NHTSA Complaint #10723095 — 2014 FORD FIESTA

I WAS TRYING TO MERGE ON TO THE HIGHWAY AFTER STOPPING AT A GAS STATION. THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS AND SPEED UP. IT WAS MODERATELY TO SEVERELY SHAKING AND SHUDDERING. BECAUSE THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO SPEED UP IN TIME I WAS FORCED OFF THE ROAD BY THE ON COMING TRAFFIC ONTO THE THE SHOULDER/GRASS AREA, WITH THE OTHER CAR NEEDING TO DRIVE AROUND ME. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE WE PURCHASED THE CAR. THE CLUTCH WAS CHANGED IN OCTOBER 2014 AS PER DEALER, BUT IN APRIL 2015 SAME ISSUES BEGAN DEVELOPING. THIS HAS BEEN THE 3RD NEAR ACCIDENT WITH THIS CAR NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATING ON TO THE HIGHWAY DUE TO THE SHIFTING ISSUE AND CAUSING A NEAR ACCIDENT. OUTSIDE THESE INCIDENTS, THE CAR IS GENERALLY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AT LOW SPEEDS AS ITS ACCELERATION AND SHIFTING ABILITY CONTINUOUSLY CHANGES AFTER A COMPLETE STOP AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. IT'S QUITE CHALLENGING TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFICULTY OF DRIVING THIS CAR BECAUSE I'VE NEVER HAD A CAR WITH SUCH A POOR CONSISTENCY DURING ACCELERATION. SOME MOMENTS IT WILL MODERATELY JERK FORWARD WITH A SLIGHT TOUCH OF THE PEDAL (ALARMING ESPECIALLY DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC), ANOTHER MOMENT YOU NEED TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ACCELERATE SLOWLY ON A FLAT/EVEN SURFACE AND OTHER TIMES IT MODERATELY-SEVERELY SHAKES AND SHUDDERS AS THE CAR TRIES TO CLIMB A MINIMAL HILL/ELEVATION (ALL THESE EVENTS HAPPEN DURING THE SAME 10-15 MINUTE DRIVE). THE CAR DRIVES "TYPICALLY/NORMALLY" APPROXIMATELY 30-35% OF THE TIME, MOSTLY AFTER ACCELERATING TO OVER 20-25 MILES PER HOUR. I AM HIGHLY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY WHEN DRIVING IN THIS VEHICLE.