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 2015 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. Additionally, while shifting the gear shifter, there was a delay before the shifter would move to the desired position. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch had failed. The clutch was replaced. After having the vehicle repaired, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the engine revved; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and failed to exceed 2 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the transmission failure was confirmed. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact had to continually depress the accelerator pedal to continue driving. The failure also occurred while the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was included in a recall related to the failure and the vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under the recall; however, the failure recurred 6 months later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, without a warning light being illuminated the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that stalling failure persisted, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse and was returned to the dealer and was diagnosed with PCM and transmission failure. …
The contact's son owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the mechanic could not diagnose the failure because there were no active warning lights illuminated. The contact's son had received a message from the Ford App that there was a Customer Satisfaction Program for the TCM (Transmission Control Module). The failure persisted, and the dealer was notified of the program, and the contact was informed that the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The contact was referred to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer informed the contact that there was a warranty on the vehicle for the purge valve. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered, hesitated to respond, and the transmission was slipping. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving, and the vehicle jolted while shifting to first and second gear. The contact stated that the failure recurred increasingly while driving 30-65 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle was significantly sluggish while depressing the accelerator pedal and decelerated unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission fluid was replaced. Additionally, the dealer recommended the transmission clutch replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond while shifting to drive(D) and to reverse(R). The check engine warning light was illuminated. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while attempting to shift the vehicle into reverse, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was able to shift into drive however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly. The contact then stated that while shifted into drive, the vehicle performed as if the transmission had shifted into neutral, making it difficult to make left and right turns. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the TCM had failed, and the dealer needed to take the transmission apart to determine the exact cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the vehicle was hesitating. The contact was able to continue driving and pulled into a gas station however, the vehicle hesitated and started sputtering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle. Upon attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The contact pushed the vehicle into a parking space with assistance. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact replaced the starter however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed and the failure was associated to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 14M02. The contact was informed that the parts to do the repair were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle experienced transmission shifts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the sensor needed time to reset. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse, experienced hard transmission shifts, and felt as if the vehicle would stall while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 14M02 (Transmission control module extended warranty coverage); however, the contact was informed that the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired a week prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering, and the engine was showing symptoms of losing motive power and shutting down. The contact stated that the transmission failed to properly shift between second and third gears. The contact stated that the vehicle previously shut down unexpectedly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V169000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the key, TCM, and clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Performance Ford (906 Route 10 West Randolph, NJ 07869); where it was diagnosed that the clutch and TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the gear shift actuators needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure had reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module and transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to have the repairs completed with a local dealer and that there were two customer satisfaction programs that the vehicle was subjected to. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer, where the contact was made aware that the Ford Campaign Number: 19N08 (Transmission Clutch) had expired. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repairs. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the Transmission Control Module (TCM). The contact was informed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact's daughter stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence and diagnosed the vehicle as a failure with the clutch. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. …
Related recalls
Power train › Manual transmission
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.
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.
Power train › Manual transmission
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.
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.
Transmission complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2015 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 559 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2015 Ford Focus, 55% of the model year's 1,022 complaints. The component named most often is clutch assembly (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Ford Focus transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 26V-376 (manual transmission, Jun 9, 2026); NHTSA recall 18V-169 (manual transmission, Mar 12, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Ford Focus transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 11 crashes, 0 fires and 6 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.