NHTSA Complaint #10454550 — 2012 FORD FUSION

WHEN NEW, VEHICLE EXHIBITED HARSH SHIFTS FROM 1-2. GRADUALLY WORSENED AND CAME TO INCLUDE A SOFT 2-3 SHIFT AND A METALLIC FRICTION NOISE IN LOWER GEARS BY 1000MI. STARTING AROUND 7000MI, VEHICLE STARTED TO SHIFT ERRACTIALLY IN TRAFFIC BETWEEN 1-2 AND 2-1, WITH A SUDDEN AND MODERATELY VIOLENT LURCH FORWARDS DURING SHIFTING. VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL IN LOW-SPEED (PRIMARILY ACCELERATION FOLLOWING ANY PERIOD OF COASTING) SCENARIOS AND REQUIRED ADDITIONAL FOLLOWING DISTANCE TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. VEHICLE BECAME MUST HARSHER ON THE 1-2 SHIFT IN COLD WEATHER. BY 8000-9000MI, VEHICLE DEVELOPED SLIPPING. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY EVIDENT AT LOWER SPEEDS FROM 2-3, SUCH AS AT A ROLLING YIELD BELOW 10MPH. VEHICLE WOULD MOMENTARILY LOSE ALMOST ALL POWER DURING CERTAIN 2-3 SHIFTS, REQUIRING ACCELERATION PLANNING FOR INTERSECTIONS, TO PREVENT SLUGGISHNESS AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME. TSB 12-3-7 WAS APPLIED AND RESULTED IN ADDITIONAL SLIPPAGE IN HIGHER GEARS, SUCH THAT CLIMBING AN ONRAMP FOLLOWING A 3-4 SHIFT WAS CHALLENGING, AND CLIMBING A HILL AT LOW SPEEDS DURING A 2-3 SHIFT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF ALL FORWARD MOMENTUM. *TR