Model record
Ford Focus Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Ford Focus model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2018: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 2, 202612,775 complaints9 model years
Three Ford Focus years drew more than 2,000 owner complaints each: 2012, 2014 and 2013. Owners named the powertrain most for 2012, 2014 and 2013.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
Nearly all of the complaints fall in the 2012 to 2018 generation, the Focus Ford called next-generation for 2012, and they peak at 3,763 for 2012.
Ford Focus complaints by model year
Every Ford Focus model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2018. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2010Throttle and speed control17%287
- 2011Electrical system22%113
- 2012Powertrain37%3,763
- 2013Powertrain50%2,106
- 2014Powertrain57%2,596
- 2015Powertrain51%1,015
- 2016Powertrain53%1,178
- 2017Powertrain48%892
- 2018Powertrain35%825
Best Ford Focus years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car.
- 2011Electrical system · recalls not read113
- 2010Throttle and speed control · recalls not read287
- 2018Powertrain · 7 recalls825
Most common Ford Focus problems
The systems owners named most across all 9 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- PowertrainNamed most in 7 of 9 years5,842
- EngineNever the top system in a year2,159
- SteeringNever the top system in a year1,509
- Electrical systemNamed most in 1 of 9 years1,054
- Fuel and power deliveryNever the top system in a year1,051
Our guides for these problems
Check engine codes Ford Focus owners name
The OBD-II codes owners wrote into their complaints for the Focus years we have read in full (2012, 2013 and 2014), one count per complaint. Tap a code to read our guide; grey codes have no guide yet.
Ford Focus years to avoid by generation
Ford called the 2012 Focus the next-generation Focus, so the years in the file fall into two groups. NHTSA's file has the Focus from 2010 to 2018, its last US model year.
2010–2011
Last years before the next-generation 2012
2010 most complaints · throttle and speed control
- 2010287
- 2011113
400 complaints · 2 model years
2012–2018
Next-generation for 2012
2012 most complaints · powertrain
- 20123,763
- 20132,106
- 20142,596
- 20151,015
- 20161,178
- 2017892
- 2018825
12,375 complaints · 7 model years
Ford Focus recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 2, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. NHTSA's recall service returned no answer for 2010 and 2011, so those years are not counted. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2010No answer from NHTSA—
- 2011No answer from NHTSA—
- 2012Most often: fuel system8
- 2013Most often: fuel system12
- 2014Most often: fuel system12
- 2015Most often: fuel system9
- 2016Most often: powertrain10
- 2017Most often: fuel system10
- 2018Most often: fuel system7
Ford Focus crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2010No overall rating—
- 2011No overall rating—
- 2012Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2013Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2014Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2015Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2016Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2017Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2018Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 7 investigations into 6 problems that cover Ford Focus model years from 2010 to 2018. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the Ford Focus years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2012, 2014 and 2013. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Ford Focus?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2011 drew the fewest complaints: 113. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Ford Focus?
Across every year in the file, owners named the powertrain most, in 5,842 complaints, then the engine, in 2,159.
Which Ford Focus years have the most recalls?
2013, 2014 and 2016, with 12, 12 and 10 recall campaigns.
Focus year pages
20123,763What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 3 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.