[dig doug]

Hey all, wanted to share a reoccurring issue I've been having with my 2012 Ford Focus SE hatchback. It began about a month and a half ago at around 29k miles. Sometimes when I go to start the car the key will turn, all electrical systems will come on (radio, lights, A/C, etc) but the engine doesn't crank. After multiple attempts at turning the key (I'm talking 30+ tries) the engine starts and the car runs normally from there. This problem is intermittent; sometimes the car starts normally, sometimes I have this issue. I have had this issue with both sets of keys for the vehicle.

My car has been to the dealer (Huntington Beach Ford) three times for this problem. They kept it for about a week each time, but the car always started normally for them and they were not able to replicate the problem. As such, they have performed no repairs on the car and just tell me to bring it back when it happens again. The battery checks out fine and they find no error codes in the computer.

In my research I have found a few other people who have had this issue, but nobody reports a solution that was able to permanently fix this problem. I was hoping someone here might be able to help. Here is a video of the issue.
http://youtu.be/yIZ2yPRnAsY?list=PLkLERrx2ZaYz5dx55ou_yKfQ6Ch78TkBx

A playlist of my multiple attempts can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkLERrx2ZaYz5dx55ou_yKfQ6Ch78TkBx

 

[FordService]

Hey all, wanted to share a reoccurring issue I've been having with my 2012 Ford Focus SE hatchback. It began about a month and a half ago at around 29k miles. Sometimes when I go to start the car the key will turn, all electrical systems will come on (radio, lights, A/C, etc) but the engine doesn't crank. After multiple attempts at turning the key (I'm talking 30+ tries) the engine starts and the car runs normally from there. This problem is intermittent; sometimes the car starts normally, sometimes I have this issue. I have had this issue with both sets of keys for the vehicle.

My car has been to the dealer (Huntington Beach Ford) three times for this problem. They kept it for about a week each time, but the car always started normally for them and they were not able to replicate the problem. As such, they have performed no repairs on the car and just tell me to bring it back when it happens again. The battery checks out fine and they find no error codes in the computer...]

Hi there,

I want to look into some options. Please send me a PM with your VIN, best daytime phone number, and full name.

Meagan

 

[kc5rui]

I saw your videos on the no start and no reverse and my suggestion would be to tell them to check out that Transmission Control Module. Only reason I say that is because mine wouldn't restart after it had failed. Our dashes are different and I have never seen an SE with a flashing Shift indicator like mine but if your TCM isn't communicating properly it will think your transmission isn't in park and wont start. Also I would point at the TCM for it not going into reverse.

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=467953

 

[LSXLOL]

Did you ever get a solution to this yet? Ours is doing the exact same thing!

 

[dig doug]

Update

After leaving my car with the dealer for two weeks they were finally able to replicate the problems. Diagnostics revealed it was a faulty Transmission Control Module. They replaced the TCM about 1 1/2 weeks ago and car has been running normally since then.

 

[FordService]

Did you ever get a solution to this yet? Ours is doing the exact same thing!

Hi there,

Have you been to the dealer for this? Please let me know, along with your mileage.

Meagan

 

[LSXLOL]

Hi there,

Have you been to the dealer for this? Please let me know, along with your mileage.

Meagan

Same thing TCM went out.

 

[wickedpenny]

This is my first time posting, but I have been around checking out if others are having issues. I bought my 2012 Ford Focus SE Hatchback brand new in June of 2012. Currently it only has 18,300 miles on it. I had no issues with the car until late last year when I had to have the transmission worked on, which occured at 11,000 miles. That being done and no issues until yesterday morning when my car was hesitating to start. All the dash lights and screens came on but didn't start. After a couple of times it started. I went to work and when I went to leave last night same thing happened. It took a couple more times to get it started. Anyway when I came out to my car this morning to go to work same thing happened again but it took me at least 5 minutes to get it to crank over. I even used both of my keys. With that being said I dropped my car off at Ford this morning and told them what was going on and that I was there just a week ago to get my routine oil change, everything checked out normal. Well I just went to pick it up and they told me that everything was fine and they replaced my battery. Okay maybe it was the battery but deep down I feel it had something to do with the computer somehow. But I'll keep an eye on it and if I have any other issues I'll be bringing it back to Ford.

 

[kc5rui]

When you say "hesitating to start" do you mean it wont crank over or it cranks but wont fire. If it wont crank over at all then I would recommend you do some research on the TCM. Keep a mental memory on how to replicate the problem if possible, as Ford will not be able to replicate it if you take it back in. If your Focus is cranking over but wont fire then I would have to say that is not indicative of a TCM problem.

 

[LSXLOL]

This is my first time posting, but I have been around checking out if others are having issues. I bought my 2012 Ford Focus SE Hatchback brand new in June of 2012. Currently it only has 18,300 miles on it. I had no issues with the car until late last year when I had to have the transmission worked on, which occured at 11,000 miles. That being done and no issues until yesterday morning when my car was hesitating to start. All the dash lights and screens came on but didn't start. After a couple of times it started. I went to work and when I went to leave last night same thing happened. It took a couple more times to get it started. Anyway when I came out to my car this morning to go to work same thing happened again but it took me at least 5 minutes to get it to crank over. I even used both of my keys. With that being said I dropped my car off at Ford this morning and told them what was going on and that I was there just a week ago to get my routine oil change, everything checked out normal. Well I just went to pick it up and they told me that everything was fine and they replaced my battery. Okay maybe it was the battery but deep down I feel it had something to do with the computer somehow. But I'll keep an eye on it and if I have any other issues I'll be bringing it back to Ford.

I can almost bet the TCM (transmission control module) is going out. Take it to the dealer, they will need to keep it till it happens to them unfortunately it does not store a code.

 

[wickedpenny]

Thanks for your suggestions. I will keep all that in mind. Honestly I was thinking of the TCM as well. When I turned the key this morning it did nothing the only thing that happened was the lights on the dash came on. It took several tries then it finally started. It's just frustrating to me because I had to get the transmission replaced already when the car was only a 1 year old and now I'm having these issues. Again thank you for your suggestions.

 

[LSXLOL]

Almost garentee is the TCM

 

[Scott D]

I just had my '12 (24,5XX miles) in the dealer this morning for a no start issue. I'd turn the key to the run position, let the idiot lights cycle through, then turn the key to start and get nothing but a click.

Even if I tried the (Ford Factory) remote start, nothing but a click.

After a number of tries and letting the car sit for about 45 minutes, it started and I brought it to the dealer. They checked the battery and everything came back fine in that department, so they moved on to the starter and found the wire leading to the solenoid was corroded at the connection. They took care of that for me and thus far no issues.

 

[z3pilot99]

I have a similar issue. Turn the key and no start. It does nothing. Second turn of the key and it will start after I release the key. At dealer now they claim it is a relay $210. I hope it is covered under the ESP. 111k miles. First issue with the car. But the transmission is acting up is shifting from 2nd to 3rd under hard acceleration. It tries to upshot but doesn't then downshifts back to second In a violent cycle. I lift my foot off of the gas pedal and it shifts fine. This is only at WOT.

 

[spacepirates]

Having similar issue on my wife's 2012 SEL.

About a week ago the battery went dead over the weekend as the car sat unused and I used a battery charger to charge the battery and then used ForScan to reset the Battery Monitoring System. After that, it would take 2x-6x turns of the key to start the car, but it would always start.

We also had a lot of display issues. We couldn't set the time (though we could set the date), fahrenheit would change to celsius and the temperatures would be wrong (65 degrees celsius? probably not...), the Distance To Empty mileage (DTE) would go to zero, the fuel gauge wasn't accurate (reading empty when we had ~1/4 tank).

Took it to the dealer (Sturman and Larkin Ford, in Pittsburgh, PA) who I just got off the phone with. I had previously told them the symptoms, that I suspected the TCM, and that the car has started if you turn the key multiple times - well, it didn't start for them (though they didn't try multiple times), so they just replaced the battery as it tested bad. Once they finish up doing a recall on the latches, we'll get the car back with just the battery replaced.

Hopefully that fixes the issue, but I will update regardless.