The bottom line: When a 2012 to 2016 Focus with the automatic starts to shudder, jerk or slip, the part that has usually worn out is its dual clutch, not the whole transmission.
Owners report typical bills of $1,290 to $1,650 for that repair. On a Focus that sells for around $4,700 to $5,900 running, fixing usually leaves you more than selling it broken.
Even a transmission that stopped working cost owners $1,500 to $2,430, which still leaves money after a private sale. A whole new unit would cost more, and we found no published price for one. Ford’s extended coverage has ended for nearly every car, so get the fault diagnosed before you pay for anything.
If the diagnosis points to a big repair, Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
What would buyers pay for your Focus with a bad transmission?Fill in one form, answering whether your Focus still drives, and set real offers against the price of a clutch job.
Key Takeaways
- Every 2012 to 2018 Focus with the 2.0-liter automatic has Ford’s PowerShift dual-clutch transmission, while the ST, RS, Focus Electric and manual cars don’t.
- In owners’ repair stories on CarComplaints, clutch, actuator or seal work comes up 126 times and a whole new transmission 33 times.
- No safety recall covers the automatic transmission on any 2012 to 2018 Focus.
- Of Ford’s extended warranties, only the control module program can still apply, and only to a few 2015 and 2016 cars that were first sold late.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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Which Focus Models Have the PowerShift Transmission?
The EPA’s listings show the dual clutch, which Ford calls PowerShift, on every 2012 to 2018 Focus with the 2.0-liter engine and an automatic. It works like a manual gearbox with a computer working the clutches.
This page covers the 2012 to 2016 cars, which drew most of the complaints. A 2017 or 2018 has the same transmission.
This page doesn’t apply to a Focus with a manual gearbox, to the ST or RS, which were only sold as manuals, or to the Focus Electric. The 1.0-liter automatic sold from 2016 is a conventional six-speed, not the dual clutch.
Is It the Clutch, the Control Module or the Transmission?
NHTSA holds 5,399 power train complaints from owners of 2012 to 2016 Focuses, and the 2012 and 2014 drew the most. Its records show the problems they describe most often.
| What owners described | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Shudders or vibrates | 25% |
| Jerks, lurches or clunks into gear | 23% |
| Hesitates or delays | 18% |
| Revs or slips without moving | 13% |
| Won’t shift or stuck in a gear | 7% |
| Lost power while driving | 7% |
Ford’s own bulletins match each symptom to a part:
- The clutch: shudder and slipping when you pull away.
- The transmission control module, the small computer that works the clutches: the car suddenly loses drive, won’t start, or flashes the gear letters on the dash. Fault codes include U0100, U0101, U1013 and P0606 (Ford’s bulletin on the control module).
- The clutch actuator motors: codes from P0805 to P090D.
- Won’t go into gear: it can be either the clutch or the module, so ask which fault codes the shop read before you pay for a clutch.
Owners’ reports bear that out. Across the 2012 to 2016 repair stories on CarComplaints, by our count, clutch, actuator or seal work comes up 126 times, the control module 48 times, a whole transmission 33 times and a software update 22 times.
Will Ford Pay for Any of It Now?
Ford extended the warranty on this transmission several times, through programs such as 14M01 and 19N08 for the clutch, but by now almost all of it has run out.
| Ford program | What it covered | Where it stands now |
|---|---|---|
| 14M01 | Clutch, seals and software, 7 years or 100,000 miles, 2012 to 2014 cars built to June 2013 | Ended for every car |
| 19N08 | One clutch replacement, 7 years or 100,000 miles, 2014 to 2016 cars built July 2013 to November 2015 | Ended for every car |
| 14M02 | Transmission control module, 10 years or 150,000 miles, 2012 to 2016 cars built to November 5, 2015 | Only a car first sold after about October 2016, under 150,000 miles |
The control module program, Ford 14M02, is the one that can still matter, because its ten years run from the day the car was first sold. A leftover 2015 or 2016 that sat on a lot can still be inside it.
Its sixth supplement says salvage and branded-title cars qualify too, but cars built after November 5, 2015 aren’t covered. A Ford dealer can check by VIN in minutes.
The class settlement, Vargas v. Ford, paid for repeat repairs and bought back some cars. Every claim had to be made within 7 years or 100,000 miles of the first sale, so its windows have closed.
NHTSA lists no safety recall for the automatic transmission on any 2012 to 2018 Focus.
What Does a Focus Clutch or Transmission Repair Cost?
Owner-reported bills on CarComplaints are the best guide here. Kelley Blue Book shows no dealer estimate for a 2014 Focus transmission or clutch, in any of the cities we tried, and we found no published price for a whole replacement unit. Two owners told NHTSA what a rebuilt one cost them fitted: about $1,900 and $3,000.
- Shudder and jerking, mostly clutch work: typical bills of $1,290 to $1,650 across the 2012 to 2015 models.
- A transmission that stopped working: $2,430 on a 2012, $1,530 on a 2013 and $1,500 on a 2014, each from a few dozen reports or fewer.
- A control module out of warranty: about $1,200, according to Endurance.
A Ford dealer can print your car’s service history by VIN, which shows whether the clutch has already been replaced.
RepairPal puts a Focus clutch replacement at $1,149 to $1,428 for 2013 to 2018 models, though it doesn’t say whether that’s the dual clutch or the manual.
Ask for the quote as a dual-clutch replacement, with the clutch actuators and the control module checked, so every quote you compare covers the same work.
Does a New Clutch Pay on a 2014 Focus?
By Kelley Blue Book’s figures, a 2014 Focus SE sedan in good condition brings $4,675 from a private buyer and $1,500 on trade; a Titanium, $5,850 privately.
Your own year’s values, for your mileage and ZIP: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
| Route, 2014 SE | Repair cost | After a $4,675 sale |
|---|---|---|
| Clutch job at a typical owner-reported bill | $1,500 | $3,175 left |
| A stopped transmission at the highest typical bill | $2,430 | $2,245 left |
| Sell it as it is | None | Your best offer |
Here the numbers lean toward fixing, unlike most failed transmissions, because the usual repair is a clutch, not a whole gearbox. Even two clutch jobs at $1,500 leave about $1,675 after a $4,675 sale, more than either offer buyers made for the broken Focus we quoted.
What the table can’t show is how often you’ll pay. The settlement paid owners for a third and later repair visit, so if you plan to keep the car for years, budget for another clutch.
Run Your Own Clutch Quote
The example is a 2014 SE at a typical clutch bill. Put in the quote your shop gave you and the best offer you have for the car now.
No offer yet? Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
What Do Buyers Offer for a Focus That Won’t Drive?
For a 2012 Ford Focus SE with 104,000 miles that wouldn’t start, buyers offered $176 and $170 through My Garage, Sell Car Advisor’s offer comparison form.
Set those against the repair table: a car that needs only a clutch is worth thousands more fixed than either offer, while a car with a bigger fault may not be.
In our offer data, buyers offered a typical $695 for 2012 to 2018 Focuses that were 10 or more years old when quoted, so 2016 or older, and $1,140 for cars of every make from those years. Neither figure records the car’s condition.
Middle offer on an old Ford Focus, by model year 137 Ford Focus offers · 10,842 for all cars of the same years · Model yearsShow the numbers
Model years Ford Focus Offers All cars of the same years Offers 2000 to 2007 $380 53 $465 5,494 2008 to 2011 $430 23 $760 3,303 2012 to 2018 $695 61 $1,140 2,045 
What’s the Best Way to Sell a Focus With PowerShift Trouble?
If the repair doesn’t pay, sell it as it is and be exact about what it does:
- Whether it shudders, slips or won’t move at all
- Whether a warning light is on
A buyer’s offer is made on your description and can be lowered at pickup if the car doesn’t match it.
How the car runs on the day matters most. Across every make in our offer data, buyers offer 29% less for a car that starts but can’t be driven than for one that drives, so sell a Focus that still drives, however badly, before it stops.
The instant-offer buyers we quoted pay as the car leaves, so have the title ready for pickup day.
Compare offers for your Focus. Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool sends your car to several buyers at once, and you choose whether to accept any of them.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
EPA fueleconomy.gov: Ford Focus transmissions by year
Transmission codes for each Focus version, 2012 to 2018 (AM6, the dual clutch, on the 2.0-liter automatic). Accessed October 12, 2026.
NHTSA: vehicle complaints and recalls, 2012 to 2016 Ford Focus
Complaints filed under power train by model year and the problems they describe, and the recall list, read from NHTSA's APIs. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Ford TSB 16-0129: transmission control module faults, Focus
Fault codes U0100, U0101, U1013 and P0606 and the symptoms of a failed control module. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Ford customer satisfaction program 14M02, supplement 6
Transmission control module covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles, 2012 to 2016 Focus built to November 5, 2015; branded-title cars eligible. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Ford customer satisfaction program 14M01, supplement 6
Clutch, seals and software covered for 7 years or 100,000 miles, 2012 to 2014 Focus built to June 5, 2013. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Ford customer satisfaction program 19N08
One clutch replacement covered for 7 years or 100,000 miles, 2014 to 2016 Focus built July 9, 2013 to November 5, 2015. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Vargas v. Ford: PowerShift transmission settlement FAQ
Benefits for repeat repairs and buybacks, all tied to 7 years or 100,000 miles from first delivery. Read from the archived copy of December 14, 2025. Accessed October 12, 2026.
CarComplaints: 2012 to 2016 Ford Focus transmission problems
Owner reports: typical repair costs and mileage per problem, and the fixes owners describe, for each model year. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Endurance: Ford Focus and Fiesta transmission issues
A control module replacement at about $1,200, a figure Endurance attributes to UpFix. Accessed October 12, 2026.
RepairPal: Ford Focus clutch replacement cost
Estimate of $1,149 to $1,428 for 2013 to 2018 models; the page doesn't say which transmission. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2014 Ford Focus values
Trade-in, private party and fair purchase values by trim, good condition, national averages at typical mileage. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Sell Car Advisor: My Garage instant offers
Instant offers from several buyers on the same car, with the condition the owner gave, quoted March to October 2026. These are the cars in this page's offer tables and the set behind the condition figures (how much less buyers offer for a car that doesn't start or doesn't drive), compared within groups of cars of similar age and mileage. The model-year charts come from a larger set of offers going back to 2021.
Middle offer on an old Ford Focus, by model year, Sell Car Advisor
"137 Ford Focus offers · 10,842 for all cars of the same years" Accessed Oct. 17, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 2 figures from 17,628 instant cash offers, and 1 figure from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Oct. 17, 2026
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