Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact continued to depress the accelerator pedal and was able to pull into a parking lot. The vehicle was taken to Pep Boys where it was diagnosed that the purge valve had failed; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the water pump, the O2 sensors, and the battery were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while his wife was accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle stalled inadvertently in the middle of an intersection. The vehicle was pushed to side of the road with assistance. The contact's wife was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts and continued to drive. …
I got my 2016 Ford Focus in the summer of 2019 and from the start i had issues. The first issue was my car overheating the coolant tank kept getting a hole burned in it and the coolant would leak leaving my car to overheat I've had the tank replaced twice. The second issue was my car just kept turning off still don't know what that was about. Third issue was the vehicle not telling me the correct amount of gas i had it would say i would have a good amount of gas, but it really had little to no gas. The last issue was the Transmisson the car was stalling and gave me kick back that's the only way i can describe it I took it to my mechanic because there was no recall when i looked up my VIN, I paid almost $4000 for the transmission to be fixed to just bring it back to the mechanic because the transmission started giving me problems again. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that he noticed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive fuel consumption. The contact stated that after fueling the vehicle, the vehicle consumed three quarts of fuel within 20-30 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) was malfunctioning, causing an excessive vacuum in fuel vapor management system. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as the VIN was not included. The canister purge valve was replaced at the contact's expense. Additionally, the contact stated while reversing out of the driveway, the check engine warning light was illuminated. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and then towed to a certified mechanic. The contact believed that the mechanic had diagnosed a failure within the transmission and had completed a repair to the transmission; however, the contact was unaware of what parts were replaced. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired, the vehicle started hesitating and there was an abnormal revving noise coming from the engine compartment while accelerating. The contact would depress the accelerator a second time to accelerate as intended. The failure was intermittent. The message that the engine was overheating was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the fuel pump had failed. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. While operating the vehicle, the vehicle was shaking abnormally while idling, while low on fuel, while driving long distances, or while driving uphill. The vehicle shut off unexpectedly intermittently. On several occasions, the RPM increased; however, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle eventually stalled. The accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to respond. The brake pedal became firm. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped and restarted several times or shut down unintendedly. After refueling, the contact had to wait for approximately 2 to 10 minutes before the vehicle responded as needed. Occasionally, the contact had to wait for over an hour before the vehicle was restarted. The check engine warning light illuminated intermittently and later turned off. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that he received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) advising that a second notice would be sent once the remedy parts were available. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for another repair, he inquired whether the dealer could complete the recall repair as well. The dealer informed the contact that the fuel tank needed to be replaced; however, the dealer could not complete the recall repair because parts were not yet available. However, in the work order that the dealer provided to the contact, the dealer marked the recall repair as complete. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact, who is an independent mechanic, diagnosed that the PCV valve and fuel tank needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact used a portable scanner and retrieved DTC codes regarding the fuel rail pressure - Low. The contact's husband replaced the canister purge valve (CPV); however, the contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was jerking, and losing motive power, and hesitating to restart. The vehicle was diagnosed again, and the contact retrieved fault codes for the fuel rail system again. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact's husband completed the repair; however, the contact stated that after refueling and driving at an undisclosed speed, the low fuel warning light illuminated. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of gasoline. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed approximately 12-gallons of gasoline per week. The contact stated that a message was displayed stating 40-45 miles to empty however, the vehicle would stall even though there was fuel in the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would fail to start up after refueling. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer; Santa Fe Ford (16330 NW US Hwy 441, Alachua, FL 32615) to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while his granddaughter was driving and stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The driver waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle and driving back to the residence. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The driver took the vehicle to a local dealer for an oil change was informed there was an open recall on the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The local dealer reprogrammed the Powertrain Control Module to repair the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The contact took the vehicle to another local dealer; Sam Pack's Five Star Ford Lewisville (1144 N Stemmons Fwy, Lewisville, TX 75067, [phone]) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the PCV valve need to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that she noticed that the fuel gauge would indicate the incorrect amount of fuel. The contact stated that if the fuel was below a quarter tank, the vehicle would stall. The check engine warning light would be illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank and fuel delivery module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed of an unknown recall, but no further assistance was provided. …
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Evaporative emissions › Canister
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.
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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Evaporative emissions › Canister
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.
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.
NHTSA investigations
Loss of Motive Power
On September 15, 2023, the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) opened this Recall Query (RQ) after receiving 98 consumer complaints alleging loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles. The RQ focused on the effectiveness of the remedies of Recall 18V-735 and 19V-515.
Fuel System complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2016 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 230 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2016 Ford Focus, 19% of the model year's 1,183 complaints. The component named most often is delivery › fuel pump (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Ford Focus fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 26V-369 (canister, Jun 9, 2026); NHTSA recall 18V-735 (canister, Oct 22, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Ford Focus fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system 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.