7.7
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $1,440
- Average Mileage:
- 35,300 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 111 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (54 reports)
- replace clutch (19 reports)
- software update (9 reports)
- waiting for ford to figure out what it takes to repair it (8 reports)
- replaced clutch mechanism (7 reports)
- get a lemon law attorney! (4 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Ford dealer.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
The car jerks and feels like it wants to shut off when taking off while applying gas to take off. It also has a grinding noise coming from the transmission, I have actually pulled over thinking something was falling out of the trans, to check to see what was going on. The dates this started I am not sure and of the mileage, but this started to occur just shortly after I bought the car. I have taken it in once already and getting ready to take it in again. It just feels unsafe to drive, I feel, when the jerking and feeling of car dying out when I am driving. Something should be done about these cars, they should recall all of them. I know I am not the only one with this problem. Ford said it's a new kind of transmission, in my opinion it sucks.
- Sharon L., Lowell, IN, US
Hope to get this fixed under warranty. First trip to the dealer was told that "three mechanics took it for a test drive and it drives fine..." BUT they did want to replace a seal and the trans fluid...we'll see what happens when the parts come in.
- G S., Myob, AZ, US
Very disappointing with a new vehicle to have issues right at the beginning, doesn't give good feeling for future.
- Donald H., Brockville, ON, Canada
I got my Focus new spent 21,000 on it and the tranny is all ready having problems. When starting off it shifts real hard some time it will stall or lung forward it shimmies and vibrates and makes noise. I have been a Ford guy all my life and like to buy things that are made in the US as much as possible but I am not happy right now. From what I have heard Fords new the transmissions were bad, but went ahead and sold them any way, knowing there is no fix for them. No wonder people buy imports when you can't even trust one of the US biggest car makers to do you right
- brianbutchek, Portland, OR, US
This vehicle would pause, hesitate and leave me sitting at a traffic light then finally jump and jerk and finally start to move forward. We contacted the local dealership where the vehicle was purchased and was told there was nothing wrong with it and that it was the nature of that car. It was taken to them twice and called twice about it and was told all times that was normal for that car. Was told to bring the car in and they would deal with me on another one. Like I was going to do that. My wife would not drive it and therefore that left her without a car. You know how much fun that was. One day it left me sitting at a traffic light and I almost got hit. I drove it to the first car dealer I saw, which was a Honda dealership, and traded it for a Honda Civic. Never again will I go to the Jarrnigan dealership or will I ever purchase a Ford car.
- thomas barry, Rutledge, TN, US
Just the same as every Focus owner, transmissions suck. Car is great except for trans shifting.
- hermanpa, Jim Thorpe, PA, US
Second time around for this transmission problem. This time they replaced the bell hosing seal because it was leaking and did a flash upgrade on the computer. Seems to be OK for now. My concern is, what happens next time when I am out of warranty. The first time was at around 60,000 miles this time it was just past 90,000.
- Jim R., Modesto, CA, US
Got a flat tire. Had it towed to dealership. When came to pick it up they told me I had the problem with the transmission. It hesitated when you started out, but not really very bad. They said Ford takes care of it and rented me a car. Now since I got it back I've taken it back for the idling to high. Trans slipping. They totally ruined my car. The last time I took it back for it slipping they said they couldn't find anything wrong. When I take it back again and they say there's nothing wrong. I'm just getting a lawyer and suing them.
- dwray, Huntington Beach, CA, US
I've had this recall issue repaired, and now it's back. I know the mechanic at the dealer is going to make me feel like an idiot (again). But it is bad!
- Connie O., Bellevue, NE, US
Car shudders in low gears when accelerating Ford has little to fix the problem really need to recall this POS tranny. Never buying any Ford again I knew I should have bought a Dodge.
- mbarronca, Pomona, CA, US
I noticed that my car hesitates and jerks when I press on the gas. For months I told my dealer the problem and I was shrugged off. After 2 years I still have the problem even when I took it in for updates and oil changes, etc. They just refuse to believe anything is wrong with their golden cars! When I talk with other mechanics they say they cannot do anything but the dealer so there is nothing that can be done until Ford finally realizes that their perfect car has many faults. I got the car in November 2012 and up to now, my car still jerks and hesitates when I press on the gas.
If anyone is listening, FORDS MAY BE FANCY LOOKING BUT THEY ARE HORRIBLE CARS. I used to be a Ford fan because I had a 2009 Ford Focus that I absolutely loved. Never should have traded it and got this piece of junk.
- albinogirl2, West Seneca, NY, US
BOUGHT OUR FOCUS IN NY ABOUT 300 MILES ON IT. I DROVE IT ABOUT 200 MI INTO PA AND IT STARTED THE SHUTTERING ,LOSING POWER AND MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. I TOOK BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL AFTER THEY TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE. THEN MY HUSBAND TOOK IT IN AND DROVE IT FOR THEM TO ENSURE THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY TOLD HIM SOMETHING ABOUT IT BEING A MANUAL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T CARE WHAT THE SAID IT WASN'T WORKING CORRECTLY. SO TIME ROLLED ON AND IT JUST GOT WORSE. WE MOVED TO AR AND I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE PROGRAMING THAT AFFECTED THE POWER TRAIN. WELL I TOOK IT HOME . SAME THING HAPPENS. TOOK IT BACK"YOU HAVEN'T DROVE IT FAR ENOUGH FOR IT TO WORK. SECOND TIME YOU NEED TO DRIVE AT LEAST 1000 MI. DROVE IT OVER 1000 MI AND IT IS EVEN WORSE THAN IT WAS. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THAT I HAD READ THERE WAS A RECALL SAYING THAT THE HARNESS TO THE MAP THAT SENDS THE SENSORY INFO TO THE POWERTRAIN NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. NATURALLY I WAS TREATED AS A DUMB FEMALE. SO I CALLED CORPORATE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FIRST PERSON ENDED HANGING UP ON ME WHEN SHE WAS SUPPOSEDLY TRANSFERRING ME. GOT A HOLD OF ANOTHER REP. AND HE FINALLY SET ME UP WITH A CORPORATE FILE TO WATCH THAT THIS CAR IS FIXED AND THAT IT WILL BE FOLLOWED THROUGH BY A DISTRICT MANAGER. ALSO HE IS TO CALL ME TODAY.
CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT THIS MORNING. I DON'T THINK I HAVE EVER BEEN TREATED SO RESPECTFUL BY THIS DEPARTMENT. COULD IT BE THE POWERS THAT BE MADE A PHONE CALL? WE WILL SEE.
- Gay H., FORT SMITH, AR, US
I previously bought a 2012 Ford Focus and after having issues with the transmission, and being told by my Ford dealership that the transmission issues were fixed, I traded it in for a 2013 Titanium. Boy did they lie to me. I purchased the vehicle in 1/13 and by summer it was in the shop having the clutch replaced at 13000 miles. Here I am again at 44,000 and am patiently waiting to get it back in the shop. I had an appt 9/22/14 to drop it off at the dealer and they tell me there is still 40 cars ahead of me with the same problem and they can not guarantee me a loaner until it is my turn. I am sooo disappointed in this car. They extended the warranties for this issue up to 100,000 but what happens to those of us that paid for that extended warranty. And what happens after this wonderful warranty plays out and I have to keep taking this car back into the shop once a year for this transmission issue. Come on Ford get this stuff fixed...
- skrebs, Fredericksburg, VA, US
So I went to Ford asking them to fix the jerky transmission, they said sure but they would have to drive it and actual see the problem before they tried to fix it. I said that's fine. So this man got in my car and started to drive it. It started to jerk and I pointed it out to him and it kept doing it and I also pointed out a grinding sound to him. He drove the car up and down the highway and downtown like 40 miles. I started to think he was just taking a joy ride. He used about a quarter of a tank gas by the time he was done.
When we finally got back he said he was going to talk to his manger. He came back out to me and he said 'I felt what your talking about but their is nothing he could because it is completely normal and that the transmission is a manual powered buy a automatic'. So everything that a manual transmission does like a winning noise when backing up or when you shift and it jerks. So he then said that the transmission would learn my driving style after about 19000 miles. So I now have 41000 on it and it's so bad. So now I drive a Camry with 20000 miles, it is the top of line one and I love it!
- mac101, Charlston, SC, US
When I got the car home notice that when I unlock the car and open the driver side door started with a peculiar noise similar to this video (click-click-whir) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkbGjGX3dyM transmission started to lag and shift roughly like around 6200 miles, talk to the dealer and they said it was normal, later at 12500 miles started noticing that the car lunges forward, but a while after that in heavy traffic an alarm started on the front dash "transmission overheated, push break for 6 minutes"
Took it to the dealership, and what a surprise they extended my warranty for a total of 6 years, and they work on it 2 days to run tests. The results showed that they needed to change the clutch, they needed to order it (1 week) and then install it (1.5 days), figure that o well at least all of my problems are going away.....
