Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Déjà Vu: New Ford Focus Recall Sounds FamiliarFord's recall department must be working overtime. Hot on the heels of recalling nearly 550,000 Expedition SUVs for center-console trim that could pop off and distract drivers, the Blue Oval is back with another big one.Now, it's the Ford Focus taking center stage. The issue isn't new, though, because these models should have been fixed in a previous recall, but that didn't happen. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), affected vehicles were previously serviced under Recall 18S32 in 2018, but Ford's records now indicate that some may have been incorrectly marked as repaired despite not receiving the intended software update.2018 Ford Focus STFordRepaired, But Not ReallyThe 're-recall' is covering a whopping 255,404 Ford Focus models, model years 2012 to 2018. These cars supposedly got a software update to the Powertrain Control Module. Service records say the job was done, but Ford's digging suggests otherwise.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe root of the problem is A canister purge valve that likes to get stuck open, which can suck so much vacuum into the fuel system that it actually warps the plastic fuel tank. The software update was supposed to catch this before things got weird, but if your Focus missed out, you're still rolling the dice.Ford admits the safety risk hasn't changed since the first recall. The worst-case scenario would be the engine stalling out of nowhere and refusing to come back to life, which is never a good look in traffic. You might also spot a check-engine light, a fuel gauge that can't make up its mind, or a distance-to-empty reading that's pure fiction.According to the report, this whole mess surfaced when Ford took a deep dive into its recall repair records. Investigators poked through old and new service data and found some eyebrow-raising gaps. Ford started a broader review two years ago and finally greenlit a new recall this month. So far, no crashes or injuries have been linked to this glitch.2018 Ford Focus STFordWhat Owners Should Do NextLike before, Ford's fix is simple enough. If your car is on the list, you'll need to swing by a Ford or Lincoln dealer, where the techs will update your PCM software and double-check that everything's running the right version before sending you on your way. And yes, it won't cost you anything.AdvertisementAdvertisementDealers will get the heads-up starting July 6, 2026, and owners should watch their mailboxes between July 6 and July 10 for official letters. If you're impatient, you can always punch your VIN into Ford's or NHTSA's recall sites once the campaign goes live.For Focus owners caught up in this, it's not so much a new problem as it is making sure the last fix actually stuck. Just goes to show that sometimes the cure needs a checkup, too.FordThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Jun 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.