NHTSA Complaint #11219712 — 2017 FORD FOCUS

OCCASIONALLY THE TRANSMISSION MIS-SHIFTS OR SLIPS VIOLENTLY. OCCASIONALLY IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS TRYING TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT ACCELERATOR INPUT. EXAMPLE 1: I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND SOMEONE ACCIDENTALLY MERGED INTO MY LANE WHERE I WAS. I BRAKED AS I GOT OVER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I THEN TRIED TO ACCELERATE. THE ENGINE RPM WENT TO AROUND 8000. THE CAR DIDN'T ACCELERATE, IN FACT IT FELT LIKE IT WAS CONTINUING TO SLOW. MY FOOT WASN'T ON THE BRAKE, THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO BE IN A NEUTRAL STATE. THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME HAD CAUGHT UP TO ME AND HAD TO VEER INTO THE FURTHEST LEFT LANE TO AVOID ME. AFTER RELEASING THE GAS AND PRESSING IT AGAIN THE CAR FELT LIKE IT FELL INTO THE CORRECT GEAR AND IT ACCELERATED. EXAMPLE 2: MY WIFE AND I WERE OUT AND WE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND EASED UP TO AVOID THAT LURCH FEELING AS I CAME TO A FULL STOP. THE CAR LUNGED LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO DRIVE ITSELF. THIS WAS A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME BUT IT WAS STILL TERRIFYING. I HAD MY WIFE IN THE CAR, SHE SAID SHE HAS EXPERIENCED THAT A FEW TIMES. EXAMPLE 3: WHEN ACCELERATING FROM FULL STOPS THE VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY HESITATES TO GO. THE ENGINE RPM WILL GO UP BUT THE CAR WILL SIT STILL OR BARELY MOVE AND JERK ABOUT. LUCKILY NONE HAVE RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS BUT IN ALL SITUATIONS THE ONLY REASON THERE WASN'T ONE WAS BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE REACTED QUICKLY ENOUGH. THE VEHICLE THAT SWERVED TO AVOID, THE DRIVER BEHIND ME NOT GOING JUST BECAUSE MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OFF AND NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME WHEN THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD ON ITS OWN.