NHTSA Complaint #11230999 — 2014 FORD FIESTA

CLUTCH FAILS TO CATCH PROPERLY WHEN CHANGING GEARS. SOMETIMES WHEN DOWNSHIFTING, IT WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL FOR A SECOND OR TWO, THEN CATCH AT A HIGH RPM CAUSING A SUDDEN LURCH FORWARD POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. WHEN IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, OR COMING TO A RED LIGHT TURNING GREEN, THE BRAKING AND ACCELERATING PATTERN CONFUSES THE TRANSMISSION, OFTEN GUESSING THE WRONG GEAR TO SHIFT INTO, EXACERBATING THE AFOREMENTIONED ISSUE. PARTICULARLY WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR TURNS, AND THEN ACCELERATING DURING OR AFTER THE TURN, THE GEARS WILL GRIND AND FAILS TO PROPERLY TRANSMIT ADEQUATE POWER, CAUSING POTENTIALLY CAUSING A T-BONE ACCIDENT WHEN DOING A LEFT TURN OR CAUSING A REAR END ACCIDENT WHEN TURNING RIGHT ONTO TRAFFIC. WHEN CHANGING FROM FORWARD INTO REVERSE, THE CLUTCH FAILS TO CATCH FOR A SECOND OR TWO, AND WHEN IT CATCHES AT A HIGH RPM FOR BEING IN NEUTRAL SO LONG, IT CAUSES A SUDDEN JOLT BACKWARDS, POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AT LOWER SPEEDS (<20 MPH) THE GEARS GRIND WHEN SHIFTING, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE ABOUT A YEAR AFTER BUYING THE CAR, WITHIN 20000 MILES. THE ISSUE HAS ONLY GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE.