2014 Ford Focus: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
77%
2,029 of 2,655 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
77% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2014 Ford Focus are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 97% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM07/03/2025CRASH3 INJURED
Car stalls and have had three car accidents and ford refused to pay for gas tank isoes and car does not start after it is used for a few mins. There is a serious mileage fluctuations and ford dealership tefises to repair failed recall and claim ford Corp will not pay for repairs so that is nothing to be seen. Car has b…
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL06/11/2020CRASH2 INJURED
MY DPS6 TRANSMISSION AGAIN HAD A SEVERE SHUDDERING INCIDENT WHEN PULLING OUT INTO 55 MPH RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON A 6-LANE HIGHWAY. AFTER THE SHUDDER DISCONTINUED AND SPEED WAS INCREASED TO APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO NAVIGATE INTO ANOTHER LANE, I HAD A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER AFTER ENGAGING THE ACCELERATO…
THE EXCESSIVE VACCUUM MAY RESULT IN AN ENGINE STALL WHILE DRIVING, WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. VERY DANGEROUS. CONSTANTLY BATTLING WITH THIS CAR DAILY.
Three of 2,029 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (12)
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
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, possibl…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
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 GTD…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured January 11, 2012, to April 1, 2013, and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles manufactur…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2014 Ford Focus
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
12 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.