NHTSA Complaint #11230618 — 2017 FORD FOCUS

UPON COMING TO A STOP (SUCH AS AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN,) THE VEHICLE MAKES EXTREMELY LOUD "CLUNKING" NOISES WHEN SHIFTING DOWN IN GEAR. THE SOUND SEEMS TO COME DIRECTLY FROM THE TRANSMISSION AREA AND IS IN SYNC WITH THE CHANGING OF GEARS. UPON ACCELERATION FROM A STOP, THE TRANSMISSION WILL MAKE GRINDING SOUNDS AND STUTTER THE ENTIRE CAR IN A JERKING-TYPE MOTION. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE ENTIRE CAR FEELS AS IF THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER AND MAKES IT HARD TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY IN HIGH-SPEED/HIGH-TRAFFIC AREAS (SUCH AS FREEWAY ON-RAMPS OR STATE HIGHWAYS.) I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS THING BECAUSE IF I WERE TO PASS SOMEONE ON A DOTTED LINE, OR EVEN PULL OUT ONTO A ROADWAY, THE CAR MAY EITHER STALL OR STUTTER SO SLOWLY THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET UP TO SPEED CORRECTLY, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE COLLISION. LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS NOW, WHEN I AM TRYING TO PARK THE CAR IN A PARKING SPACE, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SWITCH IT INTO REVERSE AT ALL. MY GEAR SHIFTING STICK WAS IN REVERSE, AS WELL AS THE GAUGE-CLUSTER DISPLAYING I WAS IN REVERSE, HOWEVER, MY CAR ACTED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. I WOULD HAVE TO PLACE THE CAR BACK INTO PARK OR DRIVE AGAIN, AND THEN TRY AGAIN FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO SUCCESSFULLY SWITCH INTO REVERSE. I DID CONTACT MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER THEY SAID THEY WERE MANY WEEKS OUT AND I NEVER COULD GET AHOLD OF ANYONE THERE TO SCHEDULE A TIME TO LOOK AT IT. I WILL ADD ON THAT MY CAR ONLY HAS 17,000 MILES ON IT AS OF JULY 2019. FROM MY RESEARCH, I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHERS POST COMPLAINTS OR WORRIES IN REGARD TO THE 2017 FORD FOCUS AND ITS TRANSMISSION. I HOPE THAT NHTSA WILL LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER AND CAN FIND ANSWERS AS TO WHY MANY, MANY OF THESE CARS ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH STALLING, STUTTERING, AND GRINDING NOISES AND MOTIONS COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION.