Problems · by component

2018 Ford Focus RS engine problems

195 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Focus RS cite engine, 26% of all 743 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
195
26% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to crank as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the head gasket, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 6, 2025EngineODI 11678881
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 20, 2025Power train, EngineODI 11662196
“My 2018 Ford Focus (DPS6 dual-clutch automatic transmission) suffers from severe hesitation and shuddering when accelerating from a stop, especially under 10 mph. More concerning, the car has stalled multiple times while merging into traffic and during right turns at intersections. We can no longer safely take free right turns due to the risk of the car dying mid-merge. This poses an immediate safety hazard and mirrors known failure patterns in earlier Focus and Fiesta models. Ford previously extended warranty coverage for the same TCM defect in 2011–2016 models, but my 2018 — which uses the same DPS6 system — has been excluded without explanation. The dealership acknowledged the TCM failure but refused to cover the repair. Instead, they charged me $300 to tell me they would not perform the service Ford originally recommended (a fuel injector purge) and that I now need to replace the TCM entirely. This is a known, documented issue that Ford has admitted to in other years. My car has lost power four times in the last three months, and all signs point to this being the early stages of the same defect. Allowing this failure to persist without coverage or recall is…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 2, 2025Vehicle speed control, Unknown or other, EngineODI 11658591
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the RPM fluctuated while shifting gears, and the transmission shifted erratically. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechani,c where a handheld diagnostic tool retrieved DTC: P07A3. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 1, 2025Power train, EngineODI 11658157
“Since I have had this car the engine has been replaced 4 times and transmission once Engine has been replace 3 times under the same warranty due to recalled part I was not in an accident however car broke down while I was in traffic I am putting the latest date car broke down”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 15, 2025Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11654809
“I am experiencing symptoms of Safety Recall 23S64 on my 2018 Ford Focus — specifically, intermittent oil pressure warning lights. I took my car to a Ford dealer who initially stated the issue may be recall-related, but later refused to inspect the oil pump belt and tensioner unless I paid out of pocket, despite the recall bulletin (MT23S64A) stating Ford will reimburse 2.8 hours of labor for the inspection even if no failure is found. I contacted Ford Customer Relationship Center and they were unable to locate the labor code or confirm the policy, and gave me the same incorrect info. This appears to be a violation of federal recall policy, where the dealership and manufacturer are both refusing to honor a safety recall without charging me for the diagnosis.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 14, 2025Power train, Unknown or other, EngineODI 11654597

Showing 6 of 195 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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