Problems with 2012 Ford Focus POWER TRAIN

The car shudders and hesitates on take off to the point of stalling. happens always from stop to running. *tr

I purchased this vehicle new in august of 2012. it had 10 miles on it. the day after i bought it i noticed some hesitation upon acceleration after stopping at traffic lights. it wasn't too bad, but as time went by it began to get worse. after a couple months, it stalled on me when i slowed and another time i was almost hit by another car as mine stalled again in a busy intersection. it was due an oil change so when i made the appointment, i also mentioned the stalling and hesitation. when i dropped it off, the technician claimed he could not duplicate the problem. of course he was not driving in the same condition i drive in everyday. i was advised to drive it until the next oil change as the 'computer' had to adjust to how i drive. needless to say, it did not adjust to how i drive. i drove it and the hesitation continued, it also began to choke out in reverse. when i returned for the next oil change, still complaining, i was told they would have to 'reteach' the computer. they kept it a couple days before i got it back. it ran so-so for about a week and began again. i filed a complaint on the ford motor company site (which is a joke) and was contacted by a district rep. arrangements were made to return the car for 'updates' and a 'relearn'. this time they kept it a week. when i got it back, i did not drive it much as i was off (teacher - off summers). when i returned to work in august, and started driving it every day, it was even worse then it was before. now it won't climb a hill (and i live in the mountains!), it shudders, rattles, loses powers going up hills and stalls in traffic.this time they kept it 2 weeks. i drove it one day and it started all over again. when i called back i was told i had to wait 2 weeks to drop it off (2 cars ahead of me with same problem) and they would look at it again. however, they have done all they can do. *tr

On my way to the dealer to deliver the car for shuddering from stop to first gear, the car failed to engage in gear when i depressed the accelerator. i pressed the accelerator harder and the vehicle lurched into gear, and commenced up the hill from my house - the car then appeared to go into neutral on its own, thus no propulsion, then on its own slipped back into gear. as i made my way onto the main road, i proceeded cautiously unsure if the car would stall out or if i would even make it to the dealership. i did make it, but along the way the car slipped in and out of gear indiscriminately several times, leaving me without power for several seconds at a time. what if this were to happen on the highway at 65 mph? i drove in the breakdown lane with my flashers on to avoid being hit from behind. my dealership arundel ford has had the car in the shop since that day, and has agreed to replace the clutches, but tells me the parts are not going to be available until december 11 at the earliest. this is completely unsatisfactory. i have very little faith that the car will ever be safe to drive. *tr

Transmission shutters causing whole car to shake. acts as if the fly wheel is glazed over and clutch can not engage properly, this is turn caused a body vibration making a loud vibration noise. ford knows of this problem and has yet to have a recall to make a permanent fix. ford replaced a clutch pack in my car but the design is flawed - this will happen again and at my expense. ford agreed to extend my warranty mileage but not the time in which use said mileage. the original warranty was 60k or five yrs. now its 100k or five yrs, two of which are gone. increasing the mileage does nothing for me the warranty still expires at the same time. ford is well aware of this problem in the fiesta and focus models. i'm a professional mechanic for over 25 yrs. i've talked with several ford shops and they are very aware of this issue. i spoke with the owner of the dealership i bought the car from and he even stated that was the no.1 topic at a ford convention in vegas this yr. this is simply a poor design and ford wants the customer to pay for it. my car stared this problem around 13k and ford has been yanking me around for another 13k before putting in the replacement parts that are no doubt going to fail again. my gas mileage in town went from 33.5 to 24.5 and this was also acceptable to ford - not me. this needs to be fixed right away before a total transmission failure kills someone. *tr

While pulling into traffic from a complete stop car would not accelerate. had to push gas pedal almost to floor to get car to go, that lead to a bucking acceleration, car jumping forward and almost being rear ended. took car to shop first told that's how the car drives, then told by transmission "specialist" i was not driving my car aggressive enough. after a 2 week stay the shaft seal and clutch was replaced. did not correct issue called ford corp and again was told this is how the car drives basically telling me i was at fault. car has since been back 2 times for the same reason, even took for a second opinion per ford request and car stalled on the service manager on a hill and yet i was told that's how the car is suppose to perform!!! not happy. tomorrow april 15th 2013 car is going back thus again for same reason. not feeling safe in my car!!!! *tr

I was driving a nearly brand new 2012 ford focus at approximately 45-50 mph when collided with another car traveling at least equivalent if not higher speed. i saw the other car attempting pulling in front of me after failing to stop at a stop sign and i tried to stop the car by braking, but the car was not able to slow down or stop in time. i t-boned the other car and my car was dragged by the other car and rested on the side of the road. as a result, my car was totaled. on the police report, the police indicated the crash was moderate. the water pump, bumper and other stuff came off the car, but the airbags were never deployed. i sustained head and cervical spinal injuries. *tr

The vehicle transmission shudders, hesitates, and lurches when starting out or accelerating. it can temporarily strand the driver in front of oncoming traffic or unexpectedly lunge the vehicle ahead from a stop and i am concerned over the potential for causing an accident. it is obvious to all passengers and all drivers every time the car is driven. it has been present since initial brand-new delivery of the vehicle and seems to be getting worse (i am now over 20,000 miles). online research reveals this is a widespread known issue with this vehicle. i called the dealer, described the symptoms, and asked for a service appointment. he stated this is a known issue, is expected in this unique type of transmission, and i need to accept it. he did not feel i needed to bring the car in for a service evaluation but i persisted and brought it in. when i arrived i was given a printed handout regarding this vehicle transmission that again suggested this behavior was expected and "normal" and implied that i needed to accept it. instead of the usual service evaluation, he had me drive the car with a dealer representative who acknowledged the symptoms, that this is a known, widespread issue and that it is expected behavior with this unique transmission. i was sent home without further evaluation and it was implied that i should not bring back the car for this issue. i feel this is a safety issue. i have driven many hundreds of thousands of miles over many decades and have never, ever experienced such unusual performance in a transmission and i am genuinely worried that my teenage daughter will be put in a dangerous position due to the "expected" behavior of this transmission. i am asking for a formal review and replacement with a unit that performs on par with industry standards. i feel ford will not entertain further discussion and appeal to nhtsa. *tr

My wife purchased our focus august 2012. shortly there after we noticed the car shaking and shuttering. we took the car to the dealer two times each time it was put on a computer and given back to us. the second time we were told that's how ford made this vehicle there was nothing more that could be done.(woody sanders ford). the car only has 9000 miles on it and still drives like crap. *tr

Car started on the right side of the car windows stopped working and the lights started blinking . dealer replaced right side module . then next was the blue tooth stopped working and the whole touch screen blacked out . dealer replaced sync module and new touch screen . next was the wipers coming on by there self .dealer replaced wiper sensor . next was the door locks surging without a key in and dash cluster floating . dealer replaced drive module . right now the transmission is not working properly . i am just scared the death that the car is going to catch fire while driving the car . *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. while starting the vehicle, the electronic power steering system fault illuminated on the instrument panel and the steering wheel became very difficult to maneuver. the contact stated that the failure occurred on four separate occasions intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. while driving 45 mph, the contact heard a loud bang and the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to stop the vehicle, but it would not restart or shift into gear. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the parking engage control sensor module failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred within 24 hours. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that transmission control module failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. when the vehicle was retrieved from the dealer, it experienced trouble shifting and made an abnormal grinding noise every time it was shifted into another gear. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch plates failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was 12,000.

Since i purchased my 2012 ford focus with its "dual clutch" automatic transmission, i have had nothing but problems. it jerks, hesitates, has real trouble shifting in the first 3 gears. ford has extended the power train warranty to 150,000 miles, maybe they know something is wrong. i have had the car serviced 10 times for the same problem. mostly, they reset the computer or put in the same defective parts each time. no real solution has ever been presented to actually fix the car. the car jerks, downshifts, upshifts horribly. this happens from 1st gear thru 3rd gear. this car is the worst car i have driven and i am stuck with it because ford will not help. please help nhtsa to bring this huge problem to light. i guess i will have to get lawyers involved to get ford's attention...

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. the instrument panel indicated that the transmission was engaged in park. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where an engineer was sent to inspect the vehicle. the engineer stated that there was nothing was wrong with the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 5 and the current mileage was 27,000. *tr

After feeling the automatic transmission was excessively lurchy, i came to stop at a traffic light on a busy road. when the light turned green i sat revving my engine and was unable to get the car to move. i put car in park and then back in drive with the same results. i tried the s mode with manual shifting and car still did not move. i eventually turned the car completely off and back on and this seemed to correct the problem. i found the situation very dangerous . apparently from what the dealership said the clutch was not engaging. it is an automatic transmission car. *tr

My boyfriend and i bought a 2012 ford focus se hatchback on september first. after driving the car for a couple of days my boyfriend noticed that the transmission was not right but he thought this was happening just because the car was new. then, when driving to work i noticed that when i stopped on any incline street between taking the foot off the brake and placing it on the accelerator, the car rolled back quite quickly to the point that i almost hit the car behind me. days later, i started to feel that the steering required both hands at all times. it was constantly wandering and shaky specially during turns. to top it off on september 27th something terrible happened. i was in the drive way, i shifted from reverse to drive and the car took off at a lurch. the car accelerated so rapidly even with my foot on the brake pedal. i lost complete control of the vehicle. the car failed to slow down hitting two cars and tearing down a fence. i could finally stop the car when i quickly shifted to park. i do not understand how ford sells this car with all these problems risking people's lives. this is a serious issue. how many fatalities are they waiting for? are they going to do something ever about these malfunctions? this is ridiculous if i have known all these issues with this car, i would have never bought it for sure. *tr

When rolling down hill from a stop the car jerks hard when pressing the gas. when backing up under light throttle the car jerks and transmission is rough. *tr

Transmission sticks in high gear, will not downshift properly; car nearly stalled on interstate and almost caused two separate accidents. had to pull car over, turn off engine to reset the transmission's "ai" (as it was stated by a ford transmission specialist). despite numerous 'updates' by ford (3 now) problem persists, and has become progressively worse with each update. gears constantly stick, do not down-shift, or up-shift properly, and those were confirmed by a ford transmission specialist. this is especially true when using sport mode but happens in drive as well. ford ensures me that nothing is wrong. i am a professional engineer associated with the automotive industry, and i disagree. statute of limitations won't let me claim my brand new 2012 ford focus titanium as a lemon under the 'lemon law', but it should be.

The transmission on the 2012 ford focus is erratic and hesitates from a stop. after slowing down, it stutters at lower speeds. transmission is chattering and clunking at lower speeds. we have had the vehicle in for service at several ford dealerships, and the vehicle is still not running correctly. the transmission has now seized up and has to be replaced and ford does not want to cover any of the costs.

These vehicles have two problems with the transmission that cause two separate safety issues. one is that it rolls back when you are moving your foot from the brake to the gas regardless of how fast you move it. the second is that, while they are saying that it is an automatic transmission, it has another sort of problem with the transmission because it is a dual one that acts as a standard and causes it to "stutter as it moves down the road". when you pull out it doesn't want to go. *tr

Transmission shifted hard while merging onto freeway and caused a neck strain. *tr

I bought this car with 17,000 miles on it and kept it a year and a half. i couldn't stand it anymore. when accelerating, it would shake and shudder. the automatic shifting into first and second gears was extremely jerky all the time. if i was at a complete stop and the pavement was wet, the car would bolt forward when i accelerated. twice it like stopped when i was going 70 mph on a highway. it just sort of stopped operating for a flash and then resumed movement. it was scary. i took it to a reputable ford dealership which was closer to my house than where i bought it, and they worked on it 4 different times. i came in with the same complaints every time. in addition, because the transmission was so screwy, it apparently affected the tires and i had to buy 4 new tires because the tread was so worn down. i traded it in on a new toyota. that was my first ford and my last ford. never again. the car is a menace and definitely unsafe. *tr

The new vehicle was purchased on 9/3/12. calls to the service department began on 9/5/12 for complaints of 'bucking and jerking' of the car in low speed shifting. the car was accepted on 9/8/12 for repair of multiple paint chips on the front of the car and for evaluation of the shifting irregularities. upon delivery of the car (53 odometer miles) the customer was informed that the paint chips had been repaired and the transmission computer was reset. the computer reset was not recorded on the service agreement for that date. on 12/5/12, the car abruptly stopped accelerating and metal grinding prevented use. the car was held from 12/5/12 until 1/8/13 (35 days, odometer reading 7,068 miles) for repair of a broken rear window channel, repair of transmission with replaced clutch. on 1/23/13 the vehicle was towed again due to not starting during multiple attempts by the owners and the tow truck driver. the vehicle was returned to the owner on 1/25/13 with a service report noting a weak battery. the battery was charged by the service provider and no other service codes were reported. on 1/28/13, the steering wheel required both hands to turn and the car narrowly missed going off of the road. upon attempt to restart, the ignition was weak and multiple warning lights displayed on the dashboard. the odometer reading reset to '0' and the mpg reading went blank. the car had significant change in ignition sound and with uncharacteristic humming noise and was turned off again. when the car was on the tow truck with the ignition off, key out, and door open, the radio began playing and could not be manually turned off. the car was transported to the dealership. as of 2/3, the car has been out of service for 46 days due to multiple infractions. the vehicle has had symptoms of stalling, failure to start, and loss of power steering. alternator being replaced 2/4. *tr

I bought a 2012 ford focus from local dealership on june 14,2012. it had 25 miles only. i'm paying a very high interest rate on $20000+ loan for vehicle. i'm also paying extra $2500.00 for an extended warranty. approximately three months after purchase transmission failed. mileage was 10,192. in july, 2013 another dealership had to fix transmission again. approximately 29000 miles that time. on 5/23/2014 car showed major failure with ocm computer and transmission again. would not crank. now at approximately 63000 miles. i was told the car was fixed on 06/17/2014 and i picked it up around 2pm.. i immediately went working with the car and drove approximately a little over 100 miles. as i was returning home, accelerating uphill about 45 mph the car lost all gears. after turning car off, it would not crank again. this is same problem as before. can you please help me in getting satisfaction in helping ford own up to a major issues known even with their own technicians. it is also a flex fuel sedan. i feel robbed by high interest loan and a new car with major problems that seem impossible to fix. *tr

Vehicle would not accelerate on freeway, failed to shift into higher gears. *tr

The automatic transmission sputters, jerks, and feels like it's going to stall. i have complained to the dealership about this since the day i bought it. the dealership has done several updates to the software and it has not improved. they have told me this is normal, it's not! it has trouble getting into traffic because of the sputtering and jerking. it's only a matter of time before i get into an accident because of this transmission. this board has plenty of the same complaint. how many people will it take getting killed before there is a recall? when will they invest this matter, hopefully before someone does get killed. the touchscreen also does odd things also, but it's not dangerous. one time the volume on the radio was on full volume and i couldn't turn it down. i turned off the car and after a couple of minutes it still came on full volume, it finally stopped the next day. twice the touchscreen didn't work at all for two days. the dealership replaced the touchscreen and it still does odd thing, such as turns on random radio stations. they need a major recall on this car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle intermittently accelerated and vibrated. the vehicle was repaired under an unknown manufacturer recall, where the pcm and tcm were restarted. the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. the contact was informed that the part needed for repair was not available. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 500.

There has been an ongoing problem with my ford focus and everyone else that i personally know that has the car. since they went to the dct transmission the car has been having many issues. it is a threat to the safety of anyone driving it. ford has acknowledged there is a problem and replaced the clutches in the car but the problem still exists. the transmission has blown its computer that does all the shifting since having the clutches replaced while i was driving, and put the car into neutral. thank god i wasn;t on the highway when that happens. upon acceleration the transmission bucks and doesn't grab traction like it should. i would not want to be the person who needs their car to move to avoid and accident, steps on the gas, and the car hestiates because of this obviously faulty transmission, and gets killed because of it. i have asked my dealership to make good and just buy the car back and get me into a different car, but they won't because they are not authroized by the manufacturer to do that, and ford says the transmission is dafe. it obviously isn't. *tr

My transmission doesn't work right and never has, from the minute i drove it off the lot. it jerks, very hard at times, it shudders, and worst of all, it hesitates, so when you pull out at times you pray it kicks in before you end up getting hit and killed. i told my son after less than six months of owning this car that if i get killed because of it, i want him to sue ford. they refuse to fix it because they don't stand behind their products! they don't care if consumers get hurt or killed, obviously. it looks good and rides good, but is a lemon because of the trans. they maintain that it only makes it miserable to drive, but they doubt you'll get killed, so refuse to help. these are some sort of transmissions that were converted from manual to automatic and not very well, at that. i've been to three dealers and they won't help, saying their hands are tied because corporate doesn't feel it's going to kill anyone. i thought i would buy a ford, being from se mi. talk about misguided loyalty! just because nobody's been killed yet doesn't mean it won't happen. it doesn't work, plain & simple. and if it's this poor now, what will happen in another year or two? i am beyond disgusted and completely frustrated with this uncaring company who sells you junk for top dollar and then refuses to help you with a problem that is totally and completely their fault!

My 2012 ford focus had the control module (tcm, pcm) transmission that jerks in low gear. i was not told at time of purchase about the dual transmission. i purchased the car august 2012. *tr

Intermittent and significant vehicle hesitation and stuttering during initial acceleration, and on hills that cause safety concern of being hit from behind for driver. from complete stop the transmission problem occurs during acceleration in rpm 1500 - 2800 with low pedal pressure creating stuttering and hesitation during acceleration. audible metal grinding is fairly consistent. engine loads going up hills creates similar shifting problems. dealer indicates that this the way the transmission operates stating software manages the shifting decisions. ford updates over the last two years have not resolved the issue. i currently have 15000. the issue was not evident in test drive. at this point i know this is not an isolated but prevalent among current focus model. *js

On 8/27/2012 i drove off the car lot with 7 miles on my new car. i noticed a little bit of rough shifting as the day passed. on 8/28 the car started bucking and jerking during acceleration. there was little power on inclines. the problem progressively got worse through the day. i set up an appointment to drop off for service the next day. took in for service on 8/29 and was told that the throttle body needed to be replaced. the car had 187 miles on it. on 8/30 i was told the car was fixed and i picked up my car. within a few miles the problem was back, but worse this time. i had some slight noise coming from the engine when the car was bucking and jerking. it almost stalled on a busy highway in rush hour traffic several times while on my way back to the dealer. it was struggling. the car is back in service with 220 miles on it. now they want to keep it for at least 3-4 days. 8/31 i was asked to drive the car with the mechanic to see if problem would reoccur. with the exception of a kick while pulling out of the dealership, the car drove ok, although we only drove around a block together. sales manager says that if the mechanic can't find any further problem, then i have to take the car back into my possession since it's my car. he says that sometimes things happen and i have to deal with it and let the mechanics do their job. i've had the car in my possession under 30 hours since i purchased it on 8/27. the car also has an issue with rolling back on an incline. *tr

Tl* the contact rented a 2012 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle would abnormaly jerk forward or backward when shifted into drive. the contact did not notify the rental vehicle company or the manufacturer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 4,954.

Recall done --not fixed abc control system. still rolls back at incline. accident parking lot stopped shifted from drive to park (thought) open door stepped out car started rolling back jumped back in not to get run over to hit brake pedal. front door open hit parked truck (accident) destroyed my drivers door with major damage to door and some damaged to parked truck. had friend in the passenger sit and saw what happened. vin# [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr *js

My issues with this car started the day i drove it off the lot and have not stopped. there was an issue with the fan that made my engine sound like it was chewing rocks whenever the air/heat was on - this has been fixed. i bought the car brand new and from day one it has been grinding, shuddering and not shifting smoothly. i've had issues with the rpm's skyrocketing when i'm slowing down and the rpm's skyrocketing when i'm trying to accelerate but the car isn't moving. i've had the car feel like it's completely lost power while in stop and go traffic then "wake up" and lurch forward...my transmission has been replaced once, my clutch replaced twice. once i've been told it's a figment of my imagination and once i was told that i need to learn how to drive the car. the clutch i have now is the same one being used in the 2015 focus's, and though it's "better", it's still off...it's just off so sporadically that i can't bring it in because i don't want to be told it's all in my head again. this car is not safe. it is not a car that i'm comfortable passing on to my child when she starts driving next year and it's not a car that i would drive day to day if i had to drive rush hour traffic. it's too bad, too, because the design of the car is wonderful - it's comfortable, it's got the right set up, but the most important part of the vehicle is dangerous and doesn't operate properly.

3 separate incidents have occurred in my 2012 ford focus all related to the transmission. the first incident occurred on august 25, 2012 while traveling at 40 mph, i suddenly lost power between the gas pedal and the car itself. the rpm's continued to climb but the car was no longer moving. took to ford dealer to be serviced and was told they could not find a problem. the next incident occurred on september 8, 2012 - not necessarily a safety concern but contributes to overall problem - pulling out of a parking lot, placed car in reverse, it did not move. took to ford dealer where the transmission was "reprogrammed". the most recent incident occurred on september 9, 2012, i pulled out into 35 mph traffic, my car would not shift out of first gear, going 10 mph and "revving" but not accelerating fast enough to stay ahead of traffic. had car towed to ford dealer where it is at this time. *tr

The transmission is off. i have taken it 4 times to 2 different dealers, both did repairs the first time in, when i brought the car back with same issues both dealerships said there was nothing wrong with my car. the car shudders, stalls, the brakes grind and sometimes have to be shoved to the floor to work even going at a slow speed. the car stalls up hill at times and grinds as you accelerates. i know im not the only one with an issue with a 2012 focus. something needs to be done, someone needs to go above the dealerships head and force them to fix the issue. my car is under factory warranty still only has 22k mileage but they refuse to do anything after one time, though the problem is still there. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the engine began to vibrate and make a lot of noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that a part in the transmission needed to be replaced. the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was not available.

My car has almost gotten me in 3 accidents and it rolls back on hills i was pulling into a drive way and it started to roll back then it slowed down and there was a load noise and we started rolling backwards it was just a drive way. the car has absolutely no power at all it stutters and when you are driving in busy places and your car wont pick up enough ton enter on the highway or freeway its scary and its unsafe it will shake the whole car when it pulls back and stutters. it is awful and i went on a 3 hour drive to go on vacation i actually rented a car instead of taking my brand new car that i got to last me years fro now was the plan if it makes it another 1 year i will be surprised very dangerous ford. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. while driving 75 mph, the rpms revved and the vehicle lost power without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the trans control module failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred two additional times. the vehicle was repaired each time. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 38,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. the contact stated that he accelerated and the transmission stuttered. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the computer module needed to be reprogrammed and the motor that controlled the clutch needed to be installed. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 100.

My vehicle attempts to stall when stopping or when, from a standing position, attempts to stall again. the vehicle has shut off when the low fuel light turns on and i mean immediately. the vehicle will fail to turn on in the mornings at times. it will take a few turns of the key and then it will start. *tr

Transmission shudders had it fixed twice front end want stay lined up have purchase three set of tires eating my tiers up had it lined up three times sick of this car it a lemon. *tr

I purchased this vehicle in june 2012 and was never forewarned about the issues they had. the transmission has been fixed numerous times but continues to clip, shudder, jerk, and shake. *tr

Approached stop light on a road with steep incline. came to complete stop behind several cars without incident, but when pressed gas to move at green light, gear (despite being automatic transmission) slipped and stayed in neutral, revving but not engaging. car began quickly rolling backwards. i was able to yank emergency brake just before hitting the car approaching mine from behind. similar incidences have occurred with regard to incorrect/ dangerous automatic gear changes -- sudden loss of needed gear change to enter highway from ramp (flat land) and all kinds of gear changing problems (stuck in gear several gears too low or too high) in hilly terrain. this can result in lurching as well. dealership claims normal operation and says the car isn't generating helpful codes as a result. *tr

The transmission in this vehicle hesitates and shutters. i have been told this is normal for this type of transmission. i don't believe it is normal, due to the fact that the problem is getting worse, as it did not do this for the first ten thousand miles. in my opinion it makes the car unsafe because of hesitation from a stopped position. also from a stopped position on a small incline the car will shake somewhat violently during take off. the shaking is bad enough to make me believe that it could be doing damage to other components to the drive train and components of any other systems. also who wants to spend twenty thousand dollars and up for a vehicle that accelerates and shifts no better than a car from the 80's. i have lost all faith in quality control. thank you. *tr

Automatic manual clutch/transmission shutters, jerks, vibrates and lurches at low speeds or on hills. ford reprogrammed clutch/transmission in 2014 and it improved, however, the problem is more intermittent with it occurring once or twice daily. ford has since tried to address the problem but say there is really nothing wrong and it passes their test. they say if it fails their computer test they will replace the auto clutch assembly. not real confident this is going to happen. this is an unsafe condition in stop and go traffic or in hilly areas. *tr

Jerking and hesitation on acceleration, surging, drifting , grinding noises, rattling noise, contacted selling dealer and they reset the computer 2 times, and another ford dealer reset it once. each time it seemed to work better for less than 20 miles. *tr

2012 ford focus. consumer writes in regards to vehicle transmission problems. *smd the consumer stated a problem with the transmission occurred, a day after the vehicle was purchased. the vehicle started making a grinding noise at 3rd and 5th gears. the dealer calibrated the transmission one month later. two weeks later, there was a chatter coming from the transmission. ford stated the transmission was performing as designed. a year later, the transmission jerked and slipped. the dealer verified the problem, and made the necessary repairs. the consumer stated the problem is still ongoing.

Car lunges when accelerating or attempting to shift thru automatic or sport mode of the transmission. transmission also temporarily pauses during shifting routine at all speeds, mostly at low speeds. it is like the cpu is overriding what the driver is prompting thru touching of the gas pedal or brake pedal. we've had it in to our local dealerships service department complaining about these conditions, they insist the car is working as designed. if so, ford is in denial and most certainly appears to be a design flaw. i describe these concerns as if i was having to learn how to drive, all over again. this vehicle is dangerous to drive, safety should always be everyone's number concern. ditto, the vehicle is not safe either. what is it going to take from ford to admit and resolve this problem, an injury accident? i hope not. then, top that off, we bought this specific vehicle for towing purposes. the factory requires the cpu and entire electrical system must be disconnected to tow. unfortunately, each time the cpu is turned back on (reconnect the negative wire at battery), the cpu thinks it is new, thus, the lunging, sporadic shifting starts all over again. help... ford won't listen. thank you *tr

Clutch in trans. skipping. this has and still happening two months after purchase,.been in ford dealer ( park ford ) wesley chapel fl. several times, still reacting the same.very aggravating .sooner or later it's going to jam,causing an accident. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Several times i have been sitting at stop lights and when the light turns green and i press the accelerator nothing happens, then all of a sudden the transmission will grab and i have actually made the tires squeal and almost ate the back of someone's car. another thing i have noticed is that when parking on an incline, put the car in park and let off of the brake and a horrible noise comes from the transmission area - the dealer informed me that i should set my parking brake first before turning the car off??? today the car is in the shop for the 6th time and it is less than 8 months old. *tr