Well publicized issue with Focus and Fiesta transmissions shuttering and making noise. See Technical Service Bulletins below. How long is it going to take Ford to issue the recall?

2012 Ford Focus TSBs - POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

o Date Reported JULY 22, 2014 o NHTSA Reference #10056925 o TSB Reference #TSB-14-0131 Description: FORD: ON SOME VEHICLES, WITH LIGHT ACCELERATION, TRANSMISSION CLUTCH WOULD SHUDDER, EXCESSIVELY, AND POSSIBLY WOULD LEAK TRANSMISSION FLUID FROM CLUTCH HOUSING. MODEL 2011-14 FIESTA, FOCUS. *PE

o Date Reported MARCH 11, 2014 o NHTSA Reference #10055320 o TSB Reference #TSB-14-0047 Description: FORD: WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP, USING LIGHT ACCELERATION, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD EXHIBIT AN INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION SHUDDER AND MAY OR MAY NOT BE LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID FROM CLUTCH HOUSING. MODEL 2011-2014 FIESTA, FOCUS

It actually started happening in 2012, months after I got the car. First they told me it was due to the a/c but when it happened in the winter I asked again. This time they said it was how the dual clutch worked. It shudders to the point I slip on the ice in the winter. My son didn't want to drive with me till he drove it and it did to him. Not only does it shudder at take off it also makes this vibrating rattle on the drivers side when accelerating.

Problem is most times I take it to the dealer, it doesn't do it for them. I get lurched forward every time this car shudders. I was able to drive a stick shift smoother than this automatic.

I was basically forced to buy this car that I really did not want. The dealership picked it out for me. I drove it home and I noticed a vibration and it felt when I started to drive it, it would vibrate, hesitate and felt like I was driving on a washboard.

I brought it back to the dealer and in Service the manager said there was a problem and it had to go back to a Ford Dealer but said it wouldn't break down. I drove it and the condition got worse. Brought it back to the dealer and the service manager finally stated it was the transmission and wanted me to drive it for almost two weeks until they could get me a loaner. Finally got them to give me loaner. Got the car so called fixed. Took it home, drove ok for 1 day.

Now it is doing the same thing again when I accelerate, it vibrates, and loses power. It also rolls backwards in gear on a hill. I am bringing it back to the dealership tomorrow and hopefully they will give me another car. It has been a nightmare since I don't trust the way it runs. Every Focus I have driven has been a nightmare. Don't buy one. They aren't a reliable car.

My 2012 Ford Focus was used when I purchased this car in Colorado Springs, CO. I purchased the car in late 2013 and within the first month I noticed the shaking when coasting or when accelerating after stop. When I took the car in to have Phil Long Ford look at it, I was told that this is a new feature to the car. That when you idle the transmission slows down for better fuel efficiency. At first I believed him because I the rental cars in Europe have this feature. However, the experience was quite different. My Focus would shake and act like it is going to die. The dealership still swore this was supposed to happen.

Recently, I was told about a recall on the transmission for the 2012 Ford Focus. I am now living in Wisconsin. I called a dealership here for them to take a look. The appointment is on Friday so I am still hopeful that I will have this fixed. Why are dealerships so untrustworthy?? I come to expect a bit of untrustworthy behavior on the showroom floor, but once you purchase the car and dealing with service department.....trust should not be a concern. Wish me luck on my next appointment. I will comment back if they actually fix it.

I purchased my 2012 Ford Focus SE as a used vehicle in January of 2013. I had no problems with it initially; however shortly after purchase I noticed a "grinding" noise coming from the car on acceleration. I took my vehicle into Loganville Ford prior to the expiration of my 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty to have this noise checked out. After sitting in the customer lounge for 2 1/2 hours I was finally told that the "noise" I was hearing was a normal sound and was given two pieces of literature from Ford substantiating their noise was normal.

Lets advance now 2 years later.....I go to trade my Focus in only to be told that my transmission is going out and they could give me "x" dollars for it but because of the transmission they would cut that price $2500. I remembered getting a recall notification so I called Athens Ford who told me that they showed the recall for the transmission control module and shaft seals due to a grinding and shuttering problem in the transmission. I scheduled an appointment to have the recall taken care of in hopes of being able to trade this vehicle soon.

