NHTSA Complaint #10693072 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO REPORT FILED 1-4-15 (NHTSA ID #10669989). ON 1-6-15 WE HAD OUR 2012 FOCUS SERVICED AT A DEALERSHIP FOR A SERIOUS TRANSMISSION FAILURE DESCRIBED ON PREVIOUS REPORT. THAT DEALERSHIP PERFORMED "ADAPTIVE LEARNING STRATEGY AND CLEARED ALL THE CODES". VERBAL SUMMARY OF THE PROBLEM FROM THE SERVICE ADVISOR WAS THAT THE COMPUTER HAD BEEN CONFUSED BY A CHANGE IN TRANSMISSION DEMANDS. WE HAD TAKEN A DAY TRIP INTO HILLY, CONGESTED SAN FRANCISCO. OUR TYPICAL DRIVE IS SMALL TOWN, COUNTRY HIGHWAY ON RELATIVELY FLAT TERRAIN. THE COMPUTER DID NOT KNOW HOW TO BEHAVE WITH DIFFERENT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND TERRAIN. AFTER THAT SERVICING, ALL SEEMED FINE UNTIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER ON 1-23-15, WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER AT A 4-WAY STOP. I HIT THE GAS PEDAL ON GREEN, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T ENGAGE PROPERLY, ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE WAS REVVING--SIMILAR SYMPTOMS TO LAST TIME.AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO RELIABLY ENGAGE, ONLY SPORADICALLY, LIMPING THROUGH A FEW INTERSECTIONS. EVENTUALLY, I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT EVEN TURN OVER.I DECIDED TO USE FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AGAIN, TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WE HAD PURCHASED THE CAR FROM. THE ADVISOR AT THAT DEALERSHIP SAW THE WISDOM OF REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM) AND PROGRAMMING IT. AS OF TODAY, 3-9-15, ODOMETER AT 45,556, WE HAVE HAD NO ADDITIONAL SYMPTOMS AND THE CAR IS RUNNING SMOOTHER THAN EVER, EVEN SINCE NEW. WE STILL NEED TO TEST THE CAR ON SAN FRANCISCO HILLS AND MOUNTAIN DRIVING, HOWEVER. MY ADVICE TO OTHERS IS TO INSIST ON A REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, SEALS AND PROGRAM AT THE FIRST SIGN OF THIS KIND OF PROBLEM. DON'T LET THEM MERELY PERFORM THE " ADAPTIVE LEARNING STRATEGY AND CLEARING OF ALL CODES" ON THE OLD TCM. THAT DID NOT HOLD LONG IN OUR CASE. *TR