NHTSA Complaint #11232583 — 2016 FORD FIESTA

TRANSMISSION ACTING UP. WHEN I TEST DROVE THE CAR IN MARCH 2017 I ACTUALLY QUESTIONED THE SALESPERSON BECAUSE I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SHIFTING NORMALLY - HIS RESPONSE WAS "NO THIS IS THE NEW TRANSMISSION FORD IS PUTTING IN, THE BEST ONE THERE IS." UNFORTUNATELY MY PROBLEMS DID NOT START RIGHT AWAY BUT AFTER ABOUT 18 MONTHS. THE CAR OCCASIONALLY WOULD JUMP OR ACCELERATE WHILE I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. I WOULD HAVE TO SLAM ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATE LIKE THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS RESETTING TO A HIGHER SPEED, AGAIN HAD TO USE THE BRAKES. OTHER TIMES IT WOULD SLOW DOWN LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STOP AND THEN SUDDENLY GO. IT IS AT A POINT NOW WHERE IT SOMETIMES WILL NOT SHIFT AND I LITERALLY FEEL LIKE I AM IN LOW GEAR FOR A MINUTE OR TWO EVEN THOUGH I AM GOING 60 MPH. I GOT IN IT THIS WEEK AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO DRIVE. I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND IT MOVED, PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE AND NOTHING, PUT IT IN REVERSE AGAIN AND FINALLY IT WENT INTO DRIVE. NOW IT HESITATES SOMETIMES WHEN I AM AT A STOP SIGN AND GETTING READY TO RESUME DRIVING, I HAVE HAD HORNS HONKED AT ME AND GESTURES MADE BECAUSE IT TAKES THE CAR SOMETIMES 2 MINUTES TO GO INTO GEAR. I HAVE CALLED FORD ON A FEW OCCASIONS TO TRY AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A MECHANIC BUT ONCE I TELL THEM WHAT THE PROBLEM IS I AM TOLD THAT IT IS NORMAL AND TO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT. I AM NOW UPSIDE DOWN IN A CAR FINANCIALLY THAT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE SO AM EITHER LOOKING AT HAVING A CAR REPOSSESSED IN ORDER TO GET ANOTHER ONE OR JUST LETTING IT SET AND PURCHASING A GOOD USED CAR UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO FIX THIS ONE. I CERTAINLY CANNOT SELL IT TO AN INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE OF ALL THE PUBLICITY ABOUT THE TRANSMISSIONS, NO ONE WOULD PURCHASE IT AND I WOULD NOT WANT TO SELL MY PROBLEM TO ANYONE ELSE