CarComplaints.com Notes: For the third year in a row, the 3rd generation Focus is experiencing massive transmission problems.
Most notably owners keep complaining about how there's bad hesitation and jerking when starting from a stop. This isn't the result of an old, worn out part. In fact, the average mileage it's reported to us is just over 15k miles.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
22 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
9 / 0
Average Mileage:
38,168 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Power steering failed while driving. Nearly caused an accident. Lucky there were no others on the road. Ford dealership said rack and pinion needed replacing. 2 weeks later the transmission completely failed. Had already been re-programmed as part of the 14M02 program. This didn't fix the juddering and poor gear performance. Dealer says transmission is broken and none of the customer programs apply.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. On several occasions, while stopped at a traffic light, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle failed to respond. On another occasion, while attempting to exit from a parking lot the vehicle failed to start. Roadside assistance was contacted and was able to provide a jump start. The vehicle was taken to pacifico Ford (located at 6701 essington avenue, philadelphia, pa 19153, (877) 349-3923) where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The transmission control module and transmission clutch needed to also be repaired. The fuel tank and transmission control module were replaced; twice however, the failure recurred. The contact was also informed that it would cost $947 to replace the transmission clutch. The repair was not performed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
My Ford Focus would rev up and down.... and when I would hit a speed over 50 mph I couldn't press the gas anymore. I would have to coast to the side of the road because my gas pedal wouldn't take me anywhere. The last time it happened, I almost died. I was pulling out of the gym parking lot and it started acting up again and it stalled in the middle of the road with on coming traffic. The car will stay on but when you press the gas it goes no where. I took it to Ford, and they replaced what they believe is wrong with their current transmission problems. But it still continues to do the same thing. They are not safe cars!!!!
Noise coming from steering wheel when turning; shuttering; struggling to accelerate; transmission stalled out on a hill; remote lock button found non functional at times; bluetooth non functional.
Vehicle shutters almost stalls in first gear between 1000 and 3000 rpms after 3000 rpms car runs smooth shifts easy almost as if car has not enough fuel or too much air, but only when car first starts moving. Car jerks as if you were learning to drive stick shift for the first time. Common Focus transmission problem.
- Leesburg, VA, USA
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Car sputters and lags when pressing the gas pedal from a stopped position. Feels like the car is not going to go. Delays and sputters. It does this daily; often.
Transmission was jerking like a manual when shifting our 2014 Ford Focus with 47,706 miles. Took to local dealership and they told me I was out of warranty. Read an article about and extended warranty for such an issue. I am attaching my invoice for repairs.
The transmission malfunction light came on while driving and the vehicle shuddered on acceleration. This happened a few times. The car would shudder and jerk and it would lose power.
Vehicle is equipped with the Ford dps6 transmission. Transmission shift rough, stutters and hesitates. Took the vehicle to robinson brothers Ford in baton rouge, la. Service department indicated that the clutches and seals in the transmission needed to be replaced.
2014 Ford Focus jerks on take off when accelerating. Dangerous in wet conditions. Numerous times have been taken to dealer and finally have had a clutch replaced and issued persisted. Dealer said this condition is normal and still happens everyday.
Message occurred on 8/8/2019 'transmission over heating pull over and allow cooling'. I was driving in stop and go traffic on clements ferry road, charleston so pulled off the road at truvalue hardware. I had been going into palmetto Ford to satisfy recalls outstanding. There was concern when I took my car into palmetto Ford when parts were available for other recalls. After the first repair for recall, I returned for the next recall and mentioned that the car had begun jerking when pulling onto roads and trying to accelerate and only began after the first recall repairs. There were a few times when the car just sat there not moving until the jerk would happen. Mr. Mount at palmetto Ford said that was how the transmission worked to change gears. I was still concerned and took the car to O'reilly for diagnostic reading. Attachment 1 is a copy of the message on O'reilly's diagnostic screen. The technician said he had never seen that message before.
2014 Ford Focus. Consumer stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle did not shift into any gear and the engine revved highly and caused the transmission to slip.
Car has had hesitation and rough idling... car was taken in to dealer to have issues with recall 18S32 fixed. For some reason.. no parts (including cpv valve or eev canister) were replaced. After a day of getting the car back, the engine stalled and would not restart. Different dealer is stating the starter needs to be replaced for almost $800. Customer service at Ford has been of no help and for some reason I am always disconnected when talking to someone.
My car's clutch slips. This is a 2014 Ford Focus with the transmission that has given Ford so many problems. It stutters and jutters and makes me worried that it will give out in an intersection. To further complicate things, it had a salvage title when I purchased it, unrelated to the clutch. Since owning the vehicle Ford has replaced the clutch, transmission and tcm. I was very happy with the service, then, 14000 miles later, the clutch started doing the same thing. I took it back to Ford and all of a sudden they wouldn't replace the clutch because it was a "salvage title" as if the restored status of the title makes the vehicle unworthy of replacing a safety issue. I told them that it was salvage the last time they replaced everything, they still refused to fix it. To me, this is very much a safety issue. The last time it got this bad, the car lurched and bucked and threw an engine code, almost stalling out in the middle of an intersection. Ford swears this is not a safety issue, it really worries me. This stuttering and juttering occurs when the car is moving in first gear shifting into second. It does it more when hot, but occurs all the time. The original clutch that was replaced had a 12K mile warranty, of course when it started acting up again, I was over that amount.
Was informed by Ford in 2017 that there were transmission issues with my make/model. Took it in to a local dealer and they said yes, the clutch of my transmission needed fixed, which they did. Now, 2 years later, it's broken again. There are countless instances of clutch issues with the transmission in my make/model, however, Ford says that the extension of 10 yr/100,000 mile is only for the computerized portion of the transmission. Even though clearly there is an issue with the clutch since it's the same issue from before. They refuse to fix it even though it's the same issue and I'm only at 66,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. Every time the accelerator pedal was depressed from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to long lewis Ford (2551 john hawkins pkwy, birmingham, al 35244) where it was diagnosed that both clutches needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure occurred at least two years. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 142,000.
At 11/25/15, 15,490 miles Ford dealership checked vehicle for our complaint of increasing hesitation issues at acceleration. Found no codes. Second report at 8/10/16, 22,896 miles. We told dealership that it was like the transmission or clutch was slipping. No codes. 3rd report at 8/29/16, 23,057 miles-- dealer replaced clutch assembly and seal kit. At about July 2019, 50,000 miles same problems resurfaced. 8/6/19 Ford dealer confirmed car again needs a new clutch, but no longer under warranty. Car is stuttering at take off from busy intersections, acceleration ramps, etc almost causing serious accidents. Should not have to replace a clutch every 25000 miles. Affordability is issue and safety issue because of affordability.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- League City, TX, USA