The Lemon Index

All cars · Ford Focus · 2015

2015 Ford Focus. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index112100 = average car
Complaints229NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold202,478U.S. model year
Per 100K sold113complaints
Year rank#7 of 15#1 = fewest complaints

Engines and drivetrains 6

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
1.0L 3-cyl turboManual 6-spdFWD29 / 38 / 32Regular$1,950
2.0L 4-cylAuto (AM6)FWD27 / 38 / 31Regular$2,000
2.0L 4-cylAuto (S6)FWD26 / 37 / 30Regular$2,100
2.0L 4-cylManual 5-spdFWD26 / 35 / 29Regular$2,150
2.0L 4-cyl turboManual 6-spdFWD23 / 31 / 26Regular$2,400
ElectricAuto (A1)FWD110 / 99 / 105Electricity$700

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 33,600 and 84,000 miles. Median 60,000, from 675 complaints with a mileage.

SystemMedianMiddle halfComplaints
Transmission & drivetrain60,00030,000–86,000392
Engine63,20037,500–89,80096
Fuel or ev drive system64,00044,500–81,70079
Steering61,60038,000–76,50072
Electrical49,30012,600–70,00036

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Transmission & drivetrain55%
Engine13%
Steering11%
Electrical9%
Fuel or ev drive system7%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
1,03432419079

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 9

  • 26V369000 Jun 2026 Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Evaporative Emissions / Canister

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. An engine that stalls while driving increases the risk of a crash.

    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.

  • 26V376000 Jun 2026 Power Train / Manual Transmission

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.

    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. Owner notification letters were October 16, 2026. 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 o

  • 26V011000 Jan 2026 Equipment / Electrical / Engine Block Heater

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

    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

  • 20V331000 Jun 2020 Latches/Locks/Linkages / Doors / Latch

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    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. Ow

  • 18V735000 Oct 2018 Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. The excessive vaccuum may result in an engine stall while driving, without warning and without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    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 th

  • 18V169000 Mar 2018 Power Train / Manual Transmission

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.

    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

  • 16V698000 Sep 2016 Latches/Locks/Linkages / Hatchback/Liftgate / Lock

    Defect. 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."

    Risk. With only a single press needed, the driver may accidently unlatch the hatchback, increasing the risk of injury to any unsecured passengers in the back.

    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.

  • 16V643000 Sep 2016 Latches/Locks/Linkages / Doors / Latch

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    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.

  • 15V436000 Jul 2015 Electrical System / Ignition

    Defect. 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."

    Risk. If the engine does not turn off as expected, someone could move the transmission shifter out of park and the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.

    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.

NHTSA investigations

StatusSubjectOpenedClosed
OpenTiming belt failure2026–
ClosedTiming belt failure20252026
ClosedLoss of motive power20232024
ClosedDoor latch failures20192022
ClosedDoor latch failure20162016

Manufacturer communications 131

Ford filed 131 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Transmission fluid leakage and excessive transmission
  • 2011-2015 fiesta and 2012-2015 focus may show concerns of loss of transmission engagement…
  • Dps6 - no start and/or transmission engagement or loss of power with dtcs u0100, u0101, u1013,…

Crash ratings by version

VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Ford Focus 5 HB FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆
Ford Focus 4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆
Ford Focus Bev 5 HB FWDnot ratednot ratednot rated★★★★★

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardNoOptional

YouTube repair topics

100 videos about the 2012–2018 Ford Focus, 34.5M views.

TopicVideosViews
Infotainment, battery & electrical92.3M
Transmission & shifter41.2M
Gauges, lights & wiring4748K
No-start: theft light, key & ignition1651K
Intake, EGR & engine sensors1400K
Oil changes & service2370K
Steering & suspension2323K
Fuel pump, filter & tank1268K

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
20124131,099245,922Transmission & drivetrain
2013314930234,570Transmission & drivetrain
2014380950219,634Transmission & drivetrain
2015112229202,478Transmission & drivetrain
2016195351168,789Transmission & drivetrain
2017165279158,385Transmission & drivetrain
2018167212125,825Transmission & drivetrain

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated

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