Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after he shifted the gear shifter to Park(P), the vehicle lunged and rolled backward as he was exiting the vehicle. The contact's right leg was stuck inside of the vehicle, causing him to fall to the ground while the driver's side front tire ran over his right arm. A bystander jumped into the vehicle and was able to park vehicle. The contact later received medical attention for injuries to his legs, right arm, and back, and was diagnosed with a blood infection. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred while the contact was parking the vehicle and he applied the parking brake to stop the vehicle from rolling. …
The contacts mother owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her mother attempted to park, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle violently accelerated on its own without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into a satellite pole. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries reported. A police report was not filed. The driver was able to reverse the vehicle and park into the parking spot, however the contact stated the failure reoccurred sporadically several times after the crash. The driver took the vehicle to a local dealer to have the vehicle inspected, however the dealer was not able to duplicate the failure. A few months later and the failure reoccurred again and the driver took the vehicle back to the dealer where the dealer repaired and replaced the throttle body control module on the vehicle, but the failure persisted after the repair. …
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that intermittently, after starting the vehicle and while driving at various speeds, the clutch pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the vehicle was unable to shift gear as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact was made aware that the clutch assembly had previously been replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 179,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while leaving the parking lot and attempting to shift into reverse(R), the gear shifter failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment to diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,264.
We own a 2010 Ford Focus and for the past 6 weeks we have started having problems with the car losing power while driving. The car does not shut off but all ability to accelerate is gone. Once we stop the car, turn it off and restart it, the ability to accelerate is restored. This has happened several times in the past six weeks. It is especially dangerous when it happens on a four lane road when there is no chance to coast over to the side and you have to stop in the middle of fast moving traffic, turn off the vehicle and restart it. It also happened when turning onto a busy four lane road from a shopping center. We were turning left across traffic with plenty of room and time to make the turn until we lost acceleration, putting us in harms way with oncoming traffic. …
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. …
When driving this car and the speed reaches about 40 MPH the traction control light comes on and the car reduces speed and you can push the pedal all the way down and it will go no faster than 30 MPH. The only fix is to hit the traction control switch on the dash and this turns the traction off and allows you not to get killed. I took it to the shop to see if any trouble codes would pop up and the scan said the car was fine no issues. When you drive the car it tells a whole different story .it will not be long until some one gets to an intersection and a truck is barring down on them and the car will not safely accelerate to get you out of danger. I have found nothing that will fix this problem so I will try to sell it back to a dealership. Sad thing is we still owe $5000. On it but don't feel safe in it. …
Engine surged/faded a few times lately and twice the wrench symbol came on, but the dealership said no codes were reported and they could find no problems. Today while driving on the interstate the speed suddenly decelerated to 0 so I pulled over to the shoulder to avoid being hit from behind. The wrench symbol displayed again. After turning the key off/on the wrench was gone and the car started moving normally at highway speed. A few minutes later the same action repeated bit while sleeping on the shoulder I hit a metal obstruction on the road which a caused a flat tire. After changing to the spare the engine symbol displayed, but the car operated at highway speed normally. I stopped at an auto parts store where the read the stored codes, p2111 and p2135. It is now back at the dealership for service.
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]
Sudden loss of power while in motion, wrench light coming on. My teenage daughter has almost been involved in a couple of serious accidents because of this. I understand it is a known issue with the throttle body, but while Ford has extended the warranty on explorers and a few other models so owners can have new parts installed, it has not extended the warranty to the Focus ' this despite thousands of online complaints from Focus owners. This repair will cost me about $700, and I cannot afford it. I will never again purchase a Ford.
Transmission complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2010 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2010 Ford Focus, 16% of the model year's 287 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Ford Focus transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.