2018 Ford Focus acceleration problems

Filed Oct 8, 2026 · Acceleration, Fuel system · OR

when the vehicle accelerates too quickly or up a very gradual hill, barely any slope, it will slow to a stop. this is in line with the current recalls with other Ford focus 2018s likely caused by the Canister Purge Valve. it has the exact same symptoms, poor fuel economy, rough idling so much so the entire vehicle shakes, and the dangerous part- stalling. I have now stalled 4 times and have been in and out of multiple mechanics for this issue and no one can seem to identify the root and it's getting costly. now they are saying it might be the canister purge valve but if it is I think it should be covered despite my vin not being perfectly aligned because it's ultimately the same issue with the same vehicle, make and model.

Filed Sep 17, 2026 · Acceleration · CA

"My 2018 Ford Focus was traveling uphill at highway speed. I fully depressed the accelerator because the vehicle was losing speed. The vehicle did not respond with additional acceleration and subsequently continued to lose speed despite the accelerator remaining fully depressed. The dealership inspected the vehicle and told me that the engine is not powerful enough for sustained uphill driving and that the vehicle performed as designed. I am reporting this because I am concerned about the loss of ability to maintain speed despite full accelerator input and whether this constitutes a safety defect."

Filed Apr 16, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · 150,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 - 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and then accelerated to the desired cruise control setting. The failure had occurred several times. Approximately 2 weeks later, while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the hazard lights were activated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair was not covered under warranty or recall. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Filed Aug 21, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · OK

I was on my way to a 7-Eleven to get gas once I filled it up. Those engine started sputtering and it did that for a minute until it finally started. I got to my school and then once I needed to go to school to school, my car was not going above 11 mph and when I was trying to reverse, it would not accelerate while reversing.

Filed May 27, 2025 · Acceleration, Steering · NC

My vehicle was inspected in order to determine why my vehicle is stalling, jerking, not going into reverse and giving a warning message that the car is overheating. My spouse and I were told the transmission control module needs to be replaced. Upon reading about my car's maje and midel, I learned this is a problem with 2018 Ford cars. It stalls and almost cuts off in traffic which is very dangerous

Filed May 2, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · WA

My 2018 Ford Focus (DPS6 dual-clutch automatic transmission) suffers from severe hesitation and shuddering when accelerating from a stop, especially under 10 mph. More concerning, the car has stalled multiple times while merging into traffic and during right turns at intersections. We can no longer safely take free right turns due to the risk of the car dying mid-merge. This poses an immediate safety hazard and mirrors known failure patterns in earlier Focus and Fiesta models. Ford previously extended warranty coverage for the same TCM defect in 2011–2016 models, but my 2018 — which uses the same DPS6 system — has been excluded without explanation. The dealership acknowledged the TCM failure but refused to cover the repair. Instead, they charged me $300 to tell me they would not perform the service Ford originally recommended (a fuel injector purge) and that I now need to replace the TCM entirely. This is a known, documented issue that Ford has admitted to in other years. My car has lost power four times in the last three months, and all signs point to this being the early stages of the same defect. Allowing this failure to persist without coverage or recall is negligent and dangerous. Ford is knowingly placing families like mine at risk by refusing to act. I request an the federal safety agency investigation into the 2018 Ford Focus DPS6 models, which are experiencing the same failures that have already led to recalls, lawsuits, and warranty extensions in earlier years.

Filed Apr 15, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · FL

Since I have had this car the engine has been replaced 4 times and transmission once Engine has been replace 3 times under the same warranty due to recalled part I was not in an accident however car broke down while I was in traffic I am putting the latest date car broke down

Filed Aug 23, 2024 · Acceleration, Steering · VA

Car shuddered horribly on interstate. RPMs revving up like crazy. Transmission struggling. This caused the car to slow down drastically in the middle of traffic, nearly causing myself a fatal accident amongst others around me. No warning indications, just Transmission Fault Service Now as soon as it happened. In the past this vehicle has had transmission issues fixed and replaced by Ford themselves, due to the same shuddering and stalling as listed above. All those times, no check engine light or warning lights. Care would accelerate/jerk/shudder badly. Making it unpredictable to drive.

Filed Aug 5, 2024 · Acceleration, Brakes · TX

With out warning my car lost power and went from 65 mph to 40 in an instant, I was able to avoid hitting the side wall of the freeway and with Gods help avoided hitting any other vehicles. The oil light came on then the engine light soon after, I was able to take the first exit off the freeway and pulled over in a gas station parking lot. Tow truck took it to the dealership, this car has a recall and the recall description matches exactly what happed. The dealership told me it will take them 6-8 weeks before they can even diagnosis the car for that recall. I am stuck without a car, and I am lucky no one was injured. People with this type of Ford ecoboost need to be made aware they are driving a vehicle at any moment can have total engine failure putting lives in danger. When I received the original recall letter, I called Five Star Ford in April to set the appointment, and they told me they are not taking those recall repairs right now and to call back at another time. I called back in May and was told they are still not taking repairs for that recall, to call back 3rd quarter of 2024. You can see that Ford has put lives in danger if others who called for the repaired was turned away as well.

Filed Feb 6, 2024 · Acceleration, Brakes · CA

The engine died while I was driving with my fiance, and the steering gave out. There was a loss of power to both the engine and brakes. The timing of shifting was inconsistent and I couldn't keep up with speed of traffic. Ford has confirmed that there is a problem with my vehicle and that the engine could explode. This is from their recall live on their site: "The engine oil pump drive belt tensioner arm to fracture, separate from the tensioner backing plate, and/or the oil pump drive belt material may degrade and lose teeth, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure. 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." My car has been inspected by the local Ford dealership. There was a warning lamp that showed on the dashboard the day I had planned to get an oil change done by the Tuttle-Click Ford. They completed my oil change and did not acknowledge that I had an engine warning light. I had to call them back the same day to ask why the light was still on and if they fixed it, and they said to bring it back in. Once I did, they said they would have to take apart my engine. After bringing it to two other mechanics (the failure getting progressively worse), one of them was kind enough to let me know my car was recalled. Information that Ford never led out with once I brought my car in.