I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding an ongoing mechanical issue with my 2016 Ford Focus. Although my vehicle currently shows zero active recalls, I have experienced a recurring and concerning problem. Each time I turn on the air conditioning and the air begins to blow cold, my engine temperature rises significantly and causes the vehicle to overheat. This issue occurs consistently and makes it unsafe to operate the vehicle while using the air conditioning. Overheating poses a serious safety risk and may lead to engine damage or sudden breakdowns. Given that this problem appears to be directly connected to the operation of the air conditioning system, I am concerned that this may be a known defect or design issue that has not been addressed through a recall. I am requesting that this issue be formally documented, investigated, and addressed. I would appreciate guidance on next steps, including inspection, repair options, or whether this issue has been reported by other 2016 Ford Focus owners. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.
2016 Ford Focus engine complaints
Page 2 of 11: complaints 11 to 40 of 281, newest first, as owners wrote them.
This vehicle been having problems with heater
Fuel purge valve is malfunctioning. Vehicle loses power and is sluggish. Idles very rough and sometimes has a loss of power. My car has been at Ford twice in the last six months and problem still isn't fixed. Complete engine was replaced about a year and a half ago due to recall issue which I don't want happening again. I do not feel safe driving this car. I made an appointment with Ford a month ago for tomorrow for same stalling issue. I went to drop off and explain I wanted the repairs done for the recall to see if that fixed the problem. I filled up my gas tank on Sunday. The car wouldn't start and engine light came on saying engine failure service now. I let it sit for about ten minutes and it hesitantly cranked and engine light went off but accelerates slower with loss of power. It keeps doing this intermittently and sometimes loses power, and struggles when idling. I cut off let sit and then is okay until I pump gas again. I told the service repair person what happened and handed him the key to drop off the vehicle. He said if the light was not on at the time he would not be able to fix it and they couldn't schedule my vehicle for any additional recalls that are greatly needed for the car. It is running terrible. It idles and intermittently loses power while driving. Evan at Ford (Greer) response was to wait until it got bad enough that the engine light came on and stayed on. This was at D&D Ford in Greer, SC. He said it was Ford's policy the light had to be on to replace under recall with no charge. I told him it is unsafe to drive if it gets any worse it could cause an accident. I have two children and his recommendation to wait until it gets worse was appalling. He kept backlashing Ford and stated he doesn't work for Ford he works for D&D and only represents Ford. I said to him he was not representing Ford very well and that it was highly unlikely they would agree with his statements. I asked for documation of this policy--it contradicts what he says.
In the Ford 3 cylinder 1.0L Ecoboost engines there is a terrible wet belt system, there is a recall on the automatic models but nothing for the manual models, regardless of the fact that the manual models are designed far more poorly than the automatic models in the sense that the manual models have no tensioners and rely solely on the factory tension of the screws, keeping in mind that the belt is both rubber and sitting in hot oil when in use, if not a money grab, my best guess is that they hoped the wet rubber belt would simply not not stretch in good faith. 4 days after getting basic maintenance, the wet belt failed, clogging the oil pickup causing engine failure, and temporary loss of power steering, after the engine was given time to warm up, luckily the road was nearly empty, and i was driving at a slower pace. However the fact that Ford Motor Company has gone nearly a decade without dealing with the issue, and then denies having knowledge of this design flaw, is absolutely and abundantly absurd. I have all vehicle maintenance records, as well as mechanic testimony, all of which point to this incident being caused by poor engine design. In addition to the estimated cost to replace the engine is 8,500$, or about 140% the cars total value prior to the engine failure. This a NOT a minor issue, this is not even a uncommon fail point on many other manual models, this IS a major safety concern, that god forbit it, could lead to a major accident. I simply think that the Ford Motor Company should be made accountable for cheaping out for profit, at the cost of customer’s safety.
The transistor arm or tensioning arm for the wet belt, which drives the oil pump in the oil pan failed, leading to oil starvation to the engine, causing total catastrophic engine failure, and temporary loss of power steering, while driving, fortunately, I was moving at a slow pace in minimal traffic, however, this is a known fail point in Ford 1.0 L ecoboost 3 cyl engines, that Ford claims my vehicle does not have, and refuses to cover, regardless of the fact that it did happen, and I have pictures in mechanic testimony to prove this to be true, had I’ve been on a different road, or had more traffic, this could have to a fatality. The engine replacement would cost a estimated 4500-7500$
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.
I was driving the car other all of a sudden died on me and told me to put it in park I put it in park and then turned the key off and tried to restart it. It did not restart and would not turn of kept popping up a warning saying starter system failure. Could not turn my wheel or pit it in neutral to get it out of te middle of the road.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving approximately 30 MPH, the low oil pressure and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that her granddaughter heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to a dealer who was unable to diagnose the vehicle immediately. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the oil pump had failed and stopped pumping oil to the engine, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was advised that the engine and the oil pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, parts for the recall repair were not yet available to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact mailed a letter to the manufacturer about the failure, but had not yet received a response. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds and while idling. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and had to be towed several times. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with oil pump and fuse failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The VIN was included in the recall. The contact was charged a fee for the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the RPMs became drastically elevated, and the vehicle shut off unintendedly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and after three days the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle started without hesitation, and the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer to be diagnosed; however, there was no cause for the failure found. The vehicle not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
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
2016 Ford Focus, VIN: [XXX] Power Train: Automatic Transmission: Control Module (TCM) This complaint details a recurring and severe safety defect in our 2016 Ford Focus. The vehicle's Transmission Control Module (TCM) has failed twice, resulting in sudden, complete loss of power and dangerous stalling incidents at highway speeds. In January 2023, at approximately 8,000 miles, the vehicle suddenly lost all propulsion while traveling on a highway. We were forced to execute a dangerous emergency maneuver across lanes of traffic to reach the shoulder. A Ford dealership diagnosed a failed TCM which had, in turn, caused the clutch to burn out. In July 2025, after only 7,000 additional miles (total vehicle mileage ~15,000), the identical, catastrophic failure occurred again. The vehicle once more stalled without warning on a major highway, creating another life-threatening situation. The diagnostic codes confirmed the same TCM and clutch failure, proving the issue is a persistent, underlying defect and not a random occurrence. This failure is entirely consistent with the widely-documented defect in Ford's Powershift (DPS6) transmission. This problem has been the subject of multiple national class-action lawsuits and is detailed in thousands of other consumer complaints filed. The repeated failure in our low-mileage vehicle underscores that this is a predictable and systemic design flaw that makes the vehicle inherently unsafe. We attempted to address this critical safety failure directly with Ford Motor Company. Our concerns were met with dismissal, and despite being issued a case number, Ford has failed to respond to our calls registered letter. This vehicle is unsafe to operate. We are filing this complaint to implore the federal safety agency to launch a formal investigation into this defect. The repeated, sudden loss of power presents an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death to occupants and other motorists. We believe a mandatory recall is urgently required. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop or while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked, hesitated, experienced difficulty shifting into gears and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the part was previously replaced under Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 19N08. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The dual clutch for the 2016 Ford Focus SE. This model is showing an open recall on active listings but not showing up in a search via VIN. Yes the vehicle is still available for inspection. The vehicle’s transmission overheats which has left us stranded, on the interstate and regular roads, maybe times. The vehicle has broken down multiple times in the middle of the road and put us at risk of a collision. I have verified with the dealer that this is a problem with these specific cars but only after I had purchased it. The problem started right away after purchase by showing on the dash that the transmission was overheating but that same message would go back off, resulting in the dealer refusing to take a look at it under warranty. I’ve seen many other customers complain of this problem and eventually end up losing a lot of money because Ford and the dealer will not do anything to fix it. They wouldn’t even look at the vehicle to confirm that this was the problem but instead gave me the 1-800 number for Ford and then Ford told me to take it back up to the dealer who refused to even take a complaint.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the "Oil Pump" message became displayed, and the vehicle decelerated and stalled. Additionally, during the failure there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the brakes failed to function properly while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who determined that the engine had failed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 160,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, an alarm sounded, the message " Pull Car Over Safely " was displayed, and the vehicle turned off independently. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off and was restarted several times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate mileage was 67,855.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency 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 failure mileage was approximately 109,420.
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.
Check engine light illuminated followed by unresponsive throttle. Pulled over and the car immediately stalled. Would not restart. Came back with code P1450. There's an open recall for that exact code for 2015-2018 focus, however the 1.0L supposedly "not affected" so my vehicle is not eligible.
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 federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 15,060.
Notes from the Ford dealer: Oil pump belt tensioner failed causing oil pump belt to slip and starve engine for oil. Turbo was also starved of oil. Long block and turbo were replaced. This seems to be the same issue that is included in a current recall but it does not extend to all affected vehicles. Reference the federal safety agency# 23V905. Ford recall 23S64.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The dealer confirmed that parts were 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 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the engine and heard metal parts from the engine detach from the vehicle and fall onto the road. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and the vehicle lost braking power and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact exited the vehicle to inspect the vehicle and saw oil on the ground coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to call the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.
I am dealing with a dual clutch going bad the car is stalling hesitating and loosing power very dangerous to drive. Also i just replaced transmission without finding any help from ford even there was a recall now my dual clutch is going on and there was a recall i never got to be apart of when i first got the car in 2015. I need help please point in the direction i feel like ford should fixed this buy the car back
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer had made the contact aware of an undisclosed recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or 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 60,000.
I was driving the speed limit at 65 MPH down a steep hill, I felt something "drop" and then the oil lamp and "Engine Fault Error" displayed. I was unable to drive faster than 30 mph. I was fortunate that no one was following close behind. I had to put on my hazards and drive half a mile more to find a safe place to pull off the road. I had to have my vehicle towed 60 miles to the nearest mechanic. I was informed that the problem was related to a known recall, but there are no parts to fix the problem and it will be months until they do. My vehicle cannot be driven and is sitting at the dealership until it can be repaired and they cannot tell me when that will be.
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)
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 75 MPH, the vehicle stalled, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact proceeded to stop the vehicle and park on the side of the highway to turn off and restart the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was probably linked to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact was informed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
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 the federal safety agency 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 federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 57,255.
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