2012 Ford Focus Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 1,446 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Focus, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 55,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission control module” (8% of reports).
- 1,446power train complaints
- 55,000median miles at failure
- 31mention a crash
- 12mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 26%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Transmission control module: mentioned in 121 of 1,446 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2012 Ford Focus at $2,100, and half of them between $1,550 and $3,200.
Based on 37 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2013–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 1,179 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,446 complaints, 31 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 12 an injury.
Ford Focus power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Focus | 319 | 38% | 56,000 |
| 2017 Focus | 455 | 51% | 50,000 |
| 2016 Focus | 674 | 57% | 64,000 |
| 2015 Focus | 559 | 55% | 60,000 |
| 2014 Focus | 1,576 | 61% | 40,500 |
| 2013 Focus | 1,102 | 52% | 39,000 |
| 2012 Focus | 1,446 | 38% | 55,000 |
| 2011 Focus | 20 | 18% | 61,000 |
| 2010 Focus | 45 | 16% | 63,000 |
| 2009 Focus | 39 | 17% | 57,641 |
| 2008 Focus | 23 | 9% | 77,000 |
| 2007 Focus | 43 | 11% | 53,250 |
| 2006 Focus | 14 | 7% | 58,127 |
| 2005 Focus | 47 | 11% | 53,500 |
| 2004 Focus | 20 | 5% | 34,190 |
| 2003 Focus | 48 | 5% | 19,000 |
| 2002 Focus | 58 | 6% | 40,350 |
| 2001 Focus | 90 | 5% | 41,500 |
| 2000 Focus | 225 | 6% | 38,610 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2012 Ford Focus. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Transmission overheating warning light Transmission clutch stuck open recommended to change out âactuator Aâ but did not solve. Clutch fork needs replacement
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 which means my car is immobilized due to the bad software. They closed Out the…
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 "Transmission Failure" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Ford Focuss have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,446 owner complaints about power train for the 2012 Ford Focus (38% of the 3,769 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Focus power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 55,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2012 Ford Focus?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,100 (half paid between $1,550 and $3,200), from 37 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Focus?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission control module”, in 121 of 1,446 complaints.
Other 2012 Ford Focus problems
See all 2012 Ford Focus problems or power train problems across all Focus years.