2016 Ford Focus · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 352owner reports
- 62,500median miles
- $3,000median quote
- 3involved a crash
Newest report Sep 20, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
673 of the 1,181 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 352 of those describe transmission shudder, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2016 Focus.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (117 reports) · Transmission slips (98 reports) · Transmission hesitates when accelerating (96 reports)
Tick what matches of 352 reports
Transmission shudder on other Focus years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the clutch (176 reports) and the transmission (8 reports).
Recalls and investigations
3 recalls on the transmission and drivetrain cover the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
Also included are four 2017 Ford Focus vehicles that had clutch replacements with potentially affected parts. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
All 10 recalls on the 2016 Ford Focus, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
18 of the 352 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,900 to $3,900.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 28,000 and 87,820 miles, from the 266 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 3 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Ford Focus that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Certain 2014 through 2015 Model Year Fiesta and 2014 through 2016 Model Year Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission - Transmission Clutch Shudder / Transmission Clutch Warranty Extension
MULTIPLE 2014-2016 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 6F35 TRANSMISSION AND BUILT ON 1-JAN-2014 AND THROUGH 31-DEC-2015 MAY EXHIBIT HARSH REVERSE ENGAGEMENT AND HARSH/DELAYED 3RD AND 5TH GEAR UP/DOWN SHIFTS WITH NO DTCS PRESENT.
SOME 2011-2015 FIESTA VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE 10/15/2014 AND 2012-2016 FOCUS VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A DPS6 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MAY EXHIBIT EXCESSIVE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH SHUDDER ON LIGHT ACCELERATION.
What owners wrote
“There are known issues with the 2016 ford focus transmission dual clutch transmission shudder. My vehicle is the se and seems to have this but there is no safety recall for the se or my vehicle specifically. There was even a law suit for the 2016 ford focus se with this issue. My car has under 77,000 miles. When I asked ford about this issue previously they said there was nothing g they could do”
Filed Jun 17, 2025 · 77,000 miles
“Faulty dual clutch. I only have 34000 miles on it. I shouldn't have this problem . Started 2 weeks ago .very rough shifting. Sometimes it won't shift at all.”
Filed Nov 5, 2024 · 34,000 miles
“Failed tcm. Shaking and jerking car. Under 80k miles. Breaks stopped working in drive. Won't reverse. Same make,model,year and problem as recall warranty but for some reason my vin isn't included.”
Filed Oct 18, 2024 · 80,000 miles
“There are roughly 55k miles on this vehicle and the engine is revving really high but the car is having issues accelerating from a stop and in traffic. It's almost as if the transmission is already going out. The car sputters. It's scary because when I need the accelerate the car hesitates.”
Filed Mar 27, 2023 · 55,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 3 of 352 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 286 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 140 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 56 reports
- "Service Transmission" message or wrench light comes on 55 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 46 reports
- Loses power when accelerating 45 reports
- Power steering cuts out or goes heavy 27 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 26 reports
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 26 reports