You've probably seen them everywhere. Sitting on used car lots with tempting price tags under $8,000, looking sleek and modern for their age. The 2016 Ford Focus sedan is a weirdly polarizing machine. Some owners swear by them as the ultimate budget commuter, while others will tell you, with a very frustrated look on their face, to run in the opposite direction.
It's a compact car that feels like a European sports sedan but often behaves like a moody teenager.
Honestly, the 2016 model year was a bit of a turning point. It wasn't the disaster that the 2012 or 2014 models were, but it wasn't exactly a Toyota Corolla in terms of "set it and forget it" reliability either. If you are looking at one of these today, you aren't just buying a car; you're buying a very specific set of engineering choices that Ford made a decade ago. Some of those choices were brilliant. Others? Well, let's just say the lawyers got involved.
The Elephant in the Room: That Dual-Clutch Transmission
We have to talk about the PowerShift. If you look up reviews for the 2016 Ford Focus sedan, 90% of the complaints center on the DPS6 six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Here is the thing: it’s not actually a traditional automatic. It’s basically two manual transmissions merged together, operated by computers and electric motors. Ford wanted the fuel efficiency of a manual with the ease of an automatic. On paper, it was genius. In reality, it led to "shuddering," "slipping," and a whole lot of internal memos.
By 2016, Ford had actually applied several hardware and software fixes to this unit. The seals were better. The software was less confused. But it still feels "clunky" compared to a buttery-smooth Honda CVT. If you’re test-driving one and it feels like it’s vibrating when you pull away from a stop sign, that’s the clutch trying to find its grip. It's quirky. Some people hate it. Others get used to it.
But—and this is a big "but"—if you find a 2016 Ford Focus sedan with the five-speed manual transmission, you have found a completely different car. Those things are bulletproof. They’re fun. They make the car feel alive. If you can drive stick, stop reading and go find a manual Focus. It’s arguably one of the best value-for-money used cars on the market right now because the bad reputation of the automatic drags the price of the manual down.
Driving Dynamics That Actually Punch Above Their Weight
Forget the transmission for a second. Let's talk about the chassis.
Ford of Europe handled a lot of the development for this platform. You can feel it in the steering. It’s heavy, precise, and surprisingly communicative. When you toss a 2016 Ford Focus sedan into a corner, it doesn’t flop over like a wet noodle. It stays flat. It bites. It’s genuinely fun to drive on a twisty backroad, which is something you can't really say about a 2016 Nissan Sentra or a Hyundai Elantra of the same era.
The standard engine is a 2.0-liter Ti-VCT four-cylinder. It puts out 160 horsepower. It’s peppy enough for highway merging, though it won't win many drag races.
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The Hidden Gem: The 1.0L EcoBoost
Did you know Ford tucked a tiny three-cylinder engine into some of these sedans? It’s the 1.0-liter EcoBoost. It only makes 123 horsepower, but it’s turbocharged. It’s weirdly quiet and smooth. More importantly, it came paired with a traditional 6-speed torque-converter automatic (not the dreaded PowerShift) or a 6-speed manual. If you find a Focus with the "EcoBoost" badge on the trunk, you’ve likely found the most reliable automatic version of this car.
Interior Cramp and Tech Realities
Inside, the 2016 Focus feels... cozy. That’s the polite way of saying it’s tight. If you’re six-foot-two, your knees are going to be intimate friends with the dashboard. The backseat is even tighter. If you have kids in rear-facing car seats, just forget it. You’ll be eating the steering wheel so the kid has an inch of legroom.
But the materials are decent. Ford used soft-touch plastics on the dash that haven't aged as poorly as the scratchy stuff in some competitors.
- SYNC 3 is the Savior: This was the first year Ford introduced SYNC 3 to the Focus. If you find a Titanium trim or an SE with the Luxury package, you get a real capacitive touchscreen. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (though you might need a simple $50 USB hub hardware update to get CarPlay working).
- The Base Screen: If you’re looking at a base S or SE model, you get a tiny 4.2-inch screen that looks like it belongs in a calculator. It’s functional, but it’s not pretty.
- Sound Insulation: It’s actually pretty quiet. Ford used a good amount of acoustic glass and sound-deadening material, so highway hauls aren't a deafening experience.
Real World Ownership: What Breaks?
Aside from the transmission shudder, there are a few things you should check if you’re looking at a 2016 Ford Focus sedan today.
Purge valves. They fail. When they do, the car might struggle to start after you fill up with gas, or the fuel tank might actually deform due to vacuum pressure. It's a cheap fix, but if ignored, it's a headache.
Then there are the motor mounts. The passenger-side hydraulic mount likes to leak its fluid around 80,000 miles. You’ll know it’s gone because the whole car will vibrate at idle like it’s shivering. Again, not a dealbreaker, just a $150 part and an hour of work.
Rear suspension bushings also tend to squeak as they age. If the car sounds like a rusty screen door over speed bumps, that’s your culprit.
Safety and Resale Value
The 2016 Focus performed well in crash tests, earning a 5-star overall rating from the NHTSA. It has all the basics: stability control, a suite of airbags, and a standard rearview camera (which became mandatory later, but Ford was ahead of the curve).
As for value? These cars depreciate like a rock dropped in a lake. That’s bad for the original owner, but great for you. You can often find a well-maintained 2016 Ford Focus sedan for significantly less than a Civic or Corolla of the same year. If you find one with a documented service history—specifically one that shows the transmission clutch packs were replaced under the extended 14M01 or 14M02 warranties—you’re in a much stronger position.
Is It Actually a Good Buy?
It depends on who you are.
If you just want a car that will start every day for the next decade without you ever lifting the hood, buy a Toyota. Seriously. The Focus requires a bit of "active ownership." You have to pay attention to how it shifts. You have to stay on top of the small stuff.
But if you want a car that feels premium on the highway, handles like it belongs in a higher class, and costs about the same as a high-end mountain bike, the 2016 Ford Focus sedan is a fascinating choice. It’s a driver’s car disguised as a commuter's appliance.
Actionable Next Steps for Buyers
- Check the VIN: Run the VIN through Ford’s owner portal to see if the transmission recalls and "customer satisfaction programs" (specifically 14M01) have been addressed.
- Test Drive "Wrong": When test-driving an automatic, don't baby it. Creeping along in heavy traffic is what kills these dual-clutches. Drive it assertively. If it shudders violently when accelerating from a stop, walk away.
- Look for the Manual: Actively search for the 5-speed manual SE. It eliminates 90% of the car's known "nightmare" issues.
- Inspect the Purge Valve: Ask the owner if the car has ever stalled after refueling. If they hesitate, the EVAP system needs work.
- Check the Screen: If it has the 8-inch SYNC 3 system, check the firmware version. Updating to version 3.0 or 3.4 makes the interface much faster and more reliable.
The 2016 Ford Focus sedan isn't perfect. It's flawed, quirky, and occasionally frustrating. But for the right price, and with the right transmission, it’s one of the most underrated driving experiences you can find for under ten grand. Just do your homework before you sign the title.