Problems · by component
2012 Ford Focus visibility/wiper problems
47 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Focus cite visibility/wiper, 1% of all 3,803 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
47
1% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the visibility/wiper
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“My wipers worked, then paused mid windshield and went back down. Now they no longer work. Both fuses have been checked and there is nothing wrong with them. Now my wipers are unusable which makes my car unsafe to drive. Brought it to the mechanic and they said it looks like the same issues that affected this model on a recall a few years ago. However, when I look up recalls it shows that there are none that affect my specific vin.”
“My windshield wipers are malfunctioning causing no visibility and battery to die. They will not turn off even after car in turned off and keys are no longer in emmision”
“DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE SEVERAL TIMES AND GET STUCK PERIODICALLY. TOTALLY IMPAIRED VISION IN RAIN. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AGO AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE ISSUE TO RESOLVE. THEY REPLACED WITH NEW WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHICH WE HAD JUST REPLACED 1 MONTH PRIOR. THEY TRIED TO ADJUST THE PLACEMENT OF THE WIPERS BUT THIS DID NOT FIX IT. THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY ANY OTHER DEALER OR SERVICE CENTER. THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE ON ONLINE SITES AND FORUMS WITH NO REAL SOLUTIONS PREVALENT. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY MALFUNCTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND RECALLED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND FIND A SOLUTION BEFORE ANY FATALITIES HAPPEN. THIS CAR IS DRIVEN BY MY UNDERAGE, NEW DRIVER! EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD!! NO LIGHTS, WARNING LAMPS OR PROBLEMS PRIOR TO FAILURE.”
“WHILE DRIVING MY 2012 FORD FOCUS SE ON 4/28/2021 AT 45MPH MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN TO MOVE ERRATICALLY ON THEIR OWN - AT DIFFERENT SPEED LEVELS. THEY DID NOT RESPOND TO THE LEVER AT ALL. THE WIPERS CONTINUED AFTER IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. AT 7:15AM THE NEXT MORNING OF 4/29/2021 WHILE DRIVING AT 20MPH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RESPONDED TO THE LEVER WHEN TURNED ON AND OFF. HOWEVER AT 10:30A, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH ERRATICALLY AGAIN WITHOUT BEING ACTIVATED BY THE LEVER. LATER IN THE AFTER NOON, 5PM WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER IN THE MIDST OF A RAINSTORM. AS OF TODAY, 4/30/2021 THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE NON-RESPONSIVE.”
“WHENEVER IT RAINS AND I'M USING MY WIPERS THEY WILL JUST SHUT OFF RANDOMLY OR THEY DO A VERY INCONVENIENT DELAY AT THE WORST OF TIMES ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S RAINING HARD. IT'S DANGEROUS AND YOU CAN'T SEE. ODDLY ENOUGH MY HORN DON'T WORK EITHER. I GOT THE CAR JANUARY 1ST,2020 OF COURSE IT WAS PREVIOUSLY OWNED I GOT IT FROM A USED CAR DEALER THE HORN WORKED UNTIL I THINK MARCH, 2020. I HIT A BUMP AND IT'S LIKE IT JUST QUIT AFTER THAT THEN A COUPLE WEEK LATER I GOT A BUMP AGAIN AND IT STARTED WORKIN FOR A LITTLE BIT. THEN A COUPLE DAYS WENT BY AND IT JUST STOPPED NEVER TO WORK AGAIN. CHECKED ALL THE FUSES THEY ALL LOOKED GOOD NONE LOOKED BLOWN. IT'S SCARY BECAUSE SO MANY TIMES PEOPLE WILL EITHER PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME LIKE THEY DON'T SEE ME OR ALMOST HIT ME AND I HAVE NO WAY TO ALERT THEM THAT THEY ALMOST HIM ME AND NEED TO PAY ATTENTION. THEN THERE'S THE WHOLE HAVING TO TAKE OFF SLOWLY IF NOT AND YOU TAKE OFF FAST IT THE CAR WILL JERK AND STALL AND IT DOES IT REALLY WHEN SOMETIMES WHEN TURNING AND NOW THE RPM DROP SO LOW WHEN IDLING IT ALMOST DIES. I JUST REPLACE THE MOTOR A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND IT WAS DOING THIS BEFORE THE NE MOTOR GOT OUT IN JUST NOT AS BAD.…”
“[XXX] IS MY NAME. THIS ABOUT MY 2012 FORD FOCUS WHICH I BOUGHT IN 2014 WITH 27000 MILES. IN JULY 2020 IT HAS ABOUT 65000 MILES. IT HAS BEEN USED FOR LOCAL DRIVING, NOT FOR COMMUTING. AFTER I DROVE IT SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF MILES I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE ROOF ABOVE THE DRIVER'S SHOULDER AND HEAD AS WELL AS OVER THE DRIVER'S FRONT SIDE WINDOW. THE LEAK WOULD OCCUR ONLY AFTER HEAVY SUSTAINED RAIN DOWN POURS. I THOUGHT THAT THE SUNROOF HAD SOMEHOW OWNED BUT I COULD NO SEE ANY OPENING AT ANY TIME. AFTER SEVERAL LEAKS OCCURRED DURING HEAVY RAINS I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THEY GAVE ME AN APPOINTMENT ON A MONDAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH WHEN THE WATER MAN COMES! I TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM AND ASKED WHAT I SHOULD DO. THE SERVICE BOSS TOLD ME TO PARK IT IN A GARAGE THE BILL WAS 264 DOLLARS. I WAS NOT HAPPY. THEY HAD TO CLEAN A PASSAGEWAY FROM THE CAR ROOF AND WINDOWS THAT PASSES THROUGH THE DOOR AND FRONT BODY TO THE PAVEMENT. IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET CLOGGED AGAIN AND IT IS TIME FOR THE WATERMAN. IT NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE A SUNROOF FOR THIS LEAK TO OCCUR. IK THINK THAT THIS SITUATION IN THE 2012 FORD FOCUS IS COMMON AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A RECALL…”
Showing 6 of 47 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.