I had a recall on my vehicle in June of last year for a new motor. I had oil leaking all in my intake. I didn’t get my car back till December with a new motor. As soon as I left the check engine light came back on. I took it back and they said it was my battery. Now my oil is leaking all in my intake again. I haven’t put 12000 on the motor and that’s the warranty. My car was repaired incorrectly. The dealership shows no interest in it. It’s been there since 10/14/2026 and at first they said it was my battery again and my fiancé demanded them to look closer at it then they called about my oil leaking everywhere again. I haven’t received a call since.
2017 Ford Focus: check engine light
201 of the 900 complaints about the 2017 Ford Focus describe check engine light.
- owner complaints
- 201
- of this car's complaints
- 22%
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 69,345
- recalls
- 1
Check engine light by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that an abnormal, burnt rubber odor was emitted from the vehicle while driving at various speeds. Additionally, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal as the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while on the highway, nearly resulting in a collision. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer, where the contact was provided an estimate for diagnostic inspection. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 72,339.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission failure after 2 recall/warranty repairs, most recently in July 2026. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Vehicle accelerating and then stopping out right on and off the freeway "bucking" on the freeway, fast then slow, with no foot on the accelerator. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? This was immediately noticed when we picked up the vehicle from the dealer after the 2nd Ford recall repair. No, they deny this, and state this is a coincidence when it was not doing this when we dropped the vehicle off to them. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, but I will be getting police, lawyers and insurance involved since Ford motor company will not help us. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Check engine light and service engine now light on when we picked up the vehicle from the Ford dealership on July 13th, 2026. The day we picked it up, immediately this happened pulling out of the dealership/service department, and on the freeway, 4 times causing close to 4 accidents.
I am filing this complaint regarding a severe safety hazard and prolonged failure to resolve an official recall repair by the manufacturer and dealership. In April 2026, the vehicle was brought to the dealership for an official recall repair. The repair was delayed for 2 months. In June 2026, after the dealership confirmed completion, I retrieved the vehicle. While driving on the highway, the check engine light suddenly illuminated and the vehicle completely lost power. Pressing the accelerator pedal produced no response, leaving the car unable to accelerate in active high-speed traffic. This created an extreme safety risk that nearly caused a severe highway collision. The vehicle was towed back to the dealership. The dealership returned the vehicle a second time, claiming it was repaired, but the exact same check engine light illuminated immediately with the same loss of power, requiring another tow. As of August 2026, the dealership has retained the vehicle for over 4 months in total due to backordered parts, without providing a clear completion date or loaner/rental transportation support. The dealership and corporate customer care are currently ignoring attempts to communicate. The recurring loss of engine power on the highway and unresolved recall defect pose a direct and imminent risk to public road safety. The components involved are currently at the dealership for inspection.
While driving approximately 53 mph on a main road, my 2017 Ford Focus suddenly displayed the message “Engine Fault Service Now.” The vehicle immediately entered limp mode, downshifted into 2nd gear, and would not accelerate above approximately 31 mph. During the event, the engine shook noticeably and made abnormal noises. No check engine light appeared during this initial incident. This problem occurred multiple times over several days, most often when the fuel tank was below approximately half full. Each time, I was able to temporarily restore normal operation by shutting the vehicle off, waiting about one minute, and restarting it. After restarting, the vehicle would drive completely normally until the problem occurred again. A few days later, while sitting in my vehicle during a work break, I started the engine and it immediately entered limp mode without being driven. A check engine light then illuminated, and the engine stalled shortly afterward. The diagnostic trouble codes retrieved were: * P1674 (Stored, Pending, Permanent, and Enhanced) * U0100 (Enhanced ABS Code) A mechanic familiar with Ford vehicles suggested the symptoms could be related to the EVAP canister purge valve issue that has been investigated on similar Ford Focus models. He recommended keeping the fuel tank above half full as a test. Since keeping the fuel tank full, the limp mode condition has not reoccurred. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership to have the purge valve issue evaluated. The dealership declined to perform any purge valve-related repairs because they believed the problem was transmission-related and stated the engine issue would need to be repaired first. I am submitting this report because the vehicle unexpectedly loses power while driving, creating a significant safety hazard when traveling at normal traffic speeds.
Recall maintenance with regard to the federal safety agency ID Number: 19V515000 for a Purge Valve was completed 1/9/2025. Starting in October 12, 2025, driving on the freeway, a large "bang" was felt/heard. I pulled over, the dust cover under the car had ripped partially off and took a portion of my grill trim with it. The car still ran perfectly fine, so I continued the mile and a half to my house. I did not see anything that I may have hit on the highway and did not see anything eject behind my car when this incident happened. I noticed the oil light begin to flicker as I was ½ mile from home for maybe a second, then it was off and then flickered again, it did not stay lit. I filed a claim with my insurance-Progressive-they wanted to total my car without inspecting it. I negotiated and they had me take it to The Ford dealer who inspected it visually to see if the cause was internal combustion as my insurance claimed, or external damage. See photos. They recommended a full engine replacement after only a visual inspection and charged me $276.70. I had the oil-pan replaced as shown on my bank statement $1053.77, with Interstate Automotive who verified no engine damage was found. Next the LCD instrument panel showed distorted, or not at all, or perfectly fine at times, which made it hard to read, and no instrument warnings are given for any issue, just the check engine light. As of today, 3/10/26, car will no longer reverse or progress into 2nd gear, is sluggish and feels as though it has no power at all. This happened randomly on 3/9/26 after the car would not start and it was believed to be a battery issue. The battery was replaced 3/9/26 $148.08. When the diagnostic codes for the check engine light were tested, they showed a faulty CO2 module issue. New parts will be installed on 3/11/26. All of the above described issues seem as though they could be related to a major safety issue with this vehicle, but Ford insists any courtesy fixes are not available to my VIN.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the transmission downshifted between first and third gear. An abnormal sound could be heard coming from the transmission. After driving a short distance, the vehicle functioned as intended. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH on a separate occasion, the transmission downshifted between third and fourth gear, and the vehicle went into limp mode. In addition, an abnormal sound could be heard coming from the transmission, and the vehicle jerked. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle most recently, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone for a diagnostic test, and the contact was informed that the failure may be related to the transmission clutch. Additionally, the contact stated that the fan had turned on independently, and had failed to turn on while driving on other occasions, causing the vehicle to overheat. The vehicle was taken to a collision center, where the contact was informed that the transmission was failing. The cooling system was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unknown sensor had failed, and the sensor was replaced. The contact stated that the transmission failure was worsening. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
After recall Campaign 23S64 and the engine being replaced with G1FG-6006-DA and traceability Code [XXX] . Incident Description On Saturday [XXX], while driving on the freeway, my vehicle began sputtering and lost power. The RPMs increased but the speed did not. The check engine light illuminated briefly and then went out. This created an Immediate serious safety hazard to me my passenger and other drivers on the road as I was unable to maintain speed in traffic and had to leave the freeway Immediately. Diagnostic Findings •Initial AutoZone OBD-II scan revealed P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire). •Dealer’s own diagnostic later reported P0301 (Cylinder 1 Misfire), with carbon tracking on all spark plugs and ignition coil boots. •Dealer noted the locking tab on Cylinder 3 ignition coil connector was broken, requiring a new pigtail. •Dealer also identified a broken front motor mount, but is attempting to charge me for replacement despite the fact that the mount must be removed and reinstalled during an engine swap. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the check engine warning light illuminated, and the transmission failed to shift to second gear. The vehicle was also unable to shift into reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to an Auto Parts Store, where a handheld scanner retrieved a code indicating that “ Clutch B-Fork Stuck”. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and unexpectedly downshifted. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The owner of the vehicle pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. 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 contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle felt like it was struggling to accelerate. The contact pulled to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle; however, the fan remained engaged for approximately two minutes. The vehicle was taken to the residence, where the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000(Engine and Engine Cooling), which the contact related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair, but the dealer did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 81,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle had hesitated to start. Additionally, the contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle started sputtering, the RPMs increased, and the vehicle lost drive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The messages "Transmission Overheat" and "Transmission Failure. Could be Overheating - Pull Vehicle over Asap" were displayed. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted and was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,463.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Customer Satisfaction Program 26L02 Certain 2014-2021 Model Year Various Vehicles 1.0L Fox Classic Engine...
- Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and...
- For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an...
- Some 2014-2017 C-MAX Energi, 2014-2020 Fusion plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), 2015-2017 MKZ/MKZ...
- Illuminated oil pressure warning lamp with a loss of engine oil pressure
- Illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018,...
- Illuminated oil pressure warning lamp with a loss of engine oil pressure
- Oil leak from the turbocharger oil supply or return tubes, O-rings or 6.7L pedestal gasket
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication: pump
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.
- Risk
- A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt, free of charge. If engine failure occurs due to a damaged oil pump belt and/or oil pump belt tensioner, Ford has authorized dealers to replace the engine assembly as an interim repair before the availability of remedy parts for the final repair. This repair will be free of charge (parts and labor). Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S64.
Recall number 23V905000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2017 Ford Focus check engine light
Is check engine light a common problem on the 2017 Ford Focus?
201 of 900 owner complaints about the 2017 Ford Focus (22%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2012.
How much does it cost to fix check engine light on the 2017 Ford Focus?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2017 Ford Focus?
There is 1 recall and 34 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2017 Ford Focus
Stalling 165Shudder 117Jerking 98Hesitation 78Transmission failure 65Slipping 63Overheating 50Engine failure 45Loss of power 37Won't start 25Grinding brakes 24Won't shift 24Misfire 11Harsh shifting 10Sudden acceleration 10No deployment 8Power steering loss 8Knocking 7Fuel pump 7Fuel gauge 6
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