NHTSA Complaint #10896687 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

I BOUGHT MY CAR IN JANUARY 2012 - THE CAR RAN GREAT FOR THE FIRST 8 MONTHS, IT WAS A SMOOTH RIDE AND THE ACCELERATION WAS QUICK. THAT YEAR I DROVE ALMOST 30K MILES UP AND DOWN THE CALIFORNIA COAST. TOWARDS THE END OF THAT YEAR I STARTED TO NOTICE MY CAR WASN'T RUNNING THE SAME, THE ACCELERATION LAGGED AND WHEN I WOULD ACCELERATE FROM 0MPH TO 20MPH IT WOULD SHAKE - FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WASN'T SWITCHING GEARS PROPERLY SO I BROUGHT IT INTO FORD WHERE I ORIGINALLY BOUGHT IT IN SEASIDE CA IN MONTEREY COUNTY. THEY RAN SOME TESTS AND SAID IT WAS FINE AND THAT WHAT I WAS FEELING WAS FROM THE NEW ENGINE FORD HAD CREATED TO HELP THEIR CARS RUN EFFICIENTLY AND NOT USE AS MUCH GAS. I ALSO BROUGHT IT INTO FORD SANTA MONICA IN LOS ANGELES CA SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE SAME ISSUE - THIS WENT ON FOR YEARS AND THEY ALWAYS SAID THE SAME THING. IN AUGUST OF 2015 SANTA MONICA FORD FINALLY DISCOVERED THAT MY CAR INDEED HAD A RECALL AND NEEDED A NEW CLUTCH, BUT IT WAS BACK ORDERED. ON JANUARY 18TH OF 2016 MY GIRLFRIEND AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE 405 SOUTH HEADED TO ORANGE COUNTY. MY GIRLFRIEND WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65 IN THE CARPOOL LANE - ALL OF A SUDDEN THE GAS PEDAL STOPPED WORKING AND THE RPMS WERE FLOORING, BUT THE ENGINE COULDN'T CATCH - WE HAD TO GET OVER 5 LANES BEFORE WE RAN OUT OF GAS AND WERE ALMOST KILLED BY A HUGE SEMI/18 WHEELER THAT WAS DRIVING OVER 70MPH. I HAD MY CAR TOWED FIRST THING TUESDAY MORNING BECAUSE MONDAY WAS A HOLIDAY. SANTA MONICA FORD SAID IT WAS FINE, THAT FRIDAY THE SAME THING HAPPENED SO I BROUGHT IT TO FORD STAR LINCOLN IN GLENDALE. I'VE HAD OVER 4 CASES WITH FORD CORPORATE ABOUT MY CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND EVERY COUPLE MONTHS THEY CHANGE THE REGIONAL MANAGER I WAS DEALING WITH AND EVERY SINGLE CASE HAS MYSTERIOUSLY BEEN CLOSED FOR NO REASON. WHEN I CALL FORD TO ASK WHY THEY ARE CLOSED WHEN THEY HAVEN'T BEEN RESOLVED AND THEY SAY THEY DON'T KNOW.