NHTSA Complaint #11235278 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

THREE DAYS AGO, WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY DRIVING A 2014 FORD FOCUS, MY CAR TRANSMISSION SWITCHED TO WHAT SEEMS TO BE CALLED "UNINTENDED NEUTRAL," WHERE I WAS IN DRIVE BUT MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND INSTEAD REVVED LIKE I WAS FEEDING THE ENGINE GAS IN NEUTRAL. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY AND EVENTUALLY SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT TO SAFELY MOVE OVER TO THE SHOULDER. ACCORDING TO SUITS AND COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN GETTING MORE ATTENTION IN THE LAST MONTH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE DPS6 TRANSMISSION IN THE FORD FOCUS AND FIESTA - WITH INCREASED CALLS IN RECENT WEEKS FROM CONGRESS TO HAVE THE NHTSA LOOK IN TO THIS ISSUE AS WELL AS A SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUE THAT HAPPENS WHEN THESE VEHICLES COME OUT OF STOPS - WHICH HAS ALSO HAPPENED WITH THIS VEHICLE, ALL IN ADDITION TO THE INTENSE SHUDDERING THAT COMES FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR NEARLY EVERY TIME I DRIVE. THOUGH IT IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, IT CONSISTENTLY DRIVES LIKE SOMEONE IS POORLY DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WE WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THIS CAR IF IT DROVE LIKE THIS AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND UPON RETURNING IT TO A DEALERSHIP OVER A YEAR AGO TO ASK FOR AN EXPLANATION ABOUT THE SHUDDERING, THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS ENTIRELY "NORMAL" AND HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. I URGE THE NHTSA TO LOOK IN TO THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I AM NOT SURE WHAT I SHOULD DO - AN EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS BEEN PUT OUT FOR THESE TRANSMISSIONS BUT I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE REPORTS ONLINE ABOUT PEOPLE GETTING THIS "FIXED" AT DEALERSHIPS THREE OR MORE TIMES AND AM UNSURE WHETHER I SHOULD JUST GET A DIFFERENT CAR OR IF THERE WILL BE A LONG TERM SOLUTION FROM FORD ON THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU.