VehicleVerdict

2016 Ford Focus electrical system problems

The 2016 Ford Focus has 94 electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA — 6% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

94

Electrical System complaints

6%

Share of year

2

Crash-involved

2

Related recalls

Electrical System complaints by year

Focus electrical system complaints by model year1,450 complaints1999: 2 complaints2000: 1,450 complaints2001: 535 complaints2002: 300 complaints2003: 541 complaints2004: 185 complaints2005: 118 complaints2006: 50 complaints2007: 88 complaints2008: 57 complaints2009: 47 complaints2010: 46 complaints2011: 28 complaints2012: 409 complaints2013: 311 complaints2014: 286 complaints2015: 70 complaints2016: 94 complaints2017: 38 complaints2018: 47 complaints
Focus electrical system complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

26V011000Electrical SystemJanuary 15, 2026 · 116,672 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Consequence

An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

26V012000Electrical SystemJanuary 15, 2026 · 2,403 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Consequence

An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in April 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.

What owners report

“" TAKATA RECALL" I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN MY CAR STARTED SMELLING HOT. I LITERALLY JUST LEFT MY HOUSE I WAS ABOUT 5 MILES FROM HOME. IT SMELLED LIKE HOW YOU USE THE HEATER FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING COLD WEATHER. I CHECKED THE GAUGES TO MAKE SURE I WAS NOT OVER HEATING. I HAD NO WARNING LIGHTS POP…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · May 10, 2019 · fire

Common questions

How many electrical system complaints does the 2016 Ford Focus have?

NHTSA has 94 complaints about the 2016 Ford Focus electrical system — 6% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2016 Ford Focus electrical system?

Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns for this model year are tied to the electrical system: 26V011000, 26V012000.

Related

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

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.