2012 FORD FOCUS Complaints

I have a 2012 Ford Focus SE that has a severe audio issue which impacts my ability to safely operate the vehicle. I understand radio issues are not technically defined as a safety-related defect. However this issue is so impairing and physically harming to me, I fear for my life and others while driving this car. The issue is a faulty car stereo electronics which create high-decibel thumping, popping, static, and more at random intervals and lengths while the audio system is on or off, with the volume turned all the way down either way. It is like a never-ending audio jump scare. Nothing is plugged into the car like a phone charger or speaker. I have found hundreds of people online with this same issue with their 2012 Ford Focus. In order to safely operate their Focus, many reported completely disconnecting the audio system or replacing their entire car radio/audio transmitter for $800+. This issue has been escalating every drive, short or long distances. On my 40 min commute this morning, with my audio completely off, I was approaching a roundabout to enter when a HUGE audio thump and pop occurred and almost ran into a car in the roundabout. Thankfully they saw me and we avoided a crash. I am terrified of this happening again. I cannot commute to my job without extreme stress and crying. I do not have hundreds of dollars to replace my audio system. This is extremely dangerous. I was able to find a solution to the exact issue on focusfanatics.com, a Ford Focus forum. An electric technician with 40+ years of experience took a look at his son's Ford Focus 2012 PCB and realized the capacitors/electrolytic caps were made of aluminum which is apparently, "notorious for going bad in the electronic repair world." He replaced these and the son has not had an issue since. Another person on the forum reported this electrician's solution worked for them as well. All 2012 Ford Focuses should have this issue repaired in order to have a safe operating vehicle.

Driving 40 MPH around a curvy mountainous road the Power Steering suddenly stopped working making steering almost impossible thankfully there was a pull off spot straight ahead or I would have been in a major accident.

THE DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY INDICATED THAT THIS ISSUE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HAS BEEN SETTLED REGARDING THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE.

MY TWO SONS WERE TURNING LEFT WHEN THEY WERE T-BONED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. MY SONS VEHICLE WAS STRUCK IN THE RIGHT REAR. THE SIDE AIR BAGS WENT OFF BUT NOT THE TWO FRONTS. ALSO THEIR SEAT BELTS DID NOT TIGHTEN. BC OF THIS BOTH SONS SUFFERED TBI'S, ONE VERY SEVERE AND IS STILL RECOVERING. THE OTHER REQUIRED BRAIN SURGERY. I AM SO UPSET THAT THEIR SEAT BELT DID NOT TIGHTEN. I BOUGHT A NEWER FORD THINKING IT WAS GOING TO BE SAFE. PLEASE SOMEONE FIX THIS DEFECT. I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS COULD EVER HAPPEN. THEY WERE HIT FROM THE OTHER PERSON GOING 45 MPH SO IT SHOULD HAVE TIGHTENED. SAD MOMMA. LIVES CHANGED FOREVER. :( [XXX]*DT PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

I HAD JUST PURCHASED FORD FOCUS USED. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME, THAT MY CAUSE RECALL DOES NOT STAND. BECAUSE IT EXCEEDED OVER 100,000 MILES. THEY SAID IT OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY TOLD ME TO PAY $3,400 ESTIMATION TO FIX THE CAR. I TOLD THEM RECALL DON'T EXPIRE. ALSO THAT FORD MANUFACTURES TELL ME UP TO 2012-2017 HAVE RECALLS ON TRANSMISSIONS ISSUES. I'M JUST UPSET THEY DON'T HOLD UP TO THERE STANDARDS WITH FORD AND I LOVE FORD MOTORS. THEY CAR STALLS AND WON'T GO INTO GEAR. IT HAS DIFFICULTY RESPONDING TO GEARS. I BOUGHT IT USED ABS NOTICE THE PROBLEMS. SO I HAULED IT IN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP.

I HAVE HAD THIS SITUATION HAPPEN IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. ESSENTIALLY, THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT KNOW IF THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK / REVERSE / NEUTRAL / DRIVE AND THEREFORE I CANNOT SHIFT POSITIONS OR MOVE THE VEHICLE. SOMETIMES WHEN I TURN VEHICLE OVER, I AM PARKED BUT VEHICLE DOES NOT KNOW I AM PARKED (THERE IS P / R / N / D ON DASHBOARD AND USUALLY A GREY BOX INDICATES WHAT POSITION I AM IN. WHEN IT DOESN'T KNOW WHERE I AM, THERE IS NO GREY BOX AT ALL). SOMETIMES THIS HAPPENS AFTER DRIVING, THEN I PARK AND SIT IDLE FOR A BIT, THEN TRY TO LEAVE BUT VEHICLE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT POSITION I AM IN. IN THE MOST DANGEROUS SCENARIOS, I WILL BE DRIVING!!!!! THEN THE VEHICLE DOESN'T KNOW I AM IN D AND WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE, I JUST REV ON THE ENGINE AS IF I AM IN NEUTRAL. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY AS WELL AS WHEN GOING SLOW. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THIS VEHICLE IS KNOWN FOR HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES (IT WAS NOT WELL KNOWN WHEN I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE). CAR IS CURRENTLY IN SHOP SO I DO NOT HAVE ANY INFO / FEEDBACK FROM FORD.

