Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My yellow wench check engine light came on,I was stopped at a 4 way city intersection and when I stepped on the gas pedal the car would not pick up any speed. I was stuck with traffic behind me. I had to go through the intersection at idle speed pull off the road, turn the car off and wait a few seconds then restart it. I was then able to drive it and the yellow check engine light was no longer on.the yellow light check engine light has come on before and I had Goodyear and auto zone check it on their computer and it came up with code p2135 throttle sensor. The guy at auto zone told me to enter that code on utube and see what other people did to fix the issue. There are many stories on youtube etc regarding this issue. It seems to be a widely know issue and on another Ford car they had a recall for it. …
While driving late at night 12:30 a.m.from work on mn hwy 169 n I was exiting onto mn hwy 62 w, slowing down to 20 miles hr. Car slows down to 5 miles per hr., wrench light comes on. Car stalls rpms won't go beyond 2. Car sputters & will not go forward. Pulled over in a safe place by exit ramp. Turned off car & restarted car is fine. Looked up on-line and saw similar complaints involving the throttle body malfunction. Called my Ford dealership. They had heard of this compliant. They repaired the problem for $837.19. On 03/24/15. I believe Ford motor company owes us a recall. Luckily there was no traffic. The incident could a potentially dangerous. I hope you can help me. Thank you for your help. [redacted]
Engine stalls while driving and will not restart. I suspect that it is related to similar issues drivers are having with the EVAP canister purge valve in other model years: "the canister purge valve May malfunction and create excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system, which can result in the engine stalling without restarting. Dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module and replace the canister purge valve as needed. If the valve needs to be replaced, dealers will also inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as determined to be needed. All repairs will be performed free of charge to resolve the concern."
Whenever I start my car, the RPM's are between 2-3 and it takes a couple minutes to reach the normal idling RPM rate. The engine also makes clicking noises and is louder than usual and just does not sound right. And previously, my car has randomly stalled and just turned off while the battery stayed running while making a right turn or just idling at a stop light. Mostly, my cars engine just turns off while running it in the driveway in the morning while the battery stays on. It has not stalled in awhile but there is still something wrong with the engine and the rpms. Also sometimes, a wrench light appears on the dashboard when I am experiencing the problem.
I turned on the engine in the morning and the car seem to start fine, but when I put the gear selector in reverse and pressed the gas pedal suddenly the check engine came on and the car started shaking violently, I instantly turned off the car after a few seconds I tried turning the car back on, the check engine light went away, and it seem to work fine after that, but this now happens on a daily bases at random times of the day, I checked the car with an obd2 scan tool and it had codes p2111 and p2135 this keeps happening even after replacing the gas pedal and the throttle body
When the car comes to a stop and is idling the engine starts to shake, the wrench light comes on and when I try to accelerate, the car has no power. If I turn off the car and turn it back on, the problem is solved until I come to another stop. The dealership cannot figure out what is happening and they say the diagnostic tool reports no codes.
At highway speed or any speed the little wrench light comes on the dash and then the gas pedal has no effect. You have to coast to a stop along the road, turn it off and restart it. Then its fine. If you don't turn it off and restart it will stay in limp mode driving maximum 5 MPH. This car has 92K miles. Wrench light does not stay on. Td
I've replaced my motor mounts three times within 4 months. My car still is shaking, my heat and air only works on the right side, under my hood sounds like a ticking noise. This is all while parked. Please tell me what I can do
We own a 2010 Ford Focus. While my daughter was driving home from her college town at 75mph, the care suddenly lost power. Luckily they were able to coast to the side of the road. At that point multiple dashboard lights came on. They started the car again and it immediatly died. We had it towed to a repair shop. By the time the repair shop had a chance to look at the car, it started up without incident and they could not replicate the problem. After inconclusive diagnostics by the repair shop and my research on this website, we had to assume it was similar to too many other identical complaints. My daughter drives this car to and from college, each one way trip being about 180 miles. This is not something we could "hope" would not happen again. It sounded like there have been too many similar complaints to not have it repaired. …
It's not just the Mercury milan and Ford escape having the throttle body sensor/assembly issue. I was driving down the 694 interstate in minnesota when my car went into limp mode and the wrench warning light appeared on my dash. I was able to find some shoulder and pull over, turn my car off and restart it and make it home. I brought it to automation in white bear lake, mn. The following day and spent $800 for the replacement of the throttle body in my Ford Focus ses. Had it gone out 8500 miles sooner, it would have been covered under warranty. Three days later, the same part on my wife's 2010 Mercury milan premier went out and is being replaced today. Luckily she purchased an extended warranty so all we have to pay for that one is $100, but what a coincidence, eh? I think not! …
Fuel System complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2010 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2010 Ford Focus, 11% of the model year's 287 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2010 Ford Focus fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2010 Ford Focus. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2010 Ford Focus fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.