NHTSA Complaint #10823073 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

POWER-SHIFT 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. ERRATIC CLUTCH CHANGES, GRINDING, HESITATION, UNWANTED GEAR CHANGES IS HEAVY TRAFFIC LOWER GAS MILEAGE. AFTER 3 SOFTWARE UPDATES (JANUARY 2013, DECEMBER 2014, AUGUST 2014, NOV 2015), AND A PARTS CLUTCH REPLACEMENT (DECEMBER 2014), THE CAR STILL DOES NOT RUN PROPERLY. CAR WORKED FINE FOR A FEW DAYS, THEN WENT BACK TO THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD ADMITS THAT THE FOCUS CLUTCH ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE AND ON 12 NOVEMBER, 2015, FORD AGREED TO REPLACE IT. HOWEVER, I AM IN THE 10TH WEEK OF WAITING, AND STILL NO CLUTCH. I MUST USE MY VEHICLE AND IT IS GETTING WORSE EVERY WEEK. FORD SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL, ONLY A SOFTWARE UPDATE. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE INTERNET IS FILLED WITH OTHER FOCUS OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. EVEN THE MECHANICS AT MY FORD DEALER FEEL THE CARS ARE GETTING MORE DANGEROUS AS THEY AGE. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AND I HAVE BEGUN TO USE THE MANUAL SHIFT OPTION INSTEAD OF THE DRIVE OPTION.