2018 FORD FOCUS Power Train Problems

Transmission Control Module (TCM) does not work and the car does not start on.

Initially the check engine light came on; took it to service center and the fuel sensor was replaced. Check engine light comes on the next day which revealed an evap code error. Suggestion was take it to dealer for recall check. Safety became an issue when the vehicle sputtered and stalled on the highway. I visually inspected the fuel tank which appeared "sunken" which suggested a vacuum pressure problem which the dealer also confirmed. All this is part of a recall which "should" include my VIN, make, model and year.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to shift gear, the transmission was slipping and failed to register the intended gear. The failure caused the vehicle to stall, and the vehicle needed to be restarted to change gear. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.

I keep having an off and on check engine light with a P1450 code for the last two months. I’ve looked up my vehicle history. I found that my vehicle came up as a 2.0L GDI engine type which my car would qualify under the recall. But when I look up my vin, it tells me no. What do I do? I just financed this vehicle in October.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to shift into 2nd gear at 4,000 RPM. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, who diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced; however, the replacement part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

My 2018 Ford Focus has a recall, it has been in the service center since November for non-repairable issues. Ford Motor company has lacked transparency and disclosures by lying about the recalls and defects as more than one the Ford certified dealership confirmed my emissions warranty and recall on parts but the manufacture continues to deny any sort of warranty and recall which is “VIN” specific but my engine and transmission falls under the classification of the recall “1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission.” Recall is for 2016-2018 and mine is a 2018. The condition and symptoms of just under 49k miles has these ongoing, Non-repairable issues as it’s since had its Clutch motor replaced, Transmission Control Module that was on a National back order because thousands of other vehicles identical to mine have the same issues but some do and some have “no recalls on their...

Hesitation, stuttering, and lack of power have plagued me since purchasing 2022. When I put my foot on the accelerator the car should go. My car decides to take a coffee break, then smoke break, then bathroom, another smoke break then decides to go.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and vibrated abnormally. There was message indicating that "transmission was overheating" displayed. The contact also stated that after refueling the vehicle would fail to immediately start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the purge valve, motor mounts, and shift motor were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Vehicle GPS goes out and I have no idea if/when the road changes (curves, turns, and if I'm on the correct road or not) apparently APIM module goes out all the time. From stop to start vehicle shudders, lurches, and hesitates. Several times wrecks were miraculously avoided. It's only a matter of time before one does. While driving vehicle looses power, high revs, and losing MPG. For being fuel efficient its burning a lot of it. Ford refuses to even acknowledge my problem. Waiting for my powertrain warranty to expire which is very soon.

The Ford DPS6 transmission has lost reverse and buck, jerks and possibly sudden acceleration. It’s a 2018 Ford Focus with the same issues as the 2012 models and up.

The vehicle is a 2018 Ford Focus SE sedan. The purge valve canister caused my car to stall in traffic and it would not start for up to 20 minutes the recall number is 18s32 but my car specifically does not have this recall, the service engine light is on it turned on right before the car stalled, this is a safety issue because it could lead to a crash due to stalling. The transmission is slipping when it is cold outside and it will not shift until 7,000RPM there is no recall on this but my vehicle has 74xxx miles and should not be having this issue, there is no warning light about the transmission. Ford is going to do a diagnostics for my purge valve but has stated they will not repair unless I pay for it due to lack of recall.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine light illuminated. The contact diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved information indicating a transmission failure. While driving to an independent mechanic at 30 MPH, a message to "Pull Over Safely" appeared on the instrument panel as the vehicle started to overheat. The vehicle was diagnosed by the independent mechanic with a defective clutch. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

The transmission is going out, they’ve replaced it and it’s still a bad transmission. Having a bad transmission could cause the car to shut off in the middle of the road causing an accident. My engine is constantly overheating, my car gives me warnings to stop the car because of overheating. I can’t even drive on the expressway because i’m scared my car is going to blow up or something. The electrical inside the car does not work, i can’t unlock the doors on the driver side but on the passenger side i can. The sunshade blocking thing you pull down lights don’t come on, nothing about the car really works. The car jerks when driving like it’s about to shut off in the middle of the road, that’s a safety defect or whatever you wanna call it. The car makes a ticking noise when you start it up and...

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.

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.

The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where contact’s son was informed that there were several possible causes for the failure; and he was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under warranty or recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

My son was driving home from Boston on 12/18/22, where he attends college. About 30 minutes into his drive home to NJ his car slowed down tremendously, and his RPMs were shooting up and down like crazy. He has about 69k miles on his vehicle. We get it towed to a Ford dealership in Medford, MA. The next day I drive from NJ to the dealership where they tell us that they have seen this problem a lot lately with 2018 Focus' and it could possibly be the TCM, which has a recall on it. Well unfortunately his VIN does not fall under the recall. Personally, if there is a recall on this powertrain issue for certain VINs, it should be on all of them. Who can afford 4200.00 nowadays to pay for their vehicle to get repaired???? Especially a college student. We got him this car brand new in...

Purchased a Ford Focus 2018 (42,000k miles) in August 2019 from Drive Time Stone Mountain as a graduation gift for my daughter. In December 2019, while driving she notices her ECO went out and it no longer turned off when the car stopped, 2 weeks later the car stops in the middle of the street. We take it to a dealership in Statesboro, GA where she attends college and they inform us that the motor needs to be replaced. The motor is replaced and the ECO comes back on but goes off again in abt 3 mos. not even a yr later same thing happens same diagnostic of motor went out. The same FORD dealership installs a new one. Sept 2022, she is driving car stops a good Samaritan who happens to be a mechanic told her its the motor and power train and it will cost $7000 to replace...

2018 Ford Focus shutters, bucks when starting out from stopped position. Vibrates and lunges. RPM's too high. Dealer could not duplicate issue when I took it in

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 90,000.

The car sputters consistently in 2nd gear

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started to stall as if there was no gasoline inside the fuel tank. The contact stated that the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after several attempts the vehicle started as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the PCV needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds and accelerating, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the clutch was replaced. The failure reoccurred and the clutch was replaced three times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was 600 miles over the warranty, and the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

While driving service transmission light came on, car won't shift, no reverse, 76,000 Miles on car. Check engine light on but no codes showing. No warning as this happened.

bought my car 2018 ford focus in 2019 used. its since been at the dealership 3 times. transmission is jerking and taking off by itself. they had my car for 5 months said it was fixed but almost a year later doing the same thing. the warranty just ran out, they said i would have to pay for it. the car is very dangerous. i still owe 10000 on the car. i am so heartbroken. i have no one to help me.

The automatic transmission control module has malfunctioned. When the car is stopped and the accelerator is pressed, the car will stall and jolt forward. This is an extreme safety risk as it could cause an accident and could be a life or death situation. The problem has been confirmed and diagnosed by a dealer. The vehicle was inspected by the manufacture company . The check engine light appeared as the vehicle was being given to the dealership for inspection.

I hit 75,000 miles in my Focus. Got routined maintenance. Having issues with the transmission. While driving the car it skips from 1st to 3rd, it will not reverse, and I have to get it jump started half the time. Haven’t been able to drive my car since 05/2022. Ford acknowledged my recall but the VIN number isn’t the same, so they aren’t willing to help out much. The amount of money it’s going to take to fix this car will not be worth it.

Transmission / Clutch Slippage. Apparently a well known issue for the 2018 Ford Focus. I am now looking at my 3rd replacement for the clutch as it continues to fail, most recently within 10k miles from the last replacement. Vehicle has less than 85k. Simple daily driving and the vehicle transmission starts to slip gears when leaving a stop, from 1st to 2nd gear. This is not good when crossing larger interceptions or going up hills. The longer I drive the vehicle, the worse it gets. Ford is well aware of this issue with the 2018 and earlier models, as are the Ford dealerships and Focus owners.

The clutch on the vehicle continues to fail. It has been replaced three times by a ford dealer. When taking off from a stopped position the vehicle makes a grinding noise and shudders when switching from first to second gear(Around 16mph). The shudders can be slight or aggressive enough that it shakes the entire car.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission control module (TCM) to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part being on backorder. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while idling at red traffic light, the vehicle jerked and shuddered and then hesitated while attempting to accelerate. The failure also occurred while attempting to turn the vehicle to the left or right and also while shifting into reverse(R). The contact stated that occasionally the transmission failed to engage as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the clutch was replaced three times. The vehicle was diagnosed again and it was determined that the clutch needed to be replaced again. The clutch was not replaced. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

I informed the dealership twice that something was wrong with my vehicle. I had it serviced twice, now I’m being told my TCM needs to be replaced.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the clutch pedal was vibrating and slipping. There was an abnormal transmission noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that an electronic update was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated; the contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the failure continued and the vehicle would not accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle also shifted to neutral(N) independently. The contact was able to pull over safely. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the transmission was defective. The contact was referred to the local dealer for assistance. The dealer was contacted and they stated that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving the clutch was sticking. The vehicle hesitated and almost stopped before shifting into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The transmission overheating message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer who informed her that the clutch was rusted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V845000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 82,171,

I own a 2018 Ford Focus and am experiencing the same symptoms as other 2018 Focuses involved in NHTSA 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.

Occasionally, car lurches forward at stop signs without pressing the gas pedal, and other times, the car doesn't initially respond to gas pedal at a stop, stalling for 1-2 seconds and then lurching forward unexpectedly. Vehicle also trembles and shakes when upshifting from gears 1-2, and 2-3.

Automatic transmission shudders going into 2nd gear, and can be felt through the steering wheel.

My 2018 Ford Focus has less than 35K miles on it. It has sat at a dealership since December 2021 waiting on a TCM while I am stuck with car payments and zero help from Ford. Ford has stranded over 50k customers and has no ETA on this part. Their dealerships are advising customers the vehicles are safe despite the fact that they shudder, lurch while braked, and decelerate for no reason. This is a known issue that Ford already lost a lawsuit for ok earlier models and now they’ve been sued for the 2017/2018 models. NHTSA needs to investigate this. These cars are not safe and should not be on the road.

Vehicle stopped working June 21. Car refused to start up. Had it jumped, battery was completely drained. Discovered had no reverse, drive works up to 10-15mph. Drove it short distance to a Ford dealer service center. Discovered they said it's a powertrain issue and they're 3 weeks behind as they have no available mechanic to look at it. Called another dealer and was told the same thing. Had it towed home. Took it to a highly recommended mechanic and they said the powertrain is shot and needs replacing. Discovered it's a well known documented issue as of 2020. I have extended warranty on it but it may be denied because A) one ford dealer who did some work on the car within first few months of purchase "lost" my service records as they claim its not in their system. B) possibly denied because it's a known defect and they'd lose...

Engine shudders and sometimes stalls out when accelerating from complete stop and from low speed. Shudders also after changing gears or when trying to accelerate quickly like to change lanes. Especially after being driven more than about 50 miles without stopping. Has to be cranked 2 or 3 times after fueling and engine will only stay on if accelerator is pressed almost to the floor. Check engine light comes on and goes off randomly.

My car sounds like its going die when putting fuel in my car, I have to leave car running while fueling. No matter the level of fuel. If I turn on my car after fueling, it takes a few tries to get car started back. Sometimes my car shakes when taking off or speeding up. This has been going on for the last year. Check engine light is on.

Transmission control module failed, and according to Ford Service tech, basically "ate" the clutch. Vehicle can not go above 30 mph, and does not shift properly. Tech states is not included in recalls, though thinks it should be included. Parts on backorder with no ETA on resolution. No repairs able to be made. Purge Control Valve failed, causing engine to die while fuel gauge showing 3/4 tank, repeated issue until tranmission control module failure rendered vehicle mostly unusable. Tech states is not included in recalls, though thinks it should be included. Parts on backorder with no ETA on resolution. No repairs able to be made.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was jerking. While driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into 3rd gear, the vehicle jerked. The check engine warning light was illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as designed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

My vehicle is a 2018 Ford Focus st and I am not the first person to have this problem. My vehicle casually lost 3rd and 4th gear synchronizer out of the blue and I had to purchase to synchronizers to replace them. Among pulling the transmission apart and splitting the case open. My mechanic and I identified that 3rd and 4th gear synchronizers had metal tabs on them to keep them in position and they snapped off on every side, so there being a total of six tabs broken, three per synchronizer as you see in the photos. I am not the first person to have this issue so I would ask if you would please review this issue and look deeper into it to possibly come up with a solution.

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.

Transmission control module went out in my car while on the highway. Car decelerated and sputtered almost causing a rear end collision. I was almost struck by a truck driving behind me.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, the vehicle inadvertently moved forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and Mtn. View Ford (301 E 20th St, Chattanooga, TN 37408). The dealers had replaced the transmission on three separate occasions; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and several cases were opened. The manufacturer declined to buy back the vehicle since it was not purchased from a Ford dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, his vehicle lost motive power and stalled three times. The contact waited for five minutes, restarted, and drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. While driving to the independent mechanic, the service transmission warning light illuminated, and the vehicle would no longer accelerate or move forward. The contact stated that another vehicle nearly crashed into his vehicle due to the failure. The independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The mechanic notified the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,380.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light, the transmission shuddered. After the brake pedal was released, the vehicle went into reverse. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the shifter, seals, and clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to another dealer for assistance. No further assistance was provided. The contact was concerned about being in a crash while driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 14,100.