2012 Ford Focus

2012 Ford Focus recalls (8)

• FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

  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.

  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.

• FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

  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.

  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:DOORS:LATCH

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.

• EQUIPMENT

  This recall involves aftermarket parts sold by Yakima Products, Inc. for use on model year 2012 and 2013 Ford Focus vehicles. This recall is being conducted by Yakima, not by Ford. Certain combined Q-Tower and Q128 Clip rooftop rack systems, part numbers 8000124 and 8000728, do not fully contact the door frame.

  Remedy: Yakima will notify owners, and Yakima or a Yakima dealer will refund the purchase of the Q-Tower and Q-128 Clip system. There is no replacement system available for the 2012-2013 model year Ford Focus. The safety recall began on October 15, 2012. Only vehicles equipped with the vehicle rack system are affected. This recall is being conducted by Yakima, not Ford. Owners may contact Yakima at 1-888-925-4621.

• VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING

  FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 FOCUS VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1, 2010, THROUGH OCTOBER 18, 2011. A SEAL IN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR TO THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER MOTOR MAY BE MISSING.

  Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND AS NECESSARY, CLEAN AND PROPERLY SEAL THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER MOTOR CONNECTOR. ANY INOPERATIVE WIPER MOTORS WILL BE REPLACED. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

• EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  Ford is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Focus BEV vehicles equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights, manufactured September 15, 2011, through May 6, 2013; and model year 2013 Focus ST vehicles equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights, manufactured February 16, 2012, through May 7, 2013. Due to a wiring incompatability, the front side marker lamps may not function. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will modify the headlamp assembly wiring, free of charge. The recall began on August 16, 2013. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13C04.

• LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

• FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS:CANISTER

  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.

  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.

2012 Ford Focus safety ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP ratings.

2012 Ford Focus owner complaints (15)

• UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  Group 1 Ford of South Austin, TX refused to perform door latch recall unless we purchased additional parts and service out of pocket. The door will not latch and flies open even at slow speeds.

• ENGINE

  I just recently got my fuel pump fixed and a new radiator fixed that was the knot problem wrong with my car now all of a sudden I get my car back from the shop with NO OIL I put oil even though I already just had a oil changed and my engine light is now blinking but when I bought the car it was just on [XXX] to Tallahassee and I live in eestpalm beach with no problem now my car smokes so much and auto shop Firestone says it’s my engine . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• VISIBILITY/WIPER

  While driving back window spontaneously imploded

• UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  Vehicle stalls while driving at low speeds and during acceleration. The engine loses power unexpectedly in traffic and may shut off completely while in motion. RPMs increase without corresponding acceleration and the vehicle fails to shift or respond normally. Check engine light is on with fuel/emissions-related codes. Fuel gauge is inaccurate and vehicle has unexpectedly run out of fuel even when gauge showed remaining fuel. The vehicle also hesitates, jerks, and feels unstable when stopping or turning. These issues have been present since shortly after purchase and have continued for approximately one year. Vehicle is unsafe to operate due to risk of stalling in traffic.

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  For months in early 2025, I was unable to fill gas tank without gas pump stopping ( so gas dispensers work to prevent gas from leaking?) Got progressively worse so less fuel could be put in gas tank. I took car into dealership to diagnose and fixed on April 25, 2025. I was at risk because the car can’t be filled and then unable to operate. Fuel filler neck was broken. I meant to report earlier and hopefully others can avoid the fix. No recall listed.

• UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  For months in 2025 the car fan would continue to run for several minutes after the engine was turned off. I took the car in a two times to diagnose and couldn’t replicate . I sent video of the fan running even after short trips and in cold weather. Finally after catastrophic cooling system failure was the faulty fan module diagnosed. It was a safety issue because cooling failure causes car to stop operating properly. I was returning from the airport so the engine was cold. After a massive bill did the cooling fan module get diagnosed and replaced on May 16. There were not any safety recalls for faulty fan module. Hopefully this is reimbursable and others can have a safety recall.

• STRUCTURE

  While driving on the highway the sunroof suddenly blew off. The sunroof had not been opened prior. The frame bent upwards from the front, and the glass completely flew out onto the highway.

• STEERING

  Electric power steering failed at 65,000 miles. No power assist in the steering. Trying to steer the car with no power assist is very difficult and not safe.

• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  Beginning in approximately May 2025, the vehicle began displaying diagnostic trouble codes identified by independent auto parts retailers and service providers. These codes indicated potential issues within the engine, electrical, and powertrain systems. The vehicle was subsequently brought to a dealership for diagnostic evaluation and remained there from approximately May 15 through May 19, 2025. During this time, the dealership reported that no diagnostic codes were present and did not resolve the reported issue. However, the vehicle had recently exhibited repeatable symptoms, including entering “limp mode” and triggering diagnostic trouble codes, prior to being delivered to the dealership. Similar codes and issues were again identified after the dealership visit. The vehicle has experienced multiple incidents of entering “limp mode,” resulting in sudden loss of power and reduced drivability while in operation. This condition occurred without reliable warning and created unsafe driving situations, including the inability to maintain normal traffic flow. Due to safety concerns, the vehicle has not been driven under normal conditions since approximately May 2025 and has been limited to short, local movements only. The issue poses a safety risk to the driver, passengers, and surrounding traffic due to unexpected loss of power and inconsistent system diagnostics. The problem appears to be ongoing and unresolved. Independent diagnostic records and service visit documentation are available upon request.

• UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  The Powershift for the transmission is the issue. Got two notices about a software update and followed through with updates. When done my Ford dealership said they couldn’t do anything else and that I was just going to be like it was. I never received any more recalls or even a Class Action letter! I recently called Ford motor headquarters and they found my information and could not confirm any additional recalls to me or the class action letter that was sent to me and said that they would NOT DO anything for me! No goodwill — Thisissue from this area continues and I very concerned for my safety! Need help.

• STEERING

  The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn while driving. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,604.

• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  I filled up my gas tank and a couple minutes later experienced shuddering while parked so I decided to turn the vehicle off and turn it back on but it struggles to turn back on. I then drove back home and as I was driving the acceleration was going up and down and then to 0. As i stopped on a red light the car completely shut down while the light then turned green and the check engine light, battery, and oil light came on. I then turned the vehicle off and in order to start it I had to step on the gas. I made it home but have not driven it since. I noticed there was a 19S22 recall but I spoke with ford and they said my vehicle didn’t get it but it is experiencing the same issues that the recall mentioned. There is a one time replacement for the CPV but it doesn’t cover half of what the 19S22 does and it seems to be the same problem.

• POWER TRAIN

  The transmission begin to stall and would not shift. The motor would get to high RPMS and then shift hard into the next gear. I was able to pull over and the TCM error code popped up on the dash. I was able to get the car to the dealer. I was notified that the TCM failed and Ford would no longer cover this failed part. The car is a 2012 Focus with only 69,000 miles. Dealership is wanting $2,116.00 to fix.

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  After receiving program #24N07 on 12/04/2024, my 2012 ford focus was stalling out while downshifting to stops and after refueling, this happened around the 1st week of December of 2025 about a year after getting it repaired by the Ford dealership in my area. Replaced it myself this time, but sort of crazy to have to replace yet another purge valve just a year after.

• STEERING

  Steering system failure light came on and the Rack and pinion failed with no warning while I was driving on the highway at 75mph and the steering wheel locked up almost causing a potential fatal accident.