2017 Ford Focus reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Ford Focus holds 903 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 59 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Focus years here — under the median of the other years, which is 128. NHTSA has 10 recalls on file, including Evaporative emissions canister, Manual transmission, and Engine block heater.

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

Complaints

903

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (454 of 903), then Engine (232) and Fuel and propulsion system (117). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 55,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 25,775 and 80,347 miles. Those filings include 18 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 12 that report an injury.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 Focus has 1,192 complaints, 51 per year, and the 2018 has 834 complaints, 45 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 Ford Focus. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (10)

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 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 equipment, electrical, engine block heater 2026-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 26V012000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. 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 blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in October 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.

Vehicles affected 2,403

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 engine and cooling, engine, oil and lubrication, pump 2023-12-22 · NHTSA campaign 23V905000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.

Remedy Dealers will replace the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt, free of charge. If engine failure occurs due to a damaged oil pump belt and/or oil pump belt tensioner, Ford has authorized dealers to replace the engine assembly as an interim repair before the availability of remedy parts for the final repair. This repair will be free of charge (parts and labor). Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S64.

Vehicles affected 139,730

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 powertrain, manual transmission 2018-11-28 · NHTSA campaign 18V845000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. 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 vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07. Note: This recall is an expansion of Recall 18V-169.

Vehicles affected 2,828

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 seat belts, rear or other 2017-08-28 · NHTSA campaign 17V528000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Focus vehicles. The rear left side seat back frame may have an insufficient weld between the outboard pivot bracket and the pivot nut joint, resulting in the seat back having reduced strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the rear second left side rear seat back as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C13.

Vehicles affected 698

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

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

Complaints by component (903 total)

Powertrain

454

Engine

232

Fuel and propulsion system

117

Engine and engine cooling

Fuel system, gasoline

Electrical system

Speed control

Steering

Air bags

Service brakes

Exterior lighting

Wheels

Structure

Seat belts

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Seats

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Forward collision avoidance

Back-over prevention

Hydraulic brakes

Latches, locks, and linkages

Tires

Visibility

Show 16 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 530 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 55,000 miles. The middle half fall between 25,775 and 80,347 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"We have a recall for our car. The recall is 18532A. In this recall it states that if there are drivability issues with this car they are to replace the canister purge valve. We have complained of these exact issues…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-01
"The transmission on my 2017 Ford Focus started not shifting correctly. It would shudder, slip and hesitate when shifting. At times when it did get up to speed it would unexpectedly downshift and go into limp mode. The…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-08-29
"What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission failure after 2 recall/warranty repairs, most recently in July 2026. How was your safety or the safety of…"
Engine · filed 2026-08-26
"2017 focus slow down for traffic go to accelerate and nothing like it wasn’t in gear had to jump out and push car out of intersection told the clutch stuck or tcm but ford won’t fix their mistakes and nobody makes them…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-08-24
"The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a recall repair associated with an engine oil failure and tensioner replacement. The contact stated that after the recall…"
Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-08-20

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2017 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2017 Ford Focus 5 HB FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2017 Ford Focus Bev 5 HB FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	5 stars
2017 Ford Focus RS 5 HB AWD	5 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 (1-speed)	Front-wheel drive	118	96	107 MPG / 115 mi range	$700
Focus front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S6)	Front-wheel drive	26	36	29 MPG	$2250
Focus front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	26	38	31 MPG	$2100
Focus front-wheel drive	1L, 3-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	27	38	31 MPG	$2100
Focus front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 5-speed	Front-wheel drive	25	34	28 MPG	$2300
Focus front-wheel drive	1L, 3-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	30	40	34 MPG	$1900
Focus front-wheel drive flex-fuel	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S6)	Front-wheel drive	26	36	29 MPG	$2250
Focus front-wheel drive flex-fuel	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	26	38	31 MPG	$2100
Focus front-wheel drive flex-fuel	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 5-speed	Front-wheel drive	25	34	28 MPG	$2300
Focus RS all-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	All-wheel drive	19	25	22 MPG	$3650
Focus ST front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	22	30	25 MPG	$2600

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 2016 Ford Focus Next year 2018 Ford Focus See every Ford Focus model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Ford Focus reliable?

What are common problems with a 2017 Ford Focus?

Is the 2017 Ford Focus more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2017 Ford Focus been recalled?

The 2017 Ford Focus has 10 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 2017 Ford Focus?

Owners have filed 903 complaints about the 2017 Ford Focus with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Ford Focus get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Ford Focus is 35.9 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.