2018 Ford FOCUS - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2018 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD has an impressive overall safety rating of 5, which is the highest score possible. It scored well in all crash test categories including front and side crashes, as well as rollover protection. The car is equipped with standard electronic stability control, which enhances the vehicle's stability in challenging driving conditions. However, it does not come with a forward collision warning system but offers an optional lane departure warning feature.

In terms of complaints and recalls, the vehicle has received 449 complaints and has been subject to 3 recalls. While the number of complaints is noteworthy, it is essential to stay updated on any recalls to ensure the car's optimal safety and performance. Overall, with its excellent safety ratings and stability control feature, the 2018 Ford Focus provides a reliable and secure driving experience.

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Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

449

Recall Count

3

Investigation Count

2

Safety Rating

5/5

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Safety Features

2018 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2018 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

Optional

2018 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2018 Ford Focus 4 DR FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2018 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 5
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2018 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 3 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2018 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2018 Ford FOCUS

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2018 ford focus. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rpm's were increasing and decreasing erratically on the tachometer, after which the vehicle lost motive power. the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. the check engine warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission was not shifting properly. due to the failure the clutch 'a' stuck-engaged fault requiring the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. after investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to nhtsa campaign number: 18v169000 (power train) but the vin was not included. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline for assistance. the failure mileage was 40,000."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2026-02-01
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2018 ford focus. the contact stated that when her son started the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. the contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the rpm increased; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. the contact's son immediately parked the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed tube assembly and a failed clutch assembly. the contact was informed that the clutch assembly and tube assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 38,834."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2025-06-01
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2018 ford focus. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was stuck in first gear and the vehicle failed to shift gear as designed. the check engine warning light was illuminated. the contact was able to drive to the residence. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the transmission control module was replaced; however, the failure recurred at the dealer. the dealer then diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there were metal shavings inside the transmission and that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. the failure mileage was approximately 72,000."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2024-02-01
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2018 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly. the contact depressed the accelerator pedal down to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to respond. there was no warning light illuminated. the contact veered to the side of the road. the contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle. the contact continued driving; however, the failure recurred while driving. the contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly, and the vehicle was towed to the residence on one occasion. additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start while shifted into park(p), and only start while shifted into neutral(n). the contact also stated that the vehicle failed to respond while shifting into reverse(r). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. the manufacturer referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline for assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 150,000."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2025-07-10
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2018 ford focus. the contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before shifting to the next gear. the contact stated that the hard shifting occurred at various speeds. the failure also occurred while the vehicle was down shifting. the contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. the contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was informed of the failure. the contact researched online and related the failure to nhtsa campaign number: 18v845000 (power train). the failure mileage was approximately 170,000."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2023-02-11
Complaint:
"transmission control module went at 85,000 miles cost me 3500 in repair. causing the clutch and clutch solenoids to go early."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2024-10-11
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2018 ford focus. the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle came to a complete stop, and the transmission inadvertently downshifted. the vehicle then jerked forward. additionally, the transmission failed to shift into gear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clutch forks, transmission, and activator were faulty, and determined that the clutch, clutch forks, and activator needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the nhtsa hotline. the failure mileage was approximately 105,000."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2024-07-12
Complaint:
"symptoms began 2020 with grinding and vibrating when automatic shift from a stop to first gear especially on inclines. dealer inspected transmission and found excessive clutch residual, replaced the duel clutch, cleaned clutch housing, and reset the transmission 11-17-2020. symptoms have re started 2023. clutch and transmission issues can lead to leaks and fire risk."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2021-05-11
Complaint:
"while backing out of a parking spot vehicile was in reverse and without notice the car slamed in drive. my daughter slammed on the brakes and tried agian the car got alomost out of the parking spot and it did it again shifting gears with no warning. this happened three times. she checked to make all the doors were closed. no others cars were anywhere near her. she finally got the car home and we took it to the local ford dealer and they said they never heard of this problem. this seems to be documented with ford focus autos. the car has 38,000 miles and is out of warranty by 2 months. this seems to be a safety issue ford should correct. the car is not safe for the road."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2023-10-12
Complaint:
"last week the service engine light appeared. i was due to get an oil change, so i had it done that day. the light remained on, so i took it to a local auto shop and they did a code reader. the code was p0783, drive train. i googled my car and the error code and a huge list on recalls appeared related to the same make and model of my car, but different vin number. if this is true, why isn't my car a part of this? i'm going to call the ford company and see if they can help me. when i'm driving she chokes and chugs and lurches above 40mph and goes into a high rev then back down within seconds. she also stutters at a stop and just doesn't drive smooth like she used to."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2023-01-12

Recalls for the 2018 Ford FOCUS

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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, possibly causing excessive vacuum in fuel vapor management system."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Ford Customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S32. Note: Until the vehicle is serviced for this concern, owners are advised to keep the fuel tank at least halfway full.

Component(s) Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE > STORAGE
Date of incident: 2018-10-22

FORD Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

FORD ranks 1 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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