Government regulators close investigation into Ford Focus recalls

Government safety regulators said Monday they have closed an investigation into two previous recalls of the Ford Focus after determining that Ford Motor Co. has satisfied its concerns.

In 2018, Ford recalled around 1.5 million Ford Focus sedans from the 2012-2018 model years because they could lose power. The issue was a malfunctioning canister purge valve and software that didn’t adequately detect when it was stuck open. If the valve was stuck open, excessive vacuum could build up in the fuel management system and deform the fuel tank.

Five crashes and two injuries were reported related to the issue, but no fatalities.

Ford fixed the software in that recall and updated the software again in a separate 2019 recall. But in 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into those previous recalls after receiving 98 consumer complaints alleging that their Ford Focus sedans still lost power.

This fall, Ford began offering a customer satisfaction program that will replace the canister purge valve in the affected vehicles. Ford said the valve may not function properly, which can cause the vehicle to hesitate or stall at low speeds.

NHTSA said Ford’s latest program resolves its concerns so it’s closing its investigation into the previous recalls.