NHTSA Complaint #10908071 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET, DOWNHILL, WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 35 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. THIS NORMALLY WOULD BE A GREAT CONDITION TO COAST DOWNHILL WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES OR GAS. MY CAR STARTED SHAKING AND THEN KEPT TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT, IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY GEAR SELECTED AND STARTED PULLING ITSELF TO A STOP. DURING RUSH HOUR THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS. I TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT AND THE CAR QUICKLY SHUT OFF AS SOON AS I GOT DOWN TO 5 MPH. ONCE THE CAR WAS BACK ON IT WOULDN'T GO OVER 20 MPH, VERY DANGEROUS AS THE TO GET TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 45 MPH ANY WAY I WOULD GO. ONCE I ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME IT WOULD TAKE A WEEK TO GET IN ON APPOINTMENT, AND THERE WERE NO LOANERS. THIS BEING MY ONLY CAR IS FIRST OF ALL DANGEROUS AND UNSETTLING, BUT ALSO EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT. HOURS LATER AFTER LETTING MY CAR COOL OFF AND SETTLE, THE PROBLEMS SEEMED TO REMEDY THEMSELVES UNTIL I WAS REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. I REVERSED, APPLIED THE BRAKE, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, BUT WHEN I APPLIED THE GAS, THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS UNTIL I SLAMMED ON THE BREAK AND TRIED THE GAS AGAIN. WHILE TRYING TO LEAVE THAT SAME PARKING LOT JUST AFTER THIS, MY CAR WOULDN'T ACCELERATE UP THE SMALL HILL AND BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS AGAIN EXTREMELY FAST. I BELIEVE THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY HAD THERE BEEN PEDESTRIANS BEHIND MY CAR. PREVIOUS ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND REPROGRAM THE TCM WERE GREETED WITH PAMPHLETS STATING JERKING AND SHAKING WERE NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTOMATIC CARS. I WAS TOLD THE WAITING LIST JUST TO CHECK IF MY CAR QUALIFIED FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WOULD BE SIX WEEKS AND I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE MY CAR THERE WITH NO LOANER JUST IN CASE THE WAIT TIME WAS CUT SHORTER. FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON AND TARGETED GROUP FOR FORD VEHICLES THIS ISN'T A POSSIBILITY.