NHTSA Complaint #10638707 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

IN JULY I PURCHASED A NEW 2014 FORD FOCUS FOR MY SON. IMMEDIATELY HE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT BEING SLUGGISH AND IT SHIFTED WHEN IT SHOULDN'T AND DIDN'T SHIFT WHEN IT SHOULD. IN AUGUST HE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN HE BACKED INTO A PARKED CAR. THE EVENT COST ME $525. HE SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR BUT HIS CAR KEPT ROLLING BACK UNTIL IT STRUCK A CAR. LAST WEEK WAS THE FIRST TIME MY WIFE OR I DROVE HIS CAR. WHEN SHE RETURNED SHE SAID THAT SHE WOULD NEVER DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN. SHE REPORTED THE SAME TRANSMISSION AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS MY SON HAD MENTIONED. WHEN I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. AFTER I WAS IN THE STREET AND TOTALLY STOPPED I PUT THE CAR IN FORWARD AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. NOTHING HAPPENED. I CHECKED THE GEAR INDICATOR AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN. NOTHING HAPPENED. AFTER SITTING IIN THE THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET FOR SEVERAL SECONDS THE CAR FINALLY MOVED. IT WAS VERY SLUGGISH AND WITHIN THE FIRST 100FT. IT SHIFTED AT LEAST 3 TIMES. PERFORMANCE LIKE THIS CONTINUED EVERY TIME I STARTED FROM A DEAD STOP. I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE REP ABOUT WHAT I HAD JUST EXPERIENCED. HE SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DOING EXACTLY WHAT FORD SAYS IT WAS DESIGNED IT TO DO. HE SAID HE HAD PERSONALLY SCHEDULED OVER 20 2014 FOCUS CARS INTO THE SHOP TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS. HE SAID FORD HAS A SET OF TESTS AND IF THE CAR PASSED THOSE TESTS THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING. HE SAID EVERY 2014 FOCUS HE AND THE OTHER 7-8 REPS HAD SCHEDULED FOR THE TESTS HAD, BY FORD'S INSTRUCTIONS, PASSED THE TESTS. I SINCERELY REQUEST THAT YOU FORCE FORD TO DO A RECALL ON THESE CARS. NOTING THE LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THE CARS OBVIOUSLY HAVE VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES, ESPECIALLY THEIR FAILURE TO SHIFT WHEN THE DRIVER TAKES THE ACTION TO MAKE THEM SHIFT. *TR