NHTSA Complaint #10714795 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, MY CARS ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AS I WAS ACCELERATING TO MOVE FORWARD IN LINE A WARNING STATING THE TRANSMISSION IS OVERHEATING PULL OVER SAFELY FOR 8 MINUTES. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME SOMETHING HAS WENT WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION SINCE BUYING THIS CAR IN SEPTEMBER OF 2012. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 70 MILES PER HOUR AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTIME TO PULL OVER SAFELY, I HAD TO COAST BECAUSE MY CAR WAS RUNNING BUT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD. THAT HAPPENED IN DECEMBER OF 2014. THEN TWO WEEKS AGO I WAS AGAIN IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD, BUT NO WARNING TO PULL OVER SAFELY. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT FORD SERVICE CENTERS AND THOUGH MY CAR HAS CODES STORED THEY STATE IT IS HOW I DRIVE OR THAT AN UPDATE WAS NEEDED. WHEN I ASK ABOUT THE CAR JUST STOPPING WITH THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING THEY SAY IT IS A SAFETY FEATURE FOR THE TRANSMISSION. IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES THIS WOULD BE GREAT BUT WHEN THIS HAPPENS IN A SITUATION WHERE THE CAR CAN'T OR WON'T MAKE IT TO PULL OVER SAFELY THEN SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED. I AM VERY UNHAPPY ABOUT THE WAY MY CAR REPAIR HAS BEEN GOING ESPECIALLY SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND TO TELL ME IT IS JUST THE WAY THE CAR RUNS OR IT NEEDS AN UPDATE AND THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF IT IS RIDICULOUS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AND I PRAY IT IS NOT ME. *TR