NHTSA Complaint #11234687 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

I PURCHASED THE FORD FOCUS ON 05/18/2011. I RETURNED THE CAR TO JIM SNEAD FORD, WAYNESBORO, VA ON 07/06/2011 AS THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING, THE CAR WAS BUCKING, HESITATING ON ACCELERATION AT FULL STOPS THEN JUMPING INTO INTERSECTIONS. THE MECHANIC AGREED THE FOCUS WAS SHIFTING HARD, ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT, COULD NOT AFTER FOLLOWING THE FORD HOTLINE. IT STILL SHIFTED HARDER THAN EXPECTED. THE MECHANIC DECIDED TO DRIVE ANOTHER NEW FOCUS OFF THE LOT AND WROTE ON MY SERVICE INVOICE THAT THE NEW CAR OFF THE LOT DROVE AS ROUGH AS MY CAR. THE FOCUS CONTINUED TO BE A DANGEROUS VEHICLE JUMPING, BUCKING, HESTITATING THEN JUMPING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND I CONTINUED TO TAKE IT BACK TO MR. SNEAD WHO STATED IT WAS MY DRIVING, NOT THE FOCUS. I TOOK THAT FOCUS IN ALMOST EVERY OTHER MONTH W/ THE SAME COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION FOR 2 YEARS 2 MONTHS ONLY TO HEAR IT WAS MY DRIVING, NOT THE CAR. FINALLY, THE CAR WAS SCARING ME TO DEATH AND I FEARED FOR MY LIFE AND MY TWO CHILDREN THAT ALSO DROVE THE FOCUS. I FINALLY TOOK IT BACK TO JIM SNEAD ON 08/09/2013 AFTER OWNING THE NEW CAR FOR 2Y & 2MO TO TRADE IT IN FOR SOMETHING SAFER. I PAID $24,652.25 FOR THAT BRAND NEW FOCUS AND JIM SNEAD GAVE ME A TRADE IN VALUE OF $961.00 FOR A MUCH SAFER CAR HE SAID. I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2014 FIESTA (YES, ANOTHER NIGHTMARE FROM HELL). I THOUGHT MR. SNEAD WAS A FRIEND, A REPUTABLE BUSINESS MAN. I BOUGHT 2 USED FOCUSES FROM HIM SINCE THE EARLY 2000S & THEY WERE FINE. MR. SNEAD KNEW MY HUSBAND WAS ILL IN 2003 & I BECAME A WIDOW W/ TWO KIDS TO RAISE. MR. SNEAD AND FORD KNEW ABOUT THOSE DANGEROUS VEHICLES AND FURTHERMORE, IN 814 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP I LOST $685.55 PER MONTH IN DEPRECIATION AND PAYMENTS! I WAS A TEACHER FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE W/ HIS WIFE, MRS. SNEAD. HE KNEW I DID NOT HAVE MONEY TO BURN. NEXT UP--THE FOCUS I BOUGHT AFTER TRADING IN THE FOCUS.