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 2017 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus ST. The contact stated that when he proceeded to start his vehicle, the vehicle would not start. The contact stated that he then had his vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who was able to start his vehicle by placing air in the fuel tank. The contact stated that once the vehicle started, there was a huge amount of black smoke. The contact stated that he was advised by the mechanic that he had a deforming fuel tank that was causing the failure. The contact stated that no warning lights had illuminated the vehicle at the time. The contact stated that he was able to drive his vehicle back to his residence, however, when he attempted to restart the vehicle, it would not start. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle and attempting to restart the vehicle, the RPM was fluctuating and the vehicle then lost motive power. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after a few attempts she was able to restart vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic; however, the contact was not provided with a diagnosis and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure continued after refueling and the contact stated that the vehicle would stall and lose motive power after coming to a complete stop at a red light or at a stop sign. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic where the failure code P144A for the EVAP system was retrieved. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds after refueling, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road on some occasions. On other occasions, the contact was not able to pull to the side of the road and turned on the hazards lights. The message "Hot" was displayed and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle after the vehicle had cooled down. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had stalled while driving from a complete stop. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal several times until the vehicle responded. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while stopped at the bank drive-thru line, the vehicle stalled. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The failure was progressively worsening. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the fuel pump, AX Sender, and pump assembly, AA gasket, B sensor, and fuel injector pressure parts were replaced. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving in heavy traffic at 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled with several warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that several months ago, on a separate occasion, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart, and the contact waited for approximately an hour before the vehicle restarted. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle would not immediately start-up. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The vehicle would idle rough after start-up. The contact would depress the accelerator while the vehicle was in park(P) and rev the engine to 3,000 RPM before the vehicle would operate normally. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure to start up after fueling was intermittent; however, the failure occurred more frequently. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle he had to depress the accelerator pedal down for a minute or two and take several attempts to start the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. …
The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that soon after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle shut off without warning. The contact stated that his wife would depress the accelerator pedal to prevent the vehicle from inadvertently stalling. The contact stated that initially, no warning lights had appeared on the instrument panel; however, recently the check engine warning light had illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer however, the mechanic found no failure with the vehicle. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test showed that the vehicle had a defective PCV valve. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the mechanic informed him that he was familiar with the failure; however, he was provided an estimate for a diagnostic fee. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and at various speeds, the check engine warning light would illuminate. The contact stated that she noticed a drop in fuel economy. Additionally, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would hesitate. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle was refueled, the vehicle would not immediately start as needed. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that once she drove the vehicle a few miles the shaking would stop. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that there might be water in the gasoline. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic retrieved codes: P2196 and P1450. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after the vehicle was refueled at a local gas station, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle then restarted after several attempts. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred after refueling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed purge valve canister and that the purge valve canister needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the contact stated that only parts of the recall repairs were completed. The contact stated that the PCM was flashed; however, the purge valve canister was not replaced as per the recall repair. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the contacted coasted the vehicle to a stop light. No warning light was illuminated. After several attempts, the contact was able to restart the vehicle, and continued driving to the destination. The contact refueled the vehicle and attempted several times to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer after the check engine warning light illuminated and the contact retrieved DTC code: P1450. The dealer stated that the vehicle was inspected in 2018 under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) without any part being replaced. The VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound and lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal to resume driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 10 MPH. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel tank had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was referred to the dealer for further diagnostic testing. The dealer was contacted for the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
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 and 2017 Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0L GDI gasoline engines and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles equipped with 2.0L GTDI engines, previously recalled under 18V-735. The affected vehicles did not have the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) updated as intended.
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.
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 2017 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 177 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2017 Ford Focus, 20% of the model year's 900 complaints. The component named most often is storage › evaporative emissions › canister (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Ford Focus fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 26V-369 (canister, Jun 9, 2026); NHTSA recall 19V-515 (canister, Jul 5, 2019); NHTSA recall 18V-735 (canister, Oct 22, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2017 Ford Focus fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 2 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.