2012 Ford Focus Electric Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Focus Electric years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Focus Electric. That ranks 3rd out of 6 Focus Electric model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (14 complaints, 42%), typically at around 13,580 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 33owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Ford Focus Electric problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 14 | 42% | 13,580 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 42% | 13,465 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 18% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 12% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 9% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 9% | 8,664 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 6% | 6,517 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 6% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% | 19,403 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Ford Focus Electric recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:electrical
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 120V Convenience charge cords that were supplied with and sold for use with 2013-2015 Ford C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi vehicles and 2012-2015 Ford Focus Electric vehicles. Cords with part numbers FM58-10B706-AA, FM58-10B706-AB, FM58-10B706-AC, FM58-10B706-AD, FM58-10B706-AE and FM58-10B706-AF were manufactured without thermistors, and during vehicle charging, increased resistance in the house's outlet or wiring can cause the cord to overheat and melt.
Risk: An overheated cord can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the current cord with a new 120V convenience cord with a thermistor, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S24.
Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Focus Electric vehicles manufactured September 15, 2011, through August 23, 2013. In the affected vehicles, a powertrain control module software problem may result in a stall-like condition.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the power control module, free of charge. The recall beganon November 22, 2013. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S09. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.
Equipment:electrical:anti-theft devices; electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Focus Electric vehicles and 2013 C-Max vehicles equipped with the Intelligent Access Push Button Start System. In the affected vehicles, there is no audible chime when the vehicle is operational and the driver's door is opened. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: Without an audible door chime, a vehicle owner may open the door and exit the vehicle without being reminded that the vehicle is still operational, leaving the vehicle susceptible to theft.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the door chime, free of charge. The recall began on October 30, 2013. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13C07.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
- Door Latch Failures (RQ19005) — opened Dec 19, 2019, closed Feb 7, 2022, led to recall 20V177000.
- Door Latch Failure (PE16001) — opened Jan 16, 2016, closed Oct 29, 2016, led to recall 16V643000.
- Electric powertrain propulsion failure (PE13031) — opened Sep 6, 2013, closed Nov 15, 2013, led to recall 13V523000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus BEV. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that an unknown warning light was illuminated and remained illuminated for several days. The failure recurred several times. On one occasion, the contact was unable to start the…
My shocks and my transmission i believe
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus electric. While driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle hesitated to switch gears. The vehicle was driven to mahwah ford (55 franklin tpk, mahwah, nj 07430) where it was diagnosed that the clutch assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired…
My vehicle experienced a stop safely now message while driving. Power were cut off and the vehicle stalled in moving traffic. My vehicle had done a recall on the power harness to address the stop safely now issue but i don't think the recall fixed it completely.
Jerking during take off and gear shifting. While driving car will jerk at low speed but rise to 4 speed. Took to dealership they say it's transmission clutch shudder, my third replacement and it's a issue tht continues to happen. $1400.00 repair
Other Ford Focus Electric years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Focus Electric | 7 | 0 |
| 2016 Focus Electric | 5 | 1 |
| 2015 Focus Electric | 12 | 2 |
| 2014 Focus Electric | 55 | 2 |
| 2013 Focus Electric | 69 | 3 |
| 2012 | 33 | 3 |
See all Ford Focus Electric problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford Focus Electric?
Owners most often report electrical system, power train, steering problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 14 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Focus Electric?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Ford Focus Electric a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Focus Electric model years, the 2012 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.