NHTSA Complaint #11265964 — 2015 FORD FOCUS

I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH 6K MILES 18 MONTHS AGO AND HAVE DRIVEN IT FOR APPROXIMATELY 15K MILES SINCE THEN. DURING THAT TIME I'VE EXPERIENCED A RECURRING, PERSISTENT AND SEVERE TRANSMISSION SHUDDER THAT MAKES THE CAR LURCH AND LAG WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP OR SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR (ALTHOUGH IT IS LESS SEVERE - STILL VERY NOTICEABLE, BUT NOT SCARY WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND). STARTING FROM A STOP IS THE MAJOR SAFETY-RELATED CONCERN FOR ME BECAUSE THE DRIVER HAS A SENSE OF LOSING CONTROL. I ASSUMED SINCE THE CAR WAS USED IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEN A MONTH AGO I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD SAYING THE WARRANTY HAD BEEN EXTENDED ON THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDER. THE LETTER HAD MY VEHICLE VIN NUMBER ON IT SO I ASSUMED IT APPLIED TO MY VEHICLE. AFTER TAKING IT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP THEY SAID MY CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN WRECKED (PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE). THEY CHARGED ME $250 TO DIAGNOSE AND CONFIRM IT HAS A SEVERE TRANSMISSION SHUDDER PROBLEM, WHICH THEY SAID WAS NOT COVERED BY FORD. THEY ESTIMATED THE NECESSARY REPAIR TO THE CLUTCH AND ACTUATOR TO BE $2,100. I CALLED THE FORD HOTLINE CONFUSED ABOUT THE LETTER I RECEIVED ONLY TO BE TOLD AGAIN THE WARRANTY DOESN'T APPLY TO ME BECAUSE THE CAR WAS PREVIOUSLY WRECKED. I UNDERSTAND A PREVIOUS WRECK MAY VOID THE WARRANTY, BUT IN THIS CASE IT SEEMS AN EXCEPTION IS WARRANTED AS THIS A WELL-KNOWN TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND MY SYMPTOMS ARE IDENTICAL TO THOSE DOCUMENTED ELSEWHERE. FORD ALSO REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME THE $250 I PAID TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED, WHICH I DID BECAUSE THEY SENT ME A LETTER TELLING ME MY WARRANTY HAD BEEN EXTENDED. FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM EVEN ON CARS WHICH OTHERWISE DON'T QUALIFY FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE OF SOME TECHNICALITY.