NHTSA Complaint #10747752 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

SINCE ABOUT 6,000 MILES, MY CAR "STUTTERS" UPON ACCELERATION. GOING FORWARD FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THERE IS HESITATION PRIOR TO ACCELERATION WHICH IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AS THOSE BEHIND ME ACCELERATE NORMALLY. THEN, IT STUTTERS, OR HESITATES, AS I ACCELERATE TO A POINT, AT WHICH POINT ACCELERATION CEASES AND THE RPMS RACE. AGAIN, A DANGER OF BEING HIT FROM BEHIND OR THE SIDE WHEN MERGING. I ASKED MY OIL CHANGE GUY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TRANSMISSION, BUT HE REFUSED AS HE HAS HEARD ABOUT TRANSMISSION ISSUES WITH THE FORD FOCUS CARS AND SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. WHEN I CALLED FORD TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SAID THEY JUST NEEDED TO "RECALIBRATE". MY CAR "PASSED" THEIR TEST, BUT THE ISSUE CONTINUED. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP WHO SAID HE IS ON THE PHONE WITH 7-8 FORD FOCUS OWNERS A DAY TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE THAT IS ALLEGEDLY NOT A SAFETY CONCERN, BUT A DESIGN WHICH IS NOT A DEFECT. HE SAID IF AND ONLY IF MY CAR WERE TO FAIL THE "TEST", THEN THEY WOULD HAVE PERMISSION TO ORDER A NEW PART. I TOOK MY CAR IN AGAIN, IT FAILED, AND NOW I AM WAITING 12-16 WEEKS FOR THE PART TO COME IN. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THE NEW PART MAY MAKE THINGS A BIT BETTER, BUT THE WAY IT DRIVES WILL BE THE SAME. THIS DESIGN IS NOT ONLY FLAWED, MAKING FOR AN UNCOMFORTABLE RIDE, IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. I CAN ONLY HOPE THE GOVERNMENT STEPS IN TO FORCE FORD TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT, BECAUSE IT SEEMS THEY ARE UNWILLING TO DO SO.