NHTSA Complaint #10626525 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

WHILE DRIVING MY FORD FOCUS 2012, THE ENGINE WOULD SHUTTER INBETWEEN SHIFTS. THIS RESULTED IN DELAYS IN THE SHIFT AND THEN SOMETIMES IN SURGES IN POWER, BACK AND FORTH. THERE WAS ALSO OFTEN A GRINDING OR CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE DURING THE SHIFT. I FINALLY GOT FORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AFTER TAKING IT INTO THE SHOP FOR SERVICE THREE DIFFERENT TIMES AND MAKING NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS. IN THE INTERIM, I BELIEVE MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER DO TO THE UNPREDICTABLE MALFUNCTIONING OF THIS VEHICLE. THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I WAS TRYING TO GET THROUGH AN INTERSECTION OR GET ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE DELAY/SHUTTER/SURGE OF THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT, AS I COULD NOT PREDICT WHEN THE INCIDENTS WERE GOING TO OCCUR, OR EXACTLY TO WHAT DEGREE. I BELIEVE FORD'S REPEATED REFUSAL TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER. THE FIX ENDED UP BEING A REPLACEMENT OF THE CLUTCH. HOWEVER, I WAS ADVISED BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT THIS WOULD ONLY BE A SHORT TERM FIX AND THAT EVENTUALLY THE PROBLEM WOULD RETURN (NO DOUBT NEXT TIME ONLY AFTER MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE REPAIR). PLEASE HELP RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOME IS SERIOUSLY INJURED BY FORD'S REFUSAL TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DANGEROUS AND DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. *TR