Ford’s initial repair for a 2018 recall failed to actually fix the issue, so the Blue Oval is recalling these vehicles again.
If you own one of 255,404 Ford Focus models between the 2012-2018 model years, then you can expect a recall notice in the mail soon. In itself, that’s not too surprising, as manufacturers send out these notices all the time. (Ford has done so at least 51 times this year, and we dealt with 153 campaigns last year.) Nevertheless, what is surprising is that this notice concerns a recall campaign from 2018 that tried to fix a condition where some vehicles can stall without warning.
As it turns out, Ford acknowledged to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) earlier this month that the remedy for that initial campaign (Ford recall 18S32/NHTSA recall 18V-375) did not have the repair done correctly, despite dealer service departments recording the job successfully completed.
The issue has to do with the Focus’ Canister Purge Valve (CPV). The valve may stick open during an evaporative leak monitor check, where the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) — part of the onboard computer system — pulls a slight vacuum to check for fuel vapor leaks. This typically happens after the vehicle has been switched off for awhile, though the stuck valve can cause an excessive vacuum in the system, deforming the plastic fuel tank. Depending on how the tank deforms, affected vehicles could get an inaccurate fuel gauge indication and distance to empty, get a warning light, or have “drivability concerns” including a stall, which can increase the risk of a serious crash.
The fix is similar this time around…with some more checks in place
Ford’s initial fix was to update the PCM software to detect a valve failure and stop it pulling too much vacuum. Now, the 2026 campaign (Ford recall 26S40/NHTSA recall 26V-369) will do the update again, but validate the software version is correct to what Ford had intended back in 2018. The automaker told the NHTSA that “during a comprehensive audit of software-related FSAs (field service actions) dating back to 2017, discrepancies were identified during the transition between the legacy field service tool, known as IDS, and the new (FDRS) service tool.” Ford elaborates by noting software updates applied using the old tool may not have correctly fixed the issue, and a gap in records kept Ford from determining whether certain VINs ended up getting the proper software version or not. In some cases, Ford was able to work out in its audit that some Focus models still have the incorrect PCM software.
Ford will notify owners by mail that they will need to bring their vehicles into the dealer (again, if they tried to fix this issue the last time). That notice should go out between July 6 and July 10. Ford also plans to update its recall database so affected VINs are searchable by July 6th. Customers can check the company’s recall website, call its support line at 1-866-436-7332, or check the NHTSA’s website for more information.
