NHTSA Complaint #11364465 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

I PURCHASED A FORD FOCUS SE FROM MCCARTHY FORD IN ILLINOIS IN 2015. SINCE HAVING THE CAR, I'VE CONSTANTLY EXPERIENCED JERKING WHILE ACCELERATING, LACK OF ACCELERATION, WHICH WAS DANGEROUS, WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC, OR ON THE HIGHWAY WITH TRUCKS SPEEDING BY YOU BECAUSE MY CAR WOULDN'T ACCELERATE QUICK ENOUGH. I CONSTANTLY COMPLAINED TO FORD DEALER ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND THE KEPT REPAIRING IT UNDER THE GUISE THAT 'OH YOUR TCM(TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE) BEDS REPROGRAMMING' OR IT WAS 'YOUR CAR WAS ORIGINALLY A STICK SHIFT THAT THEY TURNED AUTOMATIC, AND WHAT YOU FEEL, IS YOUR CAR SHIFTING GEARS'. THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY ASSURED ME I DIDN'T HAVE TRANSMISSION ISSUES, SO I LET THEM FIX THIS SAME ISSUE MORE THAN 5 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF WARRANTY. IN JULY 2020, MY CAR STOPPED AND WOULDN'T DRIVE AT ALL. I TOOK IT TO FORD, AND THEY CLAIMED IT WAS THE TCM AGAIN, AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED WITH NO CUSTOMER TO ME. HOWEVER, THE CAR NEVER STOP JERKING OR THE ACCELERATION WAS ALWAYS LACKING, LIKE IT'S ALWAYS DONE, BEFORE AND AFTER A REPAIR. OCTOBER 11,2020, I TAKE MY CAR IN FOR THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS, AND NOW I NEED A TRANSMISSION CLUTCH, THAT FORD CLAIMS IS $1700 DOLLARS TO FIX. NOW, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR THESE EXACT ISSUES, I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING, ALL THESE YEARS. BUT, NOW MY WARRANTY IS UP ON THE TRANSMISSION AND NOW IT'S SUPPOSEDLY GONE OUT. I HAVE LESS THAN 6 MONTHS TO PAY ON THIS VEHICLE, I'M A SINGLE MOM, A STUDENT, AND UNEMPLOYED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT HAVE THIS MONEY, AS I FEEL FORD AS BLACKBALLED ME, AND AS I READ REVIEWS, APPARENTLY THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL. I AM DEVASTATED, AND DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. IS THERE ANY WAY NHTSA CAN HELP, OR HOLD FORD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS? THE POTENTIAL DANGER I'VE DEALT WITH WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ALL THESE YEARS, WITH MINIMAL ACCELERATION AND SHIFTING GEARS. THANK YOU! !