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.
Ford Focus knocking problems
95 of the 22,111 owner complaints about the Ford Focus describe engine knocking or ticking, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 95
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,800
- typical mileage
- 55,000
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 18Jerking 12Hesitation 11Engine failure 11Shudder 10Grinding brakes 10Stalling 8Transmission failure 5
What owners say
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 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump belt tensioner, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the check engine and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to exit the interstate, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine before the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled off the Interstate, turned off, and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic. 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 notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 69,921.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the transmission hesitated while upshifting to the next gear. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and heard an abnormal ticking sound coming from the transmission. The contact was able to get the vehicle back to the residence safely. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired after the first failure; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
Automobile shudders horribly on first gear and shifting from first to second gear. Attempted repair, however in time the shuddering came back. Then downshifting to go up a steep incline transmission made grinding/ticking noise. Experienced too much anxiety driving, got rid of the car.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, where the vehicle failed to respond while in reverse(R). The contact drove to the residence at 5 MPH. The contact scanned the vehicle with a vehicle scanner and retrieved a DTC code related to the B-fork. The contact contacted an independent mechanic and was informed that the torque converter might have failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, the check engine light had remained on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective engine hose. The contact was unable to repair the vehicle. Since the initial failure, the contact stated the engine Auto Stop/Start feature had failed to operate as needed and the engine failed to start as designed while at a stop light. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was jerking upon depression of the accelerator pedal. There was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle had been towed to several dealers where multiple repairs were performed; however, the failure returned after each repair. The vehicle was eventually diagnosed with engine failure and the contact was given an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was made aware of the issue and an appointment was scheduled to bring the vehicle in to have the vehicle worked on for an extended period. The contact called back to plan for transportation while the vehicle was in the dealer's possession and was informed that unless there was a knocking noise coming from the engine; the dealer would not be able to service the vehicle until the first quarter of 2025. 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 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 not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the contact heard a loud ticking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,084. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 Ford Focus knocking
Which Ford Focus years have engine knocking or ticking problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (14 complaints), 2012 (12 complaints) and 2018 (10 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix engine knocking or ticking on the Ford Focus?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,800 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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