NHTSA Complaint #10640909 — 2012 FORD FUSION

BOUGHT THIS CAR 3 WEEKS AGO WITH 20,500 MI AND IT HAS 21,500 MI ON IT NOW. CAR DROVE WELL AND DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY PROBLEMS DURING SEVERAL TEST DRIVES. ON THE DRIVE TO WORK THE FOLLOWING WEEK THE CAR STARTED SHIFTING HARD BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEARS AND SHUDDER WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A CRAWL AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES OF STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. THE PROBLEM IS NOT ALWAYS THERE IN NORMAL DRIVING WHEN SOME SPEED CAN BE REACHED FOR A TIME. BUT IT ALMOST ALWAYS SHOWS UP OR GET MUCH WORSE AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN IN SLOW MOVING OR STOP AND GO TRAFFIC OR AFTER IDLING HOT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. TO ME THIS POINTS TO A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSES FRICTION AND OVERHEATING CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF TRANSMISSION'S INTERNAL PARTS. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED TO BE HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ON A CAR WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I PAID A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THIS CAR WITH THE HOPES OF IT BEING A RELIABLE FAMILY CAR FOR SOME TIME TO COME. MY OPINION OF FORD AND ITS RELIABILITY IS EXTREMELY NEGATIVE. THIS IS MY FIRST AND PROBABLY MY LAST FORD. *TR