2018 Ford Focus: harsh or hard shifting

Filed Oct 30, 2025 · Fuel system · NC

The fuel pump has failed and causes my car to loose power after the car has started. This is able to occur while operating the vehicle and results in immediate loss of power. This component has been inspected by an auto mechanic and will be looked at by the Ford dealership. A check engine warning appeared on 27Oct2025. However, my vehicle had been showing symptoms starting as early as Nov 2023. The symptoms included: a clunking vibration while accelerating the vehicle and switching gears, stalling at low speeds, and making weird noises when switching between gears at low speeds. I first contacted a Ford dealership about these symptoms six months ago.

Filed Jun 23, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · 198,000 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the engine was revving and the message to pull over was displayed. The contact turned on the hazard lights and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal clunking noise. Additionally, the transmission was slipping, and the gears were sticking. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed there were no associated recalls on the VIN for the failures. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine mount, transmission, canister, water pump, and axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 198,000.

Filed Apr 25, 2025 · Transmission · 102,250 miles · WI

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the transmission and clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic provided the contact with DTC: P07A3. 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 102,250.

Filed Dec 26, 2024 · Transmission · 93,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate and had experienced hard shifting from first to second gear. The check engine warning light illuminated and the warning message "transmission Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who replaced that clutch actuator but the failure was not remedied. The contact was advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered.

Filed Jan 17, 2024 · Engine · CA

First it started with the batterie we had to purchase a new batterie $207 then while driving the car turned of and I had to get the car towed I purchased from Ford dealer a new Starter I paid $279 I had the mechanic install the new starter I drove the car about 5minuts one one light away from the freeway entrance and i feel the car jerk it stopped while o was driving almost causing an accident I heard a big clunk I had to call the mechanic he drove to where the car turned on he inspects the car he put his CAR DIAGNOSTIC READER ON IT 10 CODES CAME UP ON THE SCREEN he let me know my engine is seized due to low oil pressure. The engine needs to be replaced. i called ford they told me unfortunatly theres an early recall for my vehicle and they dont have the parts or repair instructions until there 2nd quarter so I had to get another tow truck to tow my vehicle to the nearest ford . My car only has 70000-75000 miles the check engine engine light is turned on at the ford dealer they opened a ticket for me thr lady that helped me was very nice and helpfull unfortunatly thats the only thing they can do right now is keep the vehicle due the inspection and wait until the 2nd quarter for thr remedy which is 2-3 months from now when i called ford special support i was told the same thing for the moment its at the early stage of the recall now im left without a car now .

Filed Jan 2, 2024 · Transmission · 170,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before shifting to the next gear. The contact stated that the hard shifting occurred at various speeds. The failure also occurred while the vehicle was down shifting. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Filed Jan 30, 2023 · Electrical, Transmission · 73,474 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the transmission experienced rough shifting while the vehicle jumped, and the engine revved loudly. The transmission fault message was displayed. Additionally, the fuel gauge level was inaccurate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control unit (TCU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,474.

Filed Jan 13, 2023 · Transmission · 73,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the transmission started to hard shift. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, but the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

Filed Aug 1, 2022 · Transmission · VA

I own a 2018 Ford Focus and am experiencing the same symptoms as other 2018 Focuses involved in the federal safety agency Campaign #18V845000, however my VIN was not part of the batch that was recalled. The car stutters/shudders when accelerating at low speeds/take off. It switches gears hard, often with a jerk or a clunk. It also switches gears inconsistently, ramping the RPMs at times. We visited the Ford dealership on 3 separate occasions to address this issue to no avail. The third time was 7 months after I purchased the vehicle - 1 month too late to qualify as a lemon under my state's lemon laws. I believe this recall needs to be expanded to include other 2018 Ford Focuses sooner rather than later.

Filed Mar 16, 2022 · Transmission · FL

Transmission started to shift and shudder harshly. Very high RPM (up to 5000-6000 rpm) without shifting. Car failed to go into reverse of "Sport" mode when shift level placed in that position. Car jerks and shudders upon initial takeoff from a stop, that feels like a sudden loss of power and has delayed acceleration. Very harsh shifting from 1st to 2nd gear that jolts entire car and driver. The RPM stays very high if the car will go into Drive and after a while the transmission overheats and a transmission temperature warning is displayed. Sometimes the car won't start. Trouble codes pulled are P087B and P287A.

Filed Jul 23, 2019 · Brakes, Transmission · 13,000 miles · WV

Transmission clunks and shudders at times when driving. While engine running in the stop position, brake peddle goes to the floor.