Verdict
2017 Ford Focus: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues
What the public record actually says about the 2017 Ford Focus — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.
The read
More reported complaints than most hatchback.
Owners filed 889 NHTSA complaints — more complaints than 100% of 2017 hatchbacks. Power Train leads the reports (48%). 10 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.
Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2017 hatchbacks, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.
Complaints filed
889
Reports to NHTSA, 2017
Safety recalls
10
NHTSA campaigns on record
NHTSA crash test
Overall NCAP rating
Combined MPG
29
EPA estimate
Complaint volume vs. segment peers
More complaints than 100% of 2017 hatchbacks
The bar is this car's percentile among 2017 hatchbacks by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.
Known issues
Power Train issues lead owner complaints (48% of 889 reports), followed by engine (13%).
+ 13 more component categories with fewer reports.
Share of all 889 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11494225, ODI 11290773, ODI 11270106, ODI 11194432, ODI 11091407.
Recalls(10)
Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.
Fuel SystemSep 2026 · 26V369000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Focus vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 18V735. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly while driving.
Risk: An engine that stalls while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 6, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S40. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.
Power TrainSep 2026 · 26V376000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18V169 and 18V845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
Risk: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 6, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S43. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.
Fuel SystemMay 2019 · 19V515000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 and 2017 Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0L GDI gasoline engines and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles equipped with 2.0L GTDI engines, previously recalled under 18V-735. The affected vehicles did not have the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) updated as intended. Therefore, the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system.
Risk: The excessive vacuum may result in an engine stall while driving, without warning and without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began July 29, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S22.
Latches/Locks/Linkages · 16V698000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Ford Focus hatchback vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 26, 2016 and equipped with a manual transmission. The hatchback of the affected vehicles may be unlatched with a single press of the interior latch release button. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Risk: With only a single press needed, the driver may accidently unlatch the hatchback, increasing the risk of injury to any unsecured passengers in the back.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began February 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C13.
Seat Belts · 17V528000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Focus vehicles. The rear left side seat back frame may have an insufficient weld between the outboard pivot bracket and the pivot nut joint, resulting in the seat back having reduced strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Risk: The reduced seat back strength may increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the rear second left side rear seat back as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C13.
Fuel System · 18V735000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles with a 2.0L GDI or 2.0L GTDI engine. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in fuel vapor management system.
Risk: The excessive vaccuum may result in an engine stall while driving, without warning and without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Ford Customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S32. Note: Until the vehicle is serviced for this concern, owners are advised to keep the fuel tank at least halfway full.
Power Train · 18V845000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
Risk: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07. Note: This recall is an expansion of Recall 18V-169.
Engine And Engine Cooling · 23V905000Details +Close −
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.
Equipment · 26V011000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Equipment · 26V012000Details +Close −
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in October 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.
A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.
Investigations
4 NHTSA investigations on record
Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 44 complaints alleging loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2015-2017 Ford Fiesta and MY 2015-2018 Ford Focus vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. These vehicles are equipped with a 1.0L engine and manual transmission. Some consumers report a low engine oil pressure warning lamp immediately preceding a complete loss or reduction of motive power while the vehicle is in motion. Based on a preliminary review of data currently available to ODI, this may be due to fragments of timing belt material that wear off and accumulate inside the oil pump. This debris can gradually clog the oil pump pick-up screen and result in sudden oil starvation of the engine and ultimately engine seizure. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related problems. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
On September 20, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-015 to investigate instances of engine failure due to loss of oil pressure in model year (MY) 2018-2021 Ford EcoSport vehicles. Some consumers reported a low engine oil pressure warning lamp immediately preceding a complete loss or reduction of motive power while the vehicle was in motion. The investigation revealed that the engine oil pump drive belt tensioner arm may fracture, separate from the tensioner backing plate, and/or the oil pump drive belt may degrade and lose teeth, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure. A loss of engine oil pressure can result in engine seizure, which can result in a loss of motive power and a loss of mechanical vacuum pump required to provide power braking assist, increase the risk of a crash. On December 22, 2023, Ford filed recall 23V-905 for certain MY 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The recall remedy provides the replacement of the oil pump drive belt tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt with redesigned parts to improve robustness. In view of the recall action being taken by Ford, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
On September 15, 2023, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened this Recall Query (RQ) after receiving 98 consumer complaints alleging loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles. The RQ focused on the effectiveness of the remedies of Recall 18V-735 and 19V-515. In October 2018, Ford issued Recall 18V-735, which updated Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software in MY 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0L GDI engines built prior to April 13, 2017, and those with 2.0L GTDI engines built prior to February 2, 2018. The recall addressed vehicles experiencing a malfunctioning Canister Purge Valve (CPV) that can stick open and PCM software that does not adequately detect a stuck-open CPV condition. A CPV that is stuck open can cause excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system, potentially deforming the fuel tank, collapsing on itself. This deformation of the fuel tank can cause a Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) to illuminate, an inaccurate or erratic fuel gauge indication, drivability issues, and/or loss of motive power. In July 2019, Ford issued Recall 19V-515, which addressed certain MY 2012 and MY 2017 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0L GDI and MY 2013-2014 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0L GTDI engines whose PCM software had been reprogrammed as a part of recall 18V-735. The updated software calibrations for these subject vehicles were not properly installed by Ford at the time of production. Approximately one year after this RQ was opened, on September 25, 2024, Ford initiated a customer satisfaction program (24N07) for MY 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with the 2.0L GDI and GTDI engines to—as ODI learned during this investigation—address a different issue with the CPV from the primary focus of the safety recalls (18V-735 and 19V-515). Ford stated the CPV may not operate as intended in these vehicles. A failed CPV on its own merit, may cause drivability concerns such as engine hesitation, running rough, or stalling at low speed, which will be accompanied by an illuminated MIL. This program provides a one-time replacement of the CPV for vehicles with 15 years of service or less (with no mileage restriction). This coverage will automatically transfer to subsequent owners. It is to be noted that the customer satisfaction program being taken by Ford to address this RQ investigation results in a much different and significantly less severe problem than the safety action taken to remedy 18V-735 and 19V-515. ODI found no further issues with the combined scope and severity related to 18V-735 and 19V-515 therefore, ODI is closing this Recall Query. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
Crash-test ratings
2017 Ford Focus 5 HB FWD NHTSA source
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
2017 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD NHTSA source
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Fuel economy by trim
| Trim | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Hwy | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Electric | — | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (A1) | 118 | 96 | 107 |
| Focus FWD | 1.0L 3-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 30 | 40 | 34 |
| Focus FWD FFV | 2.0L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM6) | 26 | 38 | 31 |
| Focus FWD | 1.0L 3-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 27 | 38 | 31 |
| Focus FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM6) | 26 | 38 | 31 |
| Focus FWD FFV | 2.0L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | 26 | 36 | 29 |
| Focus FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | 26 | 36 | 29 |
| Focus FWD FFV | 2.0L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 5-spd | 25 | 34 | 28 |
| Focus FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 5-spd | 25 | 34 | 28 |
| Focus ST FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 22 | 30 | 25 |
| Focus RS AWD | 2.3L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 19 | 25 | 22 |
EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.
Before you buy
Useful next checks
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Compare model years
"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.
2017 Ford Focus: frequently asked
What does the complaint record show for the 2017 Ford Focus?
Owners filed 889 NHTSA complaints about the 2017 Ford Focus — more complaints than 100% of comparable 2017 hatchbacks, so it sits toward the weaker end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.
What are the most common problems on the 2017 Ford Focus?
The most-reported problem areas are Power Train (48% of complaints) and engine (13%).
How many recalls does the 2017 Ford Focus have?
10 recalls have been issued that affect the 2017 Ford Focus, covering components such as fuel system. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.
What gas mileage does the 2017 Ford Focus get?
The EPA rates the 2017 Ford Focus between 22 and 107 mpg combined, depending on trim and drivetrain.