VehicleVerdict

2012 Ford Focus latches & locks problems

The 2012 Ford Focus has 133 latches & locks complaints filed with NHTSA — 3% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

133

Latches & Locks complaints

3%

Share of year

2

Crash-involved

2

Related recalls

Latches & Locks complaints by year

Related recalls

20V331000Latches & LocksJune 8, 2020 · 2,147,323 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Consequence

A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

16V643000Latches & LocksSeptember 6, 2016 · 2,046,297 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Consequence

A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.

Common questions

How many latches & locks complaints does the 2012 Ford Focus have?

NHTSA has 133 complaints about the 2012 Ford Focus latches & locks — 3% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2012 Ford Focus latches & locks?

Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns for this model year are tied to the latches & locks: 16V643000, 20V331000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.