safety defect in our 2016 Ford Focus. The vehicle's Transmission Control Module (TCM) has failed twice, resulting in sudden, complete loss of power and dangerous stalling incidents at highway speeds. In January 2023, at approximately 8,000 miles, the vehicle suddenly lost all propulsion while traveling on a highway. We were forced to execute a dangerous emergency maneuver across lanes of traffic to reach the shoulder. A Ford dealership diagnosed a failed TCM which had, in turn, caused the clutch to burn out. In July 2025, after only 7,000 additional miles (total vehicle mileage ~15,000), the identical, catastrophic failure occurred again. The vehicle once more stalled without warning on a major highway, creating another life-threatening situation. The diagnostic codes confirmed the same TCM and clutch failure, proving the issue is a persistent, underlying defect and not a random occurrence. This failure is entirely consistent with the widely-documented defect in Ford's Powershift (DPS6) transmission. This problem has been the subject of multiple national class-action lawsuits and is detailed in thousands of other consumer complaints filed. The repeated failure in our low-mileage vehicle underscores that this is a predictable and systemic design flaw that makes the vehicle inherently unsafe. We attempted to address this critical safety failure directly with Ford Motor Company. Our concerns were met with dismissal, and despite being issued a case number, Ford has failed to respond to our calls registered letter. This vehicle is unsafe to operate. We are filing this complaint to implore the NHTSA to launch a formal investigation into this defect. The repeated, sudden loss of power presents an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death to occupants and other motorists. We believe a mandatory recall is urgently required. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI

NHTSA ID

11678722

Incident

Jul 10, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop or while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked, hesitated, experienced difficulty shifting into gears and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the part was previously replaced under Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 19N08. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11674338

Incident

May 28, 2025

Mileage

130,000 mi

The dual clutch for the 2016 Ford Focus SE. This model is showing an open recall on active listings but not showing up in a search via VIN. Yes the vehicle is still available for inspection. The vehicle’s transmission overheats which has left us stranded, on the interstate and regular roads, maybe times. The vehicle has broken down multiple times in the middle of the road and put us at risk of a collision. I have verified with the dealer that this is a problem with these specific cars but only after I had purchased it. The problem started right away after purchase by showing on the dash that the transmission was overheating but that same message would go back off, resulting in the dealer refusing to take a look at it under warranty. I’ve seen many other customers complain of this problem and eventually end up losing a lot of money because Ford and the dealer will not do anything to fix it. They wouldn’t even look at the vehicle to confirm that this was the problem but instead gave me the 1-800 number for Ford and then Ford told me to take it back up to the dealer who refused to even take a complaint.

NHTSA ID

11669543

Incident

Jun 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the "Oil Pump" message became displayed, and the vehicle decelerated and stalled. Additionally, during the failure there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the brakes failed to function properly while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who determined that the engine had failed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ID

11668146

Incident

Jun 8, 2025

Mileage

160,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, an alarm sounded, the message " Pull Car Over Safely " was displayed, and the vehicle turned off independently. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off and was restarted several times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate mileage was 67,855.

NHTSA ID

11666609

Incident

May 31, 2017

Mileage

67,855 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 109,420.

NHTSA ID

11658558

Incident

Mar 30, 2025

Mileage

109,420 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle jerked until shifting into gear. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was advised that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

NHTSA ID

11658262

Incident

Apr 25, 2025

Mileage

116,000 mi