2012 Ford Focus consumer reviews

Heeding the warnings of the press, I avoided the dual-clutch automatic when purchasing my Focus Titanium two years ago. In that time, I've accumulated 28k mostly trouble-free miles, averaged 31 MPG and grown accustomed to the many quirks of this vehicle. MyFordTouch was a huge disappointment immediately after purchase. Fortunately, Ford remedied the litany of consumer complaints in a impressively swift manner. It seems that the system operates without fault today. Even though I chose the manual transmission, I still have issues with shuddering when releasing the clutch and engaging the engine from a stop. This makes me believe that the lack of smoothness in automatics is likely exacerbated by poor engine mount tuning. Nonetheless, the manual is very well done and super easy to drive. I do wish the car were quieter. I often have trouble using the Bluetooth phone connection when making calls and the wind noise can grow tiresome on long trips. Speaking of trips, gas mileage varies wildly based on weather (wind and rain cause significant drops) and occupant load. I've had highway trips return as high as 41 MPG in perfect conditions or as low as 27 in adverse scenarios; I wish the car were more consistent. Other annoyances including a rattly and buzzy interior, loud cabin fan, poor rear seat space, a complete lack of cabin storage and noisy front suspension. If you can look past these shortcomings, the car does return a great deal of driving fun with confident road manners and mostly peppy acceleration. It also has surprisingly comfortable seats. In the end, I'm pleased with the balance of value, comfort and driving fun. The other annoyances are easily tuned out by the Sony sound system.

I've had my Focus for 3 years and really love it. I've had no tranny issues with the automatic trans. The engine is peppy and gets 34 mpg city and 40 mgp highway, but I do drive it in an economical way. The race red is just a popping hot color and I love the body shape. The interior is roomy enough and comfy, I stuff 3 teenagers in the back and they haven't killed each other yet. There are some negatives.....the cloth seats stain really easily, even with just a water bottle perspiring on it. The tires wore out after 36,000 miles though they had a 50,000 mile warranty. I have subsequently read this car is hard on tires. The foam that covers the speakers in the rear dash has completely disintegrated. The Sync doesn't always get along with the iPod, which is very irritating. When the vent is on cold, but not running the a/c, the air is way too warm, we just have to run the ac then. The radio is cheap, the am stations don't come in very well and the volume is not calibrated very well, going from 4 to 5 the volume increase is way too much. The main reason I bought the car for the economy and looks, and there is has delivered no problem. There are some annoying issues, but I wasn't expecting a Lincoln performance inside the car.

what everyone here is saying is the truth. do not buy this car. transmission issue that makes stopping and going feel like turbulence in an airplane. was something i dealt with till now. it gets worse as the car ages. now i don't just shutter, the car doesn't move till about 2 seconds after i touch the gas pedal. AVOID THIS CAR AT ALL COSTS

My 2012 focus SFE has 48k miles now and I still love it. It's mileage is fantastic with a realistic 38-40 highway in Tennessee area. The radio is very sensitive and has all the features I need. Seats are very comfortable. I suspect it'll be a very dependable car over the long haul. Cons. Early model with headrests that don't adjust front to back. Sync is pathetic and connecting ipod is sometimes a chore. wish they used wet clutches and hydraulic mechanisms as the shifting is poor. I'm tearing the weatherstripping on door post when I get in due to slope of entry but if I weighed less that wouldn't be a problem.

My 2012 Ford Focus with 20K miles is at the dealer for service. Shuddering, grinding and hesitation when running through the gears. They have had it for 5 days now and I have been told it will not be ready for two more days. Complete transmission replacement on a 3 year old car with 20K miles. Seals failed and fluid leaked into the dry clutch. There is no recall out on this vehicle now, but there will be soon, based on what I saw. Went into the dealer's garage and saw 5 other vehicles being worked on for the same issue. Even worse - I am hearing that they are using the same seals for the replacement. Based on other reviews I have read from people who have had their transmissions replaces, it was just a mater of time before they started having issues again. Stay away.

I can't believe there is still no recall for this transmission. I bought this car new and although it was smooth riding for a good while eventually the transmission got worse and shuddered. So I took it to the dealer. Of course that's when I found out about all the nightmares that people were having with this transmission and then mine began. Lucky the dealer didn't tell me it was normal like others reported so they first reprogrammed the ECU. That didn't fix it so they ordered a clutch. However, it was on backorder from all the others needing replacements. I waited 2 months! That's right, the car sat in the shop for 2 months before the dealer finally gave up waiting and dropped in a whole new transmission. I'm glad the dealer tried to fix the problem but waiting that long for a fix is ridiculous. I ended up trading this car in soon after because I knew the transmission hadn't been redesigned. Its just a matter of time before it goes out again which others have reported. So buyer beware!

I love the car and it was the first ever brand new car I owned, a 2012 Focus. I had it in the shop regarding the dual clutch a few times and the last time, I got new seals in the clutch which if it hadn't been for the warranty it would have cost me about $1,500. Most of that was labor as it takes about 7-8 hours to work on the transmission. I knew what I had to do was get rid of it long before the warranty was up and before the car depreciated as the days ticked by. I was glad I did and got a 2013 Honda Civic. The transmission is very smooth and I like it. I am hoping to achieve over 300,000 miles on it. I am very disgusted with the dual clutch of the Focus and wonder if Ford will confess up someday that it was their fault or keep it quiet like what happened to the Cobalt.

I recently got a 2012 Ford Focus and I love driving my new car. Yes it took some getting used to but the car gives a great ride. Going from 1995 Oldsmobile Cutless 6 cyclinder to a 2012 Focus is a huge difference. The Focus feels safe and reliable, my kids also love it. So far i have no compliants. I had a Ford Escort back in college and the car was really good to me, so I decide to go back to Ford.

I bought my 2012 Focus new in November 2011 and have loved it. It's never been in the shop once. But, its a manual transmission and that seems to have saved me, judging from the other comments. I opted for the sports package and standard radio as I'm not one for corny features like the MyFord Touch and push button starting. Things I think could have been better are the front seat comfort, a sixth speed in the transmission, and the ability to replace the radio with OEM equipment. But overall, a very good performing economical car.

My Focus SE is beautiful as long as I don't have to drive it. I can't stand to be in it for more than 30 minutes the seats make my back hurt. The transmission issues are so bad we took it on vacation and I honestly worried about making it home. It sputtered and clanked I thought it was falling apart. I bought it a month ago and it has done it since day 2. We're expecting our 2nd grandbaby in June and we picked the focus because of the safety rating I've never owned a Ford before after this one not sure I will again. Family doesn't "see" wants wrong with it they love it I was raised around cars I can tell when somethings not right even my "nerdy" hubby noticed it when we were on vacation the whole car shuddered multiple times throughout our trip. We've had no problems with the SYNC but we are Android people, but the transmission is enough to make me regret our purchase. My hope is Ford gets this figured out before these transmissions start causing accidents and we all have to put our safety features to the test....yep she's a beauty as long as she's parked in the driveway.