NHTSA Complaint #10543207 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHIFTING VERY POORLY AT ONLY ONE AND A HALF YEARS SINCE PURCHASE. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE SEVERE SHAKING AND SHUDDERING UPON ACCELERATION ACCOMPANIED BY A VERY LOUD METALLIC GRINDING SOUND. IT WAS TEST DRIVEN AND TOLD IMMEDIATELY THAT IT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD TO CONTACT FORD DIRECTLY TO GET THE FIX FOR THE ERROR CODE. WAS TOLD THAT THEY LOADED THE UPDATE FOR THE TRANS. AND THAT IT WAS NOW DRIVING APPROPRIATELY. NOT EVEN TWO WEEKS LATER IT IS BACK AT THE SHOP WITH EVEN MORE SEVERE SHUDDERING AND FEELING LOSS OF POWER (STILL HAS A METALLIC GRINDING NOISE). WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR NEEDED 1K MILES AFTER THE UPDATE SO THAT THE TRANS. COULD "RELEARN HOW I DRIVE." I DID NOT ACCEPT THIS SO THE ADVISOR AT MY DEALERSHIP PRODUCED A LIST OF NORMAL OPERATIONS AND BEGAN TO EXPLAIN THE TYPE OF TRANSMISSION THE FOCUS HAD. I TOLD HER THAT I WAS FULLY AWARE AND ACCEPTING OF THE OCCASIONAL HARD SHIFT OR ROLL BACK ON HILL AS WAS CUSTOMARY WITH A 'MANUAL' TRANSMISSION, BUT THAT THIS WAS MUCH WORSE/DIFFERENT. RECEIVED A PHONE CALL TODAY THAT THE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE MY CAR AND THAT HE "COULD NOT REPLICATE THE COMPLAINT" EVEN THOUGH IT HAPPENS 95% OF THE TIME WHEN I DRIVE IT. I AM NOT EVEN SURE THAT THEY HAVE LOOKED AT MY TRANSMISSION OR MERELY ATTACHED IT TO A COMPUTER/TEST DRIVEN IT. WILL CONTINUE TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED OR THE TRANS. IS RECALLED. *TR