The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the part to do the recall repair was denied. The contact stated that upon further inspection, the front driver’s side door failed to remain closed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the contact was advised that the vehicle could not be repaired due to the passenger’s side door having cosmetic issues. The vehicle remained at the local dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 171,500.
2012 Ford Focus locks problems
134 complaints (4% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 68,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 134
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical mileage
- 68,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Doors: latch90
- Electronic lock/latch actuator1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Ford Focus locks problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Ford Focus locks
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V‑246, 16V‑643 or 17V‑210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
- Risk
- A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
Recall number 20V331000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
- Risk
- A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
Recall number 16V643000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Door Latch Failures
In December 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 235 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (MY) 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, and 2013-2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. Some VOQs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other VOQs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a ?door will not close? condition, however in certain somewhat rare circumstances, may result in the door coming open while driving. In response to ODI?s investigation, Ford has announced three field actions, as discussed below.On March 23, 2020, Ford submitted Safety Recall 20V‑177 (Ford 20S15), a regional recall campaign to address door latch failures in vehicles not previously recalled under Safety Recalls 15V‑246, 16V‑643 and 17V‑210. The recall affects vehicles currently or ever registered in certain high ambient temperature states (see 20V‑177 for affected states). As a remedy, Ford will replace all four door latches free of charge.On August 24, 2020, Ford issued a non-safety regional field action (Ford 20R01) to address door latch failures on the same model/MY vehicles not covered under 20V‑177 (i.e., not currently/ever registered in affected states). According to Ford, spring tab failure rates for vehicles covered by this action are about half that of the 20V‑177 vehicles. Under this action, dealers will replace all door latches, free of charge, if either; a) the vehicle exhibits a related latch concern, or b) if the vehicle owner expresses a concern about the latches in their vehicles. Details can be found under the federal safety agency TSB No. 10190990, a copy of which is available in this investigative file available at June 8, 2020, Ford submitted Safety Recall 20V‑331 (Ford 20S30) addressing vehicles previously remedied under the federal safety agency Recalls 15V‑246, 16V‑643 and 17V‑210, where the repair may not have been properly completed, specifically not all of the door latches were replaced, or replaced correctly. This recall involves an inspection of the latches, with the option for a consumer self-inspection; owners could view the date codes on their latches (and confirm child safety locks are present on the rear doors) and then submit the information to Ford?s mobile app or website. A dealership inspection option was also available. Any vehicle found to have unreplaced defective latches requires the replacement of all door latches as directed by Ford.Regarding the 4,494 reports cited above, 1,485 involve scope-related failures (with 13% alleging door opening), and the remaining 3,009 reports involving remedy concerns (with 18% alleging door opening - note ODI was unable to verify the allegations of door opening). The three ODI injuries were all relatively minor. Ford?s reported injury incidences include one (unconfirmed) report of an ejection, three minor injuries with the others involving undisclosed injuries. Ford?s crashes involved two (unconfirmed) crashes alleging the incident door contacted another vehicle and three involving doors striking other property.The recalled vehicles include MY 2011-2015 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015 Ford Mustang and Lincoln MKC, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2012-2015 Ford Focus and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect.Ford's actions address ODI's concerns at this time. ODI will take further action if warranted by new information. The reference (OD
RQ19005
Door Latch Failure
In January, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation based on consumers' allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (MY) 2012-2013 Ford Focus vehicles (subject vehicles).ODI has received 464 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 200 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion.One consumer alleged an injury that occurred while driving when a door inadvertently opened and then closed on a child's arm.Another alleged that a door that inadvertently opened struck a parked vehicle.In response to ODI's information request, Ford Motor Company (Ford) provided 500 unique reports related to the alleged problem on the subject vehicles.Ford reported no injury or accident claims.Ford also submitted 1,513 warranty claims related to door latch failures.Many customers indicated that the affected door could not be latched at all and some of them decided to restrain the door by other means in order to operate the vehicle.Some customers also reported door latch failures occurring on multiple doors and at different times.Additionally, Ford stated that MY 2014-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape, 2013-2015 Ford C-Max, 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect, 2015 Ford Mustang, and 2015 Lincoln MKC, all use the same door latch as the 2012-2013 Ford Focus.On September 6, 2016, Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (16V‑643) to remedy the door latches in the MY 2012-2015 Ford Focus and other Ford models mentioned above (total of approximately 2 million vehicles).According to Ford, a component within the door latch may break preventing the door from latching.Ford dealers will replace all four door latches in the recalled vehicles with a new more robust latch design that is currently in production.The recall action initiated by the manufacturer appears to address the safety risks.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.
PE16001
What 2012 Ford Focus owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side door failed to open as intended. The contact used force to attempt to open the door and failed. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, she was informed that the vehicle had an open recall related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V331000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES). When the contact retrieved the vehicle, the contact was informed that the recall had been repaired; however, there was no proof that the vehicle was under recall or that the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that several weeks later, mold was found in the driver’s seat and on the driver’s side seat belt. The contact stated that after a snowstorm, the moonroof was misty, and there was a water ring found above the interior roof. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal hissing sound coming from the vehicle underneath the driver’s side of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the post office. After returning to the vehicle and starting the vehicle, the abnormal hissing sound persisted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Manufacturer Recall Number: 18S32. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and would not confirm if the VIN was or was not under recall. The failure mileage was 129,354.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the front driver's side door failed to latch securely while closed. The contact stated that the door occasionally unintendedly opened while driving. The contact stated that the failure required him to drive with an arm out the window holding the door closed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V643000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the part to repair the vehicle was on backorder. 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 referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the trunk latch disengaged, causing the trunk to open unexpectedly. The contact stated that the failure had occurred 3 times within a month. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The dealer confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to close the doors of the vehicle, the doors failed to latch securely. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V643000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 300,000.
The door ajar light illuminates on the dash even though the door is shut, the door ajar shows it is the driver side back door. With that warning I'm unable to lock the doors while inside the vehicle and the doors do not lock when putting the vehicle in drive from park or unlock when putting the vehicle in park from drive. I'm also unable to use the door handle lock and unlock sensor on the outside of the driver door.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated the front passenger’s side door latch opened independently while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to lock the door, the driver's side door latch was unable to lock securely. The door ajar message was displayed. The contact also stated that due to the latch failure and the door not closing securely, the battery became drained. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed a failure with the door latch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V643000 (Latches/Locks/Linkage). The approximate failure mileage was 152,528
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the doors of the vehicle would intermittently fail to lock when engaged with the key fob. The contact received a recall notification for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that sometime later, she noticed that the key fob and the vehicle master power door lock window switch would no longer lock or unlock the doors of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that she would lock each door manually in order to secure the vehicle. The contact also stated that the doors would make an abnormal clicking sound and unlock while driving. The door lock indicator on the instrument cluster would not indicate that the doors were locked while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the OBD reader was not reading any codes. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.
2012 ford focus. Consumer writes seeking reimbursement for vehicle recall repairs. *ld
Questions about the 2012 Ford Focus locks
Does the 2012 Ford Focus have locks problems?
Owners have filed 134 complaints about the locks of the 2012 Ford Focus, 4% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Focus locks problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 68,000 miles.
Is there a recall for the 2012 Ford Focus locks?
Yes, 2 recalls: 20V331000, 16V643000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
Other 2012 Ford Focus problems
Transmission 1,448Steering 927Engine 501Electrical 352Fuel system 342Body 332Acceleration 166Visibility 70Brakes 61Airbags 55Driver assistance 53Seat belts 43Wheels 32Suspension 28Lights 26Tires 12Seats 9
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