But NO, car handle and perform the same after they replace the clutch, I have Rev. E but not sure, apparently I need to be more “careful†of the way I drive the car. So again it was all downhill from there until around 18600 miles when the worst happen. NO REVERSE ON THE CAR, literately the car wouldn't back up for nothing and it was jerking all the way moving forward. Yet again another trip to the dealership, after tests were completed it was the TCM (transmission control module), another week for repairs.
Had it, sold the car at a loss and then got another, guess I was hoping that Ford got to the bottom of this but apparently this has been going on since 2012 or 2011, and what is worst Ford is still selling the powershift transmission like a big feature on their cars and getting more people into this problem.
- llopez, El Paso, TX, US
I have owned 14 Ford's in my life and this is the worst I have owned. I thought having supported them for so long that would amount to something. However, Ford won't respond to my complaint even though there are many recalls for this very issue. Ford apparently is more concerned about making money instead of taking care of their customers...This is truly a sad for me as I have been such a big supporter of Ford.
- dthronburg, Visalia, CA, US
My car now has 10,000 miles, 18 months old, under new car warranty. My Focus jerks when taking off from a stop. I have read all the complaints from customers on the internet. In all cases they have taken them to their dealers. Not one of them worked better after being repaired, and, in most cases they were worse. The dealers have been telling them they don't know how to drive these cars with the so called double clutch automatic. That has not been going over well with the people that have them. Some dealers are telling their customers that is the way this transmission is suppose to work, etc.
In my case I have let the dealer know about the problem and they are very concerned and great to deal with when you have a problem. However, they are waiting for the company to come up with something to fix the problem. So that is where I sit right now. I might add though that Ford has had this problem in the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and now I understand they are also in the new 2015 Focus cars. There should be some heads falling at the Ford Company for that many years of trouble and not changing them to a true automatic.
Something on the positive side of this transmission is our car goes 40 mpg highway. A well built, beautiful car, runs great on the road. I would purchase another one if they fix there transmission problem.
- donsta1, Brookings, SD, US
Scared to take it in at the moment with all the complaints of the fix not working. This has been happening for the past 2 years. Dealerships lied when they said the problem would go away with time. I've decided the car is extremely unsafe to drive with how unreliable it is when you need to accelerate. It should be covered under warranty but I'm still scared the dealership will still charge me a lot of money which I definitely don't have. This was my first brand new car, too. I won't be buying another Ford or any other car that has this type of transmission.
- jordenh05, Fort Mill, SC, US
The jerking motion when pulling out of an intersection, even at a slight hill, like an on ramp. I took it into a Ford dealer and told them of the problem on 7/18/2013. The answer from the Ford Service Department, a handout "POWERSHIFT 6 SPEED OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS" a in your face letter stating Common Characteristics of the PowerShift Transmission such as:
double clicking metal sounds ( metal clicking doesn't sound good oh but they say that is normal part of operation) ,etc more of what I didn't understand was just normal the Ford double speak said.
oh this one is better "TRAILER-HITCHING FEEL" they(Ford) even have a name for this quirk. Again Ford says this is a normal characteristic of the dry clutch-equipped manual transmission design ( so someone designed this THC you feel when you drive your car.
Also the answer the Ford Dealer service said it is in your owners manual the THC. so does that make it ok, if it is in mentioned in my manual you don't have to fix it? NOW on 8/2014 we get a letter from Ford about the transmission that it is such a problem that Ford has extended the warranty coverage for the transmission clutch and input shaft seals. So I called the Ford Dealer Service dept. about the letter, response OH, only if you are having problems with you car. duh why do you think I am calling you about the letter? Ironically it is the same service person who told me back on July 18,2013 that double talk about no problem that is normal to jerk you in the car.
Update from Oct 26, 2016: Ford settled with us but I could not have done this without a lemon law attorney. Amazing what a person can do with help from a A+ attorney firm against a big corporation like Ford. Thank you Bickel in SD,CA
- yankytranny, Temecula, CA, US
THIS TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE AND FORD CANNOT FIX IT AND REFUSES TO ADMIT THAT IT IS DEFECTIVE. THE CAR SHAKES, SHUTTERS, HESITATES AND MAKES GRINDING NOISES. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY SAY IT FALLS UNDER FORD SPECIFICATIONS. THE CAR IS A DEATH TRAP. WILL BE GLAD TO HEAR FROM ANY OTHER UNSATIFIED FORD OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. DOING RESEARCH INTO GETTING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT STARTED. THE FIESTA'S ARE DOING THE SAME THING.
- Carol K., Brookfield, US