Fuel System complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 196 | 23% | 57,000 miles |
| 2017 | 177 | 20% | 58,000 miles |
| 2016 | 230 | 19% | 65,000 miles |
| 2015 | 172 | 17% | 68,000 miles |
| 2014 | 354 | 14% | 68,000 miles |
| 2013 | 263 | 12% | 80,000 miles |
| 2012 | 340 | 9% | 83,000 miles |
| 2011 | 4 | 4% | 44,000 miles |
| 2010 | 32 | 11% | 49,000 miles |
| 2009 | 17 | 7% | 67,000 miles |
| 2008 | 4 | 2% | 34,000 miles |
| 2007 | 17 | 4% | 64,000 miles |
| 2006 | 18 | 9% | 58,000 miles |
| 2005 | 27 | 6% | 65,000 miles |
| 2004 | 13 | 3% | 48,000 miles |
| 2003 | 15 | 2% | 36,000 miles |
| 2002 | 67 | 7% | 52,000 miles |
| 2001 | 318 | 18% | 55,000 miles |
| 2000 | 411 | 11% | 52,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the emission system had failed. The canister purge valve and the vapor vent valve were replaced; however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the canister vent valve and the canister vent solenoid needed to be replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to independent who provided the same diagnostic; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the canister vent valve and the canister vent solenoid needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. …
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light, the low oil pressure warning light, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart even though the fuel gauge indicated that there was a quarter gallon of fuel remaining in the fuel tank. The contact stated that after his friend added fuel to the vehicle, the vehicle restarted and operated as needed. The contact stated that the failure recurred while at a complete stop at a traffic light. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the nearest gas station, where the vehicle completely lost power. The contact refueled the vehicle and the vehicle responded as needed. …
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 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's daughter owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while the transmission was in reverse(R), and the vehicle rolled backwards downhill while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle came to a stop once the vehicle was steered over into the grass, and the vehicle rolled into bushes and stopped. During the failure, the contact's nephew exited the vehicle in a panic and sustained a scrape to the left hip. No medical attention was sought. The contact's daughter experienced severe mental anguish, and the one-year-old child was also inside the vehicle. No Police report was filed. The vehicle was not towed. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V369000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually resumed normal operation and was driven to the residence. The contact informed the dealer of the failure by phone and informed the dealer that NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) recall repair had not been performed. The dealer researched and confirmed that the recall repair was not completed. The dealer stated the vehicle was only inspected. The dealer advised the contact to contact the manufacturer for approval to reopen the recall on the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. …
Related recalls (6)
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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on January 8, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, to May 8, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured April 21, 2014, to May 15, 2014.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S30.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Focus vehicles manufactured May 1, 2014, to May 24, 2014, 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured on June 6, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured June 4, 2014, to July 7, 2014.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the FDM, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S20.
Show 1 more recall
Fuel system, gasoline
On certain passenger vehicles, contamination of the filter in the fuel delivery module (fdm) can reduce, and eventually block, the flow of fuel to the engine.
Remedy: This action is deemed a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act. All owners will be notified of the problem, and dealers will replace the fdm with a new design at no charge if the…
NHTSA investigations
Engine stalling
Clogging of the fuel delivery module (fdm) filters in the subject vehicles can lead to stalling and other related symptoms.these symptoms become increasingly obvious to the driver as the clogging gradually increases over extended periods of driving.stalling in these vehicles is most likely to occur when accelerating through a right hand turn such as merging into freeway traffic when the fuel level in the fuel tank…
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Focus years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (411), 2014 (354), 2012 (340), 2001 (318) and 2013 (263) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 11% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Ford Focus fuel system problems?
Yes — 6 recalls, including 26V-369 (canister, Jun 9, 2026); 19V-515 (canister, Jul 5, 2019); 18V-735 (canister, Oct 22, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Focus fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles; 33% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the delivery › fuel pump (387 mentions), followed by the delivery (70).
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.