NHTSA Complaint #10484556 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

I PURCHASED MY 2012 FORD FOCUS IN MAY OF 2011 - A FAIRLY EARLY BUILD OF THE REMODELED VEHICLE. AT AROUND 20K MILES, THE CAR STARTED EXHIBITING SOME UNUSUAL NOISES. THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY WERE "NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS" OF THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE THEN, SEVERAL OTHER FOCUS OWNERS (FOCUSFANATICS.COM) HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES. MY CAR NOW MAKES A GRINDING NOISE WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, 2ND, 4TH, AND OCCASIONALLY 6TH GEAR. WHEN CLIMBING HILLS, THE CAR APPEARS TO HAVE LITTLE-TO-NO POWER AND MAKES A HORRID RATTLING NOISE THAT I AM NOW AWARE IS THE CLUTCH SLIPPING. WHILE IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC, THE CAR BUCKS AND JERKS. THE CAR HAS AN "AUTOMATIC" DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION, SO THERE IS NO WAY THAT I CAN CHANGE THE SHIFTING PATTERNS. IT TURNS OUT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE CAUSED BY A LEAKING SEAL CONTAMINATING THE CLUTCH WITH OIL, BUT CONSUMERS ARE NEEDING TO FIGHT THE DEALERS TO GET IT FIXED AS IT IS A COSTLY REPAIR. I'VE TRIED REPEATEDLY TO GET IT CORRECTED UNDER WARRANTY AND KEEP GETTING TURNED AWAY. ASIDE FROM THE FEAR OF MY OWN SAFETY, I ALSO ASSUME THIS WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE LIFE OF OTHER COMPONENTS (ACTUATORS/SYNCHROS/ENGINE MOUNTS/ETC.) WITHIN THE POWER TRAIN THAT I MAY NEED TO PAY TO REPLACE OUT-OF-POCKET AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. ASIDE FROM REPAIRING IT MYSELF, A RECALL IS MY ONLY HOPE. *TR