NHTSA Complaint #10621177 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

DRIVING UP LIGHT INCLINE ON PAVED HIGHWAY WHEN TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT FLASHES INDICATING A LOSS OF TRACTION. SECONDS LATER CAR LOSES RESPONSE TO GAS PEDAL, FLASHES "TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FAILURE. SERVICE IMMEDIATELY." AFTER PULLING OVER AWAY FROM TRAFFIC AND POWERING OFF THEN 30 SECOND WAIT AND ON WARNING IS GONE AND FUNCTIONS ARE RESTORED. A WEEK LATER PROBLEM COMES UP AGAIN, THIS TIME ON INTERSTATE GOING 70MPH. CRUISE CONTROL IS SHUT OFF AUTOMATICALLY, NO POWER TO GAS PEDAL, TRACTION WARNING COMES ON, AND SAME TRANSMISSION WARNING FLASHES. GOES AWAY IN A SECOND OR TWO. PULL OVER AS SAFELY AS I CAN WHILE CUTTING OFF A SEMI-TRUCK, POWER CAR OFF AND ON, ALL SYSTEMS NORMAL. FOUR DAYS LATER PULL OUT OF PARKING SPOT WITH A HESITATION OF VEHICLE TO START, THEN A VIBRATING IN REVERSE. DRIVE AROUND LOT TO EXIT, PULL ONTO MAIN ROAD AND SAME WARNINGS/PROBLEMS AS USUAL HAPPEN. NOW BLOCKING TRAFFIC PERPENDICULAR TO FLOW. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, PUT CAR INTO PARK, TURN OFF, AND BACK ON. TRY TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE. WON'T BUDGE. TURN OFF AND ON AGAIN. TRY TO SHIFT AGAIN. NO LUCK. ONE MORE TIME, WAIT A FEW SECONDS, THEN AGAIN. CAR POWERS ON DRIVES TO ANOTHER LOCATION WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND THEN TO DEALER WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES. DEALER INSPECTS, FINDS FAULTY TCM. DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTES THIS TO MANUFACTURE DEFECT AND NOT TO USER ERROR. *TR