Problems with 2013 Ford Focus POWER TRAIN

Approximately 1/4/-1/3 of the time, upon accelerating from a stop, the car will either shudder into gear with little acceleration, or will lurch into gear so badly that the car almost comes to a stop during acceleration. i have taken the car to my local dealer four times for this issue. the first time, they did a computer code reset, which worked for a couple of months then the issue came back. the second time they changed some seals, and that worked for a week or so before the problem recurred. the third and fourth times, i was essentially told that "this was normal" and there was nothing the dealer could/would do about it. after research, i see i am not the only driver with this problem, and it has caused me to question the safety of my vehicle, especially when needing to make a left-hand turn against traffic. *tr

I am experiencing a problem with my 2013 ford focus that is making me so nervous and scaring me. i am so afraid it is going to cause an accident, especially pulling out into traffic. i have a clean driving record and have never had an accident. when i stop at a stop sign, look both ways, see a vehicle some distance away and know it is ok to pull out but then the car stalls and before you know it the oncoming traffic is upon you. it shudders when i start to take off into traffic or from a stop. also, when i slow down and try to speed up it does the same. sometimes it shudders so bad that i am afraid it is going to cut off. it also makes a noise like a rattle. my car only has a little over 9,000 miles on it and is well taken care of. i have taken it back to the dealer and they have ran it through the service procedures as required by ford motor. this 2013 ford focus has been in the shop three times since i purchased it in december, 2012, always for the same problem and it has never been repaired. when i took the car back to the dealer the first time this happened i was told by an employee at the dealership that these cars are notorious for this problem. you and i both know that a car is not supposed to do this. ford motor is aware of this problem with these vehicles but feels it is not bad enough to do anything about it. that is like going to the doctor and he tells you lets wait until you get worse before we do anything. i am asking that my 2013 ford focus be repaired as it should be. if it means replacing the transmission or whatever it needs then do it! *tr

Beginning in march 2013, only 4 months after its purchase, i noticed my car hesitated to accelerate on the highway. i brought it into a ford dealership, and they told me that i had a bad tank of gas. the issue appeared to have gone away after a while, but returned in 2014. in 2014, i brought my car into ford on multiple occasions for the hesitation, shutter, and associated noises. i feel as if this is a safety issue, because my car is unable to shift into the proper gear when i am trying to accelerate onto a crowded highway or through an intersection. ford has recalibrated the computer for the transmission multiple times, and even though the service receipt says that the shutter is still present after they fix it, it is okay by ford's standards, so they allow me to leave the shop. the shutter appears to improve for the most part after taking it to ford, only to return in a matter of two or three weeks. the recalibration service ford is offering is not an appropriate long-term safety fix, and the transmission should be recalled and replaced with a true automatic transmission. *js

My car currently has 31k miles on it. i have been to the dealership 7 times in the 2 years since i purchased it with the same or similar complaints. at low speeds it shakes/shudders/rattles/hesitates when shifting gears. i understand it's a manual transmission but i don't believe for a second that the manufacturers intended for the car to behave this way. it hesitates when accelerating from a stop to a point where it feels as though it will stall. i no longer make lefts before oncoming traffic for fear that it will stall completely. i have had the clutch replaced and the car has been "reprogrammed" countless times, always with the same result: after a few days, the problems return and it only gets worse as the car gets older. i am truly starting to hate this car and regret ever even giving ford a chance. i will never buy a ford again. *tr

Noted jerky movement of car during turns and immediately upon acceleration. was minor at first, but appeared to increase in duration and intensity with additional mileage. quality of shifting between gears very poor - surging and lurching noticed. slight oil leak detected towards front end of engine at first oil change. under engine cover also coated with engine oil residue. took vehicle into ford dealer for above complaint, was informed that engine had lost oil due to leak and had contaminated its clutches (even though it is an automatic, it has 2 clutch discs) which caused erratic performance and required replacement and repair. initial guess is defective rear main seal is at fault. concern over damage to engine dismissed by shop supervisor. personal concern was that volume of oil soaking into under engine cover could be ignited by engine and cause fire. safety concern over defective transmission is that decreased performance would leave vehicle stranded. complete loss of engine oil would result in car stopping, and could possibly cause accident, damage, fire, etc. *tr

The transmission shudders during accelerating and has continued to do so fir the past 18 months. the issue has progressively gotten worse. *tr

The car will nearly stall (as if transmission slipped/disengaged), engine sputters, transmission grinds and jerks then gears catch and car lurches forwards and speeds off as if it is possessed. this is very dangerous when attempting to enter moving traffic and especially dangerous when crossing multiple lanes of traffic or if the driver is less experienced or isn't aware that he/she needs to accommodate it. the more miles accumulated, the worse and more pronounced the issue. ford "reprogrammed" my transmission july 2013 (11,000 miles) with no results. ford's response, "shudder" is normal and the intentional design of the car. the issue worsened to the point the transmission would disengage while climbing hills ( worse on moderate to steep grades) and reliability of this car deteriorated to the point i was rolling backwards down a hill i had attempted to climb at 50-55mph because the car just stops moving forward then the car will grind, bang shake, jerk then lurch forward and speed off like it finally got gas and found the gears (may 1,2015). october 22, 2014, i took the vehicle in for an oil change, with the ford letter in hand and asked them to check my car again. parts were ordered and it was safe to drive until then but, if i was left stranded to call roadside assistance. ford is stalling progress & repair of this issue because they intend to avoid lemon law. my complaints went undocumented on service request paperwork because "shudder is normal/intentional operation" and subsequent complaints were ignored/undocumented because there were no parts to repair it. resale & trade-in value is low, depreciate at a faster rate and are generally unsafe . ford needs held accountable, remedy the issue in a timely manner to minimize loss, investment and potential danger to those who unfortunately purchased this defective product. this car is unreliable & dangerous!

While driving at low speeds and stop and go situations, the auto transmission has a loud grinding noise and the car bucks, shutters and feels like it will stall out. the car rolls back immediately on hills even though it is supposed to have a hill start assist system that holds the car in place for 2 to 3 seconds. while making a left turn onto a busy highway and applying the brakes, the car jerked and pulled strongly to the left and four loud grinding/popping noises came from the transmission. it sounded like applying the brakes with no pads. the car has been brought to the dealership 3 times and every time they say it is normal. i even received a letter from ford describing the above as common characteristics of the powershift transmission. i do not feel safe driving this car. *tr

Vehicle grinds gears frequently. from 1st to 2nd gear vehicle will shake, loose power and almost stall before engine regains power and shifts to go forward. taken to ford 4 times. they say it is normal and just needs to be broken in. at one visit, they gave me a 2 page handout on how dual clutch engine works, as if that justifies the performance. they finally replaced clutch which helped for a couple of days before original problems returned. now, on a good day, the car just grinds in 3rd gear. meanwhile, ford does nothing, says there is no problem. *jb

I own a 2013 ford focus.when stopped, the vehicle rolls back when attempting to accelerate. when accelerating, vehicle shutters violently while shifting. i had the vehicle transmission repaired at the ford dealer it was purchased from on 2/7/13. they replaced the clutch assembly in the transmission. the same problem then returned about 7 months later, i took the car back to the ford dealer for yet another repair on 9/6/13. they reprogrammed the bcm. the same problem returned 4 months later. then i received a letter from ford motor co. with a transmission warranty extension for 7 years as opposed to the original 5 year warranty.i called the service person at the ford dealer to inform them the same problem has returned. the service person said that ford was aware of the problem and had no repair options at this time and not to bring the car in for repair. at this point the problem with clutch shudder is constant, and rolls back almost all the time. i have searched online and have found many ford focus owners with same issues. i feel the vehicle is becoming increasingly unsafe and unreliable. it is becoming evident that ford motor co. is not doing enough or anything to resolve this problem. any help your administration can give would be greatly appreciated. thank you. *tr

