10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 30 / 3
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 15 / 2
- Average Mileage:
- 59,417 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Hesitation on acceleration; transmission shudders and has no power
- San Bernardino, CA, USA
Transmission shudders on accelerations and has trouble shifting into gears. There is a scraping noise from the transmission after driving a long time.
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
Transmission and clutch shudder on acceleration. Check engine light reads transmission malfunction. Multiple recall reprogrammings of PCM and tcm
- Fontana, CA, USA
My 2012 Ford Focus has recently began making a grinding, rattling noise during acceleration, and sometimes shudders or jerks on acceleration from a stop or when the automatic transmission shifts white driving. These symptoms are most severe when starting from a stop or transitioning from city street to highway speed. The current symptoms cause my vehicle to behave unpredictably in traffic. My Ford dealer diagnosed this as a failure of the clutch, common in powershift transmissions from this era. Others have reported the development of even more dangerous symptoms, such as vehicles shifting into neutral without warning while on highways.despite widely-reported defects in these transmissions, Ford is not willing to cover any repairs to improve the safety of my vehicle.
- Corvallis, OR, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While driving 60 mph, the vehicle shuddered and stalled and the transmission overheat warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to atchinson Ford (located at 9800 belleville rd, belleville, mi 48111, (734) 697-9161) where it was diagnosed that the power train control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V523000 (power train). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 162,000.
- Canton, MI, USA
My car is currently shuddering and not properly shifting some days it drives and some days it won't move at all. It all started about a month ago when I was on the freeway and was almost rear ended due to it shuddering, the car started to slow down and came too a complete stop and dash read transmission is too hot wait 8 mins. I am guessing once it cooled it would be better but it kept shuddering some days it drives fine and most of the time it's dragging RPM high and shuddering when pulling off from light or stop sign.
- Canton, MI, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While driving 40 mph, the transmission failure warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle changed into second gear independently. The vehicle was taken to thomaston Ford, Inc (2230, 1011 us-19, thomaston, ga 30286, (706) 648-2191) to be diagnosed, but the results were unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but the contact was not able to speak with a representative. The failure mileage was 53,000.
- Thomaston, GA, USA
"takata recall" when attempting to reverse out of a parking space, I put my car in the reverse gear however nothing happened. I tried several times, pressing on the gas pedal but the car would only back up slightly. After some time I was able to slowly back out and shift into drive. When I was in drive, the car was moving very slowly and jerking as I was in motion. I was able to get to a local garage to have my vehicle checked out. The garage communicated that they could not get the car to drive at all. They tried driving it in reverse as well as forward.
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
2012 Ford Focus repeatedly jerks upon acceleration. Stalls on hot days after extended operation, dash warning says "transmission overheating, pull over for five minutes". will not climb hills without engine racing, often quits on uphill roads, or will not keep up speed. Transmission quit entirely on May 20, 2019 in town of eager, AZ, with my daughter driving it on her way home from college. Was able to have her follow me back to el paso. Car has continued to stop due to transmission issue just driving around el paso city limits. Car transmission was serviced twice in 2016 at Ford dealership at owner's expense.
- El Paso, TX, USA
After purchasing the car, it stared to have transmission issues. Took it to repair shop. They reworked the front end and transmission. The computers on both the front end and transmission failed to sync together. This caused a total failure of the transmission. I had the transmission replaced only to have it fail four months later. The car started to jerk, jump forward and then stopped moving. The engine was racing but the transmission did not work. I was left in the middle of a busy intersection and thankfully had people help me push it out of the road. It's back at the repair shop, again its the transmission module and transmission. !
- Tucson, AZ, USA
Car will start to shudder when accelerating after coming to a stop (ex. Stop sign/light). Vehicle wont start after pumping gas. Fuel gauge seems to be off even after a recall was done. When accelerating RPM will go up but the car wont accelerate.
- Royse City, TX, USA
I bought my vehicle in 2015. 2 months after I bought the car I was driving on the highway and the car shuts off. It was towed and fixed by Ford stating there was a recall for the computer system. As time went on the vehicle would stall and jerk switching out of gears. When I took it to Ford they stated I needed a new transmission but it wasn't the part covered under the warranty. In October I was driving and the indicator comes on stating transmission hot. The car from there would not reverse. I was in a different state on vacation and had to take the vehicle to a local shop due to Ford not being able to see the car for a week. It was stated the vehicles transmission was gone and I would need a new one. I spent over $1900 on a rebuilt transmission only for the car to still be slipping in and out of gears. If I am making a turn the car stalls and jerks before it picks up.
- Gastonia, NC, USA
Was driving home on a fairly busy street then suddenly vehicle randomly started to jerk and kick while accelerating. When accelerating in drive, the car was stuck in neutral and then suddenly jolted and went to first gear then second and then back to first all in a span of 20 seconds. The RPM was erradict and rised and dropped dramatically. Coming to a stop, the car would hesitate and continue to move forward despite braking so I had to keep a wide distance from the vehicle in front of me for fear that the car will lunge forward upon accelerating or trying to stop. I had to drive less than 20 mph, any higher and the car was kicking and jolting.
- Henderson, NV, USA
The transmission feels like it slipping. And it rakes time to change gears sometime the car blinks hill start assistance unavailable and it keeps reseating the mpg millage and trip timer. This morning when I locked my car it was like a door was open but I checked all the doors and they was locked
- Newport, TN, USA
Got the fuel system recall last week and Ford sent the dealership the wrong software. Car is parked in garage, scared it ill overheat and leave us stranded.
- Apple Valley, CA, USA
This car is my daily driver, it still rolls back on an incline and hesitates on take off and acceleration.
- Alta Loma, CA, USA
This car also has that terrible transmission, mine replaced four times the fuel flaps both get stuck and it floods, won't start problems with tire lug nuts, two piece design? who designed me what a piece!
- Sun Prairie, WI, USA
Shuddering felt when leaving a stop sign; shaking on acceleration
- San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Consistent oil leak; transmission lagging on shifts when starting out from stops; transmission not shifting properly
- Orangevale, CA, USA
- Perris, CA, USA