While driving, the transmission went into limp/safety mode and became difficult to control. Diagnostic scan confirmed codes P0806 (Clutch Position Sensor A Circuit Intermittent) and P2872 (Clutch A Stuck Engaged). The failure is electrical — wiring harness damage near the clutch position sensor. This has happened multiple times. The vehicle is a 2018 Ford Focus SE with DPS6 PowerShift transmission. Repair estimates range from $1,500 to $2,600. The manufacturer has declined goodwill assistance despite this being a known defect on this model.
2018 Ford Focus transmission complaints
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While driving, the transmission went into limp/safety mode and became difficult to control. Diagnostic scan confirmed codes P0806 (Clutch Position Sensor A Circuit Intermittent) and P2872 (Clutch A Stuck Engaged). The failure is electrical — wiring harness damage near the clutch position sensor. This has happened multiple times. The vehicle is a 2018 Ford Focus SE with DPS6 PowerShift transmission. Repair estimates range from $1,500 to $2,600. The manufacturer has declined goodwill assistance despite this being a known defect on this model.
The vehicle has been inspected at the Ford dealership, erratic behavior, stalling in the middle of the street shaking miss shifting net starting not going in reverse not going back. It left me stranded on the streets very unsafe. It is an ended up being a TCM and the clutch and Forks. This is a known issue with this transmission. It needs to be recalled before someone gets hurt.
The dual clutch PowerShift DCT transmission has failed. When placed in reverse, the engine RPM increases when accelerating but the vehicle does not move at all. While driving forward, the vehicle struggles to reach 10mph and the transmission slips severely. The vehicle is essentially undriveable. The vehicle has gotten stuck on neighborhood roads on 3 separate occasions due to complete loss of reverse function. I was stuck for 30 minutes to an hour which put me in way too much preassure and possibly, I could have ended up in danger. The vehicle had to be physically pushed by hand to move it. This created a dangerous situation for myself and others on the road. An independent mechanic diagnosed and replaced the clutch actuator assembly and fuel pump. After repairs the problem persists unchanged. The mechanic has noted the vehicle requires a full transmission replacement. This is a known defect with the Ford PowerShift DCT transmission affecting multiple model years. Repair costs have exceeded $1,500 with no resolution. The failed transmission puts safety at risk as the vehicle cannot accelerate properly in traffic and has no reverse function. Problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. Vehicle is available for inspection.
Was seen by Ford Dealer And confirm TCM issues
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.
I purchased a 2018 Ford Focus in Sept of 2023 with 30k+ miles. Financed. In April of 2025 the car started making strange noises when starting and then would not go into reverse. The car pushed in neutral and drove about 2 miles. Stopped for gas and then the car would not start. The car was towed to a mechanic. He had the vehicle for 2 wks trying to purchase a part called an Actuator. I reside on St. Croix USVI and purchased this vehicle from a fleet sale from Centerline Rental Cars. After the Actuators were placed, I drove the car and within a day had a screeching sound upon starting car. Drove it back to mechanic and we did a test drive.21 The car would slow down and speed up on it's own. The vehicle this time died and had to be pushed onto the lot. Was worked on again and still did not work properly. Car was towed to Ford Metro for analysis. The car now has 40k+ miles in 18 mos of use. They quoted me $4,213.00 for parts and labor. I am still paying $359.00 a month since April 2025. The car was towed back to my residence where it sits dead. Please advise.
car stalled and I took it to three mechanics who all said transmission was shot.I replaced two oil pumps (low and high) in the last year or so also.Car is barely 8 yrs old with 101k miles on it. ONline says this problem is widespread.
The DPS6 clutch failed rapidly. It is available for inspection. The car will suddenly and aggressively speed up while trying to shift gears or will suddenly slow down when downshifting making a collision very likely. They problem has been confirmed by a dealer. It has been inspected by a ford dealership and confirmed bad. There were no warning lamps or other symptoms prior to failure. It first started around 2/08/2026. This is a well known faulty clutch in the ford focus and ford fiesta lines from 2012-2018. Several repair shops and dealerships in the area i spoke with all acknowledge the high rate of failures with this specific type of clutch.
Ford diagnostic revealed transmission friction element stuck in A. The service center mechanic said the damper unit, forks, motors, bearing sleeve, TCM needed to be replaced.
Vehicle experienced a highway-speed overheat and automatic engine shutdown. Inspection revealed antifreeze intrusion into the under-hood engine fuse box, causing widespread fuse degradation and electrical failure. This occurred following recall-related service. Vehicle lost power and is unsafe to operate due to electrical contamination and fire risk. Manufacturer and dealer have been unresponsive.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift into gear properly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle shimmied while attempting to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was related to the transmission and the contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the independent mechanic. The vehicle was then 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle felt as if the transmission had slipped into neutral(N). The contact was not able to get the vehicle back into gear, and the vehicle lost forward momentum. The contact was in the parking lot of the residence and stopped and called a tow truck. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that it was the fifth time that the clutch had been replaced. The contact stated that the clutch was most recently replaced in May 2024. The contact called the manufacturer and was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking and hesitating while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown transmission repair was performed; however, the failure persisted. The local dealer and an unknown dealer were contacted and offered to take the vehicle in a trade-in, but the contact declined. The vehicle was taken to Marcino Enterprises LLC, where it was test-driven, and the failure recurred. The dealer diagnosed that the transmission fluid was contaminated with metal shavings and had become brown. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine overheated. 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 8,899.
My vehicle is part of the 23S64/23V905 Ford recall. The car died in the middle of an intersection in 2024 and Ford finally agreed to replace the faulty parts with more faulty parts until there was a fix. Now there is a fix and Ford said they will not replace it because it's still running, but when/if the parts fail again, to bring it in and they'll fix it. So if the vehicle fails on the interstate or in the middle of an intersection again and I'm in a crash, then they'll fix it. But they will not fix it until they fail because "there are too many not running vehicles in front" of mine.
Bought a used 2018 Ford Focus From a dealer in October 2024. In February 2025 the car started shuttering when put inn reverse when I left work. I drove ten miles to Home and didn't drive the car util the next day. The next morning when I went to work the car would not do more than 25 miles per hour. I pulled over and called someone to come tow the car. The car would not go in reverse. Car was taken to Dealership Which told me I needed some kind of part for the transmission. the Part was replaced but then the dealership could not get the car to go forward or in reversed. The car kept throwing codes for the mechanic. I had the car towed back home. the Transmission light is on and cannot drive the car. The car has not been driven since the end of February due to unable to pay for more repairs.
Transmission element B stuck on. Requiring replacement of clutch and actuator.
I have had this car for 2 years, the transmission went on me in the middle of the night and I had to have it towed home and to a transmission SPECIALIST. I just got the car back 2 weeks ago after spending $2,000 to get it NH road legal. My transmission NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I’ve contacted Ford, my car should be on the recall list but it isn’t. I have the junk transmission that they never should have “engineered”. The car has done nothing but cost my money and I still owe on because the dealership ripped me off. The attached file is from recent work, I haven’t gotten the invoice from AAMCO of Concord NH.
The recall has yet to be resolved for me and the nearest appointment is 2 months away, A new problem that has arisen is the transmission jerks, struggles with the car not having any warning indications
Engine Oil Pump Stuck Canister Purge Valve Clutch Fracture My car has difficulty starting. I have had problems with my hill start assist and air bags. My car stalls when I press gas at a light. it makes a funny noise and jerks. My engine light will come on and stalls even more and then the transmission alert comes on my dash to tell me to pull over because it’s over heating. The takeoff is extra slow like a turtle and fluid leaking. I’ve had my car at the same dealership I purchased my car.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear, the engine revved up, and the vehicle jerked and lost motive power. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle responded. The contact stated that several weeks later, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact’s neighbor used a handheld diagnostic machine to retrieve a code related to transmission failure. The neighbor performed unstated repairs to the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred days later. The contact stated on the last occasion, while driving at an undisclosed slight incline, between 1st and 2nd gears, the vehicle started jerking and failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light illuminated with a message to "Transmission Safety - Stop for 5 Minutes" displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that unknown parts needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,000.
The contact owns 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The message "Transmission Is Overheating" was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to reverse as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V845000(Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the contact was informed through a voicemail message that no assistance would be provided. The failure mileage was 99,500.
I have had problems with the clutch 3 times and had it repaired and it sounds like it is going again i have only 44,000 miles on my 2018 and this is ridiculous I love my ford but something has to be done. My warranty is over 7/2026.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the fuel line was replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with clutch failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
My battery died in my car. I replaced the battery with a brand new battery and then I noticed transmission issues that were not present 1 day prior. My check engine light came on as well as a “transmission fault warning” message. My car would not drive over 10 mph in drive. My car would shift into reverse, but would not drive at all. Car would not shift into S gear. Dealer told me it was the TCM. And that I just missed the TCM warrant by 3 days. They replaced the TCM and now they’re telling me there are deeper issues with the transmission.
Most recently, my transmission stopped working leaving my [XXX] daughter and I stranded at an airport, in congested traffic, right around a bend where traffic was exiting in Phoenix, Arizona. It was 111 degrees outside and we had to be towed by the airport contracted tow company to a little area where we could only stay for 20 minutes. They were originally going to tow us to the top of the parking garage, where the sun blazes down, but decided since I had my daughter with me that they would take us to a shaded area. I’m a [XXX], her father [XXX] and hasn’t been any help her entire life. I don’t have any family besides my sister which lives in California. I couldn’t afford a tow truck back to Kingman, AZ which is a which is a 3 1/2 hour drive. My car ended up starting and I was able to park in the parking garage so we got her flight moved back a couple of hours. Again, I was able to get the car started and it drove fine until it cut out about two hours from Phoenix in Wikieup Arizona where I stayed for 12 hours in my vehicle waiting for somebody to come and pick me up with a tow dolly. Now it’s at Anderson Ford in Kingman with an $8000 bill for a new transmission. This transmission issue is a known issue with many of the Ford focuses and I think that Ford needs to fix it and or give me a new vehicle because I’ve already had two new engines put in and I’m waiting on the third engine for the oil pump failure the first time the oil pump went out again. The first time the engine failed at 47,000 miles just outside of Wikiup Arizona, it was hot outside, I had two young girls with me and we were driving 65 mph up a hill in the car just lost power and we were stuck on the side of the road with no tow trucks even available for over 4 hours to come and help us. It was a mess. I included the repair invoices from both times the engine was replaced and then verbal communication between the dealership and I about the current transmission issue INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 55
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear and the vehicle jerked abnormally. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.
I have had the clutch replaced and after 5 months I'm having issues with it again. The Ford dealer that I purchased it from it saying that there is no issue and they cannot duplicate the problem that I am telling them is occurring.
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.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, and while driving at various speeds, messages that the brake fluid level was low, and to shift into park were displayed. The contact stated that other unknown messages were displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that upon turning off the vehicle, the instrument cluster and the infotainment system screen failed to turn off intermittently. The contact stated that the vehicle had also experienced abnormal battery drainage. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was recommended to replace the negative (-) ground wiring cable. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred the following day. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the TCM had failed, and the failure could be the cause of the battery drainage. The dealer determined that the TCM needed to be replaced and ordered the part. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
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