Reliable Auto DB

2015 Ford Focus reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Ford Focus has 1,030 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 45 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Focus years here — under the median of the other years, which is 131. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Manual transmission, Evaporative emissions canister, and Engine block heater.

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

1,030

Per year

45

Recalls

9

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (562 of 1,030), then Engine (175) and Fuel and propulsion system (140). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 60,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 33,614 and 83,750 miles. Those filings include 32 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, and 19 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Focus has 2,656 complaints, 249 per year, and the 2016 has 1,192 complaints, 51 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

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 2015 Ford Focus. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (9)

Recall powertrain, manual transmission 2026-06-09 · NHTSA campaign 26V376000
Summary 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.
Remedy Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect Focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. 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.
Vehicles affected 5,252
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 equipment, electrical, engine block heater 2026-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 26V011000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Vehicles affected 116,672
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 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 powertrain, manual transmission 2018-03-12 · NHTSA campaign 18V169000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Vehicles affected 5,361
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, liftgate, lock 2016-09-28 · NHTSA campaign 16V698000
Summary 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."
Remedy 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.
Vehicles affected 64,038
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 electrical system, ignition 2015-07-08 · NHTSA campaign 15V436000
Summary 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."
Remedy 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.
Vehicles affected 374,781

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

Complaints by component (1030 total)

Powertrain
562
Engine
175
Fuel and propulsion system
140
Steering
96
Electrical system
68
Speed control
44
Fuel system, gasoline
33
Air bags
18
Structure
16
Wheels
12
Service brakes
10
Visibility and wipers
9
Electronic stability control (ESC)
8
Latches, locks, and linkages
8
Engine and engine cooling
7
Seat belts
6
Suspension
4
Exterior lighting
3
Back-over prevention
2
Seats
2
Visibility
2
Adaptive and mobility equipment
1
Equipment
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

32

Fire-flagged

4

Injury reports

19

Death reports

0

Of the 674 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 60,000 miles. The middle half fall between 33,614 and 83,750 miles.

Complaints filed per year

26201550201658201795201822520191042020662021107202210220231042024622025312026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My 2015 Ford Focus SE with the 1.0L EcoBoost engine and 6-speed manual transmission is experiencing a loss of engine lubrication/oil flow. The camshafts are not receiving adequate oil, there appears to be insufficient…"
    Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-12
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the vehicle failed to respond, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-11
  • "The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of motive power due to an internal engine failure while stopped at an idle in active traffic. The engine stalled completely and would not restart, creating an immediate…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-28
  • "The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while the transmission was in reverse(R), and the vehicle rolled backwards downhill while depressing the brake pedal. The…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-08-10
  • "The transmission was repaired at 48k and I am now at 76k having severe issues with jerking, shuddering, and so forth. The car has undergone excellent maintenance for the CARFAX proves this. I bought this car with the…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-10

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2015 Ford Focus 5 HB FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2015 Ford Focus Bev 5 HB FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 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 (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 110 99 105 MPG / 76 mi range $700
Focus front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 27 38 31 MPG $2100
Focus front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 26 37 30 MPG $2150
Focus front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Front-wheel drive 26 35 29 MPG $2250
Focus front-wheel drive 1L, 3-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 29 38 32 MPG $2050
Focus front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 23 31 26 MPG $2500
Focus front-wheel drive flex-fuel 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 27 39 31 MPG $2100
Focus front-wheel drive flex-fuel 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 26 37 30 MPG $2150
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 1L, 3-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 30 41 34 MPG $1900

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

Previous year 2014 Ford Focus Next year 2016 Ford Focus See every Ford Focus model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Ford Focus reliable?

The 2015 Ford Focus has 1,030 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 45 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Focus years here — under the median of the other years, which is 131. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Manual transmission, Evaporative emissions canister, and Engine block heater.

What are common problems with a 2015 Ford Focus?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (562 of 1,030), then Engine (175) and Fuel and propulsion system (140). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 60,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 33,614 and 83,750 miles. Those filings include 32 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, and 19 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Ford Focus more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Focus has 2,656 complaints, 249 per year, and the 2016 has 1,192 complaints, 51 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Ford Focus been recalled?

The 2015 Ford Focus has 9 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 2015 Ford Focus?

Owners have filed 1030 complaints about the 2015 Ford Focus with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Ford Focus get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Ford Focus is 37.7 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.