NHTSA Complaint #10432654 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

AT BETWEEN 8000 - 9000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, CAR STARTED HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, CAR WOULD REACH APPROX. 8 MPH AND INSTEAD OF SHIFTING UP TO NEXT GEAR, WENT INTO NEUTRAL FOR 3-5 SECONDS, THEN PROCEEDED TO UPSHIFT AND TAKE OFF AT A LURCH. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WHEN I STOPPED, THE REVERSE GEAR WAS ALSO LIKE BEING IN NEUTRAL. NOW IT IS SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE CAR HAS HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED BY FORD ( HAS SPENT NEARLY 10 WEEKS AT FORD SERVICE). SINCE THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION, THE CAR DOESN'T "FALL OUT OF GEAR", BUT NOW WHEN STOPPING AND STARTING THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL OUT. THIS BEHAVIOR IS DISCONCERTING GIVEN THE HISTORY OF "FALLING OUT OF GEAR" WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE AND MERGE IN TO TRAFFIC. I FEEL THIS VEHICLE IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR