2012 Ford Focus reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 Ford Focus has 3,801 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 219 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Focus years here — over the median of the other years, which is 55. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Evaporative emissions canister, Latch, and Gasoline fuel system, storage.

2013 Ford Focus SE hatchback — Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

3,801

Per year

219

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (1,459 of 3,801), then Steering (933) and Engine (477). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 67,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 38,000 and 96,075 miles. Those filings include 108 that report a crash, 15 that report a fire, 72 that report an injury, and 4 that report a death.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Focus has 2,110 complaints, 204 per year. The 2012 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Ford Focus. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (8)

Recall Evaporative emissions canister 2026-06-09 · NHTSA campaign 26V369000

Summary 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 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.

Vehicles affected 257,868

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2020-06-08 · NHTSA campaign 20V331000

Summary 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.

Vehicles affected 2,147,323

Recall gasoline fuel system, storage 2019-07-05 · NHTSA campaign 19V515000

Summary 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.

Vehicles affected 57,488

Recall gasoline fuel system, storage 2018-10-22 · NHTSA campaign 18V735000

Summary 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.

Vehicles affected 1,282,596

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2016-09-06 · NHTSA campaign 16V643000

Summary 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.

Vehicles affected 2,046,297

Recall Exterior lighting 2013-08-01 · NHTSA campaign 13V335000

Summary 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.

Vehicles affected 6,308

Recall Equipment 2012-10-02 · NHTSA campaign 12E035000

Summary 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.

Vehicles affected 440

Recall Windshield wiper/washer switch and wiring 2012-04-05 · NHTSA campaign 12V149000

Summary 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.

Vehicles affected 140,310

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (3801 total)

Powertrain

1459

Steering

933

Engine

477

Electrical system

366

Structure

332

Fuel and propulsion system

287

Speed control

170

Latches, locks, and linkages

134

Air bags

Fuel system, gasoline

Service brakes

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Visibility and wipers

Seat belts

Wheels

Suspension

Engine and engine cooling

Exterior lighting

Visibility

Tires

Equipment

Seats

Hydraulic brakes

Traction control

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Forward collision avoidance

Parking brake

Air brakes

Back-over prevention

Show 21 more Show less

Crash-flagged

108

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 3,140 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 67,000 miles. The middle half fall between 38,000 and 96,075 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the part to do the recall repair was denied. The contact stated that upon…"
Latches, locks, and linkages · filed 2026-09-04
"Rowe ford came stated he checked to see it the software was there also stated there were codes and said he was done. He never fixed the software cause i have u codes that state pcm and has locked my car into limp mode…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-09-03
"I am submitting this complaint because Ford dealers do not appear to be following Ford Motor Company's published procedure for Customer Satisfaction Program 24N07. I visited two Ford service departments in [XXX] and…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-01
"The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated and stalled. The vehicle was able to restart but failed to move. The message…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-08-26
"The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, with an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-08-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2012 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2012 Ford Focus 5 DR FWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Focus Electric	—	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	110	99	105 MPG / 76 mi range	$700
Focus front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S6)	Front-wheel drive	27	36	30 MPG	$2150
Focus front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	27	37	31 MPG	$2100
Focus front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 5-speed	Front-wheel drive	26	35	29 MPG	$2250
Focus front-wheel drive flex-fuel	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S6)	Front-wheel drive	27	36	31 MPG	$2100
Focus front-wheel drive flex-fuel	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	27	37	31 MPG	$2100
Focus front-wheel drive flex-fuel	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 5-speed	Front-wheel drive	26	35	29 MPG	$2250
Focus SFE front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	28	39	32 MPG	$2050
Focus SFE front-wheel drive flex-fuel	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	28	39	32 MPG	$2050

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2012–2018

Body styles Sedan, Hatchback

Oil 5W-20 (2.0L, most trims); 5W-30 (ST) , 4.5 qt capacity

Tire size 195/65R15 (S) to 235/40R18 (ST); RS 235/35R19

Known issues for this generation

Focus models from 2012-2016 built with the optional PowerShift dual-clutch automatic transmission (DPS6) developed a well-documented pattern of rough shifting and repeat repairs to the clutch and clutch seals, the same underlying defect covered in the nationwide Vargas v. Ford Motor Co. class action settlement (final approval March 2020) that also covers 2011-2016 Fiesta owners. NHTSA found no evidence that the transmission is a safety risk and did not order a recall; in August 2019 Ford extended the clutch warranty to seven years or 100,000 miles on roughly 560,000 affected Focus and Fiesta cars. Only PowerShift-equipped cars are covered by the settlement.

Compare

Next year 2013 Ford Focus See every Ford Focus model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Ford Focus reliable?

What are common problems with a 2012 Ford Focus?

Is the 2012 Ford Focus more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Focus has 2,110 complaints, 204 per year. The 2012 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2013.

Has the 2012 Ford Focus been recalled?

The 2012 Ford Focus has 8 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Ford Focus?

Owners have filed 3801 complaints about the 2012 Ford Focus with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Ford Focus get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Ford Focus is 38.9 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2015 Ford Focus?

3rd generation (2012-2018), the last Focus generation sold in the US.

Does the Ford Focus have PowerShift transmission problems?

2012-2016 automatic Focus models with the optional DPS6 dual-clutch transmission were covered by a 2020 class-action settlement and a 2019 clutch warranty extension; NHTSA did not order a recall.