NHTSA Complaint #10819771 — 2011 FORD FIESTA

CAR AT RANDOM TIMES REFUSES TO GO INTO ANY GEAR. THIS IS THE DUAL CLUTCH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. MOST OFTEN HAPPENS AFTER STARTING THE CAR WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER IS MOVED INTO A GEAR THE TRANSMISSION REMAINS IN NETURAL. YOU CAN OVER REVE THE ENGINE NO FOOT ON THE BRAKE NO GEAR ENGAGES. A FEW TIME WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSIONS GOES INTO NETURAL. SO FAR I'VE BEEN ABLE TO COAST OFF OF THE LIMITED ACCESS ROAD ONTO A SIDE STREET WHEN THAT HAS HAPPENED. A FEW TIMES THE CAR HAS REFUSED TO GO BACK INTO GEAR AFTER COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN OR STOP LIGHT. YOU CAN RESOLVE THE ISSUE BY TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING IT. SOMETIMES IT TAKES MULTIPLE RESTARTS BEFORE YOU CAN GET THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT OUT OF NETURAL. A FEW TIMES THE CAR HAS REFUSED TO START, I THINK THE TCU REFUSES TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NETURAL AT THAT POINT TO ALLOW IT TO START. WHEN THAT HAPPENS I HAVE HAD TO WAIT UPWARDS OF FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR CAN BE STARTED AND DRIVEN. THE DEALER CLAIMS THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING SINCE THEY CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WHILE THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP. I'VE HAD THE FEW RECALL NOTICES RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION DONE. I FEEL THIS CARE IS NOT SAFE TO TAKE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY BUT CAN'T AFFORD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. I SEE MANY OTHER OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEMS BUT FORD HAS EITHER BEEN UNABLE TO FIND A FIX OR IT HAS BEEN TO EXPENSIVE FOR THEN TO WANT TO IMPLEMENT. MAJORITY OF TIMES I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS HAS BEEN IN PARKING LOTS BUT OTHER TIMES HAS BEEN ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS(STOP SIGNS) OR LIMITED ACCESS 35-40MPH ROADS WHILE DRIVING OR TRYING TO DRIVE AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT. I FEAR THE DAY IT HAPPENS ON A HIGHWAY. I'M LISTING THIS PAST MONDAY AS THE DATE SINCE IT WAS THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW AND YET FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I STATED ) AS THE MOST RECENT.