Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2014 Ford Focus: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 2,641 safety complaints about the 2014 Ford Focus with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved July 14, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

2,641
Complaints
12
Recalls
5
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 69 crashes, 10 fires, 47 injuries, 1 death.

Key findings
  1. Power train / transmission issues dominate. They appear in 60% of the 2,641 complaints on file — an unusually concentrated failure pattern.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 504 of the 2,641 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 5 years after the model year (553 filed in 2019) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  4. One recall is a do-over. NHTSA records show recall repairs that were previously performed incorrectly — worth a VIN check even if you had recall work done.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2014 Ford Focus, power train / transmission issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 2,641 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Power train / transmission
1,587
Engine & cooling
460
Fuel & propulsion
361
Other / unspecified
285
Electrical
274
Steering
225
Speed control
169
Body & structure
104

"The Transmission Controm Module (TCM) has gone bad on my car. Ford has recalled other cars of the same Make, Model and Year, but they refuse to repair the same problem on mine, because my VIN was not included in the initial recall"

Owner complaint filed June 2026 · Power Train,Electrical System · NHTSA ODI 11741994

"Transmission has a shudder when shifting from first to second gear. The transmission exhibits a noticeable shudder during the transition from first to second gear, indicating potential issues that may need to be addressed. This shudder can affect the overall driving experience and should be inspected to ensure smooth and efficient gear shifts."

Owner complaint filed January 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11711586

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2014 Ford Focus peaked later than usual, in 2019.

Complaints filed per year — 2014 Ford Focus
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
8
157
280
303
202
253
553
182
118
171
183
105
95
31
1314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through July 14, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2014 compares with other model years

Across the Ford Focus model years we track, the 2012 has the most complaints on file (3,787); the 2014 ranks 2 of 5.

Total complaints by model year — Ford Focus
All complaints on file per model year, as of July 14, 2026
3,787
2,103
2014
2,641
1,020
1,185
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 12 recalls, including a do-over

12 recalls apply to some or all 2014 Ford Focus vehicles. Note the flagged campaign: it covers vehicles whose earlier recall repairs were performed incorrectly.

Aug 201414V-495
Electrical System:Wiring

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to April 1, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines and Focus ST vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to October 14, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines. Insufficient compres…

Aug 201414V-514
Steering

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Focus and C-Max vehicles manufactured August 8, 2014, to August 15, 2014. The affected vehicles may have steering gears that were incorrectly assembled.

Sep 201414V-525
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Focus vehicles manufactured May 1, 2014, to May 24, 2014, 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured on June 6, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured June 4, 2014, to July 7, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the Fuel Delivery …

Jan 201515V-005
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on January 8, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, to May 8, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured April 21, 2014, to May 15, 2014. On April 30, 2015, Ford expanded the recall …

Dec 201515V-813
Electrical System:Wiring

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured January 11, 2012, to April 1, 2013, and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles manufactured May 03, 2012, to October 14, 2013. Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Press…

Sep 201616V-643
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the d…

Sep 201616V-698
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hatchback/Liftgate:Lock

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Ford Focus hatchback vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 26, 2016 and equipped with a manual transmission. The hatchback of the affected vehicles may be unlatched with a single press of the interior latch release butt…

Oct 201818V-735
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage

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.

Jul 201919V-515
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 and 2017 Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0L GDI gasoline engines and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles equipped with 2.0L GTDI engines, previously recalled under 18V-735. The affected vehicles did not have the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) updated as in…

Jun 202020V-331
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 o…

Jan 202626V-011
Equipment:Electrical:Engine Block Heater

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Jun 202626V-369Repair done incorrectly
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Evaporative Emissions:Canister

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Focus vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 18V735. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly while driving.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2014 Ford Focus have?

As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 2,641 complaints about the 2014 Ford Focus with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.

How many recalls does the 2014 Ford Focus have?

The 2014 Ford Focus has 12 NHTSA recalls on file. One recall reopens earlier campaigns whose repairs were performed incorrectly. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2014 Ford Focus safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2014 Ford Focus an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.