10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
30 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
15 / 2
Average Mileage:
59,417 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #928

Jul 032018

Focus

  • 31,000 miles
Transmission slips, shudders and jerks while mechanical clanking noise comes from the car. Four times, I can recall, was almost in a major accidents and countless times of vehicle sputtering trying to accelerate to merge into traffic. Clutch has been changed at least three times but problem returns. Manufacturer and dealerships lie to me. I feel stuck in a lemon that is truely embarrassing to drive. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle! someday, something bad will more than likely happen. Please do something. Money can not replace lives. Safety first!

- Galloway, OH, USA

problem #927

Mar 042013

Focus

  • 16,000 miles
From stop the car will hesitate to accelerate, sometimes it won't be in gear other times it will be in the wrong gear (I.e. 2nd or 3rd instead of 1st). At times it will also lurch forward, one time it was so hard I thought I had been rear ended. Once in motion the clutch slips causing slow acceleration and shaking (sometime violent). On hills, even at highway speeds, the clutch will slip causing the car to slow and have trouble climbing. I am on my 3rd set of clutches, and last as now the transmission is out of warranty, parts are unavailable, and the cost will be more than the car is worth due to the extreme depreciation due to the known transmission problems. It has had the tcm (transmission control module) programming updated eight times. On my first two visits to the Ford dealership, all the way back in 2013, I was simply met by the service manager and told on visit one the transmission is working as designed and given a paper stating the behavior of the transmission and on visit two that I didn't know how to drive the car and that I would need to relearn how to drive for this type of transmission. On my third visit they reprogrammed the tcm making it worse and it went downhill from there. On one visit they tried to blame the visit on a fictitious oil leak and charged me to fix though they could not show me the leak nor had the car ever leaked a drop of oil or used any oil. Between the second and third clutch replacement the car drove so terribly I was afraid to drive it, let alone allow my wife and children to ride in it. Even now I cannot pull onto a road without having a 100 yards of space between traffic. This has been an ongoing issue since 2013 and continues today (2019). When I first started contacting Ford the car only had about 16,000 miles on it, it had over 50,000 before they did the first "repair".

- Soddy Daisy, TN, USA

problem #926

Jan 172017

Focus

  • 76,702 miles
My vehicle is experiencing the known issues with the dps6 transmissions. This includes the clutch slippage and "judder" when shifting and I have also had my tcm fail entirely while the car was in motion resulting in the engine being shut down suddenly so all power was lost. Because the engine shut down, I had no power steering. Fortunately, at that time, I was on a rural highway and I was able to get off to the side of the road. The vehicle would not re-start and I had to have it towed to the nearest Ford dealer for a tcm replacement. I have had 3 clutch and transmission seal replacements completed under their extended warranty program for this vehicle but I am now outside that extended warranty period so any further replacements will be at my cost. The mileage intervals between the clutch replacements were only 10,000 and 7,000 miles. Some people change their oil at a similar interval. I am again experiencing a shudder during shifting in this vehicle and have been avoiding driving it for this reason. I hate to spend the money on a new clutch as I think it will be just a temporary fix and a very expensive one. Now I read that Ford knew about these problems before these vehicles were being sold yet they still put them on the market. This disregard for the safety of their customers is unacceptable and they need to do a lot more to make things right for those of us who are saddled with this breach of our safety and trust.

- Boiling Springs, PA, USA

problem #925

Feb 252015

Focus

  • 38,000 miles
I have had this vehicle since 2015 with 38,000 miles on it and it has been a lemon ever since. The transmission has a defect that Ford refuses to acknowledge is defective. From day one my transmission shuttered when going through gears 1-2. it feels like I'm pulling a trailer behind me. It mainly happens when the transmission is warmed up. Ford first said there was nothing wrong then they "reprogrammed" it, then they put new seals in it and lastly they said sorry you're past the milage for the recall, so now I'm driving a dangerous vehicle because I refuse to pay Ford $2,000+ for the same thing to happen again. I would get a new vehicle but the resale value for my car is just a tad above scrap because nobody wants these cars that have faulty transmissions. All they are doing is putting bandages on a gaping hole and they're getting away with it. Also, when I have to stop going uphill in drive, it rolls backward. Now tell me that's not safe. Please do something about this before someone gets really hurt if not already.

- Pittsfield, IL, USA

problem #924

Apr 102019

Focus

  • 10,000 miles
I had my car at the dealer 5 times for transmission problems under warranty. 2 months ago I had to pay over $2500 to have repaired out of warranty by an independent repair shop. The purge valve is also bad, they sent a recall bot cancelled it. My gas gauge has not worked in over 3 years, the sound system also has not worked in over 3 years. The dealer said there has been multiple complaints. The fan for the heat/cool only works on high(4). The ignition also is a problem, my mechanic said that he knows of many ignition problems on the Focus and other Ford models. I did receive a lemon law settlement a few years ago which wwas nothing compared to all the problems and expenses.

- Warren, MI, USA

problem #923

Jul 102019

Focus

  • 79,201 miles
The transmission is failing causing my car to overheat, slow down, slippage engine revs but vehicle does not accelerate....car vibrates and shakes.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #922

Jul 012016

Focus

  • 100,000 miles
Transmission started to judder and slip really bad causing car to feel like it was bouncing. Eventually my check engine light turned on and my car would not accelerate properly. This led to replacement of the transmission. I had previously gone to the dealer to address my concerns and they said they found a leak and that some of the things I was experiencing were normal. After this first replacement, a few months later my transmission starting acting really bad and was accelerating improperly. It had to be replaced again. Now, I am on my third transmission and it is showing the same signs as my first one.

- Plymouth, MN, USA

problem #921

Jul 022019

Focus

  • 88,000 miles
I purchased my 2012 Ford Focus 2 years ago from a used Ford dealership. The following day I noticed my transmission slipping and that it would slip into neutral. I called the dealership 12 hours later and they informed me this was normal and not to worry about it. I continually struggle to accelerate in traffic and I have caught myself slipping backwards when idle on a hill.

- Mesquite, TX, USA

problem #920

Jul 162019

Focus

  • 95,600 miles
This is the third summer my transmission stopped working. I was driving to work on the high way and when I stepped on the gas pedal the acceleration meter went up but the car was slowing down. I pulled over to the side of the road and the transmission malfunction screen came up on the dashboard and the car needed to be towed to a shop. Ever time this happened (3 so far) I was driving on the highway and it cost me $1200+ to repair.

- Wayne, NJ, USA

problem #919

Jul 162019

Focus

  • 0 miles
I bought my cpo 2012 Focus in 2015. Within days, I experienced the transmission lagging and the car excessively rolling back in reverse on inclines (I literally have to drive with two feet when braking on an incline in my automatic transmission car or I will roll backwards into the next car!) I had the car re-flashed once at the dealership, but it did not do anything. After further research, I was hesitant on taking my car back because other owners online said work performed by the dealership only made matters worse.

- Berkley, MI, USA

problem #918

Jun 102015

Focus

  • 63,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated drastically and would not accelerate when approaching a red light. Suddenly, the vehicle surged into an intersection and "transmission bad..service now" appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was driven to bob thomas Ford Lincoln (310 w coliseum blvd, fort wayne, in 46805, (260) 482-4456) where it was diagnosed that a new transmission was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a case number. The failure mileage was 63,000.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

problem #917

Mar 182019

Focus

  • 117,000 miles
Transmission was not shifting into gears, then the reverse went out..talked to 3 different Ford dealers..asked about my warranty then said no recalls on this and out of warranty would be out of pocket..so I did have an outside warranty for repairs but they said nothing was covered..so I paid aamco to fix it..3500.00 and 2 months later I am at another aamaco (because of their warranty) the new aamaco place says transmission shot need a new one..about 5 grand..so..no we drove it back home and put her to pasture..I have all paperwork on all work done..and not done..but we travel for my husband's job..so my paperwork is home in tx..we are now in tn..for a few weeks.my car acted up badly, hot transmission, had to stop several times just to get it to the shop.. also..would be great if it at least had a dip stick to check your fluids. Also on first transmission work..we had to rent our motel room for 3 extra days waiting on the car repair to be completed. This after he had it a week already..I also have phone numbers and quotes from 2other people that would have worked on my car if they had the tools to work on a dual transmission.

- Broaddus, TX, USA

problem #916

Jun 162019

Focus

  • 156,000 miles
Vehicle stalled in an intersection while turning after a transmission warning came on hud. Attempted to restart and it would not turn over. The display showed that the car was in drive, even though I had pulled over to the side of the road and put it in park. It took me unplugging the battery to be able to restart the vehicle and get to a safe place. The vehicle had very little pulling power and struggled to get out of the flow of traffic. The dealership has diagnosed the problem as the transmission control module and the transmission, which has come to light recently as faulty and known to fail

- Jefferson, GA, USA

problem #915

Jul 162019

Focus

  • 129,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While at an intersection, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to accelerate. Also, the transmission malfunction service indicator illuminated. The contact moved to the shoulder of the road, turned the vehicle off and back on, and the vehicle returned to normal. The vehicle was taken to healey Ford Lincoln (2528 NY-17M, goshen, NY 10924, (877) 706-3640) where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the dual clutch and updated the PCM, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made ware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 129,000.

- Walden, NY, USA

problem #914

Mar 272015

Focus

  • 32,725 miles
Dps6 - transmission- Aug 2013 went in for shuddering, Sept 2014 went in for shuddering, Nov 2014 went in for shuddering, March 2015 shuddering, October 2015 - shuddering, October 2016 shuddering, November 2016, shuddering, September 2017, shuddering, November 2017, shuddering, January 2018, shuddering. Driving and accelerated at S stop sign and went out of gear at a stoplight was unable to move forward at the green light, turned off car and restarted in order to proceed

- Amity, OR, USA

problem #913

Jul 162019

Focus

  • 120,000 miles
My Ford Focus shutters and does not accelerate properly. I have had my dual clutch replaced by Ford 2 times and the problems persist. Now car is now out or warranty with 120,000 miles and now Ford claims it's my problem. I first got my clutch replaced at 60,000 miles, then 85,000 miles and the problems keep reoccurring. My car can't accelerate without shaking and shuttering and it poses a hazard when in traffic. It is unsafe and Ford has refused to actually fix the problem over the past 5 years.

- Sioux Falls, SD, USA

problem #912

Jul 082019

Focus

  • 125,000 miles
My 2012 Ford Focus has 125,000 miles. The transmission stopped working as my wife was pulling into our driveway and it gave the error codes P2832 and P287B. It will move a little, but makes a loud grinding noise. These error codes are supposed to be covered by tsb 16-0044. I took it to garber Ford in green cove springs, fl. Yesterday they told me it will require a new transmission and will cost me over $5,000. If this is a known problem item from Ford, why isn't Ford replacing it? I cannot afford a new trans, and I cannot get sell the car as it now doesn't run and I still owe $4,000 on it.

- Green Cove Springs, FL, USA

problem #911

Jul 132019

Focus

  • 200,000 miles
The transmission has been refreshed 2 times now the transmission shifts hard when taking off it is jumpy when taking off sometimes will not go into reverse and sometimes will get hot enough so you have to pull over when pulling out into traffic tou can't as inhave had the car stall before I bought this car brand new and have had nothing but issues with the transmission

- Dixfield, ME, USA

problem #910

Nov 232012

Focus

  • 5,000 miles
I purchased my 2012 Focus new Nov. 2012. After a few weeks of owning the car, I noticed that the ride was not as 'smooth' as my prior car. I did not think anything of it, as I live in a city and assumed it was due to the stop and go of the city miles I drove as well as the winter season. By June 2013 with less than 8,000 miles, I began to notice that my car would roll backwards on hills when stopped in traffic while moving my foot from the brake to the accelerator and shake at various speeds. I was told by Ford that the issue was deemed 'normal' in 2013. In November 2013, I had 12 months of data to realize the gas mileage was not even close to what the dealership and my car buying research led me to believe. I was getting 16 city mpg and 20 highway mpg. I also began to experience severe shuddering and shaking of my car at low speeds. When accelerating from ~10mph to ~25mph, my car began to lurch forward and also shudder when idle. In Oct. 2014, I took the car for service w/ 12K miles. The service technician noted that there was nothing much that could be done as Ford had not issued a new transmission fix. I was not happy with this answer and took the car back the following week and spoke to the mechanic's supervisor. The supervisor agreed to 'reflash' the transmission, which was the approved fix by Ford at the time although it would worsen gas mileage due to reduction in gas efficiency to reduce the amount of shuddering and lurching I experienced. This fix did not appear to help at all and gas mileage got worse. In July 2017, I had the clutch replaced. The service technician acknowledged that the new clutch should help although it is the transmission causing the issues. Since July 2017, I have not noticed any remarkable improvement to the driving experience. During standard maintenance, Ford has told me there is nothing further that can be done.

- Boston, MA, USA

problem #909

Mar 072019

Focus

  • 101,300 miles
Tcm went bad and the clutches of the transmission. Ford dealer replaced the tcm but not the clutches. Instead I must pay $2,300 to replace the clutches because I'm out of warranty. Besides they charged me for the diagnostics. The car shudders often. Tcm issues used to make the stall on the road.

- Staten Island, NY, USA

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