Problems · NHTSA complaints

2017 Ford Focus RS problems

Owners filed 842 complaints about the 2017 Ford Focus RS with NHTSA between Jun 2017 and Aug 2025. The most-cited component is power train (428).

Complaints
842
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
18
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
16
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train428
  2. Engine206
  3. Fuel/propulsion system111
  4. Engine and engine cooling70
  5. Fuel system, gasoline58
  6. Vehicle speed control37
  7. Electrical system36
  8. Steering20
  9. Air bags15
  10. Exterior lighting9
  11. Service brakes8
  12. Wheels8
  13. Structure7
  14. Seat belts5

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
201711
201834
2019131
2020103
202167
2022110
2023124
2024172
202590

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

428 reports5 crashes
“I was driving and got a large nail in my tire. I pulled over and fixed my and went to start my car. The battery had died and we jumped it. We let it charge for a little bit and then started it back up. It started just fine and I went to put it in reverse to drive away and it wouldn’t engage but would engage to drive forward. We hooked the scanner to it and it was showing the TCM code. We took it to ford and they’re saying the A and B clutch are stuck and they need to replace both clutches as it’s a dual clutch transmission and the lever and actuator. The focus has 89,000 miles on it and ford is charging $4100 for a known transmission issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 28, 2025Power trainODI 11676654

Engine

206 reports4 crashes1 fire
“I bought my car in early 2022 or 2023 and almost immediately the car started shuddering when accelerating. I took the vehicle in to the place I bought it from and one other Ford Dealer. Neither places could "duplicate the problem." Bith times I had to pay money just to have it looked at, and nothing was ever fixed. My horn keeps quitting and the shuddering has gotten so bad and now there are new issues like loss of power when accelerating. This car is starting to become a safety issue for me as I live in Washington State and the traffic here is very fast. I have almost been hit due to trying to pull out or merge and the car loses power or winds way out. I am a [XXX] who can't afford automotive bills. They will only give me $2700.00 as a trade in and I owe $12,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 31, 2025Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11677672

Fuel/propulsion system

111 reports2 crashes
“Catastrophic engine failure, engine died and was unable to shift into gear My 16 year old daughter was driving on a busy highway when the engine died, causing her to stop completely on a 55 MPH road. She was unable to get the car into a gear to have it pushed to the side of the road and had to sit in the car with traffic flying by her until we could get a tow truck (approximately 30 minutes). She was unable to get out due to the traffic being so heavy. The vehicle had a limited warranty left on it, and it was towed to a facility where they diagnosed with blown head gasket and/or cracked cylinder head. It was towed to a dealership where it was discovered the car had an active recall that caused the engine failure. There was no warning signs previously.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 28, 2025Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11676698

Engine and engine cooling

70 reports
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle felt like it was struggling to accelerate. The contact pulled to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle; however, the fan remained engaged for approximately two minutes. The vehicle was taken to the residence, where the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000(Engine and Engine Cooling), which the contact related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair, but the dealer did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 25, 2025Engine and engine coolingODI 11669134

Fuel system, gasoline

58 reports1 fire
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle lost automotive power and shuddered abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the there was an unknown part in the fuel tank that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 5, 2025Fuel system, gasoline, Vehicle speed controlODI 11659095

Vehicle speed control

37 reports2 crashes
“Ford Focus 2017 Hatchback causing traffic jams and backup do to low speed, overheating, stalling, jerky shifting, Failure to move or hesitation in the middle of driving, causing the car to stop or slow down in the middle of traffic and blocking exits and cars from moving around the vehicle. Transmission overheating and car says to pull over when driving after a few minutes. Powertrain is affected car not driving at correct speed. Transmission clutch a disengaged and having a hard time engaging. Constant clutch issues. Causing issues to driver safety and others on the road. Ford knows about these models but are failing to fix at affordable price or provide warranty. Not upholding customer satisfactory.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 23, 2025Power train, Electrical system, Vehicle speed controlODI 11675775
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.