NHTSA Complaint #10883107 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING I NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTY SHIFTING PROPERLY. IT SEEMED TO BE JUMPY WHEN I ACCELERATED AFTER A COMPLETE STOP. THEN, I BEGAN TO NOTICE THE CAR STRUGGLING TO ACCELERATE WHILE I MERGED INTO TRAFFIC. I FELT WHAT COULD BE BEST DESCRIBED AS A FROG HOPPING WHEN I WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. TURNING CORNERS ALSO MADE MY CAR LAUNCH FORWARD THEN BACKWARDS SUDDENLY. CAR WAS REPAIRED. CONDITION SLIGHTLY IMPROVED BUT I COULD STILL FEEL A CONSTANT HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION. I BECAME USED TO HAVING TO MASH MY FOOT ONTO THE GAS TO GET THE CAR TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY, THEN TAKING MY FOOT OFF AS IT VIOLENTLY JUMPED INTO EACH GEAR. AFTER A FEW WEEKS, THE PROBLEM BEGAN TO OCCUR UPON DECELERATION TOO, LUNGING FORWARD SUDDENLY AFTER I HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I THEN BEGAN EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ACCELERATION WHILE SITTING AT RED LIGHTS, OR IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION, WHILE MERGING ONTO A ON HIGHWAY, OR GOING AROUND CORNER. THIS ANNOYING CONDITION QUICKLY BECAME A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN WAS ALMOST HIT ON TWO OCCASIONS BECAUSE OF A FAILURE TO ACCELERATE. CLUTCH WAS THEN REPLACED AGAIN. IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIVING MY 'FIXED' VEHICLE FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE SPUTTERING CONTINUED. THIS TIME IT WAS WORSE. THE VEHICLES RPMS SEEMED TO BE OUT OF SYNC WITH THE GEAR SHIFTS. THE CAR WAS CONSTANTLY REVVING UP AND DOWN WHEN I WAS AT A CONSISTENT SPEED. WHEN I ACCELERATED THE VEHICLE JERKED, SKIPPED, AND SEEMED TO LOSE POWER BEFORE SUDDENLY KICKING INTO DRIVE. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP MY VEHICLE ALWAYS JERKED FORWARD BEFORE COMPLETELY STOPPING. THERE WERE SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE I NEARLY REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE IT SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD AFTER I BRAKED. JUST RECEIVED MY CAR BACK AFTER THE THIRD FIXING AND I AM STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME SHAKING, GRINDING, JOLTING, AND JUMPING. I HAVE NEVER FELT MORE UNSAFE IN A VEHICLE.