NHTSA Complaint #10749980 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

TRANSMISSION ISSUE: FAILURE TO SHIFT GEARS SMOOTHLY/APPROPRIATELY. FAILURE TO ENGAGE IN GEAR. PROBLEM OCCURS AFTER TRANSMISSION HAS REACHED FULL OPERATING TEMPERATURE (APPROXIMATELY 30 MIN OF DRIVE TIME). VEHICLE CONTAINS 6 SPEED POWERSHIFT TRANSMISSION (ELECTRONICALLY SHIFTED MANUAL TRANSMISSION). INITIAL ISSUE WAS SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. TRANSMISSION CAUSES VEHICLE TO SHUDDER SEVERELY CAUSING PARTIAL LOSS OF ACCELERATION AS TRANSMISSION ATTEMPTS TO COMPLETE SHIFT. SAME PROBLEM THEN BEGAN OCCURRING IN THE SHIFT BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. SHIFTS FROM 3RD TO 4TH AND ABOVE ARE NOT AFFECTED (AT THIS TIME). 1ST TO 2ND SHIFT HAS BECOME WORSE NOW RESULTING IN INTERMITTENT POWER LOSS (COMPLETE LACK OF ACCELERATION). THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN ACCELERATING INTO TRAFFIC AS THE TRANSMISSION CAN TAKE UP TO 3 SECONDS BEFORE ENGAGING 2ND GEAR. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALERSHIP. TECH RODE ALONG IN THE CAR FOR TEST DRIVE. BECAUSE ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT AND VARIES AND ONLY OCCURS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS AT FULL OPERATING TEMP, AT THE TIME OF THE TEST DRIVE, THE TRANSMISSION WAS MALFUNCTIONING (MINOR SHUDDER FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR) BUT THE TECH STATED IT WAS NOT SEVERE ENOUGH THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO ATTACH A DIAGNOSTIC RECORDER TO VEHICLE AND SEND THE REPORT ONTO FORD FOR AUTHORIZATION TO IMPLEMENT A FIX. FORD IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE IN THESE VEHICLES FROM THE 2012 TO 2014 MODEL YEARS (ACCORDING TO THE TECH AND A SEARCH OF VARIOUS ONLINE CONSUMER COMPLAINT WEBSITES). FORD HAS A PRESCRIBED FIX THAT INCLUDES REPLACING CLUTCHES IN THE TRANSMISSION AND REPROGRAMMING AND RESYNCING OF THE POWERTRAIN COMPUTERS. WHILE THIS DEFECT HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT FOR MYSELF, I FEAR IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT DOES, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN SEVERITY. OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT.