NHTSA Complaint #10363036 — 2010 FORD FUSION

WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THE APRIL, 2010 PURCHASE DATE, WE NOTICED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IN OUR 2010 FORD FUSION (6F35 TRANSMISSION) ON A COLD START, NAMELY ROUGH SHIFTING, TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, ENGINE REVVING EXCESSIVELY BUT THE CAR NOT ACCELERATING, AND THE VEHICLE LURCHING FORWARD BEFORE SLAMMING INTO GEAR. NORMALLY, AFTER THE ENGINE WARMS, THE TRANSMISSION SMOOTHES OUT AND WE DO NOT EXPERIENCE FURTHER PROBLEMS THAT DAY. HOWEVER, ONE EPISODE, WHICH RECENTLY OCCURRED AFTER WE HAD DRIVEN THE CAR CONTINUOUSLY FOR 180 MILES, LEADS US TO BELIEVE THAT WE SIMPLY CANNOT TRUST THE VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT US SAFELY. WHEN WE TOOK OFF IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AFTER STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, THE CAR SLAMMED INTO GEAR. WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID BEING HIT FROM THE REAR. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR MULTIPLE TRANSMISSION REPAIR ATTEMPTS--INCLUDING PCM REPROGRAMMING, REPLACEMENT OF VALVE BODY, AND REBUILDING THE TRANSMISSION. ON THE LAST REPAIR ATTEMPT, FORD BROUGHT IN A FIELD SERVICE ENGINEER WHO AGAIN "CAPTURED" THE PROBLEM. YET THE FLARING CONTINUES. WE CAN REPLICATE IT EVERY DAY BY DRIVING THE VEHICLE COLD AND ACCELERATING NORMALLY FROM 0 TO 55 MPH ON THE FIRST SHIFTING SEQUENCE. WE ARE CONVINCED THAT A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW EXISTS IN THE TRANSMISSION OF THE 2010 FORD FUSION. FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IMMEDIATELY! *TR