CarComplaints.com Notes: For the third year in a row, the 3rd generation Focus is experiencing massive transmission problems.
Most notably owners keep complaining about how there's bad hesitation and jerking when starting from a stop. This isn't the result of an old, worn out part. In fact, the average mileage it's reported to us is just over 15k miles.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
22 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
9 / 0
Average Mileage:
39,816 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
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.
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.
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!
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
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
My 2014 Ford Focus is experiencing shuddering issues when shifting between first and second typically. I have taken any end to get the recall done on it for the reprogramming and it helped at first but now the shuttering has continued after about 6 months.
I just bought this car 1 month ago and when it is at a stop and you hit the accelerator, it shudders between 1st and 2nd and between 2nd and 3rd. It is getting worse the longer the problem goes on. I have taken it to parkway Ford in winston salem, nc and was told it was a common problem and that the part has been ordered and could take 3+ months before it will come in and my car can be fixed. In the meantime, I am driving a car that acts like it's going to stall out in the middle of the road. Having to wait possibly 3 months for the warranty repairs to be completed is unacceptable.
I have a 2014 Ford Focus SE hatchback. It was bought brand new in August 2013 and paid in full. I was back at the dealership at less than 15,000 miles because of the grinding, stalling, hesitations, and jerking coming from the transmission while driving, stopping, and acceleration. My clutch has been replaced twice and I have been back to the dealership countless times, for a "computer reset". the jerking, shuddering, grinding, and stalling have yet to cease and it's becoming more of a pain to drive the car on a daily basis. All of the servicemen say the same thing: "it will adjust to your driving or it's supposed to feel that way". I am currently waiting on a new clutch to have it replaced one again. I feel as if I am now stuck with this vehicle with no hope!
Bought car brand new in June 2014. Have had transmission redone. Now having same issue again. Front seat belts replaced. Now need replaced again. Have had dealer repair outside door skin on front passenger door due to Transport damage. Had to take car in to have interior door repositioned due to poor dealer workamanship. I have had this car in for repairs more than any vehicle I have ever owned. Car currently has about 33,000 miles on it.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving 65 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle accelerated in excess. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the shifting gear and the linkage in the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred and multiple warnings were displayed across the message board. In addition, the contact stated that the gear shifter was shifted in park and the reverse position and failed to shift out of those positions. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 6,000.
My car has 33581 miles and already put second set of tires on it. The problem is that the transmission is no good. Problem started at 3000 miles when the car totally shut down in the middle of traffic on the interstate between sylva, nc and waynesville, nc. The car will not take a hill without spinning tires, it even does it at red lights....help.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving 65 mph, the transmission jerked excessively. The contact had to slowly remove his foot from the accelerator pedal to stop the jerking. In addition, the horn and the alarm system no longer worked. The air bag warning light illuminated on and off while the contact was driving. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving 60 mph, the vehicle vibrating violently without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced or rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired with a rebuilt transmission twice, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Kennebunkport, ME, USA