NHTSA Complaint #11121331 — 2016 FORD FOCUS

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE RIGHT AWAY, BUT APPEARS TO SLIP, AND IT MAKES A NOISE WHICH I WOULD DESCRIBE AS A GRINDING NOISE, AND IT SHUDDERS SLIGHTLY. IT ALSO SOUNDS LIKE THE TEETH IN THE TRANSMISSION GEARS ARE NOT ENGAGING SMOOTHLY, THUS RESULTING IN THE NOISE REFERRED TO. THE NOISE AND SHUDDER DOES NOT OCCUR IN EVERY INSTANCE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, BUT IT DOES IT OFTEN. I TOOK THE FOCUS IN TO A DEALER IN MY AREA IN NOVEMBER 2017 AND THE DETERMINATION WAS THAT THERE WERE NO SOFTWARE UPDATES AVAILABLE AND THAT "NO CONCERN WAS FOUND AT THIS TIME." I DISAGREED WITH THAT FINDING, BUT I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING, AND I TRIED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALER IN JANUARY 2018 TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AGAIN, BUT THEY TOLD ME THEIR TRANSMISSION GUY WAS OUT FOR TWO WEEKS. MY WIFE IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE, SO I AM NOT ALWAYS AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH IT, BUT SHE TOLD ME TODAY THAT THE CAR WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE AGAIN, SO SHE AND I TOOK IT FOR A SHORT DRIVE AND I DISCOVERED THAT IT IS ONCE AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION NOT ENGAGING PROPERLY AND SHUDDERING WITH THE GRINDING, SCRAPING SOUND. I WILL BE TAKING IT AGAIN TO THE DEALER AT HIS NEXT EARLIEST APPOINTMENT TIME, WHICH IS NOT UNTIL SEPT. 4. THE PROBLEM REFERRED TO HAPPENS ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY, AND ONE BEGINS TO ACCELERATE.