I own a 2013 ford focus hatchback titanium model. purchased the car in january 2013. currently has 1100 miles on it. car has a six-speed automatic transmission that ford has dubbed "powershift". transmission is very jittery at all speeds when shifting gears while accelerating. it is also hesitant to shift gears and pick up speed. it seems like something is going to break inside the engine and the car jerks when shifting gears. from a standing stop the car will start to roll back when you let off the brake and step on the accelerator pedal. this is an accident waiting to happen and is very dangerous. *tr

2013 ford focus transmission problems include noise, grinding, shuddering, lurching. dealer claims they are normal but represents safety and financial issue (i'll never be able to sell the car) and i don't want it anymore. this is a dangerous vehicle. *js

Car would not start would not go forward or go in reverse had in ford dealership 16 times still had issues also car rusted in least then a year had it in dealership 4 times still having issues with transmission and rusting . transmission sitting or moving city or highway or turning dealership was suburban ford on 59 road in waterford , michigan

Noticed that the powertrain within the first week of owning the ford focus was not right. spoke to the dealership and was informed that it was normal. the car shakes in the first and sometimes second gear when accelerating. i was informed by the service department that they could reset the computer and it would relearn my driving behavior. i have had it reset once and in about 2 weeks, the car began to shake again. it is totally embarrassing when i have someone in the car that notices it as well. ford should be fixing this issue. it is very common. what do you think potential buyers of fords think when they find out that ford will do nothing. the reset on the computer is a joke and ford sent us a letter covering any potential transmission issues until 100,000 miles. yeah, not. i have an extended warranty to cover that. in the meantime, until the transmission fails, i am expected to just cope with the minimal power of acceleration in first and second which is high dangerous when pulling out in front of traffic. the car was perfect the first week and then went downhill and very disappointing. i agree with the other owners. there is no way i can ever sell this vehicle since it is a very noticable issue when driven. unhappy with ford's response to the multiple focus owners with this very same issue.

I bought a brand new 2013 ford focus in january 2013 after having previously owned a 2011 ford focus that was having transmission issues. the dealership had told me that the 2013 focus models had a redone transmission that was more expensive and didn't have the "issues" that plagued the 2011 ford focus. turns out it is the same transmission, except with a computer update which does not fix the issue. within the first few weeks, my car was 'shuddering' for lack of a better description when accelerating; the rpm's go up sporadically to, revving the engine higher than it needs to go. it feels almost like it's going to die and then will catch the gear and go. i have taken my current car in for service once for another update, but my 2011 was in the shop multiple times to fix this issue, and always came back to me doing the same 'shuddering' as it did before it went in. i called ford and they said they would talk to my dealer and they would take care of it. well, by taking care of it, they meant that there is another 'update'. i had it updated on 8/26/13 and i picked it up only to find that the shuddering is worse. it's not safe to try and drive a car that shudders and lags when you have to cross busy streets and in normal daily traffic. i'm tired of dealing with this issue especially being that i bought a new car. and an american car at that. ford needs to have some integrity and fix this before i do what i want to do and go buy a honda or nissan.

i understand and appreciate that the automatic transmission in this car revs and tends to behave like a manual transmission. i owned a celica with a manual transmission years ago. however, on several occasions this focus has decelerated, paused and then lurched forward and i was powerless to accelerate it or alter its "lurch". it tends to make a wind up noise on these occurrences. it occasionally hesitates when i apply the accelerator from stopped. sometimes the hesitation is longer and more pronounced than at other times. i have taken this focus to the dealer on five occasions since i bought it new in september of 2013 and it is diagnosed with a code 7000 and the dealer has to keep the car overnight because the transmission needs to be reprogrammed from ford headquarters as i understand it. the dealer also may perform a drum adaptive learn strategy and adaptive learn drive cycle. when i leave the car seems to have "settled down" and runs more smoothly and quietly. it also gets substantially better mpg. on april 2, 2014, at 17,995 miles, i took it in because it was hesitating on acceleration and jerking and noisy. the focus had a cracked motor mount. and again the transmission was given its usual computer update from ford. currently, the focus mileage is at 21,300 and it's winding itself up, jerking me around, hesitating and lurching. two days ago, i was making a left hand turn into heavy traffic and, as i stepped on the accelerator to pull out, the focus did not respond for a few seconds. at that point i had to brake because it was too late to enter oncoming traffic. this is very worrisome for me especially since my son drives the car as well and he is a novice driver with one year experience. in march, i was traveling and rented a 2013 ford focus and drove it about 500 freeway miles. it seemed on it's best behavior. *tr

My ford focus had a jerky ride from the day i bought it. i mentioned after the test drive that it seemed a bit jerky on shifting and they said it was normal. a week later i told them again and again they said it was normal because of the new design. it got worse to the point that twice when turning out into traffic when i thought i had enough room to enter traffic it seemed to want to stall and i had to steer it back into the turn lane so as not to get hit. the car very often smelled of burnt rubber though at the time i explained it away as being from other cars nearby. in august 2014 i took the car in for a oil change and found out that a seal between the engine and transmission had failed and i had a major oil leak. this was unbelievable for a car with just 35,000 miles and lucky me i was eligible for an extended warranty on those parts from ford for 100, 000 miles. ford notified me the next week about the warranty only after the repair. the car drove better for a couple of weeks but then the shudders returned and began to worsen. i was going to take it in and have ford look at it again but then on 9-14-2014 i was exiting my car and there was an overwhelming odor of burnt rubber coming from the engine. i decided right then i was not going to put up with the defective and possibly dangerous car anymore and i traded it in at loss. i recommend a serious look at this issue. ford keeps saying these issues are normal for the new design and people are not used to it. i highly disagree. i got rid of it at a loss. that should say it all. *tr

I have had my ford focus in eight times for a transmission shudder. the fix works for several months then reappears. it is a safety issue as the hesitation happens upon accelerating and merging onto highway or into traffic. i have contacted ford customer relations and was basically told there is nothing they can do for me. i am a ingle parent that bought a brand new car so i did not have to worry about issues and safety of my family. i never got the new car reassurance and worry that this shudder will happen at a time where it put us and others in danger.the po box address on the website is also incorrect

When slowing down in traffic or in stop and go traffic, and then have to accelerate it feels like the car hesitates or stutters to get into the next gear. if slowing down for traffic, and then accelerating the car hesitates to go forward, the engine revs but hesitates to go forward. it is like being in neutral for a few seconds. i noticed at this time the needle for the tachometer went up to past the number 4. *tr

I recently purchased a brand new automatic ford focus 2013 and am very disappointed and angry. the first problem is the car tends to stall in 1st and 2nd gear, keep in mind it is automatic. besides stalling it does not switch gears properly between first and 2nd. i almost got into an accident when it stalled while i was going up a hill. this car needs to be recalled immediately! *js

Incident happened while in park - stopped the car and placed it in park (thought i did) shut the car off and locked the vehicle and entered the store. the vehicle rolled backwards and hit another vehicle. vehicle was obvisiously not in park but allowed me to exit the vehicle and lock the doors while not in park. i have noticed this before and find that you need to always double check to make sure it is in park. this is a keyless vehicle - other keyed vehicles that i own will not allow you to pull the keys out if the vehicle is not in park. this appears to be a flaw in this keyless vehicle.. *tr

The car has jerked, shuttered, and shook from almost the day i bought it, i have battled these issues from the very beginning. it won't accelerate for a few seconds when i push on the gas i have almost been in an accident because of it. the flashers come on when i unlock my door, my horn doesn't work, my driver window doesn't work, i have had the clutch replaced, the cluster was fried twice, and the control module has been replaced. then driving on the freeway my car engine revved way up and the rpms went to 7000 and i lost power to accelerate my car. i was in the middle lane when i lost the power to my vehicle i put my flashers on and coasted to the side of the freeway. thankfully the freeway wasn't busy. the reverse also went out on my car. the car is now in the shop for the 6th or 7th time for the same issues but it is never fixed.

The cars transmission shutters at all different speeds, i feel unsafe and the dealership has attempted repairs that either work for a short period or none at all. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. whenever the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. the dealer diagnosed that the transmission failed, needed a new computer chip, and reprogramming. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 37,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. while driving various speeds, the vehicle jerked and hesitated to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure and stated that the transmission operated as designed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 50.

While in motion on a highway or street, the vehicle hesitates and shutters as though the transmission isn't engaging correctly, which causes the vehicle to either accelerate too quickly or not accelerate at all sometimes and while stopped at a traffic light this vehicle will and does shutter and hesitate to go forward when the traffic light turns green to go, which in turn allows the vehicle behind it to assume my vehicle is in motion at the correct speed for them to follow when it is not. i have to be careful when pulling onto a highway that there is no other vehicles coming for quite a distance so i can pull onto the highway safely without my vehicle hesitating to go forward or shuttering, which is a huge safety hazard for myself and my passengers. this is a very dangerous situation to be put it, and it scares me to even drive the car. the car has only 40,000 miles on it and should never be doing this. i've had it to different repair shops to see what could be wrong and every one of them have told me to contact the dealership where i purchased it, and i've done that and they say "theres nothing they can do, to contact you". i would like to just trade it off, but, i would feel horrible if someone else got it and ended up in a serious/fatal car accident because of this issue. please help me figure out what is going on and what to do about it. there has been other similar problems with other ford focus vehicles that have been recalled, but i've not received a recall on mine as of yet and i honestly believe that something needs to be done before someone gets seriously injured or dies due to this major malfunction.

When accelerating, the vehicle shutters, shakes and jerks. this happens every time, no matter whether the vehicle has been idle for no specific amount of time and even when the vehicle is operational. the vehicle was purchased new in december 2013 and has been an ongoing issue.

December 2012 - while stopped on hill car put itself into a hard reverse without driver input - could have killed someone - march 1, 2013 near 8700 mi on od while driving car in traffic car quit communicating with transmission - car dash lit up with everything message: transmission fault, then made it last 1/4 mile in low gear. in driveway - starting car - trans. would not engage. car then went into limp mode. after forced to take car back from dealer not fixed car failed next day - car flashed messages - hill start assist not available. car went into limp mode. after 1/2 hour or so, drove car to my mechanic where car completely failed again while diagnostic being run. car then towed to dealer - dealer gave joneses run around - forced again to take car back not fixed on 3/19/13. documented on release form that car generating multiple nondescript error codes. car has always run rough, unpredictable and unreliable. consider too dangerous to drive on fwy. car sold as traditional automatic and find out 2 manual transmissions operated by computer that has trouble figuring out what driver is doing at stop or low speeds. this car is a nightmare someone could get killed. lemon law blogs and other blogs full of ford focus owners with transmission problems. lemon law suit pending. ford and dealers game customers to not document problems. dealer called hard reverse incident "normal operation" and refused to document it. ford just as bad. someone with clout needs to step up & protect consumers. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled several times and unknown warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the dealer on more than one occasion where the failure was unable to be replicated. the vehicle was then taken to a different dealer where it was diagnosed that the pcm needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired due to the part not being available. the dealer informed that it might take six weeks for the part to become available. additionally, the contact stated that the clutch was shuttering in first and second gear. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available. updated 3/12/15*cn updated 9/15/17*cn

vehicle shudders when accelerating from a stop, and on several occasions while accelerating the transmission slips out of gear (dry type automatic transmission) and there is no control under power. i have to coast to the side of the road and turn off the car and restart it and hope that the transmission reengages. . this has happened on both the street and highway. on the highway i have to contend with the possible chance of being rear ended by a vehicle traveling much faster than one on the street. this has happened on a regular basis, and the dealer has yet to fix the problem. this problem has existed as long as i have owned the car. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that whenever the front driver and passenger side exterior doors were opened, an unusual noise was heard from the transmission. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer three times for the problem. the technician advised that the transmission was operating as designed. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 564.

The transmission shifts roughly between first and second gear. it causes the car to shutter and on an incline, has caused the vehicle to roll backwards. i have taken the car to a ford dealership at least 4 times to fix the issue, but they have told me each time that there is no problem with the transmission. my driver door and driver-side passenger door have both opened while i was driving because of a faulty latch. they opened on separate occasions, so i have been to ford twice because of the door not closing. lastly, the ac has two separate issues where it doesn't work. the technicians at ford have not been able to replicate the problem, so it has gone on unsolved. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the transmission would stutter abnormally. the vehicle was shut off and restarted but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they advised the contact that the central computer needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 500.

Transmission failure, slowing to exit off the interstate, vehicle shook violently. took it to the ford dealer that i purchased it from, they refused to look at or service my vehicle and sent me on my way. i had already taken it to them on 3 different occasions for a noise after the vehicle was shut off, they assured me the noise was normal, saying it was lubricating the transmission so it didn't have to "cold start." i found a tsb about this noise and took it back to them to have them correct the problem they had told me was normal. after they made the noise go away is when the transmission started to slip. i took it to a different ford dealer who replaced the defective parts after a 36 day wait. i had the vehicle back for 3 days and the transmission started slipping again. i filed a complaint with the bbb requesting ford do a buy back of the vehicle, arbitrator ruled they didn't have to. i am now in the process of appealing this decision. these cars with this particular transmission are unsafe and ford is refusing to do anything about it. *tr

My performance concern started within the first week of ownership. i had reported what i perceived as a performance issue to the dealer but opted to give a new car time to "break in". 4 weeks into my owner experience, the service department held and drove the car for 5 days and had determined that a transmission component was the cause of the issue i was experiencing. i now have over 10k miles on the vehicle and have had the same experience. the service department has since told me that the rough idle in park or in gear with brake applied is the result of the "direct injection" technology used in this vehicle. the hesitation experienced during 0 to >0 acceleration (gradual or hard) is also the result of the "direct injection" technology coupled with electronic clutch technology used in place of a torque converter. this combination has yielded numerous "almost stalled" conditions during normal driving maneuvers including acceleration during the completion of a left turn crossing oncoming lanes of traffic. i raise this concern as i understand there is an investigation of f150 vehicles with "direct injection" technology as a potential cause for the loss of power. my experience with the ford focus has not resulted in an accident. my goal is to raise awareness to a similar condition from the same manufacturer utilizing the same technology. i also have a second vehicle ([xxx]) that is leased and has the same performance issue described above. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

This vehicle has had problems since the day we bought it .the transmission has a mind of its own. it jerks ,shudders and slips in and out of gear at random . we have had 4 clutches ,a tcm, 2 purge vale replacements and countless software updates. it has completely lost the ability to propel itself on three separate occasions; once while we were taking it in to the dealer . when we got to the dealer they told us that "yes that can happen sometimes " !!! please help us and hold ford accountable for their reckless decision to allow these vehicles to be sold to chumps like me . they have deliberately and repeatedly blamed us for their mistake . we are unable to use our vehicle because it is unsafe .

Automated manual transmission clutches are slipping causing moderate to severe (intermittent) hesitation. dealer says that the way its supposed to be when i took it in first week we had it. went to independent mechanic for second oil change and fluid is leaking in rear main seal, dealer didn't even check. replaced clutch assembly at 21000 miles, hesitation from start, 8000 more miles, dealer says nothing wrong, take to independent mechanic and again leaking from rear main seal. just got car back with new seal, didn't replace clutch. contacted attorney to lemon law the car in georgia and they have sent notification to ford. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle failed to respond to acceleration attempts. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the transmission was re-calibrated. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 15,000.

Tl- the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that whenever traveling uphill, the vehicle would roll away in reverse. the contact stated that the failure occurred whenever switching from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the vehicle was performing as designed and that the occurrence was a normal characteristic of the vehicle. the contact stated that he received information from the manufacturer that stated that the vehicle was supposed to roll away in reverse. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 500. kmj

Ford focus 2012-2013 have dangerous transmissions. ford sells you an automatic transmission, but actually is a manual transmission with dual clutches and a computer. my car lunges, surges, luges, grinds, and doesn't accelerate properly, it is like driving a bucking bronco. ford initially said these problems would go away at 3000 miles once the car learns how i drive. here i am 6 times into the shop 11,000 miles and ford service manager finally admits the transmission is flawed and there is nothing they can do to fix it. he states the parts for the transmission were not make to speck and that's the problem. my car sits in my carport now because it hurts my neck to drive it....it jerks my head back and forth every time it decides to shift....if it does at all. i have had to pull over when getting on an los angeles freeways because my car cant decide what it wants to do and i am lucky not to have been hit. this cars transmission is horrible dangerous......it also rolls backwards on hills ford forgets to tell you this until you bring it is. so, not only is this car a death trap, i feel like i was told i bought an automatic when i didn't its a manual. false advertising. when i buy an automatic i expect it to be an automatic. ford needs to be responsible and get rid of these transmissions before someone is killed. fyi also they say it gets great gas mileage but it is false i get maybe 20 in the city and maybe 30 on the freeway. there are thousands of us ford focus drivers out there that need ford to step up and take responsibility for this faulty not made to speck transmission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *js

I was driving on the freeway and attempted to accelerate. the transmission hunted for a gear but seemed to get stuck between gears and acted as if it was in neutral. the engine rpms stayed up since i had my foot on the gas. i let off the accelerator and the engine rpms didn't drop, but kind of jumped around. i tried applying the accelerator but it just revved and didn't accelerate. i then stopped applying the accelerator, shifted to neutral, then shifted back to drive and the transmission found a gear and i was able to drive normally. *tr

My 2013 ford focus wants to stall when going from 1st to 2nd and or the gears slip and the car stutters losing speed suddenly. it is equipped with the manual automatic transmission. initially it was also doing it while trying to reverse. i called the dealership with in two months of purchase and was told that the vehicle needed to be "broken in" and continue to drive it for 1500-2k miles. i let it go and finally brought it in the following september and since than an additional 5 times. they have replaced the throttle body and reprogrammed the vehicle three times. it will act ok for a few weeks after the reprogramming then slowly goes back into the same pattern until it happens on a consistent basis. i find it occurs more after driving highway miles and then being stuck in heavy traffic (which is my daily commute). i've spoken with four different ford technicians and each claim that ford is aware of this problem however they do not know how to fix it. initially i was accused of driving two footed or not knowing how a standard should shift. upon explaining that i do not drive two footed, i am well aware of how standards should shift as i am not a new driver, i would be connected with a technician. this is a huge safety concern especially in bumper to bumper traffic on the highway. *js

Tried to tell dealership about stuttering of car when it is shifting, response was not enough miles on it, nothing was checked out. also called dealership again about the stuttering, had the feeling they thought i was crazy. oil change at 5000 miles, was asked about how i liked the new standard automatic transmission, was not impressed, was taken out on the road, had a loud screech in the front of the car on the highway, was told sometimes a something gets loose and air gets under it and it screeches**.2nd oil change, had enough of the run around, made some noise and got the car checked out on a computer, low and behold, they found a bad clutch, they are replacing it at no cost to me, problem is i don't want this car anymore, i feel very unsafe driving this car, & i feel it is a " large red lemon "& i want it replaced with a good dependable new car, i don't have to be afraid to drive. thank you, would like to think this would help my cause. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle failed to respond to acceleration attempts. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 5 and the current mileage was 22,600. updated 06/30/14 ma the consumer stated the vehicle experienced inconsistent transmission performance and lurches during acceleration from a stop. the vehicle could not be trusted during expected quick response. updated 07/2/2014 *js

At approximately 7:15 am, roadway was wet (previously rained), traveling at approximately 60 mph in lane 3 of 3 and changing lane into lane 2 of 3 while mildly accelerating and then let off the accelerator lightly as changing lane (approaching rear of vehicle in front of me). as i tried to accelerate after changing into lane 2, the vehicle apparently shifted into neutral without user input, engine could be revved to 5k rpm with no effect on forward speed. i moved gear selector into n from d and back, and d to l and back with no effect. i had to pull over to far left as it was unsafe to move to right. vehicle was otherwise coasting with very little resistance (speed loss was very gradual suggesting no braking effect via engine compression). once i reached approximately 10-15 mph the transmission reengaged a gear and was able to drive away. automatic transmission disengaged without user command, causing loss of propulsion and potentially dangerous situation of being struck from behind. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that when accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle would vibrate abnormally. in addition, there was a reduction in engine power when attempting to accelerate on an incline. the failures were recurring. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician advised that the clutches and seals needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 900.

First incident 10/8/12: vehicle shuddered violently on acceleration from a stop and shuddered in between gear shifts. reprogrammed pcm/tcm module, tr sensor relearn, shift drum motor and clutch relearn. second incident 9/25/13: vehicle vibrates on acceleration. reprogrammed pcm/tcm per tsb 13-9-4. third incident 10/29/13: vibration again on acceleration. ordered parts per tsb 13-9-4. fourth incident 12/19/13: install 29 parts ordered on 10/29 visit on transmission including clutch assembly and seals. fifth incident 10/8/14: vehicle started shaking and shifting strange on the highway and check engine light came on. very scary incident as i was afraid the engine was going to die and i would lose control. managed to get off the highway and was near ford dealer in downers grove who diagnosed code p090c (transmission) and said he could not get the car in as they were full but said to take it slow and managed to get it back to van drunen ford for service. service department reprogrammed pcm/tcm and performed pinpoint test per wsw procedure. sixth incident 4/16/15: check engine light came on, vehicle shuddered and tachometer was fluctuating at steady speed. replaced tcm, reprogram and perform adaptive learn. seventh incident 5/12/15: shudder has become worse than when it was repaired the last visit. vehicle is presently at the dealer after filing complaint with ford customer care. vehicle has been in seven times for the same problem and ford refuses to replace this transmission .ford has extended the transmission warranty to 100,000 miles and i was outwardly told this was due to the fact that they know there is a problem with this transmission on this vehicle type. you only have to surf the web to find out how many people are having the same problem with this focus transmission. they need to replace this transmission or extend the warranty indefinitely.

Vehicle stutters and grinds when shifting gears. it is an automatic transmission, but it doesn't seem to shift soon enough and frequently will lose power to the point of almost stalling out. it is very dangerous to pull out in heavy traffic, so i have to make sure there is plenty of room in case it takes a couple seconds for it to get moving again. it also rolls backwards on hills and every once in a while keeps running for a couple of seconds after i've turned the car off and removed the key. *jb

When vehicle is stopped and at idle such as at a red light, the engine shakes and when the accelerator pedal is depressed the car hesitates and does not want to move and feels like the vehicle will stall. once speed is up to about 10-15mph acceleration is fine with no vibration or shakes. this issue can be very serious when trying to pull out into traffic. took to the dealership and was told nothing was wrong. something is wrong and is unsafe. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that the transmission would hesitate when shifting between gears. the manufacturer advised that the action was normal for a 2-clutch transmission within the first 5000-6000 miles. the contact stated that the failure continued for an additional 10,000 miles. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed service to the transmission but the failure persisted. in addition, the transmission emitted an abnormal ding when completing a turn in either direction. or when shifting between first and second gears. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 20 and the current mileage was 13,300. *tr