NHTSA Complaint #11512822 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle was shuddering and hesitated while responding. The contact's mother-in-law was able to continue driving; however, the failure reoccurred, and the transmission was slipping while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission clutch was replaced twice within a year and two months; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission control module (TCM) was replaced and reprogrammed, and the transmission clutch position was adjusted under warranty. Additionally, the vehicle was test-driven; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced at the owner's expense as the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.