NHTSA Complaint #10910650 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

TAKATA RECALL. TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM) FORD RECALL FSA 15B22. MY VEHICLE WOULD STRUGGLE TO SHIFT INTO SECOND AND THIRD GEAR WHENEVER I WAS DRIVING, SO I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP FOR THE TCM TO GET REPROGRAMMED, AS PER THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL IN JUNE 2016. IT SEEMED TO HELP WITH THE HARSHNESS OF THE VEHICLE'S SHIFTING, UNTIL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2016 WHENEVER I TRIED TO GET MY CAR TO REVERSE AND IT ACTED AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN NEUTRAL. IT WOULDN'T GO IN REVERSE AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOW ON. THE SHIFTER WAS IN REVERSE CORRECTLY, AND THE REVERSE LIGHTS CAME ON BUT THE CAR WENT NOWHERE. MY FORD DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT UP TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY COULD LOOK AT IT AND DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, SO I DID. IT OVERHEATED THREE TIMES IN THE 45 MINUTE DRIVE UP, DESPITE CAUTIOUS DRIVING. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH WAS NOT COVERED BY FORD IN ANY WAY. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WOULD BE DIAGNOSED LATER THAT DAY (MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH) AND ANY NECESSARY PARTS WOULD BE ORDERED BY THE END OF THE DAY. I HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING BACK FROM THEM IN OVER 3 DAYS SO I CALLED FOR AN UPDATE. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE TCM AND IT NEEDS REPLACED, AS THE "REPROGRAMMING" THEY DID IN JUNE 2016 WAS TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE TCM IS HEAVILY BACKORDERED, SO THE FACTORY ISN'T EVEN SHIPPING OUR ANY TCM'S UNTIL NOVEMBER 4TH, WHICH MINE MIGHT NOT EVEN BE INCLUDED IN THAT SHIPMENT AND IT IS "HIGHLY LIKELY" THAT IT WILL BE CLOSER TO CHRISTMAS BEFORE I GET MY CAR FIXED AND RETURNED TO ME. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THEY ARE REFUSING TO PROVIDE ME WITH A SERVICE VEHICLE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO FOR THE NEXT 3 MONTHS THAT MY CAR SITS AT THEIR DEALERSHIP AWAITING ITS PART. HOW AM I TO GET TO WORK? PICK UP MY SON FROM SCHOOL? GET GTOCERIES? I'M AN ONLY PARENT AND CANNOT BE WITHOUT A CAR.