AS I GO DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SHOWS A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND LOSSES ALL POWER, THE POWER TRAIN GOES DEATH. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION SPECIALLY WHEN YOURE TRAVELING ON A PRETTY LOADED HIGHWAY AT 78MPH. THE ONLY GOOD THING IS THAT STEERING WHEEL IS STILL ALIVE AND BRAKES TOO. I HAD 90% OF BATTERY LIFE AND IT WAS A HOT DAY OUT THERE AT 94F DEGREES. I DID NOT TAKE A PICTURE OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BUT I HAVE THE MESSAGE I RECEIVED IN MY CELL PHONE.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2012 FORD FOCUS SE ON 4/28/2021 AT 45MPH MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN TO MOVE ERRATICALLY ON THEIR OWN - AT DIFFERENT SPEED LEVELS. THEY DID NOT RESPOND TO THE LEVER AT ALL. THE WIPERS CONTINUED AFTER IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. AT 7:15AM THE NEXT MORNING OF 4/29/2021 WHILE DRIVING AT 20MPH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RESPONDED TO THE LEVER WHEN TURNED ON AND OFF. HOWEVER AT 10:30A, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH ERRATICALLY AGAIN WITHOUT BEING ACTIVATED BY THE LEVER. LATER IN THE AFTER NOON, 5PM WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER IN THE MIDST OF A RAINSTORM. AS OF TODAY, 4/30/2021 THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE NON-RESPONSIVE.

WHILE ACCELERATING OUT OF A PARKING LOT TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC, ACCELERATING THROUGH INTERSECTIONS, OR TAKING A RIGHT ON RED, THE CAR WILL START TO ACCELERATE AND THEN SUDDENLY AS IT TRY'S TO DOWNSHIFT, IT ACTS AS IF ITS STUCK IN NEUTRAL, AND WONT ACCELERATE AT ALL. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS I HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT BY OTHER MOVING VEHICLES. SOME GOING 50 MPH HAVE HAD TO SLAM THEIR BRAKES ON BECAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO FINISH ACCELERATING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. WHEN IT ISN'T DOING THAT, IT HAS JERKY/ ROUGH/ DOWNSHIFTS. IT ALSO VIBRATES WHEN I TRY TO SPEED UP AND SOMETIMES HAS A HESITATION AND THEN WILL KICK IN TO GEAR. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO GET HIT BY OTHER CARS IN MOTION MULTIPLE TIMES . ESPECIALLY TRYING TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC! I BROUGHT IT TO THE USED DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY DISCOVERED THERE WAS A COMMUNICATION ERROR CODE WITH THE TCM. THEY DID A SYSTEM RESET AND 24 HOURS LATER, IT WAS BACK TO DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE AND THE RECALL DOES A FREE RESET FOR YOU. WELL, THIS DOES NOT FIX THE SAFETY ISSUE! IT ACTUALLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED TO THEIR NEWER UPDATED MODEL THAT ISN'T DEFECTIVE LIKE THIS ONE. SO, THEIR CURRENT SAFETY RECALL DOES NOTHING. ALSO, OTHER RESEARCH SHOWED ME THAT FORD WENT THROUGH A GIANT LAWSUIT OVER THESE EXACT PROBLEMS IN 2016 AND ONE RESULT WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 10 YEARS OR 150K MILES. THIS DOESN'T HELP THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY OVER THE 150K MILES! THEIR SAFETY ISSUE IS STILL PRESENT! NEXT I'M CONTACTING THE BBB, ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE LOCAL NEW CHANNELS, AND THE GOVERNOR! THIS RECALL NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO GETTING IT REPLACED!!!! NOT JUST RESET!! *RECALL 13V523000 *SOURCES OF MY INFORMATION: HTTPS://WWW.CARS.COM/ARTICLES/FORD-FOCUS-FIESTA-TRANSMISSION-SETTLEMENT-WHAT-OWNERS-SHOULD-KNOW-420135/

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AT START-UP. THE CONTACT WOULD RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. RECENTLY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESUME NORMAL OPERATION AFTER THE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS NEEDED TO STEER THE VEHICLE ONCE THE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 128,000. Consumer stated steering was replaced.