NHTSA Complaint #11388686 — 2016 FORD FOCUS

MY VEHICLE'S MAKE/MODEL/YEAR (2016 FORD FOCUS) HAS A REPORTED RECALL FOR A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD INVOLVING THE POWERSHIFT DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION. ONLINE, IT STATES THAT MODEL YEARS 2012-2016 FORD FOCUS VEHICLES HAVE THIS ISSUE. THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION IS CONSIDERED A MANUAL TRANSMISSION THAT IS CONTROLLED ELECTRONICALLY BY A COMPUTER WHILE USING A DRY CLUTCH RATHER THAN A WET ONE, MEANING OIL IS NOT SUPPLIED TO THE SHIFTING MECHANISM AND CAN RESULT IN INCREASED WEAR AND TEAR THE LONGER THE ISSUE PERSISTS. WHEN THE COMPUTER MODULE THAT OPERATES THE TRANSMISSION CAN'T HANDLE RAPID ACCELERATION OR SPEED SHIFTING, THE VEHICLE WILL SPUTTER AND MAKE AN AUDIBLE NOISE. OTHER ISSUES THAT CAN BE CAUSED ARE PROBLEMS WITH DOWNSHIFTING, LEAVING THE VEHICLE IN A HIGHER GEAR DESPITE DECELERATION AND CAUSE IT TO "LURCH". THE MAIN SAFETY HAZARD THIS ISSUE CAUSES IS WHEN ACCELERATING QUICKLY INTO AN INTERSECTION, THE DELAY PREVENTS THE VEHICLE FROM REACHING THE SAME SPEED A VEHICLE SHOULD ACHIEVE WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IN TERMS OF DECELERATION, THE CAR'S INABILITY TO CORRECTLY DOWNSHIFT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LUNGE FORWARD, DESPITE THE BRAKES BEING APPLIED.