NHTSA Complaint #10637317 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

MY 2014 FORD FOCUS HAS ALL OF THE SYMPTOMS BEING REPORTED BY THOUSANDS OF OTHERS SUCH AS JUMPING FORWARD, ENGINE RPM RACING UP AFTER BOGGING DOWN TO RECOVER FROM A STALL. THE TRANSMISSION SOUNDS LIKE A BUCKET OF ROCKS BEING SHAKEN AROUND. CRACKS, BANGS AND WORST OF ALL WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM A LIGHT IT JUST TAKES A BIG GASP, BANGS DOWN TO A LOWER GEAR AND JUMPS FORWARD. GETTING ON THE FREEWAY SAFELY REQUIRES PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR NEAR THE FLOOR AND HOPING IT WILL DOWNSHIFT BEFORE THE TRUCK BEHIND YOU GETS THERE. THIS CAR IS NOT EVEN SAFE IN A PARKING LOT. I HAVE HAD TO STOMP THE BRAKE DOWN HARD TO KEEP FROM HITTING OTHER CARS IN THE LOT AT WORK. THIS HAPPENS AFTER IT NEARLY STALLS THE ENGINE AND RECOVERS BY RACING UP. MY 2014 FOCUS SPENT TWO WEEKS AT GERMAIN FORD AND WAS RETURNED WITH A HORRIBLE RUMBLING SOUND AND IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IT TO ACCELERATE. THE RUMBLING, THOUGH FELT THROUGH THE CHASSIS, WAS LATER REPORTED TO BE AN IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED AIR INTAKE? THIS MADE NO SENSE TO ME. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE ENGINE BEING HEAVY LOADED BECAUSE THE FOCUS WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT. I RETURNED THE CAR TO GERMAIN FORD WHERE THEY KEPT IT FOR ONE DAY AND REPORTED THERE WERE NO FURTHER ISSUES WITH THE CAR. AFTER THIS TWO WEEK REPAIR I WAS PRESENTED WITH A DOCUMENT EXPLAINING THE OPERATION OF THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE FOCUS, NOT BEFORE. THE DOCUMENT DOES NOT MENTION THE BANGING INTO A LOWER GEAR WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP. IT DOES NOT MENTION THE CAR JUMPING IN REVERSE OR THE ENGINE BEING LOADED TO A RUMBLE BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION REFUSES TO DOWNSHIFT. I HAVE HAD THE CAR BACK FROM THE LATEST SERVICE ATTEMPT FOR AS LONG AS THE "GREEN CLUTCH", BREAK IN TIME IS SUPPOSED TO REQUIRE. THE CAR NOW JUMPS IN REVERSE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND ACCELERATION IS WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER DANGEROUS. I RAN OUT OF CHARACTERS BUT WOULD WELCOME A REPLY OR CALL. *TR