NHTSA Complaint #10598683 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS, HESITATES, AND LURCHES WHEN STARTING OUT OR ACCELERATING. IT CAN TEMPORARILY STRAND THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR UNEXPECTEDLY LUNGE THE VEHICLE AHEAD FROM A STOP AND I AM CONCERNED OVER THE POTENTIAL FOR CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ALL PASSENGERS AND ALL DRIVERS EVERY TIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN. IT HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE INITIAL BRAND-NEW DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE AND SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE (I AM NOW OVER 20,000 MILES). ONLINE RESEARCH REVEALS THIS IS A WIDESPREAD KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. I CALLED THE DEALER, DESCRIBED THE SYMPTOMS, AND ASKED FOR A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. HE STATED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, IS EXPECTED IN THIS UNIQUE TYPE OF TRANSMISSION, AND I NEED TO ACCEPT IT. HE DID NOT FEEL I NEEDED TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR A SERVICE EVALUATION BUT I PERSISTED AND BROUGHT IT IN. WHEN I ARRIVED I WAS GIVEN A PRINTED HANDOUT REGARDING THIS VEHICLE TRANSMISSION THAT AGAIN SUGGESTED THIS BEHAVIOR WAS EXPECTED AND "NORMAL" AND IMPLIED THAT I NEEDED TO ACCEPT IT. INSTEAD OF THE USUAL SERVICE EVALUATION, HE HAD ME DRIVE THE CAR WITH A DEALER REPRESENTATIVE WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THE SYMPTOMS, THAT THIS IS A KNOWN, WIDESPREAD ISSUE AND THAT IT IS EXPECTED BEHAVIOR WITH THIS UNIQUE TRANSMISSION. I WAS SENT HOME WITHOUT FURTHER EVALUATION AND IT WAS IMPLIED THAT I SHOULD NOT BRING BACK THE CAR FOR THIS ISSUE. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES OVER MANY DECADES AND HAVE NEVER, EVER EXPERIENCED SUCH UNUSUAL PERFORMANCE IN A TRANSMISSION AND I AM GENUINELY WORRIED THAT MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WILL BE PUT IN A DANGEROUS POSITION DUE TO THE "EXPECTED" BEHAVIOR OF THIS TRANSMISSION. I AM ASKING FOR A FORMAL REVIEW AND REPLACEMENT WITH A UNIT THAT PERFORMS ON PAR WITH INDUSTRY STANDARDS. I FEEL FORD WILL NOT ENTERTAIN FURTHER DISCUSSION AND APPEAL TO NHTSA. *TR