NHTSA Complaint #10747535 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

THE WIFE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION MAKING NOISES PERIODICALLY BUT I NEVER DID HEAR OR FEEL ANY ISSUES WHEN TEST DRIVING IT. I FIRST NOTICED THE ISSUE MYSELF ON 7/2/15 WHEN I WAS DRIVING. IT AT THE BEACH ON VACATION. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP ON 7/6/15 ABOUT THE ISSUE AND A RECALL I RECEIVED ON THE FUEL PUMP AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD CONTACT ME WHEN THE FUEL PUMP CAME IN AND TO MONITOR THE TRANSMISSION UNTIL THEN. RETURNING HOME FROM A TRIP THE WEEK OF 7/28-8/2/15 THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO VIOLENTLY SHUDDER WHEN LEAVING FROM TRAFFIC LIGHTS TO THE POINT THERE WAS CONCERN IF WE WOULD GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WITHOUT GETTING HIT OR STRUCK FROM BEHIND. WE CONTACTED THE SERVICE DEPT ON 8/3/15 AND AN APPOINTMENT WASN'T AVAILABLE UNTIL THE MORNING OF 8/6/15. WE DID NOT DRIVE IT UNTIL WE TOOK IT TO THE APPOINTMENT DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS AND IT IS NOW 8/10/15 AND WE ARE STILL WITHOUT A VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED IT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS BUT FORD WOULDN'T FIX IT UNTIL IT FELL INTO A CERTAIN RPM CATEGORY OR TOTALLY FAILED . THEY SAID THEY WOULD RESET IT AND IF WE HAVE FURTHER ISSUES LET THEM KNOW. THE SERVICE TECH TOLD US THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THE FOCUS HAVE HAD ISSUES DUE TO USING A CONVERTED MANUAL TO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND THAT THE SYSTEM GETS "CONFUSED" WHEN TO SHIFT. WE ARE ALSO TOLD, THE SIX SPEED TRANSMISSION LEARNS THE OPERATOR AND IF SOMEONE ELSE DRIVES IT, IT GETS CONFUSED WHEN TO SHIFT OR WHAT TO DO AND CREATES FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH. THE ISSUES NOTED CREATE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT COULD LEAD TO COLLISIONS AT INTERSECTION OR IF PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC.