2012-2018 Ford Focus Brake Job Guide: Symptoms, Costs and the Right Parts

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A brake job on a 2012-2018 Ford Focus is one of the easier ones in the compact class: the front axle uses a sliding single-piston caliper over a vented rotor, and the rear is either a drum-and-shoe setup or a small disc with the parking brake built into the caliper, depending on trim. Most owners replace front pads and rotors first, then deal with the rear a set or two later. The part that trips people up is buying rear parts before checking which rear system the car actually has.

How the Focus brake system is laid out

The third-generation Focus uses a hydraulic system with anti-lock brakes, brake assist and stability control. Ford's 2014 owner's manual describes brake assist as a system that measures how fast you press the pedal and provides maximum braking efficiency in a hard stop, and it notes that if the ABS light stays on, normal braking is still effective but the ABS may be disabled. None of that changes how you replace pads or shoes, but it matters for diagnosis: a warning light points to a hydraulic or electronic problem, not simply a worn pad.

At the front every 2012-2018 Focus has disc brakes. At the rear, the car was built two ways:

• Rear drums - brake shoes inside a drum, with the parking brake working the shoes through a cable. This was the setup on many base and mid-level cars.
• Rear discs - a small rotor with a caliper whose parking brake lever is attached directly to the caliper. Ford Performance's rear brake kit for the 2013-2018 Focus ST reuses the production ST rear rotors, and its instructions have you detach the parking brake cable from the caliper lever, which shows the integral parking brake design on disc cars.

The quickest check is to look through the rear wheel spokes: a flat rotor surface with a caliper means discs; a closed round drum means shoes. Trim level is a good hint but not proof on a used car, so look before you order.

Symptoms that the Focus is due for brakes

Ford's own guidance is short and useful. The owner's manual says occasional brake noise is normal, but a metal-to-metal sound, continuous grinding or a continuous squeal means the linings may be worn out. It also flags continuous vibration or shudder in the steering wheel while braking as something to have inspected. In practice on this car:

• High-pitched squeal when you brake lightly - usually the front pad wear indicator. Replace the front pads soon.
• Grinding - pad backing plate on rotor. At this point the rotors almost always need replacing too.
• Steering wheel shake when braking from highway speed - front rotor thickness variation or runout. New rotors, correctly installed on a clean hub, fix it.
• Parking brake lever pulls up high or does not hold - on drum cars, worn shoes or a stuck self-adjuster; on disc cars, worn rear pads or a sticking caliper mechanism.
• Red brake warning light with the parking brake fully released - Ford's manual warns the brakes may not be working properly. Check the fluid level first; low fluid can mean worn pads or a leak.

Front brake job: pads, rotors and hardware

The front brakes do most of the work on a front-wheel-drive compact, so they wear first. A front job means removing the caliper guide pin bolts, hanging the caliper (never let it dangle on the hose), removing the pads, then the caliper bracket and rotor. Clean rust off the hub face before the new rotor goes on; Ford's wheel installation warning specifically calls out corrosion or dirt on the hub, drum or disc mounting surfaces as a cause of loosening wheel nuts.

For parts, Bosch ceramic front pads for the 2012-2018 Focus are a quiet, low-dust choice for daily driving. If the rotors are grooved, below minimum thickness or causing shake, replace them with the pads rather than resurfacing thin factory rotors. Browse the full range in our brake rotor collection.

Rear brake job: drums or discs

Rear drum cars

Rear shoes on a Focus last a long time because the rear axle does a small share of the braking. When they are due, the job is removing the drum, taking off the shoes, springs and self-adjuster, cleaning and lightly lubricating the backing plate contact points, and reassembling with new shoes. Replace the springs and hardware if they are rusted or stretched, and set the adjuster so the drum just slides on with slight drag. We carry rear drum brake shoes for the 2012-2018 Focus, and hardware sets are in our brake hardware kit collection.

Rear disc cars

On disc-equipped cars the parking brake cable connects to a lever on the caliper, so the piston is part of the parking brake mechanism. On this style of caliper the piston is generally wound back with a caliper piston tool rather than pushed straight in; confirm the method in the factory service manual before you start, because forcing it can damage the caliper. Ford's bleeding procedure for rear integral parking brake calipers also calls for applying and releasing the parking brake several times during bleeding because of the fluid path inside the caliper. For pads, see Power Stop ceramic rear pads for the Focus.

What to replace together, and what drives the cost

Cost comes down to three things: whether you are doing pads only or pads and rotors, whether it is one axle or both, and whether you pay shop labor. Pads alone are the cheapest job; adding rotors adds substantially to the parts side; doing both axles at once saves labor compared to two separate visits. A complete kit such as the Detroit Axle front and rear kit for the 2012-2018 Focus covers a four-wheel job in one order - check that its rear parts match your car's rear brake type first.

Brake fluid is the other item to consider. Ford specifies Motorcraft DOT 4 LV High Performance brake fluid meeting WSS-M6C65-A2 and ISO 4925 Class 6 for this car and warns that other fluids may cause brake system damage. If the fluid is dark or the car has never had a flush, it is a sensible add-on to a brake job.

How hard is the job?

For someone with basic tools, jack stands and a torque wrench, a Focus front brake job is a manageable driveway project. Rear drums take more patience because of the springs and adjuster. Rear discs are straightforward apart from the piston retraction and the parking brake cable. A few rules keep it safe:

• Support the car on jack stands, never on the jack alone.
• Torque every caliper and bracket bolt to the value in the factory service manual.
• Tighten the wheel nuts in a star pattern with the car on the ground. The 2014 owner's manual lists 100 ft-lb (135 N-m) for the M12 x 1.5 wheel nuts and says to retighten them within 100 miles.
• Pump the pedal until it is firm before the car moves, then bed in the new pads. Power Stop's procedure for standard rotors is five moderate stops from 40 to 10 mph, then five from 35 to 5 mph, followed by about five minutes of moderate driving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my 2012-2018 Focus have rear drums or rear discs?

It depends on the trim and options. Look through the rear wheel: a rotor and caliper means discs, a round closed drum means shoes. The ST uses rear discs. Always check before ordering rear parts.

Do I need new rotors every time I change the front pads?

No. If the rotors are smooth, above minimum thickness and the car stops without shake, pads alone are fine. Grinding, deep grooves or a pulsing pedal mean the rotors should be replaced with the pads.

Why is my brake light on after a brake job?

Check that the parking brake is fully released and the fluid level is between MIN and MAX. Ford says a brake warning light with the parking brake released means the brakes may not be working properly, so have it checked before driving far.

What brake fluid does a 2012-2018 Focus use?

Ford specifies Motorcraft DOT 4 LV High Performance brake fluid, or an equivalent meeting WSS-M6C65-A2 and ISO 4925 Class 6.

Can I push the rear caliper piston back with a C-clamp?

On rear disc cars the parking brake is built into the caliper, and that style of piston is generally rotated back with a piston tool rather than pushed. Check the service manual for your car before forcing it.

Sources

1. Ford 2014 Focus Owner's Manual - brake noise and shudder guidance, brake assist and ABS, brake warning light, DOT 4 LV fluid specification, wheel nut torque and retightening
2. Ford Performance M-2300-WR Focus ST rear brake kit - 2013-2018 Focus ST uses production rear disc rotors
3. Ford Performance M-2300-WR installation instructions - parking brake cable on the rear caliper lever, bleeding procedure for integral parking brake calipers
4. Power Stop brake kit installation guide - caliper support, hardware and lubrication, rotor runout, bed-in procedure