NHTSA Complaint #10547257 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

FOR A FEW MONTHS PRIOR I HAD NOTICED A SHUTTERING STUTTERING TYPE FEELING WHEN COASTING OR AT AT STOP, ALMOST LIKE THE CAR WAS GOING TO STALL. ON 9/13 I WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC GOING UP A HILL INTO A DODGER GAME WHEN ALL THE SUDDEN A WARNING POPPED UP ON THE SCREEN INFORMING ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD OVERHEATED AND I NEEDED TO PULL OVER, STOP THE CAR AND WAIT FOR 8 MINUTES. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO PULL OVER THE ENGINE WOULD REV BUT THE CAR DIDN'T MOVE, THEN IT STARTED DOING LARGE LURCHES FORWARD. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF THE TRAFFIC AND MOVE THE CAR TO SAFETY WITHOUT FURTHER ENDANGERING MYSELF, MY PASSENGERS, AND THE OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME. THE SMELL WAS SO BAD I ACTUALLY GOT OUT OF THE CAR AT ONE POINT THINKING IT MIGHT EXPLODE. THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR AS I TRIED TO GET TO SAFETY. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS THE NEXT MORNING AND IT WAS IN THE SHOP FOR A WEEK. I GOT IT BACK AND COULD TELL THERE WAS STILL SOMETHING WRONG BECAUSE THE SHAKING WAS NOW SO BAD I WOULD GET MOTION SICK ANYTIME THE CAR WAS AT A STOP. 5 DAYS AFTER PICKING IT UP I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP. AGAIN, THEY HAD THE CAR FOR A WEEK. AFTER PICKING IT UP, THREE DAYS LATER I WAS AGAIN PULLING INTO DODGER STADIUM AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. TRANSMISSION OVER HEATED, LURCHING AS I TRY TO PULL OVER TO SAFETY AND A TERRIBLE SMELL COMING FROM THE CAR. THE CAR IS BACK IN THE SHOP AGAIN, BUT I FEEL THAT MY SAFETY IS THREATENED AND I DO NOT WANT THIS CAR BACK. IN 23 DAYS, THE CAR HAS HAD TO GO INTO THE SHOP 3 TIMES, FOR A TOTAL OF 15 DAYS SO FAR. *TR