NHTSA Complaint #11597040 — 2017 FORD FOCUS

I purchased the vehicle in 2019 and noticed significant shuddering almost immediately. This was surprising as the vehicle was only 2 years old at the time. The vehicle has particularly intense shuddering when accelerating from a stop on any slope, sometimes seeming as it can't make it up steeper inclines at all. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership 3 times within the first year or so of ownership (while it was still under warranty) and they replaced the clutch each time, even though this only helped the suddering for a short period (a month or two) each time. It was after this time (after the warranty had lapsed), that I realised transmission issues with my make and model were very common and similar to what I was experiencing. The shuddering has persisted over the last 5 years, and has worstened in the last couple of years. Lately, the transmission issues have also included Slipping. Frequently, when accelerating, the vehicle will often not respond (or respond very slowly). This is especially true when shifting into or out of reverse. These issues make the vehicle a safety issue and should be addressed by Ford.