To my amazement the only thing that was being done was a diagnosis of the problem and the results had to be sent back to the Ford engineers to see what they are supposed to do for the repair. I am then told that sometimes the parts are on back order and it could take up to 3 months to get them. So as of right now I am on hold waiting for a seal assembly and clutch assembly to come in so that my transmission can be removed from my car and those parts replaced.

Matt the service adviser tells me that my transmission is one that is actually a manual transmission but has a computer that makes it operate like an automatic. After a few minutes of trying to appease me of the situation and make me understand the situation, Matt tells me that once this is fixed I will have no more problems. I said you can't guarantee that, because I have just read about others who have this same situation and they have the problem happening again and again. I asked if the transmission filter and fluid would be replaced when the clutch was replaced and I was told NO. Apparently the metal shavings from the clutch don't affect anything in the transmission at all since they have been grinding up against each other and the transmission fluid is clear. I think I replied well I am not a mechanic but I do know my butt from a whole in the ground and know that metal shavings probably do exist in the transmission housing....how would this not be there? So at this point the clutches have been ordered and I will be notified when they come in.

After reading all the complaints on here by other Ford Focus owners I have come to the conclusion that I will NEVER own another Ford product in my life!

I purchased this car new. For 15,000 miles plus ran great, Not one issue, then developed a shudder and grinding noise in the 1500 to 2000 rpm range and 35 to 50 mph under light to mild loads and on inclines. This in the transmission. The Ford dealership will not do anything and told me it is a NORMAL deal. I told them if it was normal I wouldn't have purchased the car if it did it when I test drove it before buying it NEW!!!!!

The noise and shudder felt in the gas pedal and the whole car is very annoying under normal driving conditions around town. I don't know what my options are as the dealer is fighting me all the way on repairing it. I even took out an extended 5 year warranty before this occurred. How can Ford say it is normal occurrence?

On the first complaint to the dealer they did a reporgramming of the power train control module. They said beyond that there wasn't much else they could unless it was obvious that there was real internal transmission damage requiring new seals, etc. I was also told that this behavior was just "characteristic" of this type of transmission.

We wife is the primary driver of this car, so I don't have to deal with it on a daily basis. But, the problem seems to be getting progressively worse. I will be taking it back in for service in the near future, and I'm afraid of what the service dept. is going to say!

IN AUGUST OF 2013 I PURCHASED A 2012 FORD FOCUS SE WITH 20,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR DROVE REALLY GOOD AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE AND GOT GREAT GAS MILEAGE TO BOOT. ABOUT THE TIME THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY RAN OUT, IT STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE AND SHUDDERING ON TAKEOFF. GRADUALLY AT FIRST AND OVER TIME JUST CONTINUALLY GOT WORSE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

I STARTED TO JUST TRADE IT IN, WHEN I GOT A LETTER FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. IT STATED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THEY WHERE HAVING COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER BUYERS. THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSMISSION SEAL WAS LEAKING OIL ON THE CLUTCHES. I THOUGHT GREAT I WILL GET THE CAR FIXED AND THAT WOULD BE THE END OF THE PROBLEM.

SO I TAKE THE CAR IN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACE THE SEAL AND PUT NEW CLUTCHES IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE CAR RAN GREAT FOR A LONG TIME. NOW THE CAR HAS JUST OVER 70,000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS STARTING TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN, GRINDING NOISE AND SHUDDERING ON TAKEOFF, ROLLING BACKWARDS ON A HILL AND ALSO IS SLOW TO RESPOND WHEN YOU SLOW DOWN TO TURN. IT JUST DOESN'T WANT TO GO SOMETIMES.

THE CAR IS STILL UNDER THE 100,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT WHO WANTS A CAR WITH A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT APPARENTLY HAS NO PERMANENT FIX. THE CAR IS STILL NOT AS BAD AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY, BUT I AM SURE IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME.

Update from Apr 7, 2016: The car has less than 100,000 miles on it and the transmission has the same issues again only this time it is worse. The car is still under warranty and i carried the vehicle back to the dealership to be repaired again. They call me and tell me i can pick the car up, I go to pick it up and the service manager tells me it needs new clutches and they had to order the parts and it would be 6 to 8 weeks before they would be in. He also told me that Ford has no solution to this problem except to keep replacing the clutches as they go bad. I guess this is ok as long as its under warranty but what about when the warranty is gone. The car will be nothing more than a boat anchor that I will not spend my money on to fix. Ford needs to step up to the plate and find a solution to this problem because I know there are many more people who own these vehicles that are having the same problems

I had just bought the car at CarMax. Hadn't even had it a month when the transmission troubles started. I took it back & had a tech ride with me & he heard the noise also. Since the dealer doesn't do transmission work, it was taken to another dealer & I got a rental car.

They had it for over a month because they took it apart & it needed the new clutch assembly. The reason it took so long is they said that Ford had to manufacture the clutch because so many cars like mine were having trouble. They had it longer than I had owned it!

So needless to say, they replaced it with the same parts (only new) that were in the car & now it is doing it again. It was less than a year when it started again. I talked to someone at Ford about it & they suggested that I take it in again. I have yet to do it.

I would like them to replace the complete transmission. Put one in that works correctly. I love my little car!

I bought the car used from Townsend Ford at an very high cost including the financing. Was not updated on any potential problems, which is obvious that all Ford dealerships are aware exist. So much for customer care is job 1! Anyway after a few months of driving the transmission clutch went out and thank god for some warranty still existing. While the car was in shop being repaired and by the way (I wasn't given a loaner), I received in the mail an extended warranty on the transmission clutch from Ford manufacturing. So much more for honesty, my Ford dealer said they were not aware of any problems with the clutch situation, that mine was unique! Well I am stuck with a true American Lemon and huge payments for a car depreciated to near non value, but its mine right!!!!!!

My new car a 2012 Ford Focus drives like a used car! It jerks and stutters on acceleration, then hesitates then shots forward. It also makes a rattling noise when changing gears. Also first month they had to replace the bearings on the driver side because of a noise and vibration of metal grinding when I turn. They fixed it then it returned. Denied they heard any thing after I bought it in this year. Here its 2015, got a letter in Feb. to bring it in to repair the transmission, they said it's fixed. The fix lasted a month, got to bring it in again. This car also has an odor the smell like and old cigar. They cleaned and it still smells.

When I bought this car I told them I wanted an automatic transmission, and that what the salesman told me it was. After I bought it back the 2nd day, the salesman went on a test drive and told me it was the way I drove the car and I had to get use to it. The next week a service mechanic did an test drive said women are more sensitive to sound and vibrations. He drove it and found no problem. Next month after one of my friends rode in it and complained of how it drove. I had my son drive it and he said something is wrong. They finally told me that it is not really an automatic transmission but a standard that is controlled by a computer. That was not what I wanted. I feel they made these cars and didn't want to take a loss and pawned them off on an unsuspecting public and instructed their staff to lie at all cost.

I'm very angry at how the service manager treated me. He treated me like I was dumb teenage who just learned how to drive. I had to tell him this is not my first new car and I had one new car and one used car each for 14 years. I advise all people looking to buy a Ford stay away from them. Their service stinks, they are liars and deceivers. And don't care about your safety or anybody else. I'm trading it in because it rolled back and someone walked behind me and almost got crushed between my car and another car. And I can't get enough speed to get out of harms way. And the jerking is taking a toll on my body. And now when I go in I see dread on these employees faces and I hate going there. I had my Toyota almost 15 years without any problems. And was treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. I loved going in to get it serviced.

When I bought my car it had 30k miles on it, that was on 11/1/12. It drove fine for almost a year, then it started having a hard time getting up and going. It would shutter and jerk until I got pass the second gear. I took it to a Ford dealership before the warranty expired and they said it was a computer malfunction, so they said they fixed it. I took a trip to Florida a week later and on the way back up it was doing the same thing but 10 times worse, and of course I went over my mileage that the warranty covered.

Then in Nov. 2014 the car wouldn't start at first, after a few times of turning the key it finally started. Then the hill assist light came on, I put it in reverse back up about 10 feet and it would not back up anymore. It was like the car was in neutral, I put the car in park but it was not showing the car was in park even though I could hear the gears shifting. Then then later that night I was driving around and it cuts off on me going 40mph.

The next day I had it towed to a Ford dealership. They said it was the transmission module and that the part cost around $700. I already did my research on it and knew that the module had a 80,000 mile warranty. Once I told the guy at the dealership that, he tried jerking me around saying "they have to make sure that rats didn't chew up the wiring to the module". So once they knew they were going to have to replace the part for free, they were not so nice. It did fix everything except the jerking and grinding when taking off.

As far as I know these cars are P.O.S. and I will never buy a Ford again.

We received the infamous 14MO1 Customer Satisfaction Program notice reference the transmission and related problems in Nov 14. We tried to make an appt. with the first dealership but was told the parts are on back order and they will notify us when they come in. Should only be a few days we were told. A MONTH later my wife called 3 times trying to talk to somebody in the service department and 3 times she was told somebody would get back to us later that day. No call that day or the next. I called back and demanded to speak to a manager which I was immediately transferred to. I explained the situation and he asked for a minute while went back to the parts department to check on the replacement clutch plates and seals. He returned to the phone and half chuckling stated the parts were in stock and had been there for awhile. Made the appt. for service which was another 2 weeks out. Was told it was to take an 8 hour day but should be ready at the end of the business day. Dropped car off at 745am and waited for the call. Sure enough the call came at 345pm but the service advisor stated that Ford had just now signed off on the repairs so they hadn't even started on the repair. Upset but what do you do? Decided to try the Ford complaint line, which took all my info, stated they would check into the situation and get back to us. They did within a few minutes. The dealership admitted to them that it was a scheduling mistake on their part. Went in the following day to pick up the vehicle and right from the beginning there were problems. Turn the key and there was a 5-10 second delay in starting. On the way home the shuddering started all over again. We contacted the dealer after 3-4 days as things progressively got worse. We were told due to the fact that we were over the 36,000 mile warranty, we would be charged for it. WAIT the 14MO1 notice clearly states the trans, seals and software is now warrantied for 7years/100,000 miles. Oh yea lets also throw in the fact that we bought an extended warranty 5years/100,000 miles at time of purchase!! The car had 45,500 miles on it. We then contacted the next closest Ford dealer who agreed to look at the car. Starting issues, shuddering, non shifting from 1st to 2nd, rattling ,clanking, rolling back on inclines and what seemed like grinding all were continuing to happen. These folks actually seemed concerned. The advisor said it would be 6 days before they could even look at it. As I voiced my displeasure rather loudly, I was told that under the infamous 14MO1 that a rental car could be provided for up to 5 days. After a 5 day wait, we received a call from the advisor that they couldn't find anything wrong. After a back and forth conversation, he asked if I minded if his shop foreman could take the car home that evening. I agreed as long as their insurance covered his travels. When we dropped the car off the mileage was recorded at 46092. Waited for that call which didn't come, so I called him that afternoon. Can you believe it, his foreman did have a problem with the vehicle the night before. AMAZING I was then informed that Ford was contacted but told the dealer that all was within acceptable limits. We were also told that the new parts have a 1000 mile "break in period", so nothing more can be done. We were told to come pick up vehicle from their lot. Upset, but what are you going to do? As we read over the service order, we noticed the OUT mileage was 46098 but was actually 46154. Funny how the mileage was altered so as to hide the fact it was taken home by the foreman. Amazing what this company is doing to all of us! The following day a Regional Service Manager called us and informed us that the break in period was actually 1500 miles! I have started the process of David taking on Goliath. Working with my Congressman, we have filed complaints with NHTSA, FTC, local newspapers, our States Attorney General, Better Business Bureau, and that was just in the last 4 days. Next week we will notify our Senator, local state representative, start to research the lemon law etc. Ford expects us to all just go away like nothing is wrong with their product. It is amazing the fraud, lying, cover ups, dishonesty and total rudeness that we have experienced from this company. We have purchased 6 new Ford products in the last 30 years. As I told the last dealership advisor and the Regional Service Manager " I will never step foot in another Ford dealership unless it's to pick up a settlement check. God bless all you folks who are experiencing the same anguish with this company.

I purchased this Focus new in February 2012. By May, we suspected there may be a problem when we received a letter from Ford notifying us of an issue with the transmission and to bring it in for a software update, which Galpin Ford completed on 7/31/12.

We drove the car for a year, putting another 6,000 miles on it, when the transmission became really annoying. It's impossible to make smooth start with the car. It shudders and shakes when you initially step on the gas. Once it shifts into second gear, things get much better. At highway speed the car is fine. The problem seems to be worse when we have the weight of four people in the car.

By this time, Ford obviously knows they have a problem with the six-speed PowerShift transmission, and they appear to have taken the path of denial rather than responsibility. The "talking points" from Ford are the same no matter who or what dealer you ask: "That's a characteristic of this transmission. It's designed to give the driver that sporty feedback during shifts. You're not driving it correctly."

The next tactic Ford uses is NOT to let you bring the car in for service. On 9/17/13, when I called Galpin Ford, where we purchased the car, to complain about the transmission, I was advised that there was a 40-50 day waiting period just to make an appointment for them to see the car. I had to leave my name and number for them to call me when they had room for me in their schedule.

We have several other Ford dealers in my area, so while I was on Galpin's waiting list, I started calling some other dealers to see if they could get my car in sooner. First up, Burge Ford in West Los Angeles; nobody even answered the telephone at 10 a.m. That may explain why Burge has since folded.

Next up on my list to try, Santa Monica Ford. Hooray! They gave me an appointment on 10/2/13. I explained the problem to the service manager and left the car. I came back in couple hours, about the same time that the service tech walked into the service department. He handed the paperwork and key to the service manager and said, "Nothing wrong with the Focus."

Luckily I was standing right there. I said "no way" and the tech and I went for a drive in the car. He then agreed to flash new "adaptive" software on the transmission, which seem to help for a while, but the problem eventually returned.

Almost another year passes and I make another appointment at Santa Monica Ford for the transmission, on 9/19/14. I receive an email confirmation and even a robo-call as a reminder of the appointment. My wife takes the day off from work and we show up at the dealer, at which time we're told that they have no record of my appointment and they can't see my car today. I question how that could be since I received the email and phone call confirming the appointment. They blamed a computer glitch and a change in the way they schedule service appointments. The next available appointment they could give me was Nov. 4, 2014.

I took the Nov. 4th appointment, but later had to reschedule, and it was moved to January 6, 2015. Again I receive an email confirmation from Santa Monica Ford, reminding me of the appointment date on Jan. 6th. To play it safe this time, I call Santa Monica Ford the day before just to make sure I'm on their service schedule. Unbelievably, I'm told that they have no record of my appointment and they cannot see my car today for the transmission problem!

"How can that be?" I asked. "I got an email from you guys confirming my appointment."

The response, from the same person I've been talking to forever, "We deleted all of the transmission appointments from our system because the parts are on a nationwide back order."

If I'm to believe anything from this dealer, I'm now on a waiting list and as soon as the part arrives, I will be called. Bullshit.

"How do you even know what part my car needs, you haven't even looked at it yet?"

Calls and online complaints to Ford's Customer Care Center have yet to yield any answers or satisfaction. They're quick to "escalate" the complaint to a "higher level" and assign a Case Number, which is nothing more than lip service.

I'm a long-time Ford owner, from a family of Ford owners, and this will no doubt be my last Ford. Worse than the car is the way we've been treated by Ford. The problem with this transmission is well-known, well-documented and widespread, yet Ford continues to spin the story like there's no problem.

Had the car into the dealer several times for this problem, they say that it's a normal trait of this transmission, then Ford sends me a letter of customer satisfaction recall on the transmission. I called to have them do the repair before my next service due to the transmission slipping so bad it wouldn't move. After having it a day they said it was fixed, drive the car home and it was worse than before. They had it for three days, called and said it was fixed, they hope, drove the car home and for next several months and now is back to the same problem just not as bad, yet! I love the fuel economy but I will most likely be going back to Chevrolet when the extended warranty is up, so much for Ford Quality.