Transmission skipping at slow speed and start

- Foxboro, MA, USA

The vehicle hesitates when driving from a complete stop and going from 1st to 2nd gear. I have an automatic transmission. This vehicle has done this since the 1st week I owned it. The problem gets much worse the longer it is driven. After about an hour of driving is when the hesitation feels more like the vehicle either can't shift properly or the engine is about to die. When there are 4 adults in the vehicle this issue is amplified. I have to take extra caution when entering traffic from a stopped position due to the major hesitation when shifting gears and I am always worried when making legal turns crossing in front of oncoming traffic. Lastly my vehicle is gas not electric.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle suddenly slowed down and would not accelerate. During the incident, the "engine fault, service now'' message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. In addition, when accelerating from a stop, the vehicle would shutter. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch was faulty. The PCM and tcm were reprogrammed and the clutch was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 500.

- Stacy, MN, USA

I have had my car now for 18 months and it has been in and out of the shop for clutch issues the clutch has been replaced now twice and they updated my computer trying to fix the clutch as well. My car is still not running properly. It has a rough idol worse than what it was before I got my clutch replaced yesterday and it jerks when starting out ( this jerking is not bad right now because I just had the clutch replaced but its still there) I have requested this vehicle to be bought back multiple times and I get a no and they wont tell me why and dont return my emails. I have just requested another buy back and waiting on a response. Thanks for your time and I hope you can help me out.

- Mineral, VA, USA

Despite taking my car in multiple times for repair (including software updates and a new clutch at 19466 miles), the transmission has been shuttering, shaking, slipping, and has a hesitant/ delayed response when accelerating from a stopped position (e.g. making a left hand turn to cross an intersection with oncoming traffic). I feel extremely unsafe especially when accelerating to cross an intersection because the automatic transmission will have a delayed response transferring power to the rear wheels despite pushing the accelerator and will continually shutter, slip, and shake while getting up to speed thus making a slow and uncertain acceleration. This can severely limit my ability to move my car out of harms way.

- Coral Springs, FL, USA

First problem was the car shuddering and jerking. Ford garage, repair some transmission seals, programming, replaced fuel tank, fuel pump and engine wire harness repair. Shortly after the car began to lose ability to move when accelerating, the engine RPM's would rev and vehicle had little power to move. Ford garage replaced clutch and did programming. On the way home from that repair, our care suffered the same symptoms it was brought in for. It is currently in the shop and we have no confidence in what we will get back.

- Fine, NY, USA

Clutch replaced at 18K miles due to shuddering, hesitation and rolling backwards on hill in drive. At 38K issues are starting again. Several almost accidents when on hill and turning in traffic. Purchased a year ago and devalued $10K since.

- Athens, IL, USA

I purchased my 2014 Ford Focus 1/1/16. When driving at slow speeds and always if accelerating at 10mph the car jerks and sputters. I took back to the Ford dealer and had what they said was an adjustment due to a recall. Didn't fix anything, took it in again and the answer is its the design due to a 5 speed within an automatic transmission it has to adjust itself. This car will not accelerate when a light turns red turning left and I need to get out of the way, it jerks and sputters, same problem at any stop. My concern is that if I can't accelerate to get out of the way I'm going to get hit, at a light, stop, on the freeway. Ford told me that's the way all of them drive. This is a daily occurrence since I purchase the car.

- San Dimas, CA, USA

Transmission started shuddering not long after purchase. Ford acted like they did not know about these problems even thought we now find that they have been well documented for years. Multiple trips to 2 dealerships have not fixed problem. The shuddering takes place while in motion, sometimes driving straight, often when turning. Longer trips or hilly terrain exasperate problem. Driving in winter conditions ( snow, ice)makes it difficult to tell if it is the tires or transmission that is slipping. Very dangerous defect. Drivers and passengers feel very unsafe in this vehicle. Wondering why NHTSA is so slow in dealing with this problem.

- Kennebunkport, ME, USA

The transmission jerks when starting off and shifting gears. I've had it in 3 times for "software updates" and each time the mechanic tells me that all Ford Focus experience the same thing and that it was designed that way.

- Bethlehem, PA, USA

I bought my 2014 Focus in August of 2014, it was a lightly used rental from late 2013 to around the spring of 2014 and only had a little over 14,000 miles on it. Since that time I have had to take it in (including this most recent appointment in a few days) 3 times for the same issue. When I am accelerating from a stop, the car will shutter, hesitate to shift, often grind until it reaches a higher gear. After I take the car in the problem is gone for about a month but then slowly starts to come back the more I drive it. The problem is much more prevalent when I am driving around residential areas with a lot of hills and stop sign intersections. I am worried that if this issue continues throughout the life of my car it will either cause an accident, or at least put me in danger of causing an accident, and it will also cost me a fortune to maintain if I have to continually take it in for repairs each year!

- Riverside, CA, USA

When I accelerate my car hesitate, jerk like it is getting worst. Slow down when take off and while driving

- North Chesterfield, VA, USA

2014 Ford Focus. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle high RPM symptoms and transmission shudders while driving. Consumer wants dealership to buy back vehicle. The consumer stated in his opinion, the vehicle was still not shifting properly after the dealer made the repairs.

- Massena, NY, USA

This car was bought used with 22218 miles on it on 12/29/2015. The car was running fine. By the middle of January 2016, the transmission was slipping. Before we made first payment on 2/9/2016, the transmission was slipping and shuddering going into second gear. Here it is 5/5/2016 and we are supposedly still waiting on a part to come in, we feel like we have bought their problem and we are on our own, and this could be a very serious issue in safety when your car will not go. From dead stop, shifting from first, going into second it shudders, hesitates, in traffic, it's really bad. This was bought for my teenage daughter to go to college, now I'm worried about her safety in it.

- Escatawpa, MS, USA

Car hesitates when accelerating, especially from a slow or stop. Cannot tell if its a transmission issue or fuel related. Very dangerous, causing car to buck & jerk. Makes it difficult to control vehicle. Seems to be getting worse the higher the mileage.

- Kalamazoo, MI, USA

While driving it feels like engine is falling out. The whole car vibrates. Like its stalling out when you take off and it takes a long time to get up and going. I have taken the car to lakeland Ford for a seal kit that was back ordered 6-8 weeks in 2015 in 2016 I had to have another seal kit also back ordered 6-8 weeks they did transmission module replacement and much more I've taken this car back for the same issue multiple times andhavebeen told it's not a lemon L!

- Bartow, FL, USA

When driving the car shudders and doesn't want to go into gear, have had it into service dept several times for known transmission issue! the problem started shortly after I purchased the vehicle. It's been 2 1/2 months now and still waiting for new clutch to arrive and now my vehicle will not drive at all!

- Commerce, MI, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving 10 mph, the vehicle vibrated and failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed, but the details could not be provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the parts to repair the vehicle would not be available for two months. The failure mileage and VIN were unknown.

- Chula Vista, CA, USA

I have a 2014 Ford Focus SE hatchback. It was bought brand new in September 2014. I was back at the dealership on September 17, 2015 with 17,000 miles because of the shuddering &, hesitations coming from the transmission while driving, stopping, and accelerating. My clutch was replaced on October 15, 2015. I was back to the dealership on January 8, 2016 and again on March 10, 2016, for a "computer reset". the jerking, shuddering, grinding, and stalling have yet to cease and it's becoming more of a hazard & extremely stressful to drive the car on a daily basis. I have to drive 100 miles a day round trip for work. The serviceman at mike reichenbach said it would never be more than 80% due to the type of clutch in the transmission is for a straight drive vehicle. As of today my car is just as bad as ever if not worse, I have been fortunate so far as not be in an accident, but looking for it to happen anyday with the issues in the transmission. I fear for my safety every time I have to stop for any reason because of this stall, hesitation and sometimes slow on acceleration.

- Mullins, SC, USA

2014 Ford Focus. Consumer writes in regards to automatic transmission shudders on acceleration and clutch has kicked out of gear into neutral. The consumer stated the transmission has been a problem since the first day, the vehicle was purchased. The transmission was reprogrammed a couple of times, but to no avail. The dealer then stated the clutch was bad. However, the parts were not available.

- Charlotte, MI, USA