NHTSA Complaint #10873147 — 2015 FORD FOCUS

TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IN OCTOBER 2015 THE TRANSMISSION STARTED RATTLING AND WOULD HESITATE AND SHUDDER IN TRAFFIC WHEN ACCELERATING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE FORD DEALER SAID IT WAS WITHIN SPECS. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT . IN MARCH, 2016 IT FELL OUT OF GEAR WITH MY WIFE ON A TRIP TO CHARLOTTE. THE LOCAL FORD DEALER REPLACED THE TRASMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND DID OTHER WORK ON IT. IT APPEARED OK FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND THE SHAKING, SHUDDERING STARTED AGAIN, OUR LOCAL DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID, IT DROVE NORMAL. WITHIN THE LAST THREE WEEKS IT HAS DROPPED OUT OF GEAR THREE TIMES WHEN STOPPED ON A HILL AND TAKING MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO STEP ON THE GAS. THIS CAUSED IT TO ROLL BACK SLIGHTLY. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLD ME THEY CAN'T HELP ME BECAUSE IT DOESN'T QUALIFY UNDER THE LEMON LAWS. BECAUSE THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM HAS BECOME WELL KNOWN THE TRADE IN VALUE AT THE DEALER IS ONLY $9000. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. I THINK FORD IS HESITANT TO RECALL AND REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE DRY, DUAL CLUTCH DESIGN GIVES THEM BETTER FUEL EFFICIENCY AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO COMPENSATE OWNERS FOR WORSE GAS MILEAGE. WHAT GOOD IS GAS MILEAGE IF WE DON'T TRUST THE CAR AND FEEL IT ISN'T SAFE. WE HAVE FIVE FORD VEHICLES, TWO TRUCKS, ONE WITH 305,000 MILES ON IT, A 97 COBRA, A 2007 FOCUS WITH 275,000 MILES ON IT THAT DRIVES LIKE A NEW CAR AND THE ONLY ONE WITH A SERIOUS PROBLEM IS THIS NEW 2015 FOCUS THAT NONE OF US FEEL SAFE DRIVING. APPARENTLY FORD WILL HAVE TO BE FORCED INTO CORRECTING THE PROBLEM BY NHTSA OR CIVIL SUITS. I DO NOT WANT TO SUE THEM, I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL FORD CUSTOMER AND I WANT THEM TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE TRANSMISSION.