40 complaints reported

2016 Ford Focus POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

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

Reports
40
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Oct 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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2025
Jul 2025

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2025
Apr 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into second gear while driving. The contact stated there was an abnormal grinding sound while turning the steering wheel. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10-50 MPH, the vehicle began to slow down and kick back. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission control module, purge valve, and power control module failure, and a software reprogramming was needed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who replaced the transmission. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 15,060.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2025
Apr 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to continue to drive. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 11 MPH. The vehicle failed to move. The contact turned off the vehicle and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact's neighbor pushed the vehicle into a parking spot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V523000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The mechanic used a scanner and retrieved DTC: P2837 and P287B. The vehicle failed to reverse. The mechanic informed the contact that the transmission control module had failed. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed there was no recall coverage on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 57,255.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2025
Feb 2025

2016—2022 Ford EcoSport and Focus 1.0L Engine--- My car is experiencing the same issue as the Automatic transmission. The car is not listed on the Oil Pump Failure Recall on the Ford Website as it shows that it applies to automatic transmission, and doesn't mentioned manual transmission. Both transmission carry the same issue as it's an engine design flaw and not a transmission related issue. The car experienced a bad idle that results to lost of power and Oil light went on as I drove it to the Mechanic shop. Currently there's no parts available and ford website the part is back ordered. The reference number is 23S64 for the current recall of the 1.0L engines. Please see reference below. I've contacted Ford support about the issue and was informed to report the issue here. Website for reference: [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2025
Jan 2025

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2025
Nov 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shifting rough. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. While restarting the vehicle, the check engine and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The "Transmission Overheating, Stop Safely" message was displayed while driving. The contact pulled over again and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart immediately and was started on the third attempt. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2024
Jun 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and shook abnormally while attempting to accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was previously under a recall for a failure with the transmission clutch shudder, but the contact had not received the notification. The contact was also advised to contact the NHSTA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,850.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2024
May 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating and losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence; however, the transmission failed, and the contact was unable to place the vehicle in reverse (R) or drive (D). The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2024
Apr 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal before jolting forward without warning. The vehicle had been taken to a dealer where a software update was performed; however, the failure persisted. Recently, the contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal followed by a loud cracking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, Laird Noller Ford of Lawrence (935 W 23rd St, Lawrence, KS 66046) and it was discovered that the engine mount had cracked due to the excessive slippage of the clutch. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2021
Nov 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the transmission was shifting gear there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle shook abnormally. The vehicle became unable to shift out of park and felt as though the vehicle was in neutral. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the transmission control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer stated that the failure was related to TSB Number: 14M02 (Power Train) however, the vehicle was out of warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2020
Aug 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. There was an abnormal rumbling noise detected while the vehicle was in first gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the clutch and transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the repair was not covered under warranty. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2023
Jul 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a whining sound coming from the transmission with the "Transmission Fault" message displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. Additionally, the vehicle had experienced an oil leak and was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the chain gasket was faulty and needed to be replaced. The chain gasket was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 159,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2022
Jun 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to shift gear while losing motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission friction element "A" was stuck in the on position and failed to keep the fork engaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who had not diagnosed the failure. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 82,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2023
Apr 2023

I was driving and the car started running hot. The overheating warning came on and said to pull over safely. I was not in an area where I could stop. The light eventually went off and the temp went back to normal. There are no noticeable leaks. The car has also been shifting hard, sputtering during acceleration, and revving really high. I think there needs to be a recall issued immediately. I'm only at 56k miles.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2023
Sep 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 90,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2022
Aug 2022

The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact's granddaughter attempted the start the vehicle when and heard an abnormal noise. The vehicle failed to start. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plug was blown. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to another auto body mechanic where it was also diagnosed that the spark plug was blown. The contact was informed that the spark plugs and ignition coils needed to be replaced. Additionally, a rethread kit was needed to repair damages to cylinder #4. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure however, the contact was informed there was no recall associated with the failure. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,105.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2022
Mar 2022

•Car has problems upshifting/downshifting gears, especially going at high speeds. When braking it takes a while to downshift in result the car tries to maintain the speed resulting in a hard jerk in the car. •since the car has a problem shifting gears especially braking could end up resulting in rear ending or being rear ended. •A dealer has confirmed the transmission issue. •UNKNOWN •There weren’t any warning lamps for the SE the problem appeared 3 weeks after I bought the vehicle. The dealer tried to charge me over $4000 for a new transmission.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2021
Jan 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping. The contact was informed by his wife that while driving the vehicle stalled. While adding fuel the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with the clutch actuator, purge valve canister, and purge valve failure which needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified however, no further assistance was provided. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2021
Feb 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO JOHNSON FORD LINCOLN INC (694 EAST STREET, PITTSFIELD, MA 01201) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V169000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2019
Jan 2021

MOTOR MOUNT & TRANSMISSION. WHEN CRANKING CAR THE RPM VERVES TO 300-400 RPMS AND STAYS UNTIL YOU PICK THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN ACCELERATING THE GAS THE CAR JERKS BEFORE TAKING OFF TO CHANGE GEARS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2020
Oct 2020

WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT ROUGHLY 80 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. ENGINE STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE. CAR WILL STILL START BUT IS NOT DRIVABLE AND ENGINE HAS NO OIL PRESSURE AND MECHANIC SAID IT DOWNSHIFTED TO 4TH GEAR AT 83 MPH. CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AND HAS GIVEN NO INDICATION OF ENGINE PROBLEMS. WAS QUOTED $4500 AT FIRST FORD DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR CAR WITH A USED MOTOR WITH EQUAL MILEAGE. 2ND FORD DEALERSHIP QUOTED $3700 WITH REBUILT MOTOR. HAS BEEN LOOKED OVER BY 2 MECHANICS INCLUDING FORDS AND OTHER THAN READING DIAGNOSTICS NOBODY CAN PROVIDE A REASON THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED OR WHY THE CAR DOWNSHIFTED INTO 4TH GEAR UPING THE RPM'S CAUSING ENGINE PROBLEMS. THEY SAID THERE IS NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR AT THIS POINT OTHER THAN THE ENGINE. VERY NO SMART TO REPLACE AN ENGINE WITHOUT KNOWING THE WHAT CAUSED THE INITIAL ONE TO FAIL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2020
Jul 2020

2016 FOCUS RS. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR A YEAR. RANDOMLY THE CAR STARTS BLOWING OUT A VERY LIGHT WHITE SMOKE WHILE IDLING (FROM WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED.) AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS AT CONTACTING MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP THEY SEEM TO BELIEVE IT IS THE HEAD GASKET WITH A DEFECT. THIS SMOKE IS ONLY NOTICEABLE WHEN IDLING. ALSO I WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SMOKE TO DEVELOP WHEN PUTTING THE AIR CONDITIONING ON FULL BLAST.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2020
Jun 2020

CAR BEGAN TO SHUDDER AND JERK WHEN IN MOTION. SUDDENLY AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF FOR ONLY A COUPLE MINUTES IT WOULDN'T TURN BACK ON. CHANGED BATTERY IN HOPES THAT WOULD FIX THE ISSUE, CAR DID TURN ON BUT WOULD NOT REVERSE AND WOULD NOT GO OVER 10 MPH. OROVILLE FORD DEALERSHIP SAYS THE TRANSMISSION OVER HEATED, CLUTCH SLIPPING. QUOTING ME $3,900 AT THE VERY LEAST FOR REPAIRS IN A CAR WITH JUST 70,000 MILES AND THAT I'VE BARELY HAD TWO YEARS. IF FORD KNEW OF THE ISSUES WITH ITS RIDICULOUS TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS, WHY ARE THESE CARS STILL BEING SOLD TO LOWER INCOME PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD REPAIRS? I AM ONLY ABOUT 1,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY AND ON MY OWN. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2020
Jun 2020

SHUDDERING FEELING WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP'LIKE SOMEONE WHO CAN'T FEATHER THE CLUTCH PROPERLY ON A STICK SHIFT'FOLLOWED BY A ROUGH 1-2 UPSHIFT THAT AGAIN SENDS A VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. SOUNDS VERY BAD AS WELL. VEHICLE IN MOTION.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FOCUS, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2020

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Quick Summary

The 2016 Ford Focus has 40 POWER TRAIN,ENGINE complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.