Problems · by component
2012 Ford Focus electronic stability control (esc) problems
51 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Focus cite electronic stability control (esc), 1% of all 3,803 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
51
1% of all complaints
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electronic stability control (esc)
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“ON MY 2012 FORD FOCUS FUEL CONSUMPTION HAS DECREASED ALSO ONCE THE CAR GETS PASSED A HALF TANK THE FUEL VOLUME GAUGE IS NOT CORRECT THE CAR ACTUALLY RUNS OUT OF FUEL WHAT'S THE LAST QUARTER OF A MARK WHICH APPEARS TO STILL HAVE FUEL, ALSO FRONT END DRIVETRAIN MAKES LOUD NOISE WHEN TURNING CORNERS, ENGINE WILL NOT CRANK AT TIMES AND MAKES FUNNY SOUNDS UNDER THE HOOD ELECTRICAL SOUNDS. BATTERY POSITIVE LEAD WIRING GETS HOT . CAR WILL NOT START ,BLOWER FAN DOESN'T WORK AND CAR RUNS HOT, AFTER BEING REPLACED 12/05/2019.”
“IT SEEMS AS THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPROGRAM THE BODY CONTROL MODULE WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE IT SEEMS TO BE STUCK ON S INSTEAD OF NORMAL DRIVE AND IT HAS PROBLEMS WHEN ACCELERATE AND SHIFT”
“WHILE IN MOTION ON THE INTERSTATE MY CONSUL GAVE ME A NOTIFICATION THAT THERE WAS A "FAILURE IN STEERING ASSIST" AND TO PULL OVER SAFELY. AT WITCH TIME I LOST MY POWER STEERING ASSIST. I PULLED OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT WHICH THANKFULLY LED TO BAXTER FORD SOUTH WHERE THEY RAN A SERVICE CHECK THE NEXT DAY. AFTER RUNNING THE CHECK THEY DETERMINED THERE WAS A FAILURE IN THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM). THE PSCM WAS RE PROGRAMED TO THE LAST KNOWN CODE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW LONG THE FIX WOULD LAST. ON THE SAME DAY AFTER DRIVING 600 MILES I RECEIVED THE SAME MESSAGE AND ONCE AGAIN LOST POWER STEERING ASSIST. NOTE THAT THE SAME FAILURE HAS OCCURRED IN THE 2011- 2012 FORD FUSION, FORD FLEX, AND FORD TAURUS. ALL HAVE BEEN RECALLED EXCEPT FOR THE 2012 FORD FOCUS MODEL. I WILL ATTACH AND HIGHLIGHT MY INVOICE FROM BAXTER FORD SOUTH.”
“MY FORD FOCUS HAS BEEN HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW. I HAVE ASKED FORD TO LOOK AT MY CAR AND THEY STATED IT WILL BE $150 TO DO THAT. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY. MY MAJOR CONCERN IS THE AIR BAGS. MY LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING OFF AND ON AND I DO NOT THINK THE AIR BAGS WILL EMPLOY. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEB SITE AND ONLINE AS WELL. SOME CARS HAVE BEEN IN ACCIDENTS AND HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND AIRBAGS DID NOT EMPLOY. I AM TERRIFIED THIS WILL HAPPEN AND NOT SAVE A LIFE. I HAVE AN AUTISTIC 13 YR OLD THAT RIDES IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AND MYSELF ARE VERY CONCERNED!. ALSO I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING ONLINE A BIG ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRICAL IN THE MIDDLE ISLE WHICH CONTROLS THE RADIO AND AIRBAGS AND WHATEVER OTHER WARNING LIGHTS AND CONTROLS MAY BE. MY RADIO SHORTED OUT WITH LOUD POPPING AND SRCREEHING NOSE THEN BLEW OUT. I THINK THE ELECTRICAL IS ALL BAD IN THE UNIT WHICH MAY BE EFFECTING THE AIRBAGS. PLEASE I AM ASKING FOR A VERY CONCERNED SAFETY CONCERN TO SAVE A LIFE REGARDING THE AIRBAGS PLEASE LOOK INTO A RECALL REGARDING THIS. I AM NOT THE FIRST ONE THO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I DO HAVE PICTURES WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON AND…”
“TAKARA RECALL THERE IS A "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" MESSAGE THAT COMES RANDOMLY. THE STEERING IS REALLY TOUGH TO MOVE WHILE DRIVING, WENT TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY SAFETY RECALLS ON IT BUT THERE ISN'T. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES RANDOMLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND IS NOT VERY SAFE.”
“THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR. BASED ON MY RESEARCH FORD HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS BRAKE PUMP WHICH CAUSES THE BRAKES TO GO SOFT. THE PEDAL HAS A LONG TRAVEL IS VERY SLUGGISH TO RESPOND. IN MY OPINION THIS IS A EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE MADE TO RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM.”
Showing 6 of 51 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.