NHTSA Complaint #10560473 — 2012 FORD FIESTA

AS I ACCELERATED, THE GEARS BEGAN MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. THIS CAUSE THE ENTIRE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY. THIS OCCURS 80% OF THE TIME WHEN I PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR AND START ACCELERATING. ALSO, WHEN I TRY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT SLOWER SPEEDS BETWEEN 30-45 MPH, THE GEARS GRIND CONSTANTLY AND THE VEHICLE WILL SOMETIMES VIBRATE UNCONTROLLABLY. WHEN I FIRST GOT THE VEHICLE, IT WAS VERY MINIMAL VIBRATION AND/OR GEAR GRINDING. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE ALMOST 2 YEARS NOW AND IT NOW HAS 40K MILES ON IT. THE GRINDING NOISE IS NOW VERY VERY LOUD AND THE VEHICLE SHAKES EVEN WORSE THAN BEFORE WHEN ACCELERATING. IF I HAD THE RATE THE VIBRATIONS/SHAKING OF THE VEHICLE OUT OF 10, I WOULD RATE IT A 9. WHEN I FIRST TOOK IT TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM BACK IN APRIL 2012, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE DRIVES BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF ENGINE/TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND THE GEARS ARE SHIFTED BY A COMPUTER. SO, I TOOK THEIR STATEMENT AT FACE VALUE. NOW, AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AND FINDING THAT SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. THIS, I BELIEVE, IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NOT PERFORMING PROPERLY AND IT VIBRATES SO STRONGLY THAT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHAKES AND IN MY OPINION, THIS COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR