I am reporting a serious safety issue involving a 2015 Ford Focus equipped with the PowerShift transmission. The vehicle has experienced repeated failures of the transmission control module (TCM) and clutch system despite multiple repair attempts. The vehicle has been repaired at least three times for the same issue, yet the failure continues. While driving at highway speeds (approximately 65–70 mph), the transmission failed without warning. The vehicle lost power and was unable to properly shift gears, creating an immediate safety hazard. I was forced to navigate traffic with limited acceleration and was left stranded. This condition significantly increases the risk of a crash, especially when merging, accelerating, or maintaining speed in traffic. The failure occurs unpredictably and without sufficient warning. This issue is not isolated. The 2012–2016 Ford Focus models equipped with the PowerShift transmission have a well-documented history of similar failures, including prior complaints and manufacturer acknowledgment of defects. Despite multiple repair attempts, the defect has not been resolved, and the vehicle remains unsafe to operate. I am requesting that this issue be investigated as a safety defect, as it poses a serious risk to drivers and others on the road. I have found that many of the vehicles that recieved a replacement TCM, reported the problem came back, worsened, or the car had to be totalled all together. Even worse, took a huge hit.
2015 Ford Focus transmission complaints
Page 2 of 20: complaints 11 to 40 of 559, newest first, as owners wrote them.
03/25/2026 Driving down the street card started jerking and acting like it did not want to move kept slowing down like it wasn't getting any gas. like the transmission was going out. There is nothing wrong with my transmission. The car had been on a recall for a part that has been replaced 2 different times. I tried to have it checked out the Ford dealers here where I live wanted to charge me $200.00 insisting that its my transmission. I know it is not my transmission. Its the same part they have replaced 2 times that was on the recall list for my car. What can I do? It is dangerous for me to drive.
Bought in 2024 ..few days later car wouldn’t change gears transmission overheats shutters jerks and won’t go when giving gas at times. Had the car in 5 times to fix, didn’t work.. I’ve almost been in accidents one of which was with a tractor trailer This car is a death trap had to quit job due to this .. and have a 7500.00 loan on a car I can barely drive. I want this loan paid off and given a check or car that has no problems and is reliable plus compensation for lost wages Im also willing to file suit immediately if this isn’t taken care of IMMEDIATELY!!!!
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 the federal safety agency 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.
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)
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.
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
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 the federal safety agency investigate Ford's refusal to offer reasonable post-warranty assistance for this well-documented safety-related transmission defect.
Transmission overheating and internal wear (metal particles in fluid) following electrical/TCM malfunction in Ford Focus DPS6. Transmission failure recurred after earlier repair under 14M02. Current failure includes overheating messages, shudder, and loss of safe drivability. Ford acknowledges issue relates to known PowerShift defect but refuses coverage. Vehicle unsafe.
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 transmission keeps slipping at 2nd and 3rd gear. The shop I got it at fixed it twice and this time the transmission light turned on. They told me to go through this process
Transmission problem
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 car would not shift into a gear, would not shift gear to propel itself in traffic causing a safety issue. A warning light would come on saying the transmission was getting overheated. Ford of Glenwood Springs Colorado refused to look at the car because of its age despite the recall on the clutch for the year, make and model of the car. A NAPA shop determined the clutches were out. NAPA quoted $4,253 to fix the problem. I called Ken Garff Ford in Fort Collins Colorado at 4809 S. College Avenue to get this fixed under the recall. They said my VIN number wasn't covered, and the cost would be $6,000. I called Ford 1‑866‑436‑7332 spoke to Ron employee #2192738 and was told he would document the call but could not do anything. Ford is aware of the safety issue we simply want them to standby their product and fix the problem or reimbursing us for the repairs to avoid a further hardship to get to work. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
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 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.
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.
While driving my car on July 25, it started jerking then it stopped reversing. My LCD dashboard stopped displaying several years ago. This affects my ability to see warning lights and my mileage.
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 federal safety agency 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 federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 88,300.
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 federal safety agency 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 that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact had to continually depress the accelerator pedal to continue driving. The failure also occurred while the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was included in a recall related to the failure and the vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under the recall; however, the failure recurred 6 months later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, without a warning light being illuminated the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that stalling failure persisted, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse and was returned to the dealer and was diagnosed with PCM and transmission failure. The dealer related the failure to the previous recall; however, the recall had since expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. The VIN was not available.
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 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.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering, and the engine was showing symptoms of losing motive power and shutting down. The contact stated that the transmission failed to properly shift between second and third gears. The contact stated that the vehicle previously shut down unexpectedly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was like the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the key, TCM, and clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Performance Ford (906 Route 10 West Randolph, NJ 07869); where it was diagnosed that the clutch and TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but the manufacturer declined a buyback. The manufacturer confirmed there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
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 the federal safety agency 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 federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,500.
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 federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
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