2018 Ford Focus Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
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Chronological view of owner reports
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the engine was replaced. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a significant amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the turbo charger had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the same assessment was made. Additionally, the dealer determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light and the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the timing belt needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the thermostat had recently been replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the manufacturer was unable to confirm when parts would be available. The failure mileage was 63,895. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine and low oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s son's residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,444.
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the "Low Oil Pressure" warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, and it was determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to another dealer who determined that the oil pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Timing broke with 71k on engine. Cut off and will not start back
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond immediately and stalled shortly afterward. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power with the check oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed as a failure with the fuel pump. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I was driving and my check engine light came on. Immediately after the light hits vapors started coming out of my tail pipes and my car heating gauge goes to hot. I pull over turn the car off and wait for it to cool down and then I add some anti freeze 50/50 to the reservoir. It still had a lot of antifreeze in it so I basically topped it off to the do not fill past here line. I turn the car back on and go to drive off. The car won't go above 20 miles per hour and it immediately over heats again and there is still vapor coming out. I have it towed home and then I have it towed to the dealership where they informed me that the head gasket is cracked. The component is available for inspection upon request. I could no longer go above 20 mph in Las Vegas with heavy traffic someone could have easily hit me or caused a crash. I'm not sure how deadly a blown head gasket is but it's possible the engine could have exploded or worse it was confirmed by Gaudin Ford of Las Vegas. An Internet search shows that A LOT of others have had blown head gaskets with low miles also. My source was Reddit and car forums related to the Focus ST. Check engine light came on and then literally 1 second after that the vapors started. After letting the vehicle cool down I could no longer drive above 20 mph. It was like the car lost all of its power
Earlier this year, I was driving my Ford focus and the car stopped at a stoplight and the engine shut off. The engine never restarted. I had the car towed to a garage and eventually a Ford dealership where it was determined that the reason the car broke was due to an active recall on the oil belt, as the oil belt broke. That active recall number is 23S64 and concerns the belt that delivers the oil to the engine and the oil to the turbo charger. Without the oil being delivered, the engine and turbo charger seized as the belt broke. The Ford dealership said that the oil belt, engine, and turbocharger would all need replacing but the recall only covers the oil system at this time. They were explicitly clear that the engine and turbocharger failures were due to the oil belt failure. My car has been at the Ford dealership for multiple months, awaiting the next steps, but as of now, it has been communicated to me that the recall only covers the oil system and not the cascading effect that the oil system had on the engine and the turbo charger. I’m writing this complaint so that there is a documented instance where the oil belt recall has led to a cascade of multiple other parts on the car failing. The oil belt is currently in advanced recall notice and no remedy is available for the situation. I do not feel this has been remedied in a timely manner as my car has been on the dealership lot for multiple months now and they have said only the oil belt may be covered. I have opted to wait until the recall switches from advanced notice until I make a decision what to do. Let me know what other information I can provide. This problem poses a safety risk as a loss of engine oil pressure can result in engine damage and/or seizure, which can result in a loss of motive power and a loss of the mechanical vacuum pump required to provide power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Was driving and the low oil pressure light came on. pulled over as the engine stalled and would not restart. towed vehicle to an local shop. They confirmed belt material in engine oil and open recall. Called Ford and they have no parts and no direction on what to do until the recall is open. told it could be months until they have any information. towed vehicle out of the shop it was at and it is sitting . Ford is providing NO support until the recall is offically open however they have sent out pre notices and my car needs an engine.
Engine seized
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 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 contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH and slowing for a traffic signal, the check engine and low oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact called an independent mechanic who drove to the residence and diagnosed the vehicle. The independent mechanic determined that the oil pump had failed but was unable to further diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,428. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 165,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 5 MPH in the driveway, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 contact's son attempted to start the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. On the second attempt, the vehicle started; however, the oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with belt corrosion that affected the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, stalled, and shut off independently. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Loss of oil pressure and engine did seize up on the road, had a hard time steering it off the side of the road. Then the check engine light came on after it was on the side of the road. Cars engine was destroyed due to the oil pressure. Car was Take to Ford Shop in Sioux Falls SDak to have a new engine put in, on [XXX]. This is the recall that is currently in affect that cause this engine loss. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, he heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost all motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump belt, resulting in damage to the engine and requiring a replacement engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while her daughter was driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that her daughter stated that the check engine warning light and the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her daughter was able to coast to the side of the road however, the vehicle was not accelerating while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the oil pump had failed and caused damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal knocking sound emanating from the engine compartment. The check warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the turbo booster. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who did not provide a diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 contact stated while his daughter was pulling out of the parking lot at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light and the low oil pressure warning light were illuminated. The contact's daughter pulled back into the parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump drive belt tensioner arm failure had caused the engine to fail. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced and charged a repair fee. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened; however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The reverse transmission went out while driving, and the car has had routine maintenance. There were no warning lights or indicators and I am not able to drive my vehicle at this time.
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The 2018 Ford Focus has 200 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.