138 complaints reported

2012 Ford Focus FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
138
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jan 2026

After receiving program #24N07 on 12/04/2024, my 2012 ford focus was stalling out while downshifting to stops and after refueling, this happened around the 1st week of December of 2025 about a year after getting it repaired by the Ford dealership in my area. Replaced it myself this time, but sort of crazy to have to replace yet another purge valve just a year after.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2025
Sep 2025

Everytime I go to get fuel the car will not crank it makes a terrible noise then cranks but its slow. The pressure in tank causes it to stall out.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2025
May 2024

For almost 5 years everytime I fill my gas tank the fumes leak from my car. About 2 days ago the tank started leaking gas from a huge crack in the tank. I told the Ford service center about this issue and they said that my individual car wasn't under the recall (for this exact issue) so they can only look at it and see what they can do. I know of a few other Focus models (a little newer than my 2012) who have also experienced this issue as well whose cars was not under the recall. Just in the 10 minute and less than 15 mile drive from my house to the service center I saw my fuel gauge go from 275 miles to 223, not to mention about 4 days ago I went to fuel up and when I got home my tank was at 330 miles and I haven't left my house since I fueled up (except going to the service center). I called the Ford Customer Center and ws told to fill out this form and to see about a recall approval for my car for this issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2024
Nov 2023

The fuel valve inside the car is stuck open causing the car to stall I saw recalls for other Ford Focus around the same time as my car with same year and same problem 19s22/18s32 I just don’t get how my car didt make recall list but the ones before and after from the same plant did and I’m still having that problem.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2022
Jul 2023

My car is often displaying a pending P1450 (unable to bleed up fuel tank vacuum) check engine light code. Whenever, I fill my car with gas, it take a few tries to get the car to start. My car has also lost power several times while driving without warning - and took a while to re-start. I had to have my fuel tank replaced as it deformed and leaked gas to the point where it was un-fixable. Car symptoms of not starting after being filled with gas and losing power at random times while in operation have not been solved with the replacement of a brand new fuel tank. The P1450 error code still continues to come up suggesting a purge valve problem that will be expensive to fix, in addition to the fuel tank that has already needed to be replaced.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2022
Feb 2023

My check engine light went on and off for a while, and every time I filled up with gas my car would not start. I would have to turn it off and then on again in order to get it to run. I have attached details of the repair, which were a specific 2012 Ford Focus recall that my car had not been included in. Since this repair, my car’s fuel tank still does not function properly. My fuel gauge is faulty, which is dangerous because I could run out of gas at any moment even if it appears to be half full. My fuel tank is not pressurized enough to push enough gas into the tank to run as it should (I may have worded that wrong, but I am repeating what [XXX] has told me). This car should have been on the fuel pump recall list. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2023
Oct 2022

Purge Valve became stuck closed which caused fuel vapors to become trapped in the fuel tank. Fuel tank collapsed inward. This is a common occurrence with 2012-2018 Ford Focus models but my vehicle was not covered under a recall warranty.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2022
Oct 2022

Bought the car may 2020 and 3 months later the gas gauge would say empty when it wasn't. I would run out of gas multiple times and be stranded. I would keep a full gas tank in my trunk just incase because alot of times my kids were with me. The last time this happened the car stalled. I put gas in the car from my gas tank but it would not start anymore.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2020
Jun 2022

I have had P1450 code combined with P144A. The P1450 was a recall item for my year and model of car but my VIN is not included. I think it is the same problem as the others.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2022
Mar 2022

My car is experiencing identical problems to recall # 19v515000. The gas tank has collapsed and purge valve has failed causing the car to stall. But, my vin does not match the recall. Clearly, this recall has to be expanded to include other vehicles if I am experiencing identical failures. Ford has refused to do anything because the vin does not match.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2021
Jan 2022

Got Error Code P1450 of CPV which falls under the following Recall but Ford Motor Company is stating the VIN does not fall under this recall as they are VIN Specific but the link below states the recall affects the vehicles built from 8/1/2010 to 4/17/17. This vehicle build date according to the door sticker is 3/12 which should fall under the recall See Below Link: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCMN-18V735-0635.pdf

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2022
Oct 2021

I previously had the 18S32 recall done. They said everything was fine even though ever since I had the tank, purge valve and computer retooling done it never drove right. It didn’t have accurate miles to empty and never seemed like it used to before all this was done. 2 months ago the car stalled while driving below 30mph. I pulled the car over and turned it off. I tried turning it back on multiple times and it didn’t work until finally I got it back on but it had a check engine light. It wouldn’t shift right and check engine light kept coming back on. We got it checked out and the Ford service center claimed it was the transmission and engine. We didn’t have it fixed then and we took it back home the check engine light never came back on. This last week 10/11/21 the car started smelling like fuel outside the car and wouldn’t accelerate well. Took it into the Ford Service center at a different location and they confirmed it was the fuel canister leaking and the fuel line to the fuel insert point was messed up. I noticed they had performed recall 18S32 on it before but it never fixed the issue and they did a 2nd recall on some vehicles because of it called 19S22. The Ford service center and customer care both said they can’t perform 19S22 recall because it doesn’t show up on my VIN number as needing done even though clearly I’m still having issues with the fuel system that was recalled in the first place. I’m now going to have to pay out of pocket for an issue Ford should be covering under recall work.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2021
Oct 2021

I was given engine codes P144A and P1450. Whenever I fill up my gas tank completely I have to turn the key multiple times to actually get the car to start. The lower the tank is before the fill up, the more times I have to turn the key to eventually get it to start. Everytime I turn and it stalls I pray that it doesn't blow up. It will make the quick triplet sound and then won't "vroom." The component to be complained about is the Engine/Fuel system, and it is available for inspection upon request. Well for 1 I wasn't sure if this stalling would occur while actually driving, and based off of online research it could happen, and 2 as I said previously I was genuinely worried whether or not the car would blow up, let alone start. I have seen a recall regarding this issue to other cars with the exact same make, model, and engine type dating back to 2019, but for some reason the recall isn't covered under my vehicle's specific VIN. The component has not been inspected yet because I am hoping to find a way to have the recall cover my vehicle so I don't have to pay as much for it. There hasn't been an exact "failure" more of a problem with unknown consequences. The light first appeared probably about 6 months ago, but the initial engine codes I got (I have since gotten them twice more, the most recent being about a month and a half ago) indicated that the only problem I MAY experience was incorrect display of gas on the dash. I didn't notice it at all, so I figured it wasn't that serious nor a safety concern.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2021
Jul 2021

Somethings going on with the Fuel injectors when I’m at a red light it seems like the car is ready to turn off. When the light turned green and I try to accelerate it jerks.. I went to for dealership (Ford) they stated it was the transmission brackets m, so I got that fix. but that’s wasn’t it so I decided To look up the recall information it shows that these cars have issues with the fuel injectors and the vacuum So ect. I keep putting it in the shop and they keep telling me different things and at this point I’m getting tired of paying money for something that isn’t the issue I Call Myself buying a car for my son to head off to college (upper state NY) 2nd year but I have to make sure it’s safe for him to travel I have been broken down thank god for Triple A and at this point I’m out of options attach is a recall sheet that came with the warranty I’m looking to purchase

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2021
May 2021

CEL came on while I was traveling. When I took my car to get it read, the error code was p1450, unable to bleed up fuel tank vacuum. After filling up my car with gas, it would struggle to turn on. I would have to push down on the accelerator while turning the ignition so that my car would start properly. Even then it still felt like it was stalling and wanted to turn off. I am aware that this issue was part of another recall related to my gas tank becoming deformed. I wound up replacing the vapor canister purge solenoid and that seems to have fixed the problem.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2021
May 2021

TANQUE ESTA DESFORME POR SEGUNDA VEZ.SE REALIZ LA PRIMERA CAMPAA 18S32 LUEGO DE 6 MESES PRESENTO EL MISMO PROBLEMA.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2019
Apr 2021

MY DAUGHTER BOUGHT A 2012 FORD FOCUS SEL ABOT 2 WEEKS AGO IN 1 WEEK SHE RAN OUT OF GAS AND FUEL GAUGE WAS MARKING A 1/4 QUATER TANK WE FILLED THE GAS TANK AND IT WAS WORKING FINE ON 4/19/21 SAME THING HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY MARKING 1/4 QUATER TANK BUT IT SHUT OFF TWICE WHILE DRIVING NO 1 GOT HURT OR NO ACCIDENT 1 TIME IT WAS ON CITY STREET THE OTHER ON THE HIGHWAY AT MIDNIGHT

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2021
Apr 2021

The first incident occurred at a gas station. I filled my tank, turned my car on and put my car in drive as usual. As I took my foot off the brake, my car started to roll backwards. There was no dashboard lights on at this time. As I was driving home, the check engine light came on. I went home to research places to take my car to be checked. I left back out and when I started my car, the check engine light was no longer on. I restarted my car several times and drove back and forth to see if the light would come back on and it did not. The light did not come back on for about 2 weeks and when it did, my car stopped while I was driving. I was able to restart it but it was scary having my car stop while driving. I filled up my tank this morning and when I tried to start it, it did not start. It did start after a second try.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2021
Feb 2021

THIS IS A PROBLEM RELATED TO SAFETY RECALL 18S32. FORD FOCUS 2012 STALLED AND SHUT OFF WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND WOULDN'T TURN BACK ON. I WENT TO AN INDEPENDENT CAR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE PURGE VALVE MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE GAS TANK TO DEFORM. I CALLED MY FORD DEALER AND REQUESTED THEM TO REPLACE THE PARTS BECAUSE IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM FROM THE 2018 RECALL. THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS THE SAME ISSUE BUT SAID THEY WOULDN'T REPLACE THE PARTS FOR FREE BECAUSE THEY ALREADY CLOSED THE RECALL. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY CLOSED THE RECALL FOR ME IN 2019, THEY DIDN'T TELL ME THAT THEY ONLY REPROGRAMMED AND DIDN'T ACTUALLY REPLACE THE PARTS. IF THEY HAD REPLACED THE PARTS IN 2019, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE MALFUNCTIONED NOW. OBVIOUSLY THE FORD DEALER MUST HAVE MADE A MISTAKE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR MY CAR AND DIDN'T ACTUALLY FIX IT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR FORD CARS BECAUSE THE CAR CAN STALL AND TURN OFF AT ANY TIME. EVEN IF THEY FIXED IT BACK IN 2019 (WHICH OBVIOUSLY THEY DIDN'T), IT'S NOT WORKING NOW, MEANING THEY NEED TO DO ANOTHER RECALL AND ACTUALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I'M NOW STUCK DRIVING MY CAR WITH A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OR UNTIL THEY REOPEN THE RECALL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2021
Dec 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO (AL PACKER LINCOLN 1550 N MILITARY TRL, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33409) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARTIALLY REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVER THE MILEAGE FOR THE COMPLETION, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD EXCEEDED 100,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE DEALER INFORMATION WAS CONFIRMED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V735000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE WAS 132,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2019
Dec 2020

I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR THE PURGE VALVE AND FUEL TANK DEFORMATION RECALL. IT WAS CHECKED AND DETERMINED TO BE FINE; BUT 30-45 DAYS AFTER MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT BEGAN STALLING WHEN STARTING, ESPECIALLY AFTER I WOULD FILL UP MY GAS TANK. THE INITIAL RECALL SAID IT WOULD REPLACE FAULTY PURGE VALVES RELATED TO THE RECALL BUT SINCE MY CAR WAS CHECKED ALREADY THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. MY SPOUSE ALSO HAS FORD FOCUS AND HIS WAS RECALLED A SECOND TIME FOR THE PURGE VALVE BUT MINE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SECOND RECALL. I THINK IT HAD BEEN MALFUNCTIONING FOR YEARS. AFTER I PAID FOR THE PURGE VALVE REPLACEMENT MY MPG WENT FROM 26MPG TO 32MPG ON THE SAME DRIVING PATTERNS I'VE ALWAYS HAD.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2019
Nov 2020

THE FUEL TANK COLLAPSED, THE FUEL GAUGE IS ACTING ERRATICALLY, IT IS LACKING POWER AND THE CODES P0171 AND P1450 ARE SHOWING. THE FUEL TANK IS ALSO DEFORMED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, SO THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL SHOP TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. THE RECALL 18S32 HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE PROBLEMS BUT WHEN WE CALLED A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, THEY INFORMED US THAT OUR VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2020
Nov 2020

MY CAR EXPERIENCES STALLED AND DIFIFFICULTY TRANSITIONING TO START AT STOPLIGHTS. IT STALLS WHEN I PUT GAS IN, AS WELL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2020
Oct 2020

VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND DID NOT TURN BACK ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY, AND SENDER WAS REPLACED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2020
Oct 2020

VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND DID NOT TURN BACK ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY, AND SENDER WAS REPLACED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2020

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Ford Focus has 138 FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.