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 2017 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and shifting from first to second gear, she heard an abnormal noise. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the clutch to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but experience the same failure within two months. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the clutch to be replaced for second time. The vehicle was repaired but experience the same failure a second time. The contact took the vehicle the third time to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the axle to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light, the light turned green and the contact depressed the accelerator however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle revved but failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle started moving forward at a slow speed and was shuddering. The contact stated that she returned to her residence and turned off and restarted the vehicle, however the failure persisted. The contact stated that she also experienced a failure in attempting to shift the vehicle into reverse(R). The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. …
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 while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the RPMs revved to 4,000 RPM and back to 0; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal for a second time, but the vehicle jerked while responding. The contact stated that the failure recurred while her husband was test-driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to O'Reilly, where it was diagnosed that the TCM had failed. The contact stated that her husband was able to drive the vehicle after several attempts. The contact stated that while driving to the nearby dealer, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. A message indicating that the transmission was overheated and that the vehicle was undrivable was displayed. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving uphill at 25 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle jerked and failed to respond while the engine revved significantly. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The message "Transmission Overheating - Please Let Cool For 5 Minutes" was displayed. The contact allowed the vehicle to cool down and attempted to drive back to the residence; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the clutch actuator motor was previously replaced due to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle would be covered under an unknown Customer Satisfaction program if the failure was related to the transmission. …
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 while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine and transmission warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that there was a warning to pull over due to the engine overheating. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle and waited for approximately 20 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The contact began driving on the highway and the transmission warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost forward momentum. The contact pulled off the highway and drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed by the dealer or a transmission specialist. The contact stated that while driving to the transmission specialist, the vehicle stalled and had to be towed to the transmission specialist. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal and the vehicle jerked forward. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally hesitated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and to a dealer; however, the neither the dealer nor the independent mechanic were able to determine the cause of the failure. On another occasion, the vehicle stalled and unintendedly shifted to neutral, and then lunged forward while driving 20 MPH. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehicle stalled every 30 seconds. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with an electronic clutch failure. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle started jerking. The transmission symbol was displayed, and a message that the transmission was hot and to wait for 5 minutes was displayed. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with canister failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, after 5 minutes of driving the vehicle, the message was displayed again. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and with assistance from two other drivers, the vehicle was pushed to a parking lot. The contact stated that after the vehicle had cooled down, the contact drove home. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power while shifting gear. The following day the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with clutch failure. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling very rough. The contact stated that while idling, the vehicle shuddered and jerked significantly, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. The contact was able to restart the vehicle with assistance. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had illuminated several times. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where diagnostic trouble codes related to a stuck canister purge valve were retrieved. Additionally, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch and the engine mount needed to be replaced. …
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 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019.
Transmission complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2017 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 455 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2017 Ford Focus, 51% of the model year's 900 complaints. The component named most often is clutch assembly (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Ford Focus transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 26V-376 (manual transmission, Jun 9, 2026); NHTSA recall 18V-845 (manual transmission, Nov 28, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2017 Ford Focus transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 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.