2014 Ford Focus

Photo: Cutlass / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons

2014 Ford Focus: common problems and reliability

· 3rd generation

One of the worst Focus years.

One of the Ford Focus years to avoid. All Focus years

5,240 owner complaints, most about power train. 12 recalls.

Should I buy a 2014 Focus?

The 2014 Ford Focus has 5240 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 12 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are power train and engine. Owners most often flag dual-clutch automatic shuddering, jerking, and rough low-speed behavior.

Safety record for the 2014 model year

5,240
Owner complaints
12
Recalls
138
Crash reports
20
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2014 Ford Focus vehicles (US, public record).

The Year Score compares this year with other Focus years only. How we score it

Is 2014 a good year for the Focus?

Across the 20 Focus model years we track, complaint volume runs from 11 (1999) to 5,240 (2014). With 5,240 complaints, the 2014 Focus sits above the model's median of 1,018.

These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.

Where owners report problems

power train
3147
engine
895
fuel/propulsion system
613
electrical system
533
steering
448

Recalls affecting the 2014 Focus

fuel system, gasoline:storage

Campaign 18V735000

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.

fuel system, gasoline:storage

Campaign 19V515000

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 intended. Therefore, the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system.

electrical system:wiring

Campaign 15V813000

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 Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM).

latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

Campaign 16V643000

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 driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Show 8 more recalls

latches/locks/linkages:hatchback/liftgate:lock

Campaign 16V698000

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 button. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."

fuel system, gasoline:delivery

Campaign 14V525000

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 Module (FDM) may crack between the filter body and the filter cap, possibly resulting in low fuel pressure.

electrical system:wiring

Campaign 14V495000

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 compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM).

steering

Campaign 14V514000

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.

fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

Campaign 15V005000

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 to cover an additional 45,505 vehicles, including certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Transit Connect vehicles manufactured November 11, 2013, to August 29, 2014, 2014-2015 Ford Fiesta vehicles manufactured April 10, 2014, to June 17, 2014 and 2014 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured April 30, 2014, to May 21, 2014. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing.

latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

Campaign 20V331000

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 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

equipment:electrical:engine block heater

Campaign 26V011000

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.

fuel system, gasoline:storage:evaporative emissions:canister

Campaign 26V369000

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.

What owners report on the 3rd generation Focus

Owner sentiment for the 2010-2018 Focus is sharply split by transmission choice.

  • Very frequentDual-clutch automatic shuddering, jerking, and rough low-speed behavior
  • Very frequentPremature clutch wear and repeated clutch replacement
  • RecurrentTransmission control module (TCM) failures and related fault codes
  • RecurrentTransmission fluid/seal leaks contaminating the clutch pack
  • RecurrentLoss of reverse gear or dropped gears from internal transmission damage

Owner insights for the 3rd generation Focus. Read the full 3rd generation owner report.

Typical used price

Used Focus listings typically run $7,194–$10,865 across 2003 to 2018 model years.

Other Focus model years

Compare every Focus year side by side to see how 2014 ranks against the rest.

Compare the Focus against its rivals

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