Ford Focus Transmission Problem Has Ford Focusing On Solution
Throughout the past few weeks, we have been receiving a number of calls on the 1-800 LEMON LAW hotline from distressed drivers regarding 2012 Ford Focus transmission problems. We have heard from several folks who are having their Ford Focus roll backwards on hills after they came to a stop. Others are seeing shuddering and vibration between gears and hesitation when shifting. After researching the issue, we see that many Ford Focus drivers are focusing on the transmission troubles and what can be done to fix the situation.
The rolling backwards is being blamed on the Ford Focus 6-speed dual clutch transmission which does not have a torque converter. This is supposedly designed to be effective when it comes to fuel mileage, but it has a negative effect regarding this rollback mechanism. The drag of a torque converter would normally prevent a car from rolling backwards. Ford has attempted to solve the problem through a power control module reboot, however at least one Ford Focus driver complained that this made his problem worse. Another driver said his dealer has been consistently replacing solenoids in his Ford Focus to no avail.
If your Ford Focus is rolling backwards when stopped on inclines, or if you are having hesitation issues when getting your Ford Focus transmission in gear, you need to get to your Ford-authorized dealership as soon as possible to see if they can find a fix. And if you find that the fixes are ineffective, it’s time to look into your Lemon Law rights. After all, it’s only after you have successfully dealt with your problems that you will be able to “focus” on the road.
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:10 pm
had the Ford fix done last week still having a shudder when it shifts and wrong gear selection by the trans
July 27th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
I have a ford focus 2012 and it is doing all this and I have taken it in many times and can’t get it fixed. They tell me it is the way I drive it.
I have been driving for over 30 years, I know how to drive.
July 30th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
Amy: Please fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html so we can review your situation and how we can help.
July 31st, 2012 at 6:12 pm
I have a 2012 Ford Focus which has been in for service at least 6 times….my first time I took it in was within 400 miles of me buying the car….it hesitates….gas milage is 22.4 average…..A/C is not working….the hazzard lights are not working….it rolls back when in drive….the paint is peeling. Let me know what else I need to do and if I think of what else wrong I will let you know.
August 1st, 2012 at 10:38 am
tsb 12b37 is the fix…………………..ditto .It works try it you will like it.
August 1st, 2012 at 11:59 am
How do I find out if they have dont that because they have tried alot…they told me the ones that were built before August 12th has issues
August 2nd, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Many do Amy. If you sense you are having problems, contact the dealer.
August 2nd, 2012 at 6:23 pm
I have been in the deal 7 times…..I think that is sad that Ford can’t get it fixed or replace the car.
August 3rd, 2012 at 7:35 am
That is when it is time to get an attorney involved.
August 15th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Does FL have a Lemon Law? I have a 2012 Focus and had the latest update done for the 12b37. I helped around 2nd gear, but 1st is even worse. The car has now stalled while driving and almost stalled three times when stopped. It feels like it fails to engage the transmission when driving below 10mph and you push the pedal. Seriously, we are in the 21st century and they can’t make an engine that is stead and reliable. Didn’t we just land on Mars….again?
August 17th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
Well my 2012 ford focus is having huge transmission problems. Already been n 2 times to fix it. Hesitates and jerks forward bad so concerned. I am calling them for the 3 rd time tomorrow. This is ridiculous. Help. What are rights??
August 18th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
Ford dealership is only will only take me car back if I trade for another ford and that there is nothing wrong with it and it does al of that. Other than that, they are not willing to do anything. What do I do?
August 19th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
My 2012 Ford Focus SEL just lost all power traveling on a busy interstate going 75 miles per hour. I am pregnant & had my daughter with me. The message on the screen said TRANSMISSION FAILURE & then we lost all power. Will not be driving anywhere in this car again, totally shooken up!!
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Angela; This is because you are representing yourself and going through the dealer and not the manufacturer. Contact a lemon law attorney. Find one in your state at http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html.
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Contact an attorney in your state at http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Florida does have a lemon law. For more information contact the law offices of Krohn and Moss in FL at 800-US-LEMON.
August 22nd, 2012 at 5:36 pm
My car too had the same shifting prob everyone else had before we had our incident on the interstate, (see post # 13) My car is at the dealership right now, I spoke with the service manager & he said they don’t know what’s wrong with it. He said I will know tomorrow. I am nervous he’s gonna say nothing’s wrong with it!
August 22nd, 2012 at 8:33 pm
my 2012 focus was reprogrammed as per recall and it still shutters when at low speeds and also rolls back on inclines. third time at dealer. the mechanic said, that is just how the transmission works.wondering how long it will last with these issues.
August 25th, 2012 at 11:46 am
I bought my Ford 2012 Focus 6 months ago. Have had transmission problems ever since. Rolling backwards on hills after stops, grinding and hesitation at every shift point, not shifting down going into my garage…had to ride the break hard to keep from running into the inner was, are just a few of the problems. It is a mess. It will have been in the dealer 3 times next week.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:50 am
Bought a brand new ford focus 2013.On our first trip we started having major issues.There is hesitation when you put a demand on the engine, especially when pulling out from a stop.In addition, there is a safety concern because it could lead to another vehicle hitting you when pulling out in to traffic.
As far as I am concerned Ford has deceptive business practices especially when I asked if there were any recalls with this particular vehicle.
Upon noticing these problems with the vehicle , I called the dealer and was told to bring it to the shop.I traveled home for 200 miles and the stress that I encountered for every mile was unbelievable. It is a big safety concern.
The vehicle is in the shop and the mechanic informed us of his? diagnoses. They will keep the car for 1 week. Now, what is my next move. I will not accept a brand new vehicle being in the shop 90 percent of the time.
September 5th, 2012 at 11:26 am
Look into your rights. Visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html.
September 5th, 2012 at 11:31 am
James: Please contact a lemon law attorney at http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
September 5th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Dawn: Take the car back in. If the problems continue, visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html and look into your lemon law rights.
September 5th, 2012 at 11:39 am
Ok I just got me car delcared a lemon and getting my money back….you have to take your car in at least 4 times for the same thing and you need to contact ford in the mean while so they can get you a rental….the thing is you have to make sure when you take it in they put down what you say….they tried to not write what I said and then it would not be the same issue. My car was hesitating and getting low milegae.
September 6th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
i purchased a 2012 Ford Focus around 4 and half to 5 months ago. i have been experiencing it rolling continuously downhill and when i go from Reverse to Drive it does not catch gears at any point. I also have been experiencing transmission problems with it shifting and i have been hearing the transmission making a ticking noise when i am backing up and driving. I have had my Focus fixed 3 times already. What can i do!? There is much more wrong with it as well transmission and rolling wise.
September 7th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Brittany: Please fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html so we can review the problem and how we will help.
September 22nd, 2012 at 9:28 am
I have been experiencing the shuttering feeling when my 2012 Ford Focus is shifting gears and had it to the dealer ship once and Ford just told them to re-program everything. Now they are finally looking into it b/c more and more people are complaining about the transmission.
September 22nd, 2012 at 6:54 pm
I purchased a 2012 Ford Focus a year ago in June. The transmission was a disaster. (Same problems everyone else is reporting) I called the dealer and took it in numerous times. They re-programmed it and it was even worse. I went in again and they finally said they had done everything that could be done. I called Ford Motor Company and the representative said that that was just the way the car was and there was nothing that could be done. In June I was driving by a Hyundai dealership and went in. I ended up buying an Elantra sedan. A month later the dealer got the Elantra GT in and I got that instead and it is everything the Ford should have been and was not! AND, it is less expensive and an amazing vehicle. I traded in my great 2006 Honda Accord EXL Coupe for a down payment on the Focus and I paid $26,000 for the piece of junk….THINKING it was going to be a good car. I got $16,500 on a trade for my new car one year later! Please tell me there is going to be a class action law suit on this sorry excuse for a car?
September 24th, 2012 at 10:23 am
I JUST bought a brand new 2013 Focus and have had it a week and a half. It does do a funny hesitation thing in lower gears, but in the past few days, it seems to have gotten worse – it’s now shuddering really bad, feels like I am driving a manual and don’t know how to use my clutch, and it sounds like there are rocks in the engine (or transmission)…. It’s in service right now, but they better give me a new one or take the car back!
September 24th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Rick: Depending on your issue, you should be looking into filing your own claim. Please visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lawyer in your state.
September 25th, 2012 at 7:15 am
I purchased my car April 2012, I noticed the “kicking” and “stalling” of the what i considered transmission right from the start. At first i was told that the car needs to “adjust”, and to mention it when i have my first oil change. Then i was relieved to get a recall notice in the mail, took the focus to get the recall of the windshield wiper and the transmission issue corrected, but the issue did not resolve. Today i took my car in for its first maint. appt and mention the issue like they told me to. The transmission spec. acted like my complaints didn’t make any sense. When i said that the car almost died out when pulling into a busy st. and It is really scared me he seemed to just shake his head in disbelief. They said that it might be hard to recreate the problem…. I doubt that seeing it happens all the time. I live in Massachusetts I hope we have laws to protect me if this issue isnt corrected, it literally scares me!
September 26th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
bought a brand new 2012 ford focus, we traded our 2009 ford focus for this car and I sure wish I could get my old one back, this car drops the first three gears before 15 miles an hour. as soon as you step on the gas pedal it shifts to second, then at about 15 mph it will go to third. it also roles back some times. somes times it doesn’t. and on the same hill. it also chatters while backing up. I took it to the ford dealer and explained it to the shop manager, he drove it into the bay for his mechanic to look at, he said man that thing really chatters in reverse. I agreed. 1 hour later they gave me my car back and told me their was nothing they could do, and that the car was acting just like it was designed to. including the chattering he noticed, I called back when I got home and asked what the shifting speeds where. they never called me back. I was thinking how can they tell me it’s fine, when they don’t no what normal is? also wouldn’t give me a loaner car because I didn’t get the extended warranty. so I just bought a 22,000 car along with their normalwarranty and they won’t give me basic customer services. SUCKS
October 2nd, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Bought a brand new 2012 Ford Focus a week ago. Having all the same problems everyone else is having on the Transmission. This is a safety issue definetly! When is there going to be a class action law suit? I’m in if Ford dosen’t give me one that dosen’t have this Transmission problem.
October 5th, 2012 at 12:29 am
I just bought a 2013 ford focus a few days ago it seemed to run ok then all of the sudden i was rolling backwards on a slight incline and almost hit the car behind me. If I am on any incline on one can be behind me because the time it takes to take my foot off the brake and hit the gas pedal i am rolling backwards. HORRIBLE DANGEROUS!!!!!!
The bad problem i have noticed is the shifting of the car…it surges and stalls and doesn’t know what gear to go into. It is horrible….I have always drove german cars and thought like a fool to try an American car and here i am stuck with a car that has some really dangerous problems….Thanks ford!!!!!!
October 5th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
I’ve had my focus for only 5 months now and i am having SOOOO many issues it’s not even funny. The trans is just a freaking mess, but unfortunately that’s “a normal driving quark” of this transmission. It shutters, hesitates between gears, shakes REALLY abruptly, rolls backwards as if i intentionally put it into reverse, the weather strip on the driver’s side door ripped and started peeling off, and today is the SECOND time it’s told me that it has “low tire pressure”. Today is the 3rd time i’ve taken it into the dealership THIS WEEK. the first two times i took it in they told me that everything was normal…and now another dealership is telling me that there’s a leak in the TORQUE CONVERTER, which, if you’ve read the above article, you’ll notice that the torque converter DOESN’T EXIST in this model of transmission. i told them that and they responded with “well my transmission guy said it was some sort of converter issue, but i don’t know too much about the terminology so i don’t know. bottom line, it’s fixable.” LIES!!!!!!!!!! I’ve called corporate and i’m doing whatever it takes to get out from under this P.O.S. car and call them out on their lies. they’re supposed to put me in a rental car for at least the weekend while they “fix” the transmission. they told me they’d have the rental car company contact me asap….that was 2 hours ago. *still waiting*
October 6th, 2012 at 9:36 am
Anyone looking to buy a 2012 or 2013 Focus please BEWARE!! There is a no-fix on the Powershift Transmission! Ford has a 2 page letter that states that common characteristics for the powershift are.. Double clicking metal sounds- Coast down whine- clicking sounds after the engine is turned off- Low speed grinding- reverse gear whine- trailer.hitching feel- This is totally unacceptable for a brand new car this is in NO way common!!!! I have drove fords my whole life and I am very disappointed. I was told by my dealer that I would just have to drive it until Ford does another recall… paying on a car that has this many problems is awful and I am sure that one of the higher management at Ford would not do it so why should we!
October 7th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
We got our 2012 Focus SE in September of last year. We took it in for the recall to reprogram the tranny, hasn’t been right since. About a month ago we took it in for 15,000 mile oil change, brought it home and parked in our driveway it was fine, an hour later we went to leave and it started acting up real bad. When we pulled out to go the tachometer went up to 5 grand then started shaking real bad then shifted into second, when it went to shift to third tachometer went up to 4 grand. We had it towed in and they kept it over night. They called us the next day and said they reprogrammed it again. We took it home and it was alright for about two weeks, then slowly started acting up again when we pull out, this time it is slipping real bad when it pulls out. We took it to dealer and they told us we hear a hundred complaints a day about these problems, everyone does it, Ford told us that is how they work there is nothing we can do. I looked at the service guy and said “oh well, I just hope when the tranny goes it’s under warranty” He looked at me and said “you have a 100,000 mile warranty!”
October 8th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Only adding to the long list of unsatisfied Ford Focus customers. I did to the transmission upgrade and wish I had not. It only made it worse. I did not have rollback issues previously but had safety concerns regarding the hesitation before the transmission would engage. It is worse since the upgrade.
I stopped at my dealership today and got the same ole same ole song and dance that it must be me. I am tired of the lip service and want a reliable car!
October 9th, 2012 at 8:22 am
Bought a 2012 Ford Focus 2012 SE (sport package with leather interior and spoiler) and experienced same issues as everyone else has been experiencing. Slips gears, goes immediately to second when you press on the gas, rolls back on hills. It’s an automatic vehicle gone terribly wrong. My husband and I bought the car thinking that it would be a gas saver for when my family and I went on longer road trips (we have two kids ages 2 1/2 and 5). We bought the automatic because we didn’t want to deal with the jerkiness of the manuals, espeically when driving with kids. This automatic FEELS like a manual – but worse (because I can’t control it). At one point (at about 1000 miles on the car) the trasmission light came on along with the check engine light, and the RPM’s maxed out. The car SHUT OFF. I had both kids in the car. It was VERY SCARY. I was able to turn it back on and continue on, but the car has NEVER behaved as a new car well should. We’ve taken the car to the dealership now six times (one for a recall notice to have the trasnmission software upgraded), and now the dealership is saying there’s nothing more they can do – and what we are experiencing are “normal characteristics” of the car. It’s so hard to be in debt with a vehicle that is not servicing our needs as a family and quite frankly scary to drive – and now have the dealership say there’s nothing more they can do. We’ve filed a case with Ford’s customer service department – but not sure what more we can do. We also have a 2008 Ford Escape with 40K miles that we LOVE. It’s a great family vehicle. Unfortunately, we are not being treated as loyal Ford customers, and Ford is completely alienating us from ever wanting to deal with another Ford purchase ever again. I will say that I think all Ford customer and service representatives are trained to say that what we’re experiencing with the car are “normal characteristics” – especially after reading this blog spot. It’s so hard to continue to “fight” and put forth energy and VERY sad that a company who claims to be ethical, moral, and honest with their customers (as Ford has) is treating their customers this way and obviously covering up REAL ISSUES that their customers ARE NOT making up.
October 9th, 2012 at 10:40 am
I am taking my new 2012 focus in for the 1s time for the hesitation issues. It started the day after i purchased it about 2 weeks ago. I am sure they will say they cant suplicate the problem or do the stinky update. We will see what happens here in tampa florida maybe they will handle it better than other places.
October 9th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
I’ve had my 2012 Focus in for transmission 5 times…same symptoms as everyone else…Did the NYS lemon law….lost…was told ” The problem did NOT substaintially impair the value of the vehicle to the consumer”…. I still have the problems, only getting worse…If anyone has had any success to this or has any suggestions…PLEASE help..They keep telling me this is “NORMAL” for that car….contact me @ mgbabz@aol.com…Thanks
October 10th, 2012 at 9:28 am
This has to be the worst car I bought yet. It has had a transmission replaced in it and then the recall. Oh, that was a mistake! It made it much worse. It has almost caused me two wrecks now. Stalling and kicking and sputtering. Then the noise coming from the car is aweful! The dealership keeps saying they can’t do anything for me but wait… really? So, you going to pay to help raise my kids when I get in a wreck and die! I like Ford, and always bought American vehicles, but this has me thinking going to Chev or Dodge. I can’t beleive they haven’t recalled or done something about this yet. Very disappointed in Ford.
October 10th, 2012 at 11:11 am
Mark: This is why we advise consumers not to go through this alone. Please go to http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and fill out our firm. We will review it and see if we can help.
October 10th, 2012 at 11:16 am
John: A class action suit may provide a fix or solution but if your issue deems the car unsafe, you will need to look into a lemon law case.
October 10th, 2012 at 11:33 am
I had Ford check out my new 2013 Ford Focus because of the shifting problems and the car rolling backwards…..they said my car is fine that is just how they are! Well my view is that the my car is dangerous and is quite frustrating to drive! I spent over 20,000 dollars and i would expect more out of a car……
October 10th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
I live in the mountains of NC and experience power loss several times a day while commuting home up the mountain. Also several stalls while in traffic today. I’ve had the recall and have had it serviced for many of the above issues. Love the car otherwise, but the tranny is worrying me. Dealership told me not to use the sport shift as this may “train” the tranny to react improperly.
October 10th, 2012 at 10:06 pm
I posted about my 2013 Fucus about threw weeks ago. Was told they can’t duplicate the problem, and when I picked the car up, it seemed okay. Two days later, all the same problems again, and as I drove the POS back to the dealer, I almost got rear ended – changed lanes on the freeway , and when I tried to speed up, the car was stuck in mid-shift and wouldn’t GO. I am having the dealer document every complaint word for word so I have my ducks in a row for a lemon law claim. My car was dropped of a week and a half ago and I haven’t heard one word from them.
Also, when I asked too speak to the general manager, they lied about who it was and that fake GM laughed at me when I told him they need to swap my brand new car out. Not a little chuckle under his breath – a full five second laugh.Cal Worthington in Long Beach – great customer service lol.
October 10th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
On May 17, 2012 I had an accident with my 2012 Ford Focus I was at a light when I proceeded to go forward the car rolled backwards in order to stop myself from hitting the car behind I put my foot on the accelerator and the car jerked forward while turning right on the light and the car that was in front of me stopped abruptly because a car cut them off and I ran into the back of the jeep. I have been fighting to get my car fixed because two days after my accident Ford sent out a recall on the Transmission Power Train on my car. Sept Ford just informed me that they will not fix the car because it wasn’t their fault. I need justice I have been out of a car since May 17, 2012 and to make things worst. Ford registered my car so I thought, I purchased it December 2012 and the registration form stated that the registration expire February 2011. When I had the accident the police towed my car because my registration had expired on my brand new car. I called my insurance company to notify the accident, they informed me that the canceled my insurance May 7, 2012 because my car wasn’t registered. On top of that the tow company would not take my AAA card and charged me $208.00 in cash only to tow my car I had to chase him down because he wouldn’t leave my car at the car dealership, additionally, my sons daycare charged me a $100.00 late fee for picking my son up late during the accident. I am so stressed and I need a new car and recompense. Ford will not own up to this manufactured glitch that could have killed me.
October 10th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
I need your help it is costing me $4600.00 to fix my car in which I do not have I am a single parent with limited income and no assistance. Trying to do the right thing.
October 12th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
Hi Jessica: Unfortunately, we cannot help unless there is a manufacturers warranty. I suggest you reach out to your State’s Attorney General office.
October 12th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
I think it’s time to look into your rights, Erika. Visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your State that could help.
October 12th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Jason: Look into your rights. Visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lawyer in your state.
October 20th, 2012 at 9:51 am
I recently rented a 2013 Focus from a national rental outfit. Thought it would be a great car for the week, not realizing I would sense the tranny jerk at take-off and strange shifting RPM variances between gears. A maintenance guy at the rental place was telling me they have received numerous complaints regarding the Focus’s tranny’s and they are not pleased with these cars. Will never rent a Focus again.
Let me not forget to mention that the seat is quite narrow. I drove to Chicago twice (90 minute drive) and the left side of my body sat on the edge, where the metal support bar was present. Not a comfortable ride. I got home and had to move my car to park this thing (2006 Chevy Impalla). I hopped into my Impalla to move it and the seat felt like I was sitting on a couch, compared to this school chair in the Focus I just departed from.
October 20th, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Hi, I recently bought a 2012 Focus. Today, six days after purchasing the vehicle, it is in the shop due to a strange grinding noise while changing gears. The mechanic informed me the vehicle’s transmission is bad and will need to be replaced! Really!! The car does not even have 500 miles on it and it already needs a new transimission. Something needs to be done about the issues with this vehicle. This is my first Ford vehicle and I will never buy another one. And, to think I got rid of my Honda CR-V for this vehicle makes me want to cry. I really thought I would be saving money in gas. I want my money back and Ford can keep the car.
October 23rd, 2012 at 3:36 pm
hi i bought a 2012 ford focus hatchback when you are on a little inclink or hill the car rolls back and i am afarid i am going to hit the person behind went to kindle today and they said they cannot do anything to the car and thats the way it is i know for sure if they told me about this problem i would have never brought the car
October 25th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Hi,
I have a 2012 Ford Focus and Fiesta. Both are having serious transmission problems. Been back to dealer 2x’s so far. Mechanic admitted to me that Ford doesn’t have a fix for these problems but knows about them. Both of my cars do exactly what everyone is saying, not shifting gears properly, rollong backwards, grinding noise, etc etc. Dealer replaced part of transmission in Fiesta. Now they say too bad I have to live with it!!! No way! I need a good attorney in Arizona!!
October 25th, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Wow! I wish I read all of this before I purchased my car. I have many of the same problems. My car has also been in five times with Transmission problems, and had the software update which made zero difference. Dangerous to drive in the initial stages of owning it, seemingly slipping into neutral, incredibly rough gear changes, clunky and occasionally loud bangs coming from the transmission. I too will not deal with Ford again.
October 26th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
2012 Ford Focus, from day one I have been having the same problems with the transmission. I would have returned it with in the legally allowed time but Ford assured me that it would resolve itself. It seems as if they knowing lied, seeing as there a multitude of complaints out there. I bought the car with 422 miles on it and at 2364 it is worse than it ever was. It is also making this horrible crunching noise in the front left wheel area which I believe is the CV joint but the dealer says they can’t figure out what is wrong with it. I saw on U tube that someone had posted a snip it about their Focus and that the CV joint had sheared away, sounds dangerous. I am documenting everything with dates and mileage. I am thinking of having a second party look at the vehicle as a witness. Any thoughts?
October 28th, 2012 at 9:08 pm
0i have a 2013 ford focus i took it in this week they told me it should go away at 600 miles but its not the dame thing is only 2 weeks old and it strange grinding and it rolls a foot or so when i put it in park i wanted to save on fuel not give my saving to a shop
October 29th, 2012 at 9:22 pm
Sherred: I would certainly look into your rights, especially if you have three invoices. Please feel free to call 800-LEMON LAW to discuss. If you are not in one of our 14 states, we will direct you to someone who can help.
October 29th, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Please visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lawyer in your state.
November 1st, 2012 at 3:45 am
Ford is making big claims on their new and sophisticated technology being developed. They are really taking pride in the quality of products being produced. It would seem that it would serve to their best interest on finding the right solution to this problem and to generate a recall. That is, if they would like to continue enjoying customer loyalty and satisfaction that has been building a profitable momentum for them. DON’T DROP THE BALL FORD. All eyes are on you seeing how you handle this serious problem.
November 1st, 2012 at 9:27 pm
I have had the 2012 ford focus for just over a year, and i have only 18,000 miles on it. at 14,000 miles it started a grinding noise. I have taken it back two times now. the first time they said “it’s normal.” time two they said they had a software update. Last i checked a transmission isn’t software you can just ‘update’. However, I am taking it back for the third time this coming weekend, I will post on what I find out. So far the grinding was pin pointed between first and second. A transmission tech said they pinpointed it at fourth gear.
November 2nd, 2012 at 3:00 pm
I have owned 5 Fords in the last 13 years… i have loved them all, except my current 2012 Focus. I traded in a 2008 Focus and really regret it. I am having the same shaking problems when i step on the gas. They say they reprogrammed it, but it’s no different. I have had 3 tires that are “bad” and end up blowing out. Also, the low tire pressure light goes on constantly for no reason and I have to go to the dealership for them to reset it. I’m so tired of wasting time off work to go sit at Ford or have them put me in a crappy rental car just for them to tell me “that’s just the way it is”…. Can’t wait to trade this car in, not that anyone will want it!
November 2nd, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Hi. i’m a canadian citizen and i have bought a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium last september 2011. After plenty of visit to my car dealer about the trans problem, nothing has changed. In fact, it got worse. It is now clear for me. That car is a real fraud.
November 4th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Jamie: Please visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and fill out the information so we can review the situation.
November 7th, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Purchased my 2012 ford focus 30 days ago. Gas mileage is great, but the same transmission issues everyone else is having. Took it to shop today….if possible a fix, if not i will call the local news station. I want it fixed properly or I want a new car. I’m not going to wait till its in the shop for 5-10 visits. This is ridiculous!!! And if there was a recall how the hell are dealers still able to sell them without informing the purchaser….sounds like fraud to me. Ford needs to take back these defective dangerous vehicles before someone gets killed!
November 8th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
I have a 2012 Ford Focus SEL and it has been in the shop 5 times for transmission repairs and 2 times to have a rattle in the dash fixed. It is scheduled to go back into the shop again on Monday for the transmission. When shifting in the lower gear speeds (20 mph to 40 mph) the noise is horrible! The stuttering that occurs upon first accelerating is ridiculous and makes you feel like your trying to tow something too heavy for the vehicle. I contacted Ford Motor Company after the 3rd repair and they offered me an extended warranty or a car payment. ??? I have checked and this vehicle meets and exceeds the qualifications under the State of Oklahoma’s Lemon laws. My concern is what the depreciated value that they will pay to take the vehicle back will still make me come out the loser. Anyone have any suggestions?
November 10th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
I purchased my 2012 Ford Focus Titanium in July and immediately noticed the jumpy tranny, grinding noises in the lower gears. I was told I had to drive the car for several thousand miles in order for it to smooth out. Eventually, it did smooth out but the grinding was still there and I had very poor pick-up performance so I resolved to start using the Select mode. After a day of using Select, I returned to the Automatic and after months of being smooth, the tranny returned to jumping, still grinding, only this time the shuddering started. Mostly uphilll or “under load” as the dealer put it. I took it in and they replace one of the clutches. 2 days later, the shuddering was still there only this time, not just going uphill or “under load” but every time in the low gears 1, 2, 3. Shuddering and popping into gear with everyone in the car jumping forward in response. The grinding was still there too. Took it back in and after a day or two they told me I needed to put another 2,000 miles on the new clutch before it would smooth out. I’m taking it back in Monday for the grinding. The shuddering is still there but I’ll give it the 2,000 miles to prove to them they are wrong. Going to look into Lemon Law in Texas before this is over. I paid well over $20k and got the extended warranty. I plan to camp out until this is fixed.
November 15th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
I can NOT believe this is happening. Just got a 2013 Ford focus Titanium tuesday night 11/13/2012. Drove fine during the test drive it was awesome equipped. Just blews away with all the technology.
I Never liked FORD. Im a Chevy kinda girl but since my boyfriend really liked this car and my credit was better, i agreed. Biggest mistake ever. Just yesterday i drove it and the transmission wouldn’t shift smoothly after coming to a complete stop. On a hill it scared the hell out of me, it jerked back sooo nasty. On top of that the break pedal got hard like in old muscle cars when the car is off. Another thing there’s a crakling noise as your driving. This is a brand spanking new car. Ford needs to recall this car and give us our money back. Just a TERRIBLE CAR…BUYERS BEWARE. The sales people will NOT tell you about it. They just want to make the sale and say they are hooking you up when in reality they’re giving you a headache for the rest of the vehicles life. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!!!
November 15th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
I just bought a 2013 ford focus sel and there is clicking sounds when i turn off the car. I just brought it in to the dealership after having it only 3 days.
BUYERS REMORSE.
Does anyone know what this is?
Why does under the hood click for so long after I turn off the car?
November 16th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
I bought my 2012 Focus SEL in January. When I first started driving it, the trans was a bit difficult to get used to; and having read about issues as well as tips on how to drive it before I bought the car, I was admittedly a bit nervous.
I am definitely not disparaging any posts here – especially poor Dawn and Amy – but having adjusted my accelerator habits to that of driving a manual within the first few hundred miles, I have had great success driving this vehicle. Average MPG with 30% city/70% highway is around 36. I have even hit close to 50 mpg on the interstate under optimal conditions. I do experience the rollback at incline stops and have also experienced the stall stutter for the first few days with the vehicle. again, I adjusted my accelerator habits to mirror what they would be with a manual.
That said, I am not letting Ford touch my trans per the recall. Taking it in this weekend to verify that the wiper mechanism cover is correct, expressly forbidding them in writing to touch the trans. I appear to be one of the lucky ones… Except for the sync system bugging out every couple of months so bad I need to pull fuses for a reset. :-/
November 16th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
I have been having all of these issues, also the remote no longer beeps when I go to lock my car as well. I took it back in when the recall came out they “fixed” it but i actually expirenced more problems with the car after having it looked at.
November 17th, 2012 at 12:45 am
This is crazy that there are so many posts! I have a 2012 ford focus with all the transmission problems. Just got it back from getting a brand new transmission, and it is still doing weird things. Tomorrow taking it for the 3rd time so Im looking into the Lemon Law now. I bought a brand new car so I would not have any problems! I really do like the car though, just want it to work properly. Might be lemon law time…
Also the rental car guy told me they get a lot of this and the ford guy denied that they have been having other problems like this…
November 20th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Nicole: Even if your car is fixed, you are entitled to compensation. I suggest you reach out to us at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html.
November 20th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
UPDATE ~ They finally was able to fix my transmission! They found it had a miniscule leak inside the transmission!! It wasn’t leaking enough to leak on the outside but leaked enough on the inside to saturate my gears and clutch causing it to slip, skip, stutter, and generate a gravel sounding noise when driving 10 mph up to 30 mph. So after 4 months of agony my car now runs like a champ!
Ford Motor Company gave me an extended premium 5 years or 75000 mile warranty, a full tank of gas, and detailed my car. I don’t know if were quiet even yet but given how much I loved my car and the gas mileage I am satisfied at this point.
November 20th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
I git mine back from the dealer and so far it seems to be much better. I emailed ford and they actuallt set everything up wih the dealer and replaced the clutches. Ford call me every 2 days to update and called when it was done to see how it was doing. We will see how it goes
November 21st, 2012 at 8:12 am
I paid like $28,000 for a totally laid out 2012 Focus. My transmission has the same issues that are listed here on this site. I know from writing to Ford about this problem,and the lost sync system,that I am just plain screwed. With 3,700 miles on it, I’m going to trade it off and take a huge loss. My last car was a new Hyudai Tiburon with a six speed manual, it makes me sick to have to say that this Korean Import, was the best car I ever purchased. I see no choice but to take a beating, and trade it off. Ford has no intention of fixing this car.
I’m astounded that in this day and age, a car company can rip off everyone that purcahses one of these vehicles,and get away with it!
November 21st, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Robert: Before trading your car, you should look into your rights. Visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html to fill out a form and see how we can help.
November 27th, 2012 at 10:46 pm
We bought a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium 2 months ago, same transmission problems as everyone else, traded in a nice Toyota RAV4 for this, now regretting it. I haven’t taken the car in, but will this week. Not sure Ford will be able to do anything, but will go through the process of documenting the problem in case I need to contact Lemon Law attorney. This is was an expensive mistake, but will make Ford pay for it with either repairing or lemon law…Really sad state of affairs, they say “Buy American”, but look what happens!!!
December 4th, 2012 at 9:57 am
Please help, I have been having all these issues and when I took the car to the dealer they had it for 3 days without hearing from them. On the 3rd morning I finally called to see if they had found anything. It was then they told me that hadn’t even looked at my car. Within 2 hours of that phone call they called back saying nothing was wrong with my car. I ended up paying over $100 for a rental because I had to continue getting to work which was 45 mins away from my home. If they had took the time to look at it and fixed it my rental would have been covered. I can’t afford to take it back again and not be able to get around just to have them tell me again it is in my head. They never test drove it all he did was drive it from the front where I leave the car to the back where they are supposed to be working on vehicles. Needless to say my car is still having issues. I am starting to fear driving this vehicle on any freeways especially over the ship channel which is part of my daily drive. When I finally took it to them me and my two toddlers were almost killed it traffic we were at a stand still so long that when it started moving again my car would not move just make the sounds like I was hauling butt. All the cars were swerving around us and if it hadn’t finally taken off we would have been trampled by a semi. I just don’t know what to do anymore I was starting to think the dealership was right and I was just going crazy until I read all these posts. Please from one single mom to all of you help me figure out where I can take my car for them to take me seriously.
December 7th, 2012 at 10:14 am
Sarah: Do not give up. Get the car back to an another authorized dealer ASAP. Take a test drive with the service advisor. And keep all of your invoices even if they cannot duplicate the problem. Once you are in three times or more, it is time to look into your lemon law rights. You can find one in your state by clicking here http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html .
December 8th, 2012 at 5:24 pm
Just got home with my new 2013 Ford Focus SE – I have the clicking noise “Click-Click Whir” after I get out of the car and it is off.
I have about a 4-6 inch roll back when i put it in park when I stop on a slight hill in my drive way with my foot off the brake.
If I notice anything else I will start at the dealership – I have a feeling I will be back.
December 11th, 2012 at 8:55 pm
My 2012 Focus has 4900 miles on it and today the check engine light comes on and won’t go over 30 mph and the reverse don’t work…….what can I do….I just purchased this car on saturday so I only had it 3 days.
December 17th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
@Randy: get the trans reprogrammed. It’s under recall and should solve the rollback.
@Jeffrey: So I take it this is a new/used with that many miles after only three days? Isn’t there a return period for this short of time where you can turn it back in for something like this?
Good luck to you both!
December 20th, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Jason: There is no three day rule, but if he is in three times under warranty, he should call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW as he may have a case.
December 20th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
I just leased a 2013 Focus two weeks ago and I noticed the clicking noise as Randy described. The dealership has my car right now and they said they couldn’t hear it. I am very aggravated right now. My 2011 focus runs fine with no problem.
December 24th, 2012 at 9:32 pm
I also have a 2012 Ford Focus and the past year of my life has been a nightmare with this car. I’ve taken it in over three times for the transmission problems, and they cannot fix it. Each time they tell me that they cannot “duplicate my concerns”. To make matters worse, they purposefully leave my concerns out of my paper work and ignore my calls when I try to get them to correct it. I just picked up my car two days ago from having them look at the transmission again. They kept it for less than 24 hours and stated that Ford is now saying that it is “normal operation”. Since when is it normal to have a transmission that sticks, grinds, changes gears incorrectly, and most dangerous of all rolls backwards when on an incline!? As soon as the holiday is over I am going into the dealership to speak my mind to the service manger to have my paperwork rewritten with all of my complaints. LemonLaw, now that Ford has put out an official document stating that this is the normal operation of the Focus, will is be impossible to get my money back?
December 26th, 2012 at 4:26 am
I hope all the problems will be solved soon, i have a question, all these problems comes with the focus S sedan 5-speed manual transmission?? i was considering it to be my first car, but
December 28th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
I wish I had read all of this before I bought my 2012 Ford Focus- iti s in the shop today for the 4th time for the same problem with the hesitation in the transmission. Guess I will be looking at the Georgia Lemon Laws……………………….
December 28th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Hector–It is not prevalent in every car, but know the issues before you buy.
December 28th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Brittany–Find a lemon law firm in your state by clicking here http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
December 28th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
[...] 2012 Ford focus transmission problems Ford Focus Transmission Problem – Lemon Law Alert [...]
December 31st, 2012 at 10:38 am
I recently purchased a used 2012 Focus SEL with 28k miles and I’ve always been a “Ford guy”. At first, I was really pleased with my Focus and figured that I would have to get used to the new style transmission. However, the more I drive it the less confident I’m feeling in this driveline. I too am experiencing the same shuttering and hesitation, especially in first gear when taking off from a stop along with all of the clunking sounds most everyone is hearing. I’ve had the car in the shop one time already and I’m definetely going to bring it back in again after my drive into work this morning. While attempting to merge onto the parkway here in Huntsville, AL, I depressed the gas pedal some and it would not shift into a lower gear and give me power. Instead, it just overloaded the engine with fuel and bogged down the gear it was in. It slowly revved up and then would not change gears. Then it lost all forward gears, like it was in neutral. I moved it into manual shift mode and tried to shift into any gear and it would not respond. Meanwhile, I’m progressively slowing down and traffic is beginning to back up behind me. I pulled over to the soft shoulder, stopped, placed it in park and then back in drive and it drove away…shuttering in first gear, of course. From reading the previous posts, it appears that lots of Focus owners are having real issues with the transmissions in these cars and that Ford is unwilling to make this right. I absolutely love the rest of the car, even the tempermental Sync system but I am losing confidence in this transmission with every passing mile.
December 31st, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Just got back from dropping my brand new 2013 Ford Focus off at dealer for all the same issues listed here.Just made first payment and this is second time in.
January 2nd, 2013 at 12:04 pm
Keep those repair invoices Tom!
January 2nd, 2013 at 7:30 pm
My brother in law just rented a Ford Focus down in Arizona. Shortly after driving it, he realized that there was something serious wrong with the transmission. He called the rental car company and arranged for an exchange. When he picked up the new car, it too was a Ford Focus, but he was thrilled to see that it was brand new, only 4 miles on the car. No sooner than he was several miles down the road, it, too started having very similar transmission problems — bad sounds, and felt like the automatice clutch was not engaging properly. This was not driver error. Ford has a serious problem on their hands, and they had better make it right before their newly improved, more polished reputation goes downhill.
January 4th, 2013 at 4:12 pm
I was just driving on the expressway and my automatic clutch went out. It wouldn’t go 55 MPH without hitting over 6 RPM. I seriously thought my car was going to blow up. I work at the ford dealership where I bought my car. I called them to see what I should do because I was a ways from work. They told me to stop and shut my car off for a min and then turn it back on. Weirdly, it helped my transmission for a little bit. They also told me that they’ve been having the same issue with other 2012 Focus’s, there were a few people in service getting their car fixed for the same thing as we were on the phone. They told me that the automatic clutch was on back order because so many people need it replaced. I don’t even want my car anymore after reading all these comments and going through the same issue. I feel like im just wasting my money paying for the thing. When I take my car in to get it fixed im going to need a rental. Do I contact ford or my dealership for the rental? I don’t want to be paying for this either.
January 5th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
I have 1900 miles on my 2013 Titanium hatchback and have also noticed the same issues with the transmission. Just yesterday I was driving home from work, which is an hour drive and all highway. I pulled into a convenience store and let the car idle for about 5 minutes. I then proceeded home driving slowly, as I was only a few blocks away along the neighborhood streets, when suddenly it felt like my car was stalling out and would not go, it felt like it was in neutral and sputtering. I pulled over to confirm that it was in drive and slowly made it home. Upon making it home, I turned the car off and restarted it and proceeded to get onto the highway for a mile or so and it seemed to be ok. I drove it to work today and it seemed fine, but none the less I called the dealer and they stated that the transmission needs to be “Recalibrated”….. What can I expect from having this done? Will this solve my problem?
January 5th, 2013 at 10:39 pm
I purchased a 2013 Ford Focus SE with 3 miles on it on Jan 1st and everything seemed fine other than the backwards roll until today after taking off from stop light the rpm’s rev and hard shifts as well as bogs down when trying to give it gas.
There is also some sort of crunching noise coming from the driver side front end when slowing down to about 10mph then trying to accelerate. I went right to the dealer and they tried to say this was normal until I demanded the GM to drive it while I was in the car and he said your right this isn’t normal and quickly took it to service and gave me a car to drive for the weekend until they can figure it out.
I’m very disappointed I’m dealing with this kind of issue on a brand new car that now has only 200 miles on it….
January 6th, 2013 at 12:19 am
Just bought a 2013 focus in November and im having all the same problems the noises, shuddering, grinding and not changing gears properly but have noticied that it will not shutter if you drive the crap out of it which kills yours fuel mileage and your car at that. The car now has 4,500 mi on it took in for first oil change and mentioned it has been making a noise when i open the doors with the engine off and could plainly hear it and said he couldnt hear anything that wasnt normal. Ford really needs to get it together im affraid the car is gonna be a money pit when it falls out of warranty and i purchased it for fuel mileage and durabilitly and im not satisfied with either for a $25,000 car.
January 7th, 2013 at 4:15 pm
I’m back. Lemon Law, I am very upset. Since Ford has come out with a document stating the “normal characteristics” of their transmission, they (Ford and their dealerships) are refusing to attempt a repair on any of the transmission issues that most of us are stating. Is that legal!? Just because they say it’s “normal”, does that negate them from attempting a repair!? They are refusing to do anything to my car now which makes it impossible to get the appropriate paperwork to assert my right to use the lemon law.
January 7th, 2013 at 9:37 pm
We purchased as 2012 Ford Focus Titanium in feb. 2012. We have had it in repeatedly for wipers not working, navagation froze, Seat belt light wouldn’t go off. Also shuddering and hesitation of the tranny. We were told it needed an update so got that done, then when I called told again that “due to the type of green clutch” it operates different that a regular clutch. Now at 15, 000 miles (our Oregon Lemon law is 12,000 miles) the car slipped out of gear in traffic and would not shift back in (using auto). Had to have it towed to shop and after 10 days they think it is the clutch pak but the parts are 5 weeks out????? Since we are past our Lemon Law in Oregon is there anything we can do???
January 9th, 2013 at 4:08 pm
This makes me very nervous. Just bought a Titanium on the 22nd of dec. 200 miles on it maybe. Lower gears seem like they have a shutter or a vibration. The other day I was on a steep incline and the car rolled back close to 4 ft. Thank God no one was behind me. I just played it off as it being a fluke. Now I’m not so sure. Ive had some minor issues with the rear camera, rear wiper and fog lights, but after shutting the car down and restarting it the problem went away and hasnt happened since. I will be reaching out to my dealer tonight letting him know I have a vibration in the trans now. Starting the paper trail.
January 9th, 2013 at 11:33 pm
I just bought my 2012 focus SEL it has 37000 on it n it is having all these same issues. Going in Friday for the “recall” so we will see if the Mississippi ford deals are any better praying hard cause I am a single momma that needs a reliable car.
January 10th, 2013 at 6:12 am
Just spent 5 days driving a 2012 Ford Focus rental. The jerking from 0 to about 10 to 20 mph is so profound it actually gave me headaches. By the end of the rental period I was feathering the gas oh so gently on takeoff which helped a tiny bit, but the jerking persisted. Definitely a flaw in design. Car looks beautiful. Mine was red. But could not help thinking about the lipstick on a pig analogy.
January 10th, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Debbie: Click here to find an attorney in your area http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
January 10th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Brittany: As long as you have paperwork illustrating that this matter was brought to the manufacturer’s attention, I would still look into your rights.
January 10th, 2013 at 3:01 pm
Jordan: Many dealers do offer loaners. Inquire when setting up your appointment.
January 10th, 2013 at 3:05 pm
LemonLaw, I did just that and submitted all of my paperwork to who you all suggested sinceI live in Florida (Krohn & Moss, Ltd) and they said they cannot currently file anything against Ford because though my taking the car in is documented, there was no “attempt at a repair”. My anger comes from the fact that Ford is not even looking at the car now! They keep it for a few minutes and return it because according to them; my issues are “normal characteristics”. This cannot be legal. Any suggestions?
January 10th, 2013 at 3:17 pm
Brittany; When you send your documents in to K&M, make sure you provide a clear cut explanation of what you are experiencing. If you can illustrate the problem in video format as well, that would be great. Also, consider going to another dealer. And take the service adviser on a test drive to try and duplicate the situation.
January 13th, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Oh Boy now I’m scared. I just purchased my 2013 Ford Focus on Jan 3, 2013. It also rolls backwards on inclines, and has problems changing gears. It almost seems to choke off at times. Unfortunately this only happens intermitantly. I’m sure it will probably work fine when I take it into servicing next week. I don’t have time to deal with car problems. That’s why I purchased a new one. Lord help me to deal with this.
January 14th, 2013 at 11:24 pm
The problem I had last month is when I put it in park with the car still running. I got out and walked directly in front of my vehicle looking for an address when I turned around and the car is now “going up the hill in reverse” by itself. I had to chase it down like in a movie…after it jumped a curb hit a fence then came to a complete stop. I never had this happen in my life with as many cars I have driven in my life and was in shock. So I looked online for recalls and problems with this model and came upon this website. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this too since I didn’t read any complaints of it slipping out of park into reverse on its own. I swear I put that thing in park…
January 17th, 2013 at 1:13 am
Purchased my Ford Focus SE less than a month ago – had 8 miles on it. Tonight, I went to back it up and the reverse is gone. Message on dash said that car was not in neutral and started beeping (which made absolutely no sense). I put the car in park and shut it off. Started it up and attempted to put it in reverse again and it would not back up. Single female stuck in a dark parking lot. I was and am still furious. When I called the complimentary Ford Off Road Assistance, I was told that the nearest dealership was closed and they would not make arrangements to have the car towed to my home. I was advised to leave the car in a (unsecured) parking lot over night. Yeah, right. These people (Ford) HOUNDED me with client/customer satisfaction surveys before I even got the car registered – to the point where I begged them to stop with the surveys. Can’t wait to see what type of customer service I receive tomorrow and how many survey’s will follow.
Absolutely furious. Have you driven a Ford lately? DON’T bother!
January 17th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
I bought a 2013 Focus SE in December. Car rolled backwards on an incline luckily no one was behind me. I also noticed the hesitation/sputter when at low speed. Just scheduled my 1st appointment for repair. Salesman and service dept say it’s normal operation for this vehicle. Excuse was that there are two 3-speed manual transmission that make up the 6-speed automatic. They told me it feels just like when you let out the clutch on a manual transmission. Gonna see what happens next.
January 18th, 2013 at 9:20 am
My 2012 Ford Focus just started doing strange things. All of a sudden, all the warning lights went on and “service transmission” alarm went off. It sputtered while driving and the speedometer would not work. I drove it to the dealer where I bought it and after 4 days they told me it was a “satellite glitch”. When I drove it home after no repairs were done, it started doing the same thing again. Am I in trouble with this car?
January 18th, 2013 at 11:05 pm
I bought my ’13 Focus SE hatchback in Nov. 12…It DID have some transmission shudder but now that it has about 4000 miles it drives perfectly, returns good (35+) mpg on the highway, and is just a really nice little car overall.
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:51 am
2012 Ford Focus SE having horrible noise and stuttering when shifting just like everybody else. Took it to ford, they tried to blame the noise on stuff in my door pockets and said the car is doing what it is designed to do. That may be, but the noise and jerking is so bad that I do not believe this design will stand the test of time or make it to see 100,000 miles. Everyone that rides with me asks me wtf is wrong with the car, its no fun and I haven’t noticed the great gas mileage that this design is supposed to invoke. I want it fixed or given a ford fusion, what say you Ford?
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:12 pm
Back in for service. Service Transmission alarm, speed ometer not working
January 24th, 2013 at 10:42 am
All I can say is wow! How does a new vehicle in this day and age ever get off the proving grounds in Detroit with a POS transmission like this? I purchased my 2012 SE back in April ’11… was excited to have a new model. I started experiencing transmission issues shortly thereafter, slipping clutch feel, hesitation when accelerating, jerkiness (almost rear-ended a few other cars), loss of power, car rolling backwards and engine stalling going up hills (I live in San Francisco!). After 2 visits and 30,000 miles, after failed attempts to reprogram the PCM and ultimately replacing it (and 2 weeks in the shop) the Dealer informed me I needed to have the transmission replaced, that the internal clutch was, in fact slipping. It seemed somewhat better for the next several thousand miles but was again soon hesitating, slipping and jerking. I now have it in again with 46,000 miles on it and I’m getting the old song and dance about this is a new transmission and it “”drives” differently. They went on to show me the 2 page information sheet trying to convince the consumer that grinding, whining, trailer hitch feel, hesitation, jerking and slipping are normal aspects of this transmission… after advising me that they won’t pay for my rental beacuse i’m out of the basic warranty. If you are even considering a new Ford Focus, do yourself a favor and don’t walk, RUN away!
January 26th, 2013 at 10:15 pm
I was the owner (ok my parents let me “borrow” it) of a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe that I drove for almost 7 years and that SUV was/is AWESOME. My husband decided to get me a car with better gas mileage since I was driving over 30 miles to work (still am!).
Now I have a 2012 Ford Focus SE we got back in April. My husband is taking it in for the 3rd time since we got the car next week. He knows ALOT about cars so he notices even the slightest sounds that aren’t “right” (I…don’t lol).
My car hesitates sometimes when it shifts gears (automatic), the wheels “spin” if it’s damp out, and yes the car was already in for the recall this year.
Transmission is having issues again (I don’t know alot about cars except how to operate them, put gas in them, etc. I know basics!)
It’s nice (well not really) to hear others have had similar issues.
Another thing that annoys me about the car? SYNC! It keeps saying “Indexing” and I have to manually program my iPod to play or else it won’t because it’s always indexing! And you have to practically shout at SYNC or it doesn’t understand you.
I should have gone with one of my other choices (Kia Soul, Escape, another Hyundai, etc.)
February 1st, 2013 at 10:08 am
Have the mechanic check the coil pack. This is what caused my cars problems. Simple and less expensive to fix.
February 1st, 2013 at 10:52 am
I just brough my 2012 Focus SEL into Ford with transmission slippage at 9,500 miles. I was worried that I would get told thats just how it was designed. However, I took the service manager for a test drive to show him first hand my concerns. I explained to him I was aware that this transmission was designed differently and took time to learn the driver. That when I first got it, it did jerk a little until I got used to it. However, within the last few hundred miles the jerking has come back and was so bad I thought I would get whip lash. They put some sort of dye into the transmission and were able to see that fluid was leaking into parts of the transmission where fluid shouldnt be. That that fluid was leaking onto the clutch and that was causing the slippage. They replace 2 seals and the clutch. Now it works GREAT!!! Better than it did the day I drove it off the lot.
February 3rd, 2013 at 12:16 pm
Follow up: I was driving in San Francisco the other night, and my Focus could barely get up the hills without stalling, sputtering, and slipping backwards. You have to keep the revs high and use the parking brake like a manual, then it lurches and sputters some more. Each time we encountered a steep hill my passengers and I contemplated if we’d even make it…a complete joke! On the highway, if you need a passing gear, the tach revs up to 5-6000 before the trans/clutch engage with a jerk and “catch up” to the engine speed. I spoke with my Dealer, and I have an appointment to bring it in tomorrow (5th time) and test drive it with their Transmission guy… we’ll head for the steepest hill I can find, then hit the highway! My service advisor more or less agreed with me when I told him that I felt this trans is a faulty design, and went on to say they are the mercy of Ford regarding what remedies they can even offer for this issue. Apparently, they are seeing a steady stream of complaints. I also have engaged a law firm and plan to pursue a lemon law case. In my opinion, this is only the tip of the iceburg and Ford is setting itself up to have a major fiasco on their hands with this transmission problem. As far as I’m concerend, the only real fix is to replace the powershift trans with a new design altogether… replacing internal clutches, and updating the PCM will not fix the problem.
February 4th, 2013 at 5:52 pm
I just bought a 2013 ford focus I am very upset. I really wish I would have research the vechile before leasing it. I had my car 4 days when it would show signs of stalling in stop and go traffic… and to top it off a grinding noise. I took it back to the dealership I was told this is normal and the grinding should go away after 1000 miles. I can’t believe I am stuck in this vehicle with transmission issues and I have only had the car for a week. I don’t know what to do!
February 5th, 2013 at 7:08 pm
My oil light came on with a wrench on my dash stating im due for an oil change at 10000 miles. Also the hesitation in my transmission I informed ford about?…The woman from ford told me that it is normal for this size transmission and when i pick up my car they will have a catalog and documentation stating so? Can you believe this?
February 6th, 2013 at 3:25 pm
Day 2 of brand new Ford Focus 2013. I feel that the car shakes/jerks when accelerating from a complete stop, followed by a weird noise from driver’s side (left/front) of the vehicle. Experienced the noise again on day 3 (Mileage 120). Called the dealership. The service person said that he ‘knows’ what I am saying and it would go off after 500 miles as clutches will get used to. He said that this is normal with dual clutch transmission system. He indirectly denied inspecting the car until 500 miles.
Can’t believe a brand new car can have such a problem and Ford wants to avoid addressing it!! I was so excited with the car, but now feel stuck.
February 6th, 2013 at 4:24 pm
@ C.S. I feel your pain I was told 1000 miles. I had a person from ford test drive my car and he stated there was a problem. However on Monday I was told this is a common characteristic of my transmission. Seriously at first the grinding sounded like bad brakes but after driving it for awhile the when I make U turns or turns the grinding sounds like grinding rocks on the driver side. I emailed the manager of the service dept with my issues today. I work with someone that does a great deal of business with them. In addition my company services “All our company vans with them” I went on facebook “ford focus cars” and posted comments about my situation. There are ford reps that monitor the site and I have emailed the rep at their request and have still heard nothing back. I have emailed every dept at ford in addition to calling the 1800 number. The service manager at my ford dealership has finally requested to drive my car. So we will see.
February 8th, 2013 at 3:51 pm
My 2012 fiesta with 10060 miles on it bought brand new hesitated at a light to turn into a mall. My family screemed as a truck was coming towards us? the car would not move right away with my foot on the gas? Please help with any suggestions the dealer informed me these are normal characteristics of the car? Who buys a brand new car and has issues with it? This is surely not right.
February 12th, 2013 at 1:54 pm
Terry: Take the service adviser on a test drive in an effort to duplicate the problem. If you cannot get any satisfaction at your current dealer, take it to another Ford authorized dealer. And make sure you collect your repair invoices even if they say they cannot fix the problem.
February 13th, 2013 at 9:40 pm
still having issues with my 2013 for focus car. The transmission is the issue. I took it to my dealership the test drove the car the first time for 4 miles stated the noise and issues I am having are typical of the transmission. I eventually spoke with the service manager who arranged to pick my car up and test drive it. He never even called me back, he sent one of his staff to return my car with the invoice stating he could not duplicate the noise or issues. My car has problems shifting from 10-20 rpms it makes noises similar to bad grinding breakes at times after driving it longer distances the noise sounds like graveling being tossed around in the engine and struggles to go into gear. I have kept my invoices my contact logs and copies of all my emails. at this point I do not know what to do. I am fustrated that a car with just over 600 miles on it is having issues and ford is ignoring the issue! they printed out a sheet of paper stating common characteristics of the transmission. it said that the transmission will be louder like that of a manuel transmission. I have never heard a manuel transmission sounding like grinding brakes, gravel being tossed in the engine. I guess this weekend I will take it to another dealership and have them tell me the same thing. I am very discouraged and feel that Ford should disclose this information at the time of purchase.
February 14th, 2013 at 10:53 pm
Purchased my 2012 Focus hatchback SEL in September of 2012. After having the vehicle less than a week the car began to almost jump into gear after starting the engine. I took it into the dealership and they informed me that this was a temporary issue while the clutch breaks in. I now have a little over 7K miles on it, and nothing has improved. It has also began to hesitate to the point where the car is shaking and feels like it’s stalling. Today it was the worst, I was 200 miles from home and thought i was going to need a tow with how bad the shake was. I am planing on taking it into the dealership one day this week for the second time.
February 15th, 2013 at 11:56 pm
Soy propietario de un ford focus 2012 SE, al frenar o manejar por terreno disparejo la suspensión hace ruidos como sí tuviera piedras dentro, igualmente al subir un tope la suspensión hace ruidos y rechinados. También cuando acelera y cambia de velocidad la caja de velocidades patina o vibra como sí estuviera temblando todo el auto, ya lo he llevado dos veces a servicio ford y el test car no presenta ninguna falla, sin embargo el auto continúa con los ruidos y vibraciones.
February 16th, 2013 at 9:06 am
i have a ford focuc 2012 their is a probleme in transmision and cluch what can i do
February 20th, 2013 at 1:21 pm
My 2012 Focus started making the shudder and grinding sound after coming to a complete stop at 7000 miles. It seems worse when the car is warmed up. It has also jumped forward into a cross walk after nearly stalling out. Luckly there was no one in the cross walk or I would have hit them.I have had it in the dealers service department 3 times and they tell me it is a “normal” noise and it must be the way I accelerate. If this was a “normal” noise and I heard it when I test drove the car I would never have bought it. I contacted Ford yesterday and got the same run around from them. My next step will be a lawyer, class action suit and lemon law. anyone who wants in on a class action suit against Ford let me know!
February 20th, 2013 at 6:21 pm
HECK YES Santa Cruz! That’s exactly what I’ve been working on. Even the Lemon Law lawyers have given me no options of what I can do ever since Ford released their statement that all of our complaints are “normal characteristics”. There is no way that this is legal. I’ve been looking for another lawyer who specializes in consumer law and can go above and beyond the lemon law since Ford has blocked that door by refusing to attempt a repair on these so called “normal characteristics”. I’m ready to fight this because it’s expensive, time consuming, and insulting what they are doing.
February 21st, 2013 at 3:41 pm
Brittany: What state are you from? Please reach out to 1800 LEMON LAW Client Services Director Michael Sacks at msacks@lemonlaw.com with your information.
February 21st, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Yes, I’m on board for a class action. I don’t have time to take my care in 5 times for the same answer, it’s not even the mechanics fault at ford, they have no choice but to say it’s the way the car was designed….The noise and feel of the car is horrendous….how they put this thing on the road is insane, no savings in gas mileage is worth the stare I get from people who ride with me in this thing. How do we get out of this!
February 23rd, 2013 at 8:18 am
Just leased a fully loaded 2013 focus SE this past Monday. We loved the car when we test drove it and didn’t notice anything funny with the transmission. Then, 150 miles later the, transmission starts shuddering when taking off from a complete stop, followed by some strange noises. Also the transmission always seems confused about when to shift. I drove the car hard for about 5 minutes and the shuddering seemed to go away, but I know it will be back. We’re they too busy playing with the my ford touch when they initially tested this car? It’s a real shame. Everything else is great about this car. How did this thing rank #3 in small Car reviews. What a scam. Glad I’m only leasing it!. Should have went with the mazda 3.
February 25th, 2013 at 9:40 pm
@ Johnny…. I am in the same situation you are in. I have taken my car to the dealership twice and been told its common characteristics of the transmissions. I continue to keep all my documents in the hopes one day it will do me some good. I am almost at 1000 miles. Its all very sad I work hard for my money to throw it down the toilet on a ford focus 2013 has been a hard lesson learned! I too am on board for a class action. I am going to attempt to have Ford look at my car yet again. Then I will be submitting my paper work to The DMV. I have been told I don’t qualify for the lemon law because Ford hasn’t worked on my car. what a joke.
March 1st, 2013 at 1:59 pm
Had our 2012 Ford Focus in yet again for transmission issues! The last time it was in the service manager called me and said if I feel it isn’t right I should bring it back and they would do what it takes to make us happy with our car. After going back several times and about 7,000 miles telling them it isn’t right, they finally listened and took it in. The problem this time was it slipped and shuttered severely when pulling out and occasionally when shifting. They told me they checked for oil leakage and didn’t see any, but they retrained the computer and drove it and said it was fine. This time the service manager said “If you still have a problem with it I suggest you take it to another dealer, not to be smart, but sometimes it’s better to get a second opinion!” So in other words, we don’t want to be bothered by it anymore! When I left their lot it only had a slight slip when pulling out, but was real bad shifting between some of the gears! What do I do next? I am so frustrated that I want to drive through the showroom window, not that I ever would, but that’s just how I feel! Worst part is we are stuck with it till September because we payed ahead of time the first two years payments.
March 6th, 2013 at 2:53 pm
I leased a 2013 focus titanium hatchback on Feb. 3. Since mile 4 this car has had issues. On my test drive the sales rep said the car has a break in period! What a nightmare, I feel like I’m in the twilight zone. It has been at the dealership on 3 different occasions for the same problems.(mile 204, 600, & now 800) The transmission shutters, lunges, and jerks. It makes weird clunk sounds when in reverse and have to really lay on the gas just to get it to move while in reverse. I have told Sales Mgr, Svc Mgr and other Ford associates the car is COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. Yet the Sales Mgr, tells me to just drive it!! Ford handed me the same paper you all are speaking about and told me I don’t know how to drive the car! Really?! In addition to the car currently being in Service it has developed a grind squeal on the front driver side. Since day one, it only gets 12-16 mpg. In 4 weeks I have saved my gas reciepts and spent over $350 in GAS!! Svc says once the break in period is over (2000 miles) it will get better gas MPG at this rate I won’t be able to afford to drive it! On visits 2 &3 dealership trying to upsell me on different car and me paying depriciation value over $5000! I absolutely want to trade the car but not as an extra expense to me! I want them to fix the car! Svc. Manager said that if they say there is nothing wrong with the car and its normal behavior there is nothing I as a customer can do! I am soooo upset. I recieved an e-mail from Svc Dept this morning and they say that can’t duplicate the problem! BS! The point is they don’t know what to do to fix the problem. I agree with a class action law suit. Ford has taken our money and turned their back on us. We all need to keep our receipts/invoices on this nightmare of a car!
March 6th, 2013 at 4:05 pm
@ Jennifer: Please fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html or call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW so we can steer you in the right direction.
March 6th, 2013 at 4:07 pm
@ Mike and Angie: Please fill out our “Get Rid of Your Lemon” form at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html so we can steer you in the right direction.
March 8th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
I bought my 2013 Ford Focus on 21Dec2012 it has been grinding gears in the shift mode from the beginning. I have 2000 miles on it so it has had enough time to do what its going to do. It shudders a bit in automatic mode then smooths out does’nt feel normal. When using the shift select it always grinds the gears when slowing down. Ilike using this mode. When I took to the ford dealer on tuesday he sad I was the only one with this coplaint. I could’nt believe him, also said it should do this as normal and said it was the way I drive the car. I don’t drive cars hard. Had a Honda civic si for eight years never had problems until about 140,000 miles the converter went bad. So they claim it’s a module in the trans. Been there all week and I’ve had no car. It should’nt take a full week what a waste of time. I will take right back if I hear one gear grind simple as that. That is among other unusual sounds it mkes.
March 8th, 2013 at 3:21 pm
I have had the same problems with my 2013 Focus SEL Hatchback. Fixed one major situation with this 6 months ago, but it is now starting the sounds and shuddering again. However, down here in Texas it is strange. The deal only starts doing it a lot when it is warmer – say 65 to 75 or higher degrees. Some shifting slipping any temperature but the noise shuddering is loud on the left front side. But the problem is that it doesn’t seem to do it when I take it to the dealer. Then I leave and it sounds again with me but they say they have to have a replication of the problem before they ccan do anything. What a bummer! Now it is over the3 36,000 mile warranty but I understand it is covered under the 60,000 mile power train warranty. I am waiting now until it gets real loud like I did last time so they can hear it anytime it moves! Hopefully this will start soon when Spring comes! This car has created a problem with me since I bought it! Ford must do something about this thing – I will never again buy a Ford product because of this!!
March 8th, 2013 at 9:53 pm
Just want to put my two cents in… I just traded a 2011 Fiesta SES with 34,000 miles on it. I really enjoyed the car but wanted something a little bigger and with a little more power. Enter the 2013 Focus Titanium completely loaded. Obviously from all these posts there is definitely something wrong with the auto transmission but that being said there is a way to drive these dual clutch autos and get the most out of them. I found in my Fiesta and now Focus there is a sweet spot when accelerating and it does not require flooring the gas, in fact almost the opposite. I probably apply about 50% pressure to the gas pedal and can feel the point where the car really accelerates well. I ease off the gas a bit at this point and the car seems to find the proper gear for my intentions. I do have a bit of the rollback on hills but I got use to that rather quickly. Not really a big deal to have your foot on the break when on an incline at a complete stop. I also have the clicking noise when I turn off the engine, had this with the Fiesta as well. Not sure why you’d be terribly concerned by this as my 2002 Jetta did the same thing. The clicking in no way has had any affect on the overall drivability of the vehicle and only lasts a short period of time when the car is turned off. I’ve only had the car three weeks and it has less then 1000 miles so maybe I’ll experience some of these issues in the future, sure hope not. I did have the car give me a problem in reverse today but I restarted and the car seems fine.
March 12th, 2013 at 12:17 am
I just purchased my 2013 Focus this March and took it back to the dealer with only 240 miles on it. I have the same annoying grinding noise coming from the transmission. The service agent said it will probably need a 1,000 mile break in to resolve itself. I would tell anyone reading these messages, if you’ve learned anything don’t buy a Ford Focus.
March 12th, 2013 at 2:21 pm
@Craig Stay on top of this issue and make sure that every time you are back to the dealer to address it, you receive a repair invoice outlining the issue (even if they are not performing a repair). Once you are in repeatedly, fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and we will get you to someone who can help.
March 12th, 2013 at 3:13 pm
In reference to new comments as you can read we are not the only ones having these issues with the Focus, I think the standard statement of “You’re the only one with this complaint” is ludacris! If you visit you-tube and type in Ford Focus transmission problems, you will find a slue of people operating this type of vehicle and are having similar unsafe issues. Service saying they can’t duplicate the problem or it’s normal behavior or the car has a break-in period is just pushing our relevant concerns to the side. I too, even on my test drive had issues but at that time I was very nieve and trusting in what I was told by my sales rep. (example: the car didn’t have gas in it during transport and these issues, I was told, were because of that and the first evening after bringing the car home 30 miles away with a full tank of gas, I once again spoke to Ford and then I was told of the infamous “break-in period”. That’s all fine and dandy but the behavior of the vehicle is UNSAFE and in addition, the grind/squeal in the front end, and the unexceptable ranging in 12-16 MPG. The Svc.Ctr. put the car on a simulated road and say the car is getting 21 MPG, does that sound like the sticker on the side of the window stating 28-38 MPG? Anyone?! This is the only thing they tested, disregarding the UNSAFE factors of the transmission shuddering, lunginging(including reverse) the severe front end issues, bogging in idle as if its going to die, at this point with only 800 MILES the list is endless!! FYI problems with vehicles DON’T RESOLVE THEMSELVES!!!! That why you take them into service so the problem doesn’t become worse. For example, when your engine light goes on should you take it in to get it checked out or keep driving it so it can “resolve itself” PLEASE! Also, when a new car is purchased you should be able to drive the car as it was intended not tip-toe around it using alternate shift components. Ridiculous.
My Focus is still at the service center and is still unsafe to drive.
March 12th, 2013 at 3:22 pm
The clicking noise you all are hearing is the relays in the engine compartment. The computer shuts down certain items in a very specific order. I just purchased a ’13 focus for my wife, 112 miles on it as of today. Now as far as im concerned, the slight little shudder you get when applying the gas pedal is minor, (comes from the dual clutch system) The rolling backwards from a stop on a hill, you should have the “Hill start assist” the brakes stay applied for 2-3 seconds to allow you to start rolling. As far as rolling backwards when you put it in park on a hill, Ford put an Emergency brake in for that.. Pull Up on it…and given the fact that you are dealing with a sewing machine motor, it will vibrate a little. But for only having that little milage on it, Im pulling 28.9 city.. I will not complain about that. It does ride much better than the “KIA” we traded for it… My only real complaint is that the dealer failed to tell me that the SE does not have Sirius Radio…
March 12th, 2013 at 3:41 pm
@Jennifer: Being that we have now successfully resolved hundreds of cases with this issue, I can assure you no one is alone on an island here!
March 13th, 2013 at 8:13 am
I actually bought my Focus from a dealership where a friend of mine is my salesman (see post #72). The other day I brought this blog to his attention. He wouldn’t cop straight-out to the known transmission issues other than the 2x recall reprogramming of the trans, however, he did say that the 6 speed dual clutch is very unique and not one made with U.S. drivers in mind. I told him that I had done research prior and – pardon the pun – shifted my driving habits to mirror how I used to drive my manual trans vehicles; however, given that we aren’t talking about a Mazarati or a Ferrari, that maybe this choice of transmission wasn’t the best for a low-mid level Ford vehicle. On that, he agreed.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the 2014/15 Focus with an entirely different trans.
March 13th, 2013 at 10:17 pm
Everyone***** I just went through a series of steps w/ my Focus ’12 S. I have shuttering in first gear and loss of power. I have had the 12b37 update, PCM full reprogram and finally found that a seal was broken and fluids leaked in the gear box. Had it fully replaced and still have the same issue. I issued Ford a final attempt request and today the field supervisor reported that my issue, which he felt, was normal for the car. Well, I am contacting my a legal specialist and starting the BBB Autoline process. If this fails I’ll go to the State of Florida Arbitration board for this. I am not going to take this lying down. This car was not cheap and it is an embarrassment that Ford would create such a disgrace of a transmission. They invented the car!!!!!!!!
March 14th, 2013 at 10:18 am
I just purchased a brand new 2013 ford focus 1 month ago. Its having all the same problems. When I come to a stop and start to go it feels like its slipping or skipping (puttering). Sometimes it has a hard time changing gears. It scares me when I start to go its gonna stall its like it want go hardly for the first few seconds. And then makes some terrible sound comes out from under the hood rattling sounds terrible. I knew right away something was wrong took it to dealer ship a service man road with me then took it back checked for codes cause he hooked it up to a machine and then said nothing came back so it was fine and gave me a piece of paper saying it needed to wear in and that it was normal. My problems have gotten worse so bad to where I don’t wanna drive my car. It has less than 1,000 miles on it. Nothing about it is normal and now I am going to take it back to the dealer ship again!!!!!
March 19th, 2013 at 11:28 am
Amanda: It’s important to learn about your lemon law rights. If you are in the shop repeatedly with the Ford Focus, you need to something about it. Good luck to you and safe driving.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:32 am
Mario: I would be very careful about venturing through the BBB process alone. Most lemon laws offer completely free representation, access to knowledgeable attorneys and ASE-certified experts for you to work with. Take advantage of them. You can find a lemon law firm in your area by clicking here: http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html.
March 19th, 2013 at 2:11 pm
In reply to post#155,Amanda, I am dealing with the same concerns you have with your Focus, in addition to 12-16 mpg. The dealership delivered my car to me on Saturday with 1064 miles on it. This morning the car has 1144 and have used HALF A TANK OF GAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ford continues to ignore our relevant concerns with the transmission and mpg. A “High Priority” Ford specialist is suppose to call me before end business day but I don’t plan on holding my breathe that my concerns will be addressed especially after listening to the new posts others have written. I agree with post #154, Mario, that a seal could potentially be broke and leaking on the gear box in my Focus as well. My husband had brought that up to the Svc.Ctr the 2nd through 6th time there and they said that there was NOOO way that could be the problem with a vehicle having 400-1000 miles at the time, they wouldn’t even check it they just dismissed it. We are obviously going to have to take the car to a different Ford dealership but I not holding my breath that the issues with the car will be resolved. How could Ford just ignore us? I don’t get it, I would think repeat customers are a big part of their business.
March 19th, 2013 at 2:18 pm
Jennifer: If you want action, you cannot sit around waiting for Ford to do the right thing. This blog is about fighting for your lemon law rights and it provides you with the tools to go against the car companies. Take advantage of them. Find a lemon law lawyer in your state by clicking here: http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
March 22nd, 2013 at 11:20 am
While I am in Canada where we don’t have a specific lemon law, I wanted to bring to people’s attention another very serious safety concern with the 2013 Ford Focus. Six weeks after purchasing my vehicle it was rear-ended while turned off and in park. The person hit my car at less than 2km/hr, there was no damage to the back of the vehicle or the front of theirs. However, my vehicle rolled nearly half a city block after being tapped by her car…and ended up slamming into a snowbank just feet from a busy intersection. It caused $3K + worth of damage to the front end of the car.
The Ford dealership where I bought the car is doing the repairs. They tell me it is impossible for the car to have rolled like that, and said it can’t have happened. I have a witness and police report that state otherwise. The dealership could not re-create the issue (they parked it and had some guys push it as their test) so they say nothing is wrong. Ford Canada says they won’t investigate because there is no way for them to know what to look for since they can’t re-create how my vehicle behaved. Of course they did say if someone had been killed or seriously injured a full investigation would have taken place.
For now they are advising me to take the car back, monitor it, try and re-create the problem myself and just hope that if it happens again it doesn’t injure or kill someone.
This is a VERY serious issue and I want to make sure that other 2013 Ford Focus owners are aware that this could potentially happen with their vehicle.
March 28th, 2013 at 12:05 pm
I have a 2012 focus, I bought it used at a Volkswagen dealer it had 31,000 miles now has 48,000 I’m getting 32+mpg but my transmission hesitates between gears will randomly act like its in neutral, if u drive slow u can faintly hear clunking sounds and what almost sounds like clutch chatter, I have to use the hill assist (6-speed auto by the way) to go up hills cause it won’t shift I brought it to ford they said there was nothing wrong with it but the updated and reset everything. But he said he did it off the books cause I had over 35,000 miles so he wanted it to be covered (so I got no paperwork on it) what ever they did, didn’t change a thing. Since then I brought it to another dealer twice and back to the same first dealer again all say its normal and won’t make an appointment. Also won’t give me a rental because I’m 19. I can’t afford the car if I’m missing work to get it fixed. I need the car to get to work. I tried trading it in but apparently the car I owe $17,500 on is worth $9,400 so I can’t even trade it in. What can I do????
March 28th, 2013 at 1:53 pm
@ Joshua: Why are you not getting paperwork? You need to ask your dealer for a copy of your repair history. If it illustrates that you have been in three or more times under Ford warranty for the same issue, you may be entitled to monetary compensation under Federal law.
March 29th, 2013 at 7:59 pm
I bought my 2013 ford focus in December. It has made unusual noises from the start. The worst was when car is in sport shift the transmission would grind when decellerating. I drove it for awhile to see if it would change. Then while in sport shift while accelerating the trans faulted.. So I took it in to see why it did that, they said it was a module. It was replaced and while driving home from the dealership it did it again while in sport shift selection. I called and told manager at dealership and said I would drive to see if it would do it again. It did again, been in the shop for two weeks and counting. A new transmission is being put in. We will see if it does better. Only 2000 miles on car..Very disappointing..Matt
March 30th, 2013 at 1:04 pm
bought a new 2013 focus se hatchback. the car has less than 300 miles on it and I am experiencing the rollback, the shudder noises and hard gear changes (automatic)
we will be taking it back to Ford but from experience with Ford I know what they will say – it’s not broken in, we can’t duplicate the noise, Ford home office says not to do anything
April 1st, 2013 at 10:44 am
@Matt: I feel now would be the time to look into your lemon law rights. Visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your state.
April 1st, 2013 at 9:50 pm
I have a 2012 focus sfe it has been the worst auto ever owned trans rebuilt in shop a lot now trans all of a sudden will loose reverse and at 40 miles a hour rpms will rev up to 4-5 thousand rpms this car is junk ford should be ashamed
April 2nd, 2013 at 6:55 am
We bought a used 2012 Ford Focus with 6,000 miles on it for $18,000. It has a hatchback and premium wheels. We were impressed with the 45-48 mpg on the highway. Rolling back on our driveway didn’t bother us when we were in drive. My husband and I both know how to drive stick shifts. I left work one day about 6 weeks after buying the car and the steering wheel wouldn’t move. After starting and shutting off the car 4 times, the steering wheel turned. We brought it in to the dealership. They never seen anything like it, and repaired the steering. We had NO issues with the transmission until we brought it in for the steering. Immediately upon leaving the dealership and turning right out of their parking lot, I felt the transmission sputter and hesitate 5 times in first gear and about 4 times in 2nd gear. It no longer rolled backward in our driveway. The clock was also now averaging 6 minutes late peer WEEK, and the display went blurry so badly that we took a picture of it with our cell phone. My husband told me I’m never satisfied and they did a great job fixing our car. We argued for 3 weeks and I also complained that our gas mileage dropped down to an average of 32 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg in the city. Finally when my husband drove the car he noticed the hesitation in 1st and 2nd gear. We brought it in again. They replaced the manual clutch transmission pads. (We have an automatic). Again, it is hesitating in 1st and 2nd gear. The car is now in the shop for the 3rd time, twice for the transmission. Each time they have our car, they have it for a week and never once offered a loaner car to us. I bought Ford because it was American Made….now I wish we bough a hyundai.
April 2nd, 2013 at 7:21 am
How many millions of Americans are stuck with these cars? The transmission is covered automatically for 60,000 miles. But after 60,000 miles, you know it’s going to go out again. Losing 3 weeks of the car in 3 months time is too much. I wish we could just get all our money back that we have been paying on the car and buy a foreign car. This is so discouraging. ALL OF THE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND NOW I’M HEARING THAT YOU CAN BUY A NEW FOCUS FOR $11,995.00….NO WONDER!
April 3rd, 2013 at 9:22 am
Wow.. just wow. Leased a 2013 Ford Focus SE Hatchback in February. The car has 2200 miles on it as of this posting. In the last two weeks it has shifted a several times VERY hard (jarring like hitting a pot hole). Yesterday while merging onto the freeway the transmission would not shift up. The maximum speed the car would go was 15-20 mph. I tried putting in in neutral and back into drive a few times and nothing would help. I had to pull off the side of the road and shut the car off. Thank GOD my girlfriend wasn’t driving it (who just got her license). Also I was not told of the rolling back issue. We live in Minnesota where hills are fairly rare, so when we test drove it we didn’t know about this potentially dangerous issue. Imagine a brand new driver having to put a foot on the brake and the gas at the same time to not roll back into the car (or cyclist, as we have many in the Twin Cities).
The car is now having the transmission taken apart for diagnosis. I can say one thing, I’m not going to keep a lemon.
April 11th, 2013 at 8:19 am
April 11, 2013
I bought a 2013 ford focus last September and drove it for 4300 miles with no problems. Two days after a 6 month oil change the transmission started to slip and shudder between 20 and 40 mph. I took the car to the dealer and the service person told me this behavior was normal for this transmission. The car now makes a grinding noise when accelerating and shudders even more. The dealer service person stated they did not have a cure for my car’s problem and the problem should go away after 10,000 miles. No new car should have these problem, I would never have purchases a car with such transmission behavior.
April 15th, 2013 at 1:16 pm
I bought a 2012 Ford Focus used with 32,000 miles on it. I have had constant problems with it chugging, grinding, engine failing and rolling backwards on hills. I have an appointment finally this Wednesday to take it in to Ford dealship. My question is since I bought it used does the lemon law still apply or just to new cars?
April 16th, 2013 at 12:49 pm
@Julie: You may still have a claim under Federal Law if you are in repeatedly in the shop for the same reason. Search Magnuson Moss Warranty Act on our blog for more information.
April 20th, 2013 at 5:39 pm
My 2013 is the worst car I have ever owned. It has been in the shop 3 times already. It jerks, hesitates, lunges, and has no power. It also rolls backward on hills . I hate this dangerous car. It drives worse than a standard.
April 21st, 2013 at 5:07 pm
The problem is you guys bought a Ford. That was your first mistake.
April 22nd, 2013 at 3:14 pm
@Stacey: It is time to look into your lemon law rights. Feel free to contact us at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html if you want our help.
April 22nd, 2013 at 5:36 pm
I feel like such a dumbass. Everyone told me to get the Carolla! I wish I had read this before I bought the Focus. Same issues… no fixes…
April 23rd, 2013 at 2:08 pm
My car has been fixed!! They replaced the torque converter and it has been running fine. I hope this helps someone.
April 24th, 2013 at 9:29 pm
I just bought a brand new 2013 Focus April 4th and I am experiencing these problems well. It makes me uneasy and I am starting to regret purchasing this vehicle after reading all of these statements from others. I have brought the vehicle in twice, first time it was an issue with the cylinders misfiring, then the second time they said nothing is wrong. What are my options at this point?
April 25th, 2013 at 11:40 am
@Hannah: You do not mention where you live, but if you are having problems, it is essential that you continue to bring the car back to your service adviser. Offer to take the adviser on a test drive so they can duplicate the problem and verify your complaint. For a summary of the lemon laws throughout the Country, visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/automobile-lemon-law.html.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:03 pm
My Focus’ transmission has been very jerky at parking lot or slow city speeds. Then the other day it dropped out of “drive” into neutral (although the stick was in “D”) and the engine started racing; then it dropped back into drive and thrust forward; then again, back into neutral, engine races and then it drops back into gear; all through a busy city intersection.
Yesterday the backup sensor was on although I was driving forward. I had to pull over and shut the car off and start again to get it off.
I took it in to Lief Johnson Ford (Austin, TX) this morning. Clearly, I’m not the only one with these issues. I have a rental for the weekend. I guess we’ll see what happens next.
Also, the Ford “Sync” audio system is the worst! The program jams/doesn’t sync and is very slow. It’s also laid out poorly.
May 2nd, 2013 at 3:06 pm
I had a very good impression of this car before I started to lease the 2013 focus (hatchback). Good handling, massive trunk area, 17″ alloys, interior light for foot wells and cup holders, great fuel economy figures and nice styling. I loved it when I test drove it. But in one month’s time, this nice car became a headache. It pains me to say this, because its my first car.
Every month I find myself going to the service center for transmission issues – jerking, lunging forward, delay in shifting and trouble getting out of the driveway when its confused. I’ve been in 3 times, now wanting to get it called as a lemon. I’m sad, wish this was an isolated issue, but I can see its not.
May 7th, 2013 at 7:52 pm
My focus is back in the shop , again with tranny issues. The 1st time mine had the leaky main seal that the dealer said damaged the clutches. After that “fix” the car is now sitting at their lot and they inform me that the needed parts are on a nation wide waiting list for recall / failure repairs and my car may not be fixed in a couple months.
This is a classic lemon if there ever was one.
May 8th, 2013 at 9:40 am
I leased a 2013 se ford focus in december 2012. It was a really nice car for a month and then I came to a conclusion that this was the biggest piece of junk I have ever driven. When you open the doors half the time the interior lights won’t turn on even when they are set to turn on when you open the door. The transmission has a problem in lower gears. My tan cloth seats stain from droplets of rain. The doors have a problem of unlocking. Its deserves to go to a junk yard. I would trade it in a heart beat, half the time I drive my other cars because the new focus is an embarrassment.
May 10th, 2013 at 8:16 am
Taking my 2012 Focus in for the 3rd time this morning. Transmission shutters in forward and now reverse. The reprogramming appears to have stopped the car from rolling backwards on inclines (at least for now). This is getting old. I hope Ford comes up with a solution and quick. Their brand is being tarnished.
May 14th, 2013 at 10:26 am
The first “fix” made my FAR worse (as well as reducing my average gas mileage by 8mpg). At first it would shudder, mainly in lower speeds, but that my have due to not feeling it as much when it was faster. I was told that was “normal operation” twice before I threatened to call Detroit (two different dealers). They then decided to look at it again and decided the seals were leaking on the clutch. After that fix the car started shuttering every time it was in reverse and bucked so hard on the highway one day I thought I had been rear-ended (but the nearest car was several car lengths behind me). It has happened a few other times since. I could also hear grinding as it shifted. Then, I had it out for a short run to the post office. When I went to back out the gas didn’t seem to do anything (felt like it was in neutral). I verified it was in R and then put it back in park and tried to shift again with the same result. I finally let it roll out of the spot and put it in drive. It did fine until I got on the road, then instantly felt like it was in neutral again. I made it into a nearby parking lot and turned off the car and back on again. It let me drive for about a minute and then back to neutral. I ended up having to have the car towed in. The dealer told me it was just a computer programming error and gave it right back to me. I had it in again last week after talking to Detroit and have been told the the bucking is “normal operations” from time to time by the Ford district manager! I don’t feel safe having my soon to be born twins in the car as the force during the bucking was enough I would have had to take them to the ER to be checked for head trauma.
May 14th, 2013 at 4:37 pm
our 2012 focus has been in the shop for 35 days they said they had it fixed and it still was acting up so they had to put another clutch in the transmission…ford motor company not doing anything they say they will call you back and dont..we contacted the better buisiness beaura
May 15th, 2013 at 10:15 am
I purchased my 2012 Focus SE Hatch in September of 2011. I too was told the car would “learn” my way of driving and smooth out. I took it in for the software update to fix the jerky transmission and I don’t think it helped at all. It feels the same. I took it in for service on May 11 for an oil leak which turned out to be from the valve cover gaskets, and to have them check the transmission. I was informed that the computer has been reprogrammed for the transmission and I’m hoping it helps, but since reading the posts above, I am not optimistic. Also, when the A/C is on, and the vent is set for “face/body”, it also blows on my feet to the point of freezing them out. I live in Florida so i wear open toed shoes often. I was told to “change the temperature” or “put it on defrost” to solve the problem. I called back after stewing on that bit of information and told them that was an unacceptable solution and to find a fix. They made an inquiry to the “Ford Hotline” who told them that it is common in the “smaller cars” and that “the car should be returned to the customer”, so no fix. However, my tech guy said they would find a 2012 Focus on the lot and compare it to mine and hopefully they find something. Wishing I had bought the Kia Optima or the VW CC, as the mileage is about the same considering i never get near 40mpg despite most of my mileage is highway miles.
Good luck to everyone out there with the same problems!!!
May 15th, 2013 at 10:46 am
Angie: I think it is time you look into your lemon law rights. Visit http://www.lemonlaw.com for more information.
May 15th, 2013 at 10:52 am
@Darrell: Time to look into your lemon law rights.
May 16th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
I purchased my 2012 Ford Focus in Feb and after having the software recall done the transmission stated making noise and not shifting when it should. After being laughed at and told that, that was the way the transmission was meant to sound like I left. These cars with this, auto shift transmissions should never have been sold. Last week I returned from a 2000 mile trip in which I had nothing but trouble with it. This was my first and last Ford I will ever buy, and I would not recommend them to anyone. I also understand that Ford says the Focus is their best selling vehicle. I thought Ford would stand behind their cars but I guess I was totally wrong. NEVER AGAIN!!!!! What can we do?
May 16th, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Has anyone actually contacted or spoken with the Lemon Law people? What have they done? What did they say? I keep seeing posts saying “Look into your lemon law rights”….ok, we looked into them, now what? Ford is simply denying the problem and that’s that. The car runs and sounds like sh*t….I doubt it will ever make 100,000 miles…so we loose?
May 17th, 2013 at 11:37 am
Seems like as long as no one dies they can do what ever, sale what ever and continue to screw over the consumer. This is my first Ford and my last. I never bought one before because I felt like Ford Motor Company was putting out junk. I was fooled by the styling I suppose. My sister, who only buys Fords is saying “NEVER again!”. My husband was talking back and forth with Ford motor company for a while, he had some direct contacts and even that did nothing.
May 20th, 2013 at 12:14 pm
So as previously stated, we have been experienced the lovely tranny issues with our 6month old 2013 ford forcus se hatchback. Never thought anything of until recently when the car started stalling. took it in last week they put in a new tranny. After getting the car back almost immediately we could here a knocking while turning(as well as loss in gas milleage). Well now 4 days later the car is back in the shop as the control arm and the axle have completely detached. Luckily we werent on any major roads or highways and did not wreck. Needless to say but the car had to be towed back to the dealership where we were told by the service manager that the ball berring on the control arm busted which has been happening alot. Now given that the verdict is still out on possible repairs. This is very unsettling as the wheels needing to stay on the vehichle are very important part of the car. We are extremely unhappy and very uncomfortable in driving a car where the tires tend to pop off. Is there anything that can be done even though this is only our second time in the shop. And even if not with us I would say just keep an eye and ear on these horrible cars as no one needs to suffer from them.
May 20th, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Mine may be the only success story. I have a 2012 Titanium purchased in January 2012. It has had the shuddering/stuttering problem from the beginning. The dealership finally decided to put a “recorder” on it and let me record the events. Afterwards they kept it for 10 days and when I got it back, they told me that Ford had found the issue. Sure enough, I have had it back for close to a month and the shuddering/stuttering is GONE. I never experienced the roll backwards problem. However, my windshield wipers went crazy and after that fix they park about an inch higher than they did when I bought the car but Ford says this is normal. That does seem to be their standard response to every problem.
May 21st, 2013 at 1:27 pm
I just read an email from John H. who stated he had a transmission fix that seem to work ( at least for a month). What did his deal do to fix the problem and where did he get the fix done. My local Ford dealer said he did not know of a fix. The Ford owners hot line person said that Ford had not issued a fix memo. I received the John H. email today: May 21, 2013 at 12:39.
May 25th, 2013 at 2:37 am
I have a 2012 Focus and I’m hearing the same noises and shuddering. I’ve had my car at my original dealership twice and was told that this is normal. I finally got the nerve to try a different Ford dealer only to find out that the PCM and TCM were on different software programs. One had the current update the other one didn’t. So, that was fixed and the car seemed to drive better but the noises were still there. So, they are now ordering me another part because for some reason the car didn’t accept the adaptive learning and drive cycle program. Only thing I know for sure is that I have been told that there are no leaks, I’m hoping once this part gets replaced the car will be quiet.
May 29th, 2013 at 8:35 am
I bought a 2012 Focus SEL in April 2011. It was the first off the truck at my local dealer during one of their promotion events (first mistake!). In the first week I owned it, the touch screen blacked out and had to be fixed (2nd clue). Not long after I started noticing the rollback, shuttering, stalling feeling, and rough shifting. It has now been in the shop 4 times for the transmission and every time they do a “new update” and nothing fixes it! Yesterday it was back in the shop and I was told there is nothing wrong with it and it’s just how it drives to get good gas mileage. I don’t know about anyone else but my car does not get amazing gas mileage to make up for the car driving like an old beat up junker!! I’m fed up with the service department telling me they don’t feel anything and there’s nothing they can do. Since I have a long commute to work, I am so tired of not feeling safe and in return I’ve already stacked on over 25k miles and the trade in is worth nothing compared to what I owe. How can they get away with this?!?! I owned a 2008 Escape before trading in for the Focus and loved it. But after the horrible service and treatment by Ford, I will never buy another!!!! Has anyone had an success in getting Ford to take their car back?
May 29th, 2013 at 11:36 am
@Megan: We have been very successful with our Ford claims for the last 22 years. If you would like to review your situation and see if we can help, call 1 800 LEMON LAW or fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html. Our services are 100% cost-free.
May 29th, 2013 at 3:02 pm
So, finally, after two years of getting the run around on my 2012 Focus my boyfriend went into the dealership with me to tell them what the problems was and they finally agree there’s something wrong with the transmission. For two years i’ve been told it’s the way I drive. Suddenly there is a problem with the transmission. Here’s the best part – Ford cannot get the part to fix it. Now I have a second problem, the car doesn’t turn over when I turn the key. It’s going back in for service next week. I’d really like to research this further…if the fact that i’ve had to replace brakes and tires on the anniversary of the car’s purchase because there’s something wrong with the transmission then I think Ford needs to pay for it.
May 30th, 2013 at 11:16 am
I’m in PA. Car is scheduled for service on Monday for the ignition problem.
June 2nd, 2013 at 10:05 am
I bought a 2012 Ford Focus in Aug 2012. I started experiencing the shuddering in lower gears but didn’t think too much of it until it got so bad that passengers would comment on it. I took the car to the Ford dealership in March and they claimed it was a leak in the seal causing fluid to leak onto the clutch. In late April the car left me stranded in a parking lot as it would not go into reverse and when I tried to put it in drive, it wouldn’t go out of 1st gear. Had it towed to dealership & they told me it was an update that was needed to the transmission module. Then in May the car started shuddering again and is back in the shop. They want to keep it for a week! My “new” car has been in the shop THREE times in the past 90 days. I will not put up with this and neither should anyone else! DO NOT left Ford try to convince you that this is “normal” or that you need to “learn how to drive the car”. Take action as I plan to and do not let up! Contact a Lemon Law attorney ASAP. Do not let Ford get away with this!
June 3rd, 2013 at 11:24 am
Bought a bright red auto 2013 focus SE and drove 300 miles…heard trans grinding noise softly twice…by 450 miles its all the time now and its sitting at the ford dealership right now….i will give them 4 chances and if cant fix..and by what i am reading on the net ….. have them buy the car back….
June 3rd, 2013 at 4:52 pm
@Marus: If you have three to four repairs, we will be able to help. Please contact us at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html when the time comes.
June 3rd, 2013 at 4:57 pm
@Dennesse: Please reach out to us at http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html with your information to see if we can help.
June 3rd, 2013 at 5:03 pm
@velnigan: Please visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html for us to determine if and how we can help you.
June 3rd, 2013 at 8:18 pm
With everyone having these problems has anyone had the actuators for the transmission forks replaced? I’ve been told that is the problem with my car, I don’t know if it’s going to help but I’m doing everything I can before the factory warranty expires.
June 7th, 2013 at 2:02 pm
@Dylan: If you are in three or more times under warranty, you may have a lemon law or breach of warranty case. Visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and enter your information. We will be glad to review the situation and determine if/how we can help.
June 8th, 2013 at 8:44 pm
Well I had to get my 2013. Focus se towed in tonight only have 1148 miles on it.
I think the transmission or something to that issue may be wrong. It would not shift and or the gauge would rpm up to 8. I could not even make it go faster. While rolling the rpm would reve up. We will see what happens next. Complained about it since I have had it. Only 3 weeks.
June 9th, 2013 at 4:46 pm
So my brand new ,2013 focus is shuddering, Idleing rough and skipping gears.. I took it into the dealership, (the car has 2190.3 miles on it) and they said it was due the reprogramming for the trans and the PCM for the Idle. They held it hostage for the night. I picked it up the next day, and The idle is still rough, and the trans still feels like my 10 year old grandson is at the clutch… Smashing the gas does wonders, no skipping, but who wants to drive like that.. I did notice that the Trans soleniods are latching when you open the doors now. They must have deleted the function with the new programming. Im gonna give them 3 trys and then thats it.. Oh yea, the dealer said ford is recommending 7500 miles for the trans break-in….
June 9th, 2013 at 4:49 pm
In my previous post I misstated my self. I Meant The transmission relays are NOT latching now that the reprogramming has been done. Its Real quiet when you open the doors.
June 10th, 2013 at 3:40 pm
Ive had awesome luck with my 2013 focus, had the tranny issue once, took it in, had the car in the dealer for a week and a half, had the tranny rebuilt, new “clutches” and “shift motors”. My ford dealer has never let me down. I know three other focus owners from around town from a focus forum and they all took the cars in to the same service dealer and battabing battaboom, cars are a well and havent had problems since. I honestly think it isnt fords fault, but more of the technicians that are getting a hold of these cars and possibly not knowing what they are doing. I did my research and i purchesed my vehicle from the dealer with the best Service department in the northwest, the most Ford Master certefied techs available in comparison to any local dealer. I dont think its the car, but the people fixing them.
June 11th, 2013 at 4:25 pm
Just updating previous post. We’re now taking our 2013 Focus in for the 2nd time for shuttering/not shifting correctly. Once again it put our family in a dangerous situation where it would not shift up (just reved up) and I had to pull over to side of road, turn car off then on, and it was “ok”.
Absolutely my first and LAST Ford. They’re risking our lives for $$$.
June 12th, 2013 at 5:14 pm
It’s a computer controlled dual clutch manual people. It SHOULD roll backward at idle on an incline exactly as a full manual would. Learn to use that damn brake.
June 12th, 2013 at 8:50 pm
I’ve only been in twice at this point, the second trip was to a different dealership and they provided me with much better service. The rattling is still there but at this point I’m willing to give Ford one last chance to resolve the issue.
June 15th, 2013 at 12:17 pm
I purchased my 2012 Ford Focus SE in April 2012. Since I have purchased it I have experienced all the problems above the rolling back the chattering the hesitation the bucking the jerking. I went to arbitration and lost because ford continues to say there is no problem. I go to court July 15 but I’m concerned im going to lose because ford keeps refusing to admit there is a problem. It has been I. The shop 6 times everytime it gets reprogrammed comes back and it is the same or worse but reports say no problem found. I actually rode with the head mechanics at ford and he said the car needed rest time let’s give the car time to rest. At the time the car was under a year old. Please advise.
June 15th, 2013 at 2:29 pm
This ford focus 2013 is going to replace the “pinto” back in the 70′s. It is very jerkey in 1st and 2nd gear and seems to get worse as it heats up.Runs fine in 3rd gear and up.I feel sorry for my company as there are replacing there fleet with this lemon. It will probably take someone getting killed in this car before Ford will recall this car and fix the problem. Remember what Ford stands for, found on road dead !!!!!
June 16th, 2013 at 12:31 am
I just got a 2013 titanium focus hatch for graduation. I love everything about it except the tranny. I feel bad because my dad was just being a great dad and giving his son a fantastic graduation present, and now it seems we’ll have to dump money into the car that was supposed to supplement my gas guzzling thunderbird. My uncle works at the dealer. We will be having a conversation about this.
June 17th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
i have two ford focus in the family, my wife drives a 2012 and i drive a 2013 both purchased new new. i have taken the 2012 into the dealer 3 times already, my wife twice. regarding the loud gears when it shifts and the rolling backwards all we are given is a copy from Ford statng that this is normal. a ticket is never written up each time we go. i feel so frustrated that we have 2 brand new cars and we have to deal with this and no one to go to
June 17th, 2013 at 3:19 pm
2013 Ford Focus SE – Purchased in 9/2012. The transmission stuttering problem got worst, at 5K service Ford dealership did not have time to address the problem, required the car be kept at dealership for 2 days, of course no loaner or rental offered. Finally at 8K could not bear it any more, took it to dealer for firm ware update, and car failed after the update. They had to remove the transmission, and replace 3 clutches and 2 seals, as oil got on to the clutches. Not sure how bad the problem was and what else was wrong. The car still stutters, but is better than before repair. If the car was out of warranty, it would have cost 5k – 7K for this service. For a car on which I paid $18K, after 5 years warranty is over, will have to junk it, cause it will be more expensive to repair, than value of the car. Keeping my fingers crossed, someone has to file a class action suite to help the common man.
June 17th, 2013 at 4:49 pm
@Erin: It is time to look into your lemon law rights. To find a lawyer in your state, visit http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html.
June 17th, 2013 at 7:27 pm
I hate to say it but I think we all have to deal with some problems for awhile. For those of us Like me who have never driven a manual tranny this new design will feel very strange. My dad has driven manuals quite a bit and when he drove my DCT automatic he admitted that I may have to re-learn how to drive the Focus. He told me that it was as manual of a tranny as any he had ever driven and that there is no way I can continue trying to “drive normal” with a tranny like this. So, the rollbacks and the hard shifts and hesitations are results of inexperience more than a problem with the car. Of course Ford does have some issues with the tranny that need to be addressed but as my father said the people who have never driven manual transmissions are going to have to adjust their driving habits as well.
June 18th, 2013 at 9:29 am
I have a 2013 Ford Focus with 459 miles that has had issues with driving forward and backward since the 2nd week I bought it but I had to wait until the “check engine” light came on before my dealership would fix it. Now in order for that to happen it had to break down and then towed to them (Crazy!). I was told that my car had a TCM modules and should be ready this evening… it only took them a week to week it and me having to drive a rental car that smells like a locker room