Car Record Book

2015 Ford Focus recalls & problems

The 2015 Ford Focus has 9 safety recalls and 1,022 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is power train (561 complaints).

Recalls9safety recalls
Complaints1,022filed by owners
Crashes · fires31 · 4reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths28 · 0reported in complaints
2015 Ford Focus in an NHTSA crash test
2015 Ford Focus in an NHTSA crash test

Safety recalls

Power train › Manual transmission

NHTSA recall 26V376000 · Jun 9, 2026 · 5,252 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect Focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were October 16, 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 system, gasoline › Storage › Evaporative emissions › Canister

NHTSA recall 26V369000 · Jun 9, 2026 · 257,868 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 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.

Equipment › Electrical › Engine block heater

NHTSA recall 26V011000 · Jan 15, 2026 · 116,672 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch

NHTSA recall 20V331000 · Jun 8, 2020 · 2,147,323 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: 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.

Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Fix: 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

NHTSA recall 18V735000 · Oct 22, 2018 · 1,282,596 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

Components: Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Evaporative emissions › Canister; Fuel system, gasoline › Storage

Power train › Manual transmission

NHTSA recall 18V169000 · Mar 12, 2018 · 5,361 vehicles

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Fusion vehicles equipped with a 1.6L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission and 2015-2016 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission. Also included are four 2017 Ford Focus vehicles that had clutch replacements with potentially affected parts. 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.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Focus vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. Owners of Fusion vehicles will have their clutch assembly replaced free of charge. The recall began August 3, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07.

Latches/locks/linkages › Hatchback/liftgate › Lock

NHTSA recall 16V698000 · Sep 28, 2016 · 64,038 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (OVSC)

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

Components: Latches/locks/linkages › Hatchback/liftgate › Lock; Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate

Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch

NHTSA recall 16V643000 · Sep 6, 2016 · 2,046,297 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: 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.

Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Fix: 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.

Electrical system › Ignition

NHTSA recall 15V436000 · Jul 8, 2015 · 374,781 vehicles

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the engine may continue to run after the key or the START/STOP engine button is turned to off. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Risk: If the engine does not turn off as expected, someone could move the transmission shifter out of park and the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C06.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2015 Ford Focus NHTSA side crash test
NHTSA side barrier crash test
2015 Ford Focus NHTSA side pole crash test
NHTSA side pole crash test

2015 Ford Focus 5 HB FWD

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Rollover risk11.6%

2015 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Rollover risk11.6%

2015 Ford Focus Bev 5 HB FWD

OverallNot Rated
Frontal crashNot Rated
Side crashNot Rated
Rollover★★★★★
Rollover risk10.1%

Forward collision warning: No · Lane departure warning: Optional

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

Focus SFE FWD

34mpg combined
City / highway30 / 41 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

1 L · 3 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $1,950/year to fuel

Focus FWD

32mpg combined
City / highway29 / 38 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

1 L · 3 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,100/year to fuel

Focus FWD

31mpg combined
City / highway27 / 38 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (AM6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,150/year to fuel

Focus FWD FFV FFV

31mpg combined
City / highway27 / 39 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (AM6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,150/year to fuel

Focus FWD

30mpg combined
City / highway26 / 37 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,250/year to fuel

Focus FWD FFV FFV

30mpg combined
City / highway26 / 37 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,250/year to fuel

Focus FWD

29mpg combined
City / highway26 / 35 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,300/year to fuel

Focus FWD FFV FFV

29mpg combined
City / highway26 / 35 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,300/year to fuel

Focus FWD

26mpg combined
City / highway23 / 31 mpg
FuelRegular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,600/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem areaComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuriesTypical mileage*
Power train
Clutch assembly; Automatic transmission
561110660,000 mi
Engine
17322465,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
13801064,000 mi
Unknown or other
12033451,657 mi
Steering
Electric power assist system; Rack and pinion
9420061,609 mi
Electrical system
12v/24v/48v battery › Cables; Instrument panel › Fuel gauge
6421750,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
Accelerator pedal
4230045,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline
Storage › Evaporative emissions › Canister; Storage › Tank assembly
3410077,000 mi
Air bags
181401743,500 mi
Structure
Body; Frame and members
1610117,900 mi
Wheels
1200031,224 mi
Service brakes
1010127,000 mi

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations