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.
Vehicle had a recall on the transmission control panel. It was reset by Ford dealer in champaign. Not long after pulling into a drive way heard a loud pop and gas and break would not work. Had to have towed to Ford, and they ended up ordering a replacement part. They then replaced the transmission control panel. I am still having issues and my car is only 13 months old. When I am at a stop sign and press the gas the car starts kicking before it will take off. The car makes grinding sounds and the gear needle is unstable (tachometer). The problem has not been fixed I have a follow-up appointment but they keep telling me it's fine and I have to drive it 1,000 miles before I will know if problem is fixed. There is a lawsuit going on and appears to be a dangerous problem and do not want to risk getting hurt/accident over this.
This vehicle shudders and stalls out on the road. Will do it while running, while being stopped, while taking off or even while driving. It has done it on the highway, interstate, side streets everywhere. It has happened over and over again and Ford will has changed the dual clutch once and have it scheduled to change again. This car is very dangerous. Ford customer service will not answer phone calls.
Car jerks and shakes. Especially when taking off or on turning vehicle jerks badly. I understand that is when automatic transmission is trying to shift gears. I have had the clutch replaced once already. This causes a huge danger to me because if I would like to try to make a left turn in front of traffic I never know if my car will go or resist. Sons days are so bad that I just give up driving because it feels as if my car will stall. This is not what you expect a car that you've bought new and paid thousands of dollars on to run like daily. Dealership, today, says it's fine. Initial issues date back to August 2014.
2014 Ford Focus with auto transmission. This problem started from day 1 when I bought it and continues to present. Car shudders under slow acceleration - like from a stop or slowly going over speed bumps or after making a turn or going slow in school zone or going slow in any speed restricted area. It is almost like someone that is learning how to start out from a stop with a manual transmission (feels like gas, brake, gas, brake, gas brake).
This car's transmission is nothing but trouble. It gets stuck in gear at times where I try to get going from a stop. Dangerous at times as I have gotten stuck trying to pull out into an intersection which has been scary. I have also gotten stuck in reverse. This car shutters in stop and go traffic, and has overheated in traffic as well causing me to pull over. I'm fed up and would dig more into it but I don't have the time or money to do so which is frustrating as I am making payments on this vehicle.
- Grafton, MA, USA
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Had the car since August 2014 and over past few months (currently at 19K miles) it experiences a very bad "stutter" in acceleration at low speeds, from a stop, and/or in stop and go traffic. Vehicle does not accelerate at first when pressing the gas, and you can feel it stutter several times before the engine power is applied to the transmission and the car starts to go. This is very dangerous.
Auto has been shuttering, sometimes lounging, and slow acceleration. Took car for regular maintenance and reported it. Dealer said they would be extending my warranty as this is a know problem. (I know 4 different people with similar issue). After taking car in for service, the diagnosis was bad clutch assembly. Next day received call saying Ford motor is saying this is not a covered car for this issue, even though it the same issue many others have reported. Currently driving a car that could be dangerous as it is not consist on acceleration.
Transmission shudders, lurches, stalls, fails to shift, will take off, and then suddenly stop in traffic. Currently 31,000 miles, issues began with 15,000 miles. In first second and third gear, the car will either shudder or lurch out suddenly no matter the speed. At times it will lunge forward and come to a stop while trying to upshift, suddenly, in the middle of intersections and at stop signs. This has caused me to nearly rear-end other drivers, and other drivers to nearly rear end me. It has also caused me to come to almost a complete stop in oncoming traffic after leaving a stop sign. You must completely let off the gas, and then slowly accelerate until the car catches a gear and can get moving again. Sometimes this does not always happen soon enough before oncoming traffic reaches me. My car has already been re-programmed, and I'm awaiting an 8-12 week recall for a clutch. Was told by the dealership that this is normal behavior for a manual transmission. I've driven manuals all my life, and they didnt nearly kill me. Before this car, I purchased a 2013 Ford fiesta, it has the same issues. After replacing the clutches failed to fix the safety issues. I traded it on the Focus thinking I had a lemon. Now I'm having the same safety issues as before. I let the dealership know this morning that the car was a definate safety concern, and I got no response. I want this on record in case of an accident that causes injuries. I'm not safe driving this car on the road.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving approximately 10 mph up a hill, the vehicle shook violently and lost power without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission chip needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000.
I have had my car to Ford for my transmission problem 3 times! hesitation/shudder when accelerating. Ford claims this is normal? should not be the case when driving. They will not "fix" the problem. A car should not operate that way with no resolution. My concern is this has a potential of being a safety issue. This car is an automatic. It is difficult operating the car on hills, car rolls backward when accelerating!! car is still new and in warranty.
Vehicle has had a red fluid leak for quite some time. The car has been back to the dealership for this issue many times and currently filing lemon law arbitration. The car has been out of commission for 55 days altogether since it's purchase in January this year due to the fluid leak which seems to be more of coolant than anything else. It is burning oil and or losing it somewhere that isn't visible. It also has had electrical problems with starting as well as the radio clock and presets all resetting after sitting for more than 24 hours. I have had to have the sunroof resales after it had leaked for over two months and the dealership wasn't able to find the leak. The front end makes horrible noises when decelerating. It grinds and whines as if something is about to blow up. I've taken it into the dealer for all of these concerns and only one of them has been resolved fully. I'm very disappointed in my purchase.
When accelerating from a stop the car jerks and shudderes very hard. I live in a rural area and I need to be able to accelerate. The car did not do this for the first 20,000 miles. I took it to dealer and they supposedly reprogramed transmission. This vehicle now lurches forward and shudders. I drive through many highways I am afraid that car will not accelerate enough to get me through intersections. Please help with this matter.
The clutch in my 2014 Ford Focus has now been replaced 3 times, with the most recent time being this week. I purchased this car in Feb. '14, and it has 30K miles on it. When the clutch needs to be replaced, the car shudders and jolts coming out of first gear, leaving me unsure of whether it will accelerate properly. The vehicle is sluggish when accelerating through the gears, especially when driving up a hill. Once the vehicle maintains a constant speed, the problem is resolved until I stop or slow down. The dealership does not seem to be able to fix the problem. In fact, it just keeps getting worse. The first time that I took the car in to have it inspected for the shuddering (~11K miles; Aug '14), it was displaying problems above 400 RPM. The second time that I took the car in for the same problem (~23K miles, may '15), I had nearly been in an accident in rush hour traffic in atlanta, ga, and the car failed the clutch test at 400 RPM. This last time that I took the car in to be repaired (30K miles, Sept '15), it was failing at 500 RPM. A Ford representative told me that the car is considered unsafe to drive at 550 RPM. Nonetheless, they still left me to drive the car for 3 weeks while I waited on the part to come in and the dealership to have the availability to see me. When I picked the car up from the dealership yesterday for the third clutch to be replaced, I drove ~5 miles and heard a strange noise coming from the front driver's side wheel at all speeds. I immediately informed the dealership, who requested that I bring the car back in to be further inspected. I am awaiting further information about this latest incident.
Previously, due to the transmission shifting into reverse while the gear selector is in "D" drive, I backed into a female pedestrian hitting her and almost running her over. There are still scratches from her rings on my back bumper. Ford has performed numerous tsb's and recalls to "fix" the issue. Upon the most recent tsb and recall update, I was promised it would take care of any issues, including an issue where the vehicle would shudder and search for a gear before engaging and spinning out from a complete stop. After driving it for 30 miles, I noticed the engine running rough, shaking, and slowing down while in idle. I stopped for a refuel. I got back in the vehicle and calculated my mpg's as I always do - only 19mpg, which Ford says is "within spec" as long as it is not more than 8mpg off. (the on board mpg calculator shows 22.7mpg - always incorrect). It should be 26city, 36hwy. I placed the gear selector in "D" drive (as was also referenced in the on board screen). Once pressing the accelerator, the vehicle's in dash screen flashed that I was in "R" reverse and the vehicle lurched backwards. I braked, then the engine revved and went automatically back into "D." I drove 2 blocks, at a speed of 40 mph in "D, " it again switched to "R" revving the engine, then slowed to a stop. I pulled over, turned the engine off and waited before turning it back on. The drive home, it would jump between gears "searching." I let it sit overnight, and today it has not exhibited these actions. I'm uploading a photo showing the car doing 35 in the "R" position with the RPM jumped up to 3500. I was actually going forward. In "R, " car should not go over 20mph. This is evidence that it switched mid "D" drive. Also, the tires are starting to form pits and has a circumference of separation/splitting which dealership said is "fine." This is causing a vibration and whirring noise.
Transmission shudders in first and second gear. Bought my car brand new. At 45,000 miles I had to have the entire transmission and clutch replaced! how is this even possible on a 2 year old vehicle? well, again 6 months later, at 57,000 miles sure enough the transmission is messing up again. This needs to be recalled! more than a recall, this is unsafe. Ford needs to buy back every one of the Focus' effected because there's no way someone could sell this car!. the car grinds, shudders, and stalls.
Severe shutter when accelerating form a stop. At times the transmission has a long hesitation while accelerating on the freeway to change lanes. Sometimes there is a clunk noise after stopping.
When the car is at a stop, while the vehicle is warm, when you start to take off the vehicle jerks and does not properly engage the transmission. At an intersection or when merging into traffic the vehicle does not respond properly and cause a danger to passengers and all other vehicles on the road
Bought brand new. When accelerating, somewhere between 2nd and 3rd gears it hesitates and shutters and grinds and there is considerable delay in acceleration between 2nd and third gear. It then seems to grab onto a gear and plunge forward. It is an automatically powered manual transmission so I do not shift, it shifts automatically.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Homer, IL, USA