NHTSA Complaint #11234301 — 2013 FORD FIESTA

STARTED THE CAR ON ONE HOT AND HUMID DAY AND, WHILE WAITING FOR MY WIFE AND AUNT AT A DRIVEWAY AND WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GEAR SHIFTER, I SAW THE GEAR DISPLAY MOMENTARILY JUMPED FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK TO PARK ON THE DISPLAY PANEL. IT HAPPENED A FEW TIMES AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS ODD. THE CAR HAD ALREADY UNDERGONE THREE TRANSMISSION OVERHAULS BEFORE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ENDED SO I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT PLAGUED THE CAR, FROM GRINDING GEARS TO SHUDDERING AND SLOW SHIFTING IN LOW SPEED OR AT AN INCLINE, ALL I HAD EXPERIENCED BEFORE. BUT THE SLIPPING GEAR WAS NEW. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT IT AT FIRST AND DROVE OFF WHEN MY WIFE AND AUNT GOT ON. AT THE SECOND STOP SIGN, THE GEAR SLIPPED MOMENT AFTER I ACCELERATED FOLLOWING THE STOP. THERE WAS NO WARNING AT ALL ' NO ABNORMAL SOUND, NO WARNING MESSAGE, NO ENGINE LIGHT ON OR BLINKING. THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND THERE WAS NO MORE POWER TO THE WHEELS. ONLY THEN DID I NOTICE THE GEAR DISPLAY SHOWED THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL, BUT THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS STILL IN DRIVE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND US. I IMMEDIATELY TRIED MOVING THE GEAR SHIFTER BUT IT WAS STUCK IN DRIVE WHILE THE GEAR WAS IN NEUTRAL. I STOPPED THE CAR AND TRIED AGAIN, TO NO AVAIL. I THEN TURNED OFF THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE SHIFTER INTO PARK. I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE SHIFTER INTO DRIVE, AND THE GEAR COOPERATED. I TURNED AROUND AND GOT BACK TO HOME SAFELY. I HAD COPED WITH ALL OF THE EARLIER TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, THE TROUBLE OF GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP REPEATEDLY, AND EVEN ADJUSTED MY DRIVING HABIT WITH THE UNIQUE TEMPERAMENT OF THIS CAR. HOWEVER, WITH THE GEAR SLIPPING FROM DRIVE WITHOUT ANY FOREWARNING, I DID NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR ANYMORE. WE THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE GEAR HAD SLIPPED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY.