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2016 Ford Focus Transmission & Power Train Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN · data through 07/14/2026

620Power Train complaints
52.8%Of all 1,175 complaints
#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN620 · 52.8%
ENGINE231 · 19.7%
Unspecified / other104 · 8.9%

Share of the 1,175 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2016 Ford Focus overview page.

What owners report

“WHEN I AM IN PARK MY DRIVER SIDE FLOOR IS SHAKING AND WHEN I'M AT A STOP LIGHT AND BEGIN TO GO MY CAR JERKS…”NHTSA complaint 11121796 — filed 08/23/2018
“WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE RIGHT AWAY, BUT APPEARS TO SLIP, AND IT MAKES A NOISE WHICH I WOULD DESCRIBE…”NHTSA complaint 11121331 — filed 08/21/2018
“TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND RATTLING WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN LOWER GEARS”NHTSA complaint 11121181 — filed 08/21/2018

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train complaints by year filed

720163220173420181042019782020442021912022872023722024552025162026

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2016 Ford Focus have transmission & power train problems?

Power Train is the most-reported problem area on the 2016 Ford Focus: 620 of 1,175 complaints on file (52.8%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2016 Ford Focus have in total?

1,175 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 27 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 24 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train category include?

NHTSA groups complaints about the transmission (automatic or manual), driveline, axles, transfer case and related parts under a single component category called POWER TRAIN. This page reports that category as NHTSA defines it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.