NHTSA Complaint #11308005 — 2012 FORD FIESTA

I HAVE AN AUTOMATIC 2012 FORD FIESTA, A MODEL THAT IS INFAMOUS FOR ITS TRANSMISSION ISSUES. I HAD THE CLUTCH AND SEAL KITS REPLACED AT APPROX 72K MILES ON 10/5/2017 UNDER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 14M01; IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS REPAIR, THE VEHICLE HAD TO GO BACK INTO THE SHOP FOR A HIGH IDLE AND CONTINUED SHUDDERING. SINCE THEN, I HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE STUDDERING ON TAKEOFF, HESITATING AND THEN JUMPING WHEN ACCELERATING, AND ULTIMATELY WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. IN MID-JULY 2019, WHILE LEAVING MY SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO THE MAIN ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 20MPH, MY VEHICLE SLIPPED FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL AND I LOST ALL POWER AND WAS UNABLE TO BRAKE EFFECTIVELY OR SPEED THE VEHICLE UP EFFECTIVELY. THANKFULLY THIS HAPPENED EARLY IN THE MORNING WITH NO CROSS TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT SAFELY. THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN 7 MONTHS LATER IN LATE-JANUARY 2020. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE FORD FOR AN INSPECTION ON 2/7/2020 (WHICH THEY CHARGED ME FOR). THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID BETWEEN THE BELL HOUSING AND THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, SEALS, AND SHIFT FORKS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, APPROXIMATELY 7K MILES AFTER THE FIRST REPLACEMENT, BUT THAT I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE REPLACEMENT WOULD BE ABOUT $2,500 OUT OF POCKET. THEY REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE UNDER 14M02 BUT STATED THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. FORD KNOWS THAT THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE AN ISSUE. THERE IS NO REASON WHY A TRANSMISSION SHOULD FAIL 16K MILES AFTER BEING REPLACED. I WOULD LIKE FORD TO EITHER BUY MY VEHICLE BACK OR PERFORM ANOTHER CLUTCH REPLACEMENT AT THEIR EXPENSE.