2015 Ford Focus Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating and changing gears. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V523000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The contact owned a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced transmission failures, including the transmission slipping, the vehicle stalling, and the check engine warning light being illuminated. Additionally, after starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond after shifting to the reverse or drive. The vehicle was towed to the residence and examined by an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission power shifter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 149,000.
My name is [XXX] I own a 2015 ford focus 4dr sedan It has 131908 miles and the issue I've been having is with The TCM module on the transmission it won't go into sleep mode and it's draining the battery is have gotten a customer care warranty notice on my car but the local Ford dealer said it's expired in November of last year and I've been having family issues and personal issues we're i wasn't able to take care of it but I need this issue fixed on my car it's my only means of transportation for me and my mom because she has altzimers and dementia Here's my number [XXX] this my cell to contact me I live in Portland Oregon And also right now I have no way of paying for the repairs on my car because I lost my job because of a lower back injury I thought it was going to be a easy fix but it something I'm not able to do And thought it was going to be covered under the so called warranty which it's actually part of the recall I've gone through something like this with a previous car I owed and it was supposed to be taken care of through a recall but the dealer wouldn't do anything about they wanted me to pay on my vehicle I have i need this repaired I should not have to pay for the repairs that should be done through warranty or a recall it's been happening since the past couple years INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle acceleration dies out during normal pressure of gas pedal. Coding showing transmission Actuators malfunctioning. Odometer Reading 120,631 check engine light came on. Date of malfunction 11/24/2025 , Vehicle was taken to Affordable Transmission on 11/25/2025
The contact's son owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the mechanic could not diagnose the failure because there were no active warning lights illuminated. The contact's son had received a message from the Ford App that there was a Customer Satisfaction Program for the TCM (Transmission Control Module). The failure persisted, and the dealer was notified of the program, and the contact was informed that the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The contact was referred to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer informed the contact that there was a warranty on the vehicle for the purge valve. The contact was instructed by the manufacturer to inform the dealer to have the purge valve replaced under the warranty. The contact informed the dealer about the purge valve warranty, and the dealer informed the contact that the failure was not related to the purge valve and insisted that the failure was related to the TCM. After several disputes between the dealer and the manufacturer about the issue, the contact was informed that no assistance for the repair would be provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that failure occurred most often after the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light or stop sign and then attempting to accelerate. The contact received notification of Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Transmission Control Module (TCM). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch had failed. The dealer refused to repair the vehicle, stating that since the check engine warning light was not illuminated, the vehicle would not be repaired. The contact was informed to take the vehicle back to the dealer once the check engine warning light was illuminated. A month later, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,007.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and vibrating and decelerated unintendedly. The contact stated that the transmission failed to properly shift and failed to reverse. During the failure, the messages "Transmission Overheating" and "Transmission Fault" were displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 143,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the “Transmission Overheating” warning light illuminated. Additionally, the RPM had become elevated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission clutch failure. The contact was informed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact had previously received the recall notification. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,500.
Vehicle was checked by local dealer and stated repair code 14M02 needed to be completed. 10 year extended warranty was concluded in June, 2025, but this is a safety concern. The car stopped in the road, right off the interstate, because the transmission quit working properly. Gears shifted very hard when transmission started working again. After parking, the car would not go back into reverse.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20-30 MPH, the transmission started slipper while shifting out of 2nd gear with the message "Transmission Overheating" and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Auto Zone and a diagnostic scanner retrieved DTC: P090C and P207A. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,100.
2015 Ford Focus with DPS6 automatic transmission failure. 109,### miles only. Symptoms: No reverse gear, severe clutch slip (high RPM but car barely moves), strong burnt clutch smell, check engine light on. DTC codes: P07A3, P07A5, P087A, P087B, P090C. Ford dealer (Camelback Ford, Phoenix AZ) diagnosed the issue but quoted $3,175 just for labor to open the transmission for inspection, refusing any goodwill assistance after 14M02 program expired in August 2025, despite low mileage and known widespread DPS6 problems covered by TSB 16-0129. Note : "November 20, 2025 – Date I purchased the vehicle. The transmission problem (no reverse, clutch slip, burnt smell) was present immediately upon purchase." Requesting NHTSA investigate Ford's refusal to offer reasonable post-warranty assistance for this well-documented safety-related transmission defect.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission malfunctioned, and was slipping and shifting erratically. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission fork and transmission clutches were damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (POWER TRAIN); and the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 45,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered or hesitated while idling. Additionally, the failure also occurred while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the transmission intermittently failed to shift as designed, and the vehicle stalled while driving. The vehicle was occasionally coasted or pushed to the side of the road, and several attempts were made to restart the vehicle. However, the failure recurred while driving at various speeds or while the vehicle was idling. The failure had become more persistent. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving approximately 50 - 55 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The “Service Vehicle Soon” and an unknown warning were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the TCM had failed, causing the transmission to overheat, reaching over 1,000 degrees, causing damage to the shifting forks. The wiring harness was burned due to the failure. The mechanic stated that the PCM had caused damage to the forward gears. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall or covered under warranty. The manufacturer opened a case and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
FORD Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02 - Transmission Control Module I purchased a 2015 Ford Focus for my son in 2021. I PAID WITH CASH. In June 2024, he moved from GA to UT for a job after he graduated college. 2 months later, his transmission went out with no notice. I paid to get the Focus towed to the Ed Kenley Ford Inc. Ford had a Customer Satisfaction Program that started in 2015. There are 7 supplements to the original issue. I called Ford to get some kind of reimbursement since they would not fix the module even though it was covered until June 30, 2025 (3 weeks ago). Ford says that there is nothing they can do since the date of June 30, 2025 has passed. I feel that this is FRAUDULENT BEHAVIOR as my son had to buy a newer vehicle to go to work. Thank you for all you do.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle experienced transmission shifts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the sensor needed time to reset. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse, experienced hard transmission shifts, and felt as if the vehicle would stall while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 14M02 (Transmission control module extended warranty coverage); however, the contact was informed that the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired a week prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 88,300.
Transmission problem
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping, and the message "Pull Over to Prevent Transmission from Overheating" was displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 153,000.
Transmission slipping. I was waiting to turn into my apartment and as I went to turn, my gear slipped where i was stuck in on coming traffic. Found out that there is a lot of ford focus having the same issue with transmission.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at a roundabout at 20 MPH, the "Transmission Overheating - Please Pull Over to a Safe Location" was displayed, and the contact pulled over for 30 minutes for the transmission to cool down. However, after restarting the vehicle and attempting to drive, the contact noticed that the transmission was slipping between 1st and 2nd gear. The contact proceeded to pull over and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the dual clutch assembly and the fuel rail pressure sensor were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,007.
Bought this car from Dean Arbour Ford in Feb 2024. Seven months later it had issues shifting and would sputter. Took it back to dealership, they replaced a transmission clutch. Now here it is 1.5 years after purchase. Check engine light came on no issues causing alram, had the code reader put on it said it was the transmission actuator, later that night it no longer wanted to shift. But after a couple restarts it was back to normal. Husband found out that the same code had been cleared prior to us purchasing the car.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the transmission was unable to shift out of park(P). The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 154,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle was jerking and hesitated while attempting to accelerate. Additionally, the message "Transmission Fault" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under a Manufacturer’s recall related to the transmission. The failure mileage was 90,050.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound and hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission clutch was replaced several times under an extended warranty; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for a diagnostic test and repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH the transmission suddenly switched to neutral and the vehicle would no long accelerate. During the failure the message "Transmission Fault" had displayed. The contact was able to continue driving but later discovered that the vehicle would not operate in reverse. Later while driving the message "Transmission Overheating" had displayed and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission clutch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred shortly after the TCM and PCM software was updated as part of a recall repair. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 35,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that occasionally, while attempting to accelerate, the transmission jerked until shifting into gear with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer,r where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the clutch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,417.
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The 2015 Ford Focus has 423 Power Train complaints on file. 7 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.