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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2001 Ford Focus Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
90about this part
Share
5%of 1,761 total for the year
Median mileage
41,500miles
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 90 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2001 Ford Focus, 5% of the 1,761 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 41,500 miles. 6 of these say a crash was involved and 2 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I was driving to work and I turned on my cruise control, I had to barely brake for a caution when a car was coming in my lane, once I went around them...I left the cruise control off....but the car sped up on its own...approximately 65-70 miles an hour. My brakes were working just fine. …”

NHTSA complaint #10494804, filed 2013-01, 153,000 miles

“I was driving, and wanted to shift to lower gear (from 5th to 4th - manual transmission) for braking. The transmission was stuck in the 5th gear. I used the clutch to coast to a safe stop and had the car towed to a service location. The mechanic diagnosed it due the broken cables from the shifter to the transmission. The mechanic replaced these cables and the car is ok. We did not save the cables.”

NHTSA complaint #10304274, filed 2010-02, 82,000 miles

“I was stopped at a red light, when the light turned green and I engaged the gas pedal the car began to clank and jerk loudly and violently. I drove' the car about two feet before the steering seized up, the car could not be put into neutral, died completely, and had to be pushed to the side of the road. One of the pistons, cylinder # 1, was extensively damaged, due to the valve seat failure which shattered the piston, broke off pieces of the piston skirt, and bent the connecting rod. …”

NHTSA complaint #10489042, filed 2012-12, 106,000 miles

“I have a 2001 Ford Focus lx with 199,871 miles on it and its my first Ford car. I have owned many of Ford trucks in my life and always fixed problems with them myself. But with my Focus, every time in the past 4 years when I turn a corner roughly around 15 MPH or over, it cuts out and the car bogs out and jumps like the engine is going to jump out then I get a bad smell almost like sulfur coming from the car. All fluid levels are good with a full gas tank. This happens whether the car is hot or cold. …”

NHTSA complaint #10516174, filed 2013-06, 199,806 miles

“My transmission in my 2001 Ford Focus blew up before that I went and checked my fluid in it and there was nothing in it its a 5 speed and I never tampered with it so I put fluid in it that Ford recommended after telling me its not fords fault there was no fluid in my car and after I put the fluid in it it blew up no gears nothin just grinding”

NHTSA complaint #10030488, filed 2003-07, 51,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201831938%
201745551%
201667457%
201555955%
20141,57660%
20131,10252%
20121,44738%
20112018%
20104516%
20093917%
2008239%
20074311%
2006147%
20054711%
2004205%
2003485%
2002586%
2001905%
20002256%

Other parts of the 2001 Ford Focus

Electrical system
496 complaintsFuel system
318 complaintsEngine cooling
243 complaintsBrakes
199 complaintsSuspension
150 complaintsAir bags
147 complaintsSteering
86 complaintsTires
74 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
66 complaintsVehicle speed control
66 complaintsBody and structure
60 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
59 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2001 Ford Focus

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology