NHTSA Complaint #10611416 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

MY ISSUE WHICH I CONSIDER A SAFETY ISSUE IS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR I HAPPENED TO BE DRIVING IN STOP & GO TRAFFIC ON THE BALTIMORE BELTWAY AND THAT IS WHEN I FIRST EXPERIENCED THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS THAT WHEN YOU SLOW THE CAR DOWN TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP (BUT DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP) AND YOU TRY TO ACCELERATE THE CARS TRANSMISSION STARTS MAKING A CLANGING/GRINDING NOISE FOR A SECOND OR TWO AS IF THE CAR DID NOT KNOW WHETHER TO GO INTO FIRST OR SECOND GEAR. WHEN THE CAR FINALLY SELECTED THE GEAR IT WANTED TO BE IN THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD RAPIDLY. I CONSIDER THE LURCHING FORWARD IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC A SAFETY ISSUE, HOWEVER MY BIGGEST SAFETY CONCERN IS (HESITATION) THE SECOND OR TWO IT TAKES FOR THE CAR TO START FORWARD. SINCE YOU HAVE REMOVED YOUR FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND HAVE ATTEMPTED TO START FORWARD I AM CONCERNED ABOUT BEING REAR ENDED BY THE CAR/TRUCK BEHIND ME. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS CONDITION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN STOP & GO TRAFFIC AND WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A SHARP TURN. THE CAR SHOULD BE SMART ENOUGH TO HAVE A SMOOTH SHIFTING TRANSMISSION IN ALL INSTANCES. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL BECAUSE OF ALL THE CLANGING/GRINDING AND CAUSE ADDITIONAL ISSUES AND COST ADDITIONAL MONEY THERE IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT MAY BE A PROBLEM, THE ELECTRONIC ASSIST POWER STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS DOES NOT RESPOND AS ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE DRIVEN, THE STEERING SEEMS VERY LOOSE AND CONSTANTLY NEEDS TO BE CONTROLLED (MORE THAN NORMAL), ALSO WHEN CHANGING LANES IT TAKES MORE EFFORT ON THE DRIVERS PART TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, IF YOU ENCOUNTER A ROAD WITH INDENTED PAVEMENT (LIKE SOMETHING A HEAVY TRUCK WOULD LEAVE) IT TAKES MORE EFFORT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE THEN IT DOES WITH A HYDRAULIC STEERING SYSTEM. *TR