2012 Ford Focus consumer reviews

I have been a Ford owner since 1993. I have owned 3 Ford vehicles and have always been satisfied with my purchases. So when it came time to buy a new car, I looked at my reliable Ford. I wanted to go from a SUV to a car so I decided on the Focus. I did not do any research because this car has been around since 2000. WHAT A MISTAKE! The 2012 Focus has what Ford is calling a "new transmission" which they are all excited about. They sell it as an automatic but it actually is a standard. Your told that the "computer learns your driving habbits and drives the car for you." THE CAR SUCKS! Why would I want a computer to drive my car. I am the one who should be dictating my driving. You cannot pull out into traffic from a stop or if you have slowed down, the car just stops in the middle of street until the "computer" feels like moving. The "computer" does not like to sit in traffic either. This car cannot simply coast forward. Instead it lunges down the road and then you have to slam on the brakes because the car feels like it is out of control. Dont waste your money on this car.

Bought car about 7 months ago, has had problems since, was told in beginning car had to break in, Made my husband drive it so he wouldnt think I was crazy, transmission sucks, jerks rattles, have felt like it was going to stall numerous times, has been back to dealer twice going back again tomorrow. I dont feel safe in car and dont want my kids in the car, thi is there last chance to fix it, then I will have to look into trading it on a real car, dont like feeling unsafe in my car, you never know when it will act up, also gas mileage sucks, not what I was promised.. Very unhappy

I must say the 2012 Ford Focus is a superberb compact. The only complaint for me would be the automatic dual clutch transmission. The engine over-rev and indecisiveness of the tranny to chose a gear...appropriate or not, can at times be unerving and at the least annoying. The Focus is fun to drive and I've truely enjoyed and appreciate the superb gas milage Ford was able to achieve. I would recommend this vehicle to a friend if that friend preferred a standard and if the Titanium edition a had the standard tranny as an option. Everything else about the car is great especially the techiness of the FordMyTouch. Can't wait to see how the new turbo focus will perform. Good job Ford, now just correct the transmission issues and you will have a 5 star car across the board.

After a years study of what was out there I concluded the 2012 focus SE automatic was the best sporty car for the money and bought one. It only has one problem I can see and it is the automatic transmission which has balkiness/indecisive/jerky at low speeds. If you have AC on and/or passengers it gets worse. In automotive terms this is known as lugging. To be more technical it happens when the engine isin a higher gear than it should be for the current load it is dealing with. In addition, when it ?lugs? under these conditions, it then causes a rattle under the hood, most likely all those plastic engine cover pieces. The dealer service dept and Ford have been very honest & upfront about this, saying that all 2012 automatic focuses have this problem and there may be a fix in the future. When it happens, It is bad enough that your passengers will ask you what's wrong when they hear/feel it happen. Please ask about this and drive one looking for this problem before buying. You can also search on the internet and find that this problem is often discussed on boards related to the Ford Focus, plus in consumer reports. At least two technical service bulletins have been released and one recall, on this problem area. I have found this to be a great car aside from this one problem. You will also find other online reviews detailing this same problem.

I've only owned my 2012 for 2 months, but have done quite a bit of driving. I've avg'd about 37-38 on the highway and 30-33 in mixed driving. Very happy with the MPG. It handles really well and has a sporty feel to it. The trunk is a good size too! My only complaints are that the head rests limit some viewing angles and that there is no arm rest for the front seats. Otherwise this car has been just what I expected!

I ordered a 2012 Focus SE Sport from the factory so I could get just the configuration I wanted, and it was well worth the wait. I've had it just over two months, and I love most everything; I can get nit-picky and list the minor details that could be better, but I've got a car that drives like a German or Asian sports sedan at half the price. It's the first car I've purchased new in 25 years, but with used car prices as strong as they are, and factory incentives in place at the time, I paid only a few thousand more than an equivalent two year old car with 10k miles. Mine is a hatchback with the manual transmission, power moonroof, satellite radio, 17" machined and painted wheels--it looks unique, nothing in its class compares in exterior styling except the Hyundai Elantra, and I predict the styling of that car will look dated long before the Focus. It's a solid, quiet car whose small size makes it feel like an extension of the driver. The handling is terrific, which I assume is in part a function of the torque vectoring system; it can feel underpowered when you go lightly on the throttle, but shift down and put your foot into it and it will run with anything short of a turbo-4. The cars I considered as alternatives, the VW GTI and Mazda3, fall short by almost 10 mpg, but will barely outrun the Focus on flat-out acceleration. The engine is smooth; the shifter is very precise and easy; the clutch engages smoothly with just the right weight and feel. The steering feels light compared to my Focus ZX3, which is a blast to drive, but the electric power assist still provides good feel and road feedback. The sport seats are firm and supportive, and adjust to a very comfortable driving position. The ergonomics are great, all controls are just where you'd expect them to be. I ordered Synch, but not MyFordTouch. The car and I are still learning to understand my voice commands, but I can get it to do what I need it to do. The dual high def information screens are great, and tell me what I want to know. I have my music library on a pair of thumb drives, and the upgrade entertainment system plays them back with excellent sound quality. I'm pleasantly surprised by small features: the automatic headlights; the way the remote locking works, with exterior courtesy lights on and off to ease entry and exit; even without push-button starting, tap the key and the starter will crank for as long as it takes to start the engine, and you can't overcrank it by holding the key too long; the concealed design fuel door with capless filler; LED interior lighting; warning displays for door ajar; trip computer, and compass and temp displays; all at a price that delighted me--and I'm hardcore frugal. The car would be close to perfect with: instantaneous mpg readouts; a lighted starter key slot; rear center armrest; 6th gear on the manual trans; seat recliner lever not covered by the seat belt when buckled. If I'd paid another $5-10k I'd have reason for complaining, but for econo-car pricing that's just whining. There are Asian cars that may include a few more features, but they won't drive and handle like the Focus.

For the most part I love my 2012 Ford Focus. There are 3 things I don't love. The transmission is jumpy sometimes. You have to have your foot squarely on the gas or it will lerch. The cup holders are not the best. Why can't a car company make a sedan with holders that will carry 2 large drinks with lids. I can get one large and 1 small. We don't drink small drinks. I had the same problem with my last car a Mercury Milan (yeah I know same company) I think they are all alike. In 2012 the designers chose to put the door locks in the middle of the console. If this was to keep me from locking my keys in the car it works but it is still a pain. So far I am getting decent gas mileage around 33 on average. This is hwy and city driving. The Focus is fun to drive and I am glad we purchased it.

I've only had it for a couple of months but I love it so far. A few quibbles with the touch screen rebooting. My highway mileage is great (34 mgp +) but the city mpg is not good (20 mpg or so), so I may bring it in to see if they can do something about that. But, overall, it's a zippy, responsive, fun, very comfortable, attractive car that I'm very happy to own.

We drove both the Ford Focus and Chevy Cruise. We ended up with the focus. The car drives much better then the chevy and is far better then friends toyota and honda competitors. We have been averaging 31 to 33 city and 40 plus highway with both my wife and i driving the car we save $250 to $300 a month in fuel over her old mustang V6. The sync system and navigation are easy to use and very helpful.

My old Honda is nearly 20 years old but has only 117K miles on it; I simply did not feel comfortable taking it out of town on long trips. I wanted to keep my business in town for the sake of our local economy and the convenience of routine maintenance. The local Ford dealership has an excellent reputation. The only feature I do not like about this car is the lack of a locking gas cap - the internal safety features were explained to me, but I would prefer to deny access altogether. The mpg is great; it handles well even though it is not as solid as my old Accord.