2016 Ford Focus RS: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
1,143 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 1,143 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 114.3
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
It is my transmission problem, there is an engine light on and the shifting is very rough and it also jumps gears, i know ford had a recall for this problem i believe it should be under warranty it is the TCM
The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle shuddered while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Transmission Hot - Wait 5 Mins" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact's son followed the instruction; however, the warning light …
Transmission Control Module failed and i had that replaced. Now the clutch pack failed and had that replaced. Now it says transmission hot and to pull over. All of this has been recalled on 2012 to 2016 but for some reason my car is not and its the same powershift transmission. Im over 4000 dollars into these repairs and still having problems.
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,450
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train649 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine220 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Fuel/Propulsion System157 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Unknown Or Other102 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System77 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel System62 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Ford Focus RS?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (649 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Ford Focus RS a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 76/100, computed from 1,143 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Ford Focus RS's most common problem?
649 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Ford Focus RS sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Ford Focus RS cost to run per year?
About $7,691 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $38,455 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Ford Focus RS really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 1,143 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 1143 NHTSA complaints on record (114.3/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (93.6/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems