Used Ford Focus 2018-2026 reliability
Category: Family car
Great to drive, practical and affordable to buy, the Ford Focus is a tempting choice, but it does suffer from poor reliability.
What should I look for in a used Ford Focus hatchback?
When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.
EcoBoost wet belt: When buying a Focus with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, it's important to check through the service history to make sure everything is in order, with a fully stamped book. The 'wet belt' cambelt, which is a type of timing belt that is constantly lubricated by engine oil, can disintegrate and weaken earlier than expected if the engine is not properly maintained, resulting in damage and potential failure. Cars produced from mid-2019 onwards came with an updated version of the 1.0-litre engine, which replaced the belt with a chain from factory to rectify the issue. All mild-hybrid 1.0-litre engines come with a chain.
Alloy wheels: ST-Line X and Vignale models have 18in alloy wheels that are more liable to kerb damage, due to having less tyre sidewall. ST-Line X cars get a diamond-cut finish and Vignales a chrome effect that could be more costly to repair than a regular painted finish.
Bodywork: Style and Zetec models miss out on parking sensors, so be on the lookout for dents and scratches to bumpers and bodywork. Make sure the paint finish is uniform; otherwise, it could have been repainted. Check if there's any history of this if you suspect it has.
Interior: Listen out for any squeaks and rattles on the test drive and make sure all the electrics work as they should. Make sure the plastics aren’t heavily scuffed on door trims.
If you're looking for information on older models, click here for our used reviews of...
What are the most common problems with a used Ford Focus hatchback?
At the time of writing, the Focus has 25 recalls listed, which is an unusally high number. To check whether any have affected a car, you can contact your local Ford dealer. You will not need to pay for anything involving the recall.
Reason for recall
Rear door latch child lock may not function correctly.
How the manufacturer will repair: Check child locks for correct activation and replace if necessary.
Number of affected vehicles: 3021
Date of recall: 30/11/2018
Reason for recall
A brake pedal hinge bolt which does not meet specification.
How the manufacturer will repair: Check torque of brake pedal hinge bolt. If the vehicle fails the test, replace the brake pedal box.
Number of affected vehicles: 5336
Date of recall: 21/12/2018
Reason for recall
Potential for the rear doors to open when the rear windows are lowered.
How the manufacturer will repair: Ensure the door release cable is in the correct position and adjusted if necessary.
Number of affected vehicles: 1729
Date of recall: 12/02/2019
Reason for recall
A number of vehicles fitted with the 1.0-litre, 1.5-litre or 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine and six-speed manual gearbox could suffer from a clutch pressure plate fracture. This results in clutch smell, along with reduced vehicle speed and performance. In the unlikely event of clutch pressure plate fracture, a noise (thud/bang) could be heard from the vicinity of the gearbox in extreme cases resulting in clutch/gearbox fragments being released and striking under bonnet components, creating a risk of smoke and fire from the under bonnet area.
How the manufacturer will repair: To prevent the repeated heating/cooling events, a new calibration has been developed for vehicles fitted with the engine stop/start feature. The software with the additional feature sets the instrument panel wrench light and de-rates the engine performance if prolonged clutch slip is detected. The software feature includes a drive cycle strategy for latching the wrench light and engine performance de-rate if the customer should experience repeated clutch slip events. For vehicles that do not have the engine stop-start feature, an alternative clutch kit has been released.
Number of affected vehicles: 66,497
Date of recall: 22/02/2019
Reason for recall
Bolts fixing the front suspension to the vehicle may not be tightened to the correct torque.
How the manufacturer will repair: The front suspension bolts must be inspected and set to the correct torque.
Number of affected vehicles: 22
Date of recall: 06/03/2019
Reason for recall
Seat belt anchors and seat bolts may not be secured as per specification
How the manufacturer will repair: Check tighten and torque all identified bolts to specification
Number of affected vehicles: 11
Date of recall: 05/11/2019
Reason for recall
A defect on the Power Distribution Box (PDB) pins may potentially cause an intermittent poor connection on a number of terminals.
How the manufacturer will repair: Inspect for potential damage. If present, replace PDB and interfacing wiring loom pins.
Number of affected vehicles: 4538
Date of recall: 24/01/2020
Reason for recall
Engine wiring loom may touch a stud on the transmission housing.
How the manufacturer will repair: Gearbox stud to be replaced with a bolt and re-routing of the wiring loom.
Number of affected vehicles: 2664
Date of recall: 16/04/2020
Reason for recall
A nut securing the mild-hybrid battery connection may not be torqued to specification.
How the manufacturer will repair: Remove the nut and inspect the wiring for signs of damage. Any damaged wiring will be replaced. A new nut will be fitted and torqued to specification in all circumstances.
Number of affected vehicles: 13
Date of recall: 25/01/2021
Reason for recall
Possible gearbox stud damage to wiring loom following repair.
How the manufacturer will repair: Check that the correct gearbox stud has been replaced. If not, the correct stud must be fitted and the wiring loom should be inspected for damage and repaired as necessary.
Number of affected vehicles: 1273
Date of recall: 05/03/2021
Reason for recall
Vehicles may have an issue with the current software that controls the functionality of the eCall system.
How the manufacturer will repair: Carry out a software update.
Number of affected vehicles: 100
Date of recall: 21/05/2021
Reason for recall
The screw which secures the ground cable of the 48v battery may not be fully secured.
How the manufacturer will repair: Replace the ground cable bolt on all vehicles and torque to specification.
Number of affected vehicles: 11
Date of recall: 22/09/2021
Reason for recall
The nuts on the 48V battery poles may not be torqued to specification.
How the manufacturer will repair: Remove both positive and negative poll nuts and inspect the wiring for signs of damage. Any damaged wiring will be replaced. Both nuts will be refitted and torqued to specification.
Number of affected vehicles: 17
Date of recall: 17/03/2022
Reason for recall
Certain vehicles could have an engine oil separator that may have been damaged prior to engine assembly.
How the manufacturer will repair: Inspect the engine oil separator and if found to be damaged and/or leaking, a replacement engine oil separator must be installed.
Number of affected vehicles: 9818
Date of recall: 08/04/2022
Reason for recall
The garnish panel from the panoramic sunroof may detach.
How the manufacturer will repair: Test the adhesion of the panel bonding material and if necessary replace the panel.
Number of affected vehicles: 12
Date of recall: 01/07/2022
Reason for recall
Certain vehicles may be fitted with a seatbelt that does not meet the specification expected by Ford due to a rivet that is holding the buckle not being fully secured.
How the manufacturer will repair: Dealers will inspect all vehicles and, if necessary, replace the part that is not meeting specification.
Number of affected vehicles: 2196
Date of recall: 21/06/2023
Reason for recall
On certain vehicles, the tape used to protect the end of the ground connection wiring harness of the 48V battery may have become trapped beneath the nut securing the wiring harness.
How the manufacturer will repair: Inspect the ground connection harness. If required, the tape on the end of the connector will be reapplied and the nut tightened to the specified torque.
Number of affected vehicles: 3
Date of recall: 21/07/2023
Reason for recall
A possibility that vehicles could have a front suspension knuckle that was incorrectly manufactured.
How the manufacturer will repair: Inspect and if necessary replace the affected components.
Number of affected vehicles: 179
Date of recall: 12/08/2022
Reason for recall
On affected vehicles, the Lighting Driver Module (LDM) software may be incorrectly configured, which could cause the adaptive headlamps to not work as intended.
How the manufacturer will repair: Software update and/or headlamp adjustment in order to restore feature functionality.
Number of affected vehicles: 96
Date of recall: 02/08/2023
Reason for recall
A number of vehicles have been identified where the warning chimes may not be operating as intended. The chimes may not be audible when the driver is not holding the steering wheel for longer than 30 seconds while using Lane Centring Assist which does not meet the correct regulations.
How the manufacturer will repair: Update the software in the control unit.
Number of affected vehicles: 85
Date of recall: 18/06/2024
Reason for recall
On affected vehicles, the passenger belt minder chime is not activated when the vehicle goes over 15mph. Regulatory requirements mandate that an audible chime must activate when the first-row passenger seatbelt is unfastened and the vehicle speed exceeds 15mph.
How the manufacturer will repair: Update the instrument panel cluster IPC configuration.
Number of affected vehicles: 1311
Date of recall: 18/07/2024
Reason for recall
Affected vehicles may develop a crack in the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).
How the manufacturer will repair: Update software to prevent a cracked DPF. Test and replace DPFs that are already cracked.
Number of affected vehicles: 4490
Date of recall: 19/12/2024
Reason for recall
On affected vehicles, the clutch pedal spring may touch the electric power-assisted steering wiring harness, which may lead to clutch spring heat up and cause a short circuit and loss of steering power assistance.
How the manufacturer will repair: Inspect and adjust the position of the wiring and if necessary repair any wiring damage.
Number of affected vehicles: 5152
Date of recall: 19/12/2024
Reason for recall
On affected vehicles, a software problem may result in issues with the rear-view camera that reduce the driver's view or with it remaining on after reversing.
How the manufacturer will repair: Update the vehicle software to the latest level.
Number of affected vehicles: 1
Date of recall: 08/09/2025
Reason for recall
On affected vehicles, there is a potential software issue causing the rear-view camera not to function as intended.
How the manufacturer will repair: Update the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) software to the latest level.
Number of affected vehicles: 14
Date of recall: 24/09/2025
Is a used Ford Focus hatchback reliable?
The Ford Focus is not a reliable car, according to our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, where it finished in 26th place out of 30 family cars. That's above the Seat Leon and Volkswagen Golf, but below the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. In our 2024 survey, the Focus came ninth in petrol form and 17th in diesel form (out of 29), so this shows a disappointing drop.
As a car brand, Ford came 24th out of 30 manufacturers featured, which is another poor result. While this makes it a more reliable brand than Nissan and MG, it's less reliable than Honda, Peugeot, Skoda and Toyota.
Used Ford Focus: owners' reliability data
In our reliability survey, owners said the Ford Focus was a mixed bag for dependability. For models produced between 2018 and 2026, owners frequently reported niggling electrical faults, particularly regarding the infotainment system and various warning lights. More concerning were reports of jerky automatic gearboxes and issues with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine’s "wet belt" system, which some owners found to be a costly fix if not maintained meticulously.
Owner interactions with the Ford dealer network were equally varied. While many praised the speed of repairs, others noted that some dealerships were slow to diagnose recurring faults or that certain repairs proved surprisingly expensive once out of warranty. Despite these issues, many owners felt the car remained a dependable daily driver, provided they stayed on top of Ford's scheduled servicing to avoid more significant mechanical failures.
If you'd like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.
