NHTSA Complaint #11457296 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

Took my car to Apple Ford in Columbia, MD on 3/10/22 for unrelated recall repairs on my 2014 Ford Focus, dealt with Service Rep #1. The car was finished around closing time. As I drove home a loud rattle was coming from the engine while idling causing the whole dashboard to shake. The clock was also now pushed 2 hours and 3 minutes ahead which was odd. I continued to drive the few miles to home. The next day I drove 20+ miles to Baltimore for an appointment. While there I stopped for gas. When I pushed the remote door lock button, the lights blinked, the door locks clicked but the horn did not beep twice as it usually does. I hit the door lock button several times but the horn did not beep so now the horn was not working. Before I took my car to Apple Ford it was working. I went to my appointment and parallel parked on the street. When leaving I had a hard time getting my car out of the parking space. As I drove I noticed the car was jerking, shaking, shuddering, vibrating and lunging every time I slowed down, came to a stop, then accelerated again and getting on and off the highway. While on I-95 the car continued to jerk, shake, shudder, vibrate and lunge and the RPM gauge needle shot over to high RPMs over and over again. Then the engine light came on. I exited I-95 onto Rt. 216 then a 2nd emergency warning sounded and another message came on that the transmission was overheating pull over immediately. I pulled over, called Apple Ford, told Service Rep #1 what happened, AAA was towing the car back. He said it was probably the Transmission Controller, they had several other Ford Focuses with the same problem. On 3/14 I called and spoke to Service Rep #2, he didn't even know the car was there. I told him what that happened. Rep #2 called back said he took it for a test drive and found nothing. I insisted there was something wrong. He said he'd take it for a test longer drive. Called again 3/18 they are referring problem to a manager. No resolution as of yet.