NHTSA Complaint #11306332 — 2016 FORD FOCUS

FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, MY TRANSMISSION IN MY 2016 FORD FOCUS HAS STALLED UPON NEARLY ALL ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. ON JANUARY, 17 2020 I RETURNED TO MY CAR FROM THE LIBRARY IN IRVINE, CA TO DISCOVER THAT UPON TURNING THE IGNITION, THE CAR DID NOT START. I TRIED A COUPLE MORE TIMES AND MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WENT ON ONE TIME AND STOPPED, THE LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD LIT UP, THE MEDIA SCREEN LIT UP AND THE INTERIOR CAR LIGHTS CAME ON. I CALLED AAA, MY INSURANCE CARRIER, DESPITE IT NOT APPEARING TO BE A BATTERY ISSUE. THE REPRESENTATIVE STAYED ON THE PHONE WITH ME AFTER I EXPLAINED THE ISSUE AND TRIED TO SCHEDULE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. I TRIED THE IGNITION ONE MORE TIME AND THE CAR STARTED. A NOTIFICATION ON THE DASH SCREEN APPEARED READING "TRANSMISSION SERVICE REQUIRED" AND REMAINED ON THE SCREEN FOR A SECOND BEFORE DISAPPEARING. USUALLY IF A DASH NOTIFICATION APPEARS, THE SMALL ICON LIGHT WILL REMAIN LIT WHILE I OPERATE THE VEHICLE, THIS ICON LIGHT DID NOT REMAIN ON. MY INSURANCE REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINED THAT AN ISSUE WITH A TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED A TOW AND IT MAY BE UNSAFE TO OPERATE MY VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I SAT IN MY CAR FOR A MINUTE AND NOTICED MY AVERAGE MPG HAD CHANGED FROM 33.3 TO 0.0. I DROVE THE CAR HOME AS I NEEDED TO LEAVE THE LOCATION TO TEND TO OTHER PARTS OF MY DAY. I ARRIVED SAFELY TO MY DESTINATION. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE EXACT SAME SITUATION OCCURRED WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START MY CAR AND LEAVE FOR THE DAY. TURNING THE IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES DID NOT WORK, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON ONCE, THE TRANSMISSION NOTICE APPEARED AND DISAPPEARED AND THE AVERAGE MPG WAS AT 0.0 AGAIN. THIS TIME, THE CAR NOTIFIED MY THAT I HAD 0 MILES UNTIL EMPTY, DESPITE THE GAS TANK CONTAINING WELL OVER A QUARTER FILL. THE GAS NOTIFICATION DISAPPEARED AND THE MILES TO EMPTY SECTION CHANGED BACK TO 175 MILES UNTIL EMPTY. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN MY VEHICLE SINCE THIS OCCURRED