Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and then decelerated independently, surging several times before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 84,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The contact was informed that a driver from Ford valet service drove the vehicle to the dealer for the vehicle to be diagnosed; however, the contact was unaware of the diagnostic result. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
transmission control module faulted out. In 2018 a recall for the dual powershift clutch was repaired, now the TCM faulted out in the car while i was driving, i had an infant in the car and it died in the middle of a busy highway almost causing us to crash! I had to be towed, I called ford motor company to be told it was not under recall, only to find out that in fact it is, and their in a lawsuit currently for these problems. I work 2 jobs, Latham ford refused to even look at my vehicle for 2 months, i work, i cannot go without a car. The tcm is currently on a national backorder for thousands of people. I had no means of transportation for an entire month, it cost me hundreds of dollars for taxis and ubers. I found a replacement part on my own and had it installed yesterday. the manufacturer stated in the description, that the part was already programmed, it was not. …
When driving the car will just shut itself down. We took the car to a Ford dealership in Sterling Colorado in October of 2021 and was told that there was a recall on the electronic control module, transmission control module and that due to Covid it would take up to 8 months for the part to come in. When we contacted the dealership at the end of the 8 month wait they stated that they couldn't repair the car to take it to a different dealership in Wray Colorado . We were again told that it could take several months to get the part in, we waited for several months for the part and it still didn't come in. We contacted Ford about the issue and they told us to take the car back to the first dealership and have them put it on the computer just to confirm that it was the electronic control module, transmission control module and it would be taken care of. …
On January 14, 2022, at approximately 5:20 P.M. my wife was traveling southbound on Pleasant Hill Road in Lafayette, California towards the freeway entrance when the Ford Focus Electric she was driving displayed a Stop Safely Now message and almost immediately thereafter lost motive power at the busiest intersection in the City of Lafayette. She was able to steer the car to the shoulder since she was in the right hand lane. The vehicle would not move and the steering wheel locked up. She called for assistance and I drove down and exchanged cars with her within approximately 15 minutes. After approximately 10 minutes of trying, I was able to get the vehicle to turn off and to turn on again without the Stop Safely Now warning and was able to return the approximately 1.5 miles to our residence. …
hello my name is [redacted] and I bought this 2014 Ford focus from a private dealer without being told what was wrong with the car for 4100 dollars and since I have had it it's been giving me problems it has a salvaged title.also it sounds like the inside of the hood is gurgling water ,sometimes it won't go in to reverse,it has a hard start the tcm module needs to be replaced and I guess it has something to do with the check engine light going off and turning back on every other day something about the clutch keeps popping up.i looked it up the first time and it said that it was a recall now it doesn't show any recalls anymore can you please help me
Car jerking and started to not move forward when step on gas pedal then had to pull over and stop car. Was on local road. Brought car to dealer and they found it was due to TCM mail notice saying this car year / model needs replacement, but they have ordered parts 6 months ago and none has been received nor do they know when they will receive. This would be covered by Ford. Dealer also said Clutch needs to be fixed, around $5,000, which dealer will not pay, we will need to pay. Dealer did not provide paperwork. My car is only 9 years old, 30,000 miles, and Dealer warned us not to drive car till the 2 problems are fixed because they are unsure when car is going to suddenly be volatile and cause major unknown problems
Unknown, The car refused to turn on one day and then started up again once I popped the hood. The car refused to go into reverse, I tried some reboot steps and the car started driving like normal, drove the car all the way from NV to NV, husbands new military station, took the car to the ford dealership and they assessed it was the tcm and that the car would be fine to drive again but they recommend another part for up keep, as soon as they replaced the clutch aculators the car started to have more issues than before letting me know it's worse than they thought something about the engine going out and they mentioned its why ford discontinued the dual clutch engine bc it was failing.
I was driving the 2014 ford focus and it slipped out of gear no warning lights when accelerating only rpm's would go up the vehicle still out of gear I immediately put on my flashers and pulled to the side of the highway with cars going by and the vehicle would restart no go in or out of gear. I had it towed to the nearest dealership after pulling over and turning car off after I turned key back on the engine light was on red and stated transmission fault, repair immediately. It was very dangerous situation I was in four lanes of traffic doing 65 mph when the vehicle slipped out of gear with no acceleration. It completely stalled at 65 mph.
I have a 2014 Ford Focus. For years, the car has been shaking when I slow down and speed up. I never really cared because it got me from point A to point B. But now it stalls and won't shift gears unless I go to high RPMS. The check engine light is on and a mechanic told me the transmission needs replaced. I have a DPS6 transmission and discovered that it is part of the class action lawsuit and extended warranty. I called Ford and they told me to write a letter to their office of general counsel. I am worried that is a stall tactic so I want to report it here. I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle.
Acceleration complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2014 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 164 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2014 Ford Focus, 6% of the model year's 2,604 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2014 Ford Focus acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2014 Ford Focus, though it has 12 recalls for other components. 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 2014 Ford Focus acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 20,000 miles, and 54% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 